I am slow, and when I mean slow, I mean slow. I can do a 26 sec 50 with fins, but without I come in just under 1:20! I think a big part of it is just taking the fins off and doing a lot of kick sets to learn to feel the water better with my feet. I have a good breaststroke kick so I don't think my problem is an overly weak pair of legs, although they could be in better shape. Also, myankles are fairly flexible as I can point my toes and make my feet bend backwards past an even position with my shins. However, I do think that I need to loosen up my ankles when I kick. I feel like I get more out of my kick for those brief moments when I allow my ankles to snap back and forth with my kick. I think I actually need to relax more to kick faster as weird as that sounds.
I suppose the answer to my question is that I simply need to take of the fins and do kick set after kick set until I learn to feel the water better with my feet and become more efficient.
congratulations on your improvement
your improvement is the result of learning how to kick fast, but you're just getting started,
do the fast kick set 4 or 5 times per week
test the very fast 25 kick for time once a week
focus on becoming a fast kicker.
Let's see how far you go with this
syd's 25 m kick times
10)
09)
08)
07)
06)
05)
04)
03)
02)
01) June 28th, 2007 24.10
00) June 20th, 2007 25.84
you asked:
"Are there any dryland exercises that would strengthen kicking muscles?"
there's leg press, leg extension, leg curl, & jumps, but your big improvements are going to come from your work in the water.
do some DPK 25's (distance per kick) where you concentrate on:
1) great streamline and body position
2) feeling the water with your feet and shins on each kick and
3) getting maximum distance and propulsion from each kick
4) count how many kicks it takes you to get across the pool, (count for your right leg then double the number)
these are easy with lot's of rest
24.1 is nowhere near what you are capable of
keep pushing,
ALSO train and test your 25 SDK
ande
A week later and today I went 24.10 off a dive for 25m of flutter kick. I can't imagine that my legs have gotten that much stronger in a week so it must be my technique.
Are there any dryland exercises that would strengthen kicking muscles? Riding a bike perhaps. Funny I don't really associate swimmers with large calf muscles - not like a bikers anyway. Is that because the kick is supposed to come from the hip?
I must confess my legs ache like hell when I do these sprint sets and I am as out of breath as if I had swum a 50 at full pace. As a kid kicking was always rest time for me. I never realised it should be hard work as well.
Thanks Ande!
Syd
congratulations on your improvement
your improvement is the result of learning how to kick fast, but you're just getting started,
do the fast kick set 4 or 5 times per week
test the very fast 25 kick for time once a week
focus on becoming a fast kicker.
Let's see how far you go with this
syd's 25 m kick times
10)
09)
08)
07)
06)
05)
04)
03)
02)
01) June 28th, 2007 24.10
00) June 20th, 2007 25.84
you asked:
"Are there any dryland exercises that would strengthen kicking muscles?"
there's leg press, leg extension, leg curl, & jumps, but your big improvements are going to come from your work in the water.
do some DPK 25's (distance per kick) where you concentrate on:
1) great streamline and body position
2) feeling the water with your feet and shins on each kick and
3) getting maximum distance and propulsion from each kick
4) count how many kicks it takes you to get across the pool, (count for your right leg then double the number)
these are easy with lot's of rest
24.1 is nowhere near what you are capable of
keep pushing,
ALSO train and test your 25 SDK
ande
A week later and today I went 24.10 off a dive for 25m of flutter kick. I can't imagine that my legs have gotten that much stronger in a week so it must be my technique.
Are there any dryland exercises that would strengthen kicking muscles? Riding a bike perhaps. Funny I don't really associate swimmers with large calf muscles - not like a bikers anyway. Is that because the kick is supposed to come from the hip?
I must confess my legs ache like hell when I do these sprint sets and I am as out of breath as if I had swum a 50 at full pace. As a kid kicking was always rest time for me. I never realised it should be hard work as well.
Thanks Ande!
Syd
