Help with sprinting strategy

read this, its written by the sprint coach at penn state. www.theraceclub.net/.../viewtopic.php

Cool read. This bit really got my attention: “Researchers show that anaerobic exercise (short, quick-burst, get you winded fast) is the type of fitness training that increases exercise-induced growth hormone. And growth hormone is, without question, the most powerful body fat-reducing, muscle-toning, anti-aging, and anti-middle-aging agent known in science.” I had to google “plyometrics”... and got this: “In recent years this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics. Whatever the origins of the word the term is used to describe the method of training which seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions as a result of rapid eccentric contractions.” I have never really focused on sprint activity because it seemed out of my reach, but I guess I should rethink this. A few months ago I added a segment to my practice of doing as many 50 fly as I could do in 15min. Then it was 6 or 7. Now it is 8 or 9. I guess that qualifies as sprint activity, but (as always) I usually wait till I’m not gasping for breath and my heart rate is something less than that of a rabbit pursued by a fox. Timed intervals would probably be better based on what I see and hear, but I prefer to simply listen to my body. I think allowing your heart to regain it's composure might be good for your training as well as allowing to you live! I would not wait for a sub 100 pulse but I usually wait for something around the 120 -130 range between sprints. One need not overexert themselves to show improvement. I often do 50 freestyle sprints and sometimes 25's...the 25's start with a slow 25 and then I rip and tear all the way home. I don't try to force as many as i can into a time frame, I just recover a bit in between swims and keep up the rhythm. It is more fun than swimming boring 100 repeats and I think it probably does more good for your endurance, strength, and speed. Just my opinion though. :2cents:

read this, its written by the sprint coach at penn state. www.theraceclub.net/.../viewtopic.php My eyes glazed over on a lot of this, but the conclusion (along with the signature) really got my attention: “If you remember nothing else, remember these few points. #1. Train to be a sprinter, not a weightlifter. #2. Absolutely no machines except for the leg curl, and even with that, do it one leg at a time. Anything that does not allow you to stabilize, control your body in space, balance, etc. etc. etc. is HORRIBLE for athletes. #3. Get the freak pissed off in the weight room. LIFTING IS NOT NICE. Get some headphones and get some music that gets your juices flowing. Testosterone is a good thing, get it going!!!! A sprinter must absolutely have the mindset of a freaking animal. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! _________________ Hammer Down Is A Way Of Life” .... Way out of my league, but interesting to see what mindset is expected.

Weights are great for accentuating the effect of taper at the end of the season. Weights help to "break you down" and then rest to rebuild. I would be careful Evil Smith to draw conclusions between long course and short course performances. Note, your 50m free and fly were sharp, but you also loafed the first half of the 200m free and back halfed it well like you usually do when you are in good middle distance shape. That race was an anomally and should be thrown out of your analysis. Your 100m free this summer was out way too slow as well. No one in their right mind negative splits a 100m free. Note, I won't tell the readers on this forum who had a faster time in this event. Hell hath frozen that day. Proper weights make the sprinter..... proper weights make the taper better. John smith

Plyometrics sound good, although I haven't had time to try it. My son tells me they can produce injuries easily, though for us middle aged folks. Pool Bound polymetrics are easier on the muscles and give the same results. www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/.../plyometrics-swimming.html

PS: Will you swim MIMS again in the future? TI will become a prominent sponsor of Manhattan Island Foundation in 2007 and we plan to enter one or more relays. I'd like to, but I'm not sure. Since I didn't make it this year (there is a thread over in the open water forum where I discussed this - actually, it covers both 2005 & 2006 MIMS), it sticks in my craw, but I have a bunch of things on my plate that need to be dealt with first. Also, registration opens on 1 November this year and I'm not going to have things in order by then. Still... -LBJ

Weight training is a whole other and very complex discussion. Suffice to say that most of the top LCM swimmers in the world have relatively unremarkable muscle size and definition, but are well proportioned and supple in appearance. They are "water-strong" but not necessarily land-strong. If land strength were that advantageous powerlifters would hold swimming records. We are talking about sprinting here and I belive weight lifting is esencial to acheiving maximum performance. nearly every sprinter in the olympics lifts weights.

Sprinters need more fast twich muscle fibers and these are not really developed by weight lifting, better to use plyometrics. Great sprinters have up to 80% fast and superfast muscle. I found this site a few moths ago and find it interesting www.readysetgofitness.com/.../11_muscle_fiber_types.html

Terry: If you don't get that book you ordered "Swimming the American Crawl" let me know. I have several copies and bought one about 2 years ago for $2.00 and I will give it to you free as a gift. I have read the book and have found some of the concepts way ahead of there time. Sherm Chavor, who was Mark Spitz's coach at Arden Hills said that if Johnny Weismuller would have trained the way people in the late 1960's and early 1970's did he would be perhaps be as great as anyone of that era and could have easily been the equal of Spitz in his opinion. He said this in the book he wrote called "The 50 Meter Jungle" that came out back in 1973. He also said that Buster Crabb would get clobbered because unlike Johnny he had stroke and body position defficiences and regardless of a change in training techniques he would not be able to keep up with the swimmers of the 1970's where he thought Johnny would. I am glad you brought up the Spence brothers because Water Spence has an NCAA Record that will never be broken especially with the new NCAA rules regarding eligibility. He was the NCAA high point scorer for Rutgers at the age of 34 and is the oldest NCAA champion ever. It was a fact that has a professional Johnny Weismuller did a :48.5, while coaching the Spence brothers but it did not count and his record of :51.4 for the 100 Yard Free stood until 1944 when Alan Ford broke it at :50.8, but it was tied by 4 guys and I personally know one of guys that tied the record in 1942 named Bill Prew. I had the pleasure of meeting Johnny purely out of luck. I was at the ISHOF a couple of days after the 1983 Short Course Nationals that were held there. I was in the Hall when Buck Dawson said that Johhny would be stopping by in the next hour. I was going to go swimming and workout but I thought I am going to stay here and meet this guy. He came by and did not look well at all. I remember how sad I was to see him in this state. He was real nice and was glad that the Masters program seemed to be taking off. He didn't say much and I didn't ask him anything and was stunned to finally meet this legend that I grew up with watching Tarzen and later Jungle Jim. I believe he died the next year sometime in 1984.

Terry: I learned most about the Spence bothers in the three excellent books that I have about Johnny Weismuller. There was a book called "Water Weissmuller" that I bought at the ISHOF store when I was there for the USMS Nationals in 1995. I will have to look and see who the author is when I get home tonight. When I was at the ISHOF store in 2002 after the YMCA Nationals, I bought the book "Weismuller Twice Hero" by David Fury that was published in 2001. I am not sure if you can get these books from ISHOF anymore but they are all excellent with all types of invaluable history. I know you can't get the American Crawl book easily but I have seen some out there. The newest book that I want to get came out a couple of years ago called "Tarzen My Father" written by his son and Walter Reed. Also when I went to the LC Nationals at Rutgers in 2003 as I was walking the halls I noticed a display in a trophy case that had detail stories of Walter Spence and his two brothers. I never swam at Arden Hills but my friend Sally Guthrie grew up in Sacramento and knew all about the famous swimmers such as Debbie Meyer and Mike Burton. I actually got to talk to Debbie Meyer quite a bit at the World Meet this summer and did not know she was swimming in the meet because I did not know her new name which is Weber. I got her to sign several items and she was kinda of surprised that a lot of copies of the book "50 Meter Jungle" were still around and told me she signed several copies for people that were at the meet. She told me that Arden Hills Swim Club was still around but is a sad state today and nothing like it was when Sherm started the club. She told me they were using her name to promote the club without her expressed permission. I visited Arden Hills after the World Meet and could not believe what it has turned into. I drove up to club and notice they had nothing but valet parking and the club house had nothing but marble floors. They had all these salons and shops in the clubhouse. I asked to see the pool and they said absolutely not. This is a club that is exclusive to members only and I would have to be a guest of a member just to see the pool and the Swimming room where all of the history of the club was. Sherm sold this fine historic swimming club and its turned into some giant spa with swimming and tennis for the wealthy. How sad because at one time it was a close rival to the Santa Clara Swim Club as far as Olympic Swimmers. To not highjack this thread any further, I will bring up and old post to these threads that talks about other historical books about swimming.