I am always amused at how often master's swimmers will take individual liberties in workout to suit their own needs. For example:
* Swimming free instead of breaststroke or the stroke prescribed by the coach.
* One handed turns on *** and fly.
* Cutting corners to stay up with the lane
* Using pull gear when it isn't a pull set
* Kicking your favorite kick and not the one given by the coach
* Leaving 2 seconds behind (more like 2 tenths behind)
* Pulling on the lane line
* Swimming when it's a kick set
* etc...
Maybe its all those years of swimming under "do it my way or the highway" type coaches, that I still have a hard time changing anything in the workout. I must admit however that it does feel good once and while to cheat a little.
As a coach, I've asked many swimmers as to why they change the set or cheat and I hear a million different excuses. I'm very interested in hearing from all of you, all the excuses you have or have heard from other swimmers.
Some of my favorite ones are:
* I don't want to get passed!!!
* I hate the other strokes? (from a former IM'r)
* My tri coach say's I shouldn't swim other strokes
I think the term "cheating" might be a little overkill.
For some of scenarios it might be appropriate, but, if a swimmer's having problems with a knee he/she might not be able to kick breaststroke or problems with a shoulder may have to lay off fly.
One handed turns might just be sloppiness/lazyness. They'll probably get their just due when they get DQ'ed.
I'm one to tend to swim the exercise as given by the coach more times than not, but there are times when I modify to suit my particular circumstances especially around the time of more important meets. Most other folks in our pool aren't there to compete and have no intentions of ever competing but we just forgive them and move on.
Originally posted by Dennis Tesch
As a coach, I've asked many swimmers as to why they change the set or cheat and I hear a million different excuses.
Well, Dennis, we haven't heard quite a million yet in this thread, but we're getting up there already ;)
Wow, I had no idea my fellow swimmers were all watching to see what corners I cut and considered me a "cheater" if I skipped a set or whathaveyou. As a mature adult, I feel perfectly fine in modifying exercise rather than pushing myself to the point of hurting myself just because "everyone else is doing it."
Lots of people on our team modify the workout in places to fit with their level of fitness - I wouldn't consider them "cheating." A coach doesn't normally have time to go around to each person and go, "So, how are you feeling today? Oh, you've had bronchitis and your kid was up all night? Well, take a minute of rest between sets rather than the 30 seconds everyone else is taking." But I think most swimmers in that situation would modify their workout if they felt bad and I think most other swimmers and coaches would think that's perfectly normal and justified.
I mean, really, do you expect everyone on the team to do the same workout? What about modifying for age, fitness level, illness, or injury?
Originally posted by Dennis Tesch
IAs a coach, I've asked many swimmers as to why they change the set or cheat and I hear a million different excuses. I'm very interested in hearing from all of you, all the excuses you have or have heard from other swimmers.
Some of my favorite ones are:
* I don't want to get passed!!!
* I hate the other strokes? (from a former IM'r)
* My tri coach say's I shouldn't swim other strokes
Wow - I never listen to a coach who thinks he knows it all. I will only do what I want to do. When they ask me to use fins and floaties I always say no thanks. If they ask me to do drills I say no thanks. If they ask me to swim backstroke I say no thanks. If they ask me to swim breaststroke it's no thanks. I swim only crawl and fly and don't break up the strokes except I do a little one arm fly when I first start to train and I never do more than a hundred fly. But when I coach it is I who decides what the swimmers do but I know there abilities before Igive a workout.
I thought masters was supposed to be open to swimmers of different levels and abilities. Speaking for myself, I'm new to "serious" swimming, just learned breaststroke and fly within the past year, and can't possibly complete the workouts as spelled out on the board.
I'm not so sure cheating is the best phrase...
Even on my college team, modifications are common. Many of us are sick or injured at times and need to alter things to avoid hurting ourselves.
It happens.
As for cutting a set short, we do that too. If for some reason you haven't finished your warmup/set by the time the rest of the team has, you hold up. That's just what you do.
I really don't consider it cheating.....it's just part of the process.
