I'm trying to determine what level of strength is required to be a good sprinter (i.e. 100 free).
Could you list your max repetitions of push ups, pull ups and dips? This would give me some assesment on power to weight ratio and strength endurance.
Also, what is your max bench press if you know it? or reps of 225 lbs. I'm curious about what level of pure strength sprinters have.
I think I am deficient mostly in technique and then strength endurance but maybe this post would show me I need weight room work.
So, I think weights can help, but maybe it comes down to technique and the right "muscle memory"?
Incidentally, my incline bench is around 295, I do chins with 45-90lbs extra, and squat about 405.
I never bench press or do pull ups. :( Can't.
Wholly apart from sprint gains, which I do think weight lifting helps some, I wonder if weight lifting helps prevent/recover from injuries? I notice my shoulders generally feel better when I am lifting (apart from RC stuff). And I know breaststrokers who say their knees feel better when they lift weights.
I still think some people are just slower now than they were in high school or college whether they're lifting or not and whether they've been counting SPL or not. I think I could swim my brains out with perfect technique and still not do my 100 or 200 fly times from high school or college. But everyone's different. Besides, I don't want or have time to swim my brains out.
Dear Mr. TI Smyth: :thhbbb:
Gotcha. I am a TI advocate to a fairly large degree. :eek: When I returned to swimming at almost 44, I had a TI-type coach and we worked on nothing but technique, technique, technique. That's why I was called the drill queen for awhile. I just don't like Initial Caps, or close Mindedness about some swim toys or being repeatedly told that shoulder injuries are due almost exclusively to poor technique. (He also ragged on my fly technique sight unseen and hurt my feelings. LOL.) I also think sprinting is somewhat different from what Terry specializes in, although efficient speed a la Popov is no doubt most desirable. But Terry's due to put out his Sprints and TI book after the Endurance and TI book comes out. So we'll see. BTW, I bought the first book for my son when he was learning to swim properly for triathlons and I taught him a lot of TI freestyle drills. Here I go zipper switching away ...:thhbbb:
So, I think weights can help, but maybe it comes down to technique and the right "muscle memory"?
Incidentally, my incline bench is around 295, I do chins with 45-90lbs extra, and squat about 405.
I never bench press or do pull ups. :( Can't.
Wholly apart from sprint gains, which I do think weight lifting helps some, I wonder if weight lifting helps prevent/recover from injuries? I notice my shoulders generally feel better when I am lifting (apart from RC stuff). And I know breaststrokers who say their knees feel better when they lift weights.
I still think some people are just slower now than they were in high school or college whether they're lifting or not and whether they've been counting SPL or not. I think I could swim my brains out with perfect technique and still not do my 100 or 200 fly times from high school or college. But everyone's different. Besides, I don't want or have time to swim my brains out.
Dear Mr. TI Smyth: :thhbbb:
Gotcha. I am a TI advocate to a fairly large degree. :eek: When I returned to swimming at almost 44, I had a TI-type coach and we worked on nothing but technique, technique, technique. That's why I was called the drill queen for awhile. I just don't like Initial Caps, or close Mindedness about some swim toys or being repeatedly told that shoulder injuries are due almost exclusively to poor technique. (He also ragged on my fly technique sight unseen and hurt my feelings. LOL.) I also think sprinting is somewhat different from what Terry specializes in, although efficient speed a la Popov is no doubt most desirable. But Terry's due to put out his Sprints and TI book after the Endurance and TI book comes out. So we'll see. BTW, I bought the first book for my son when he was learning to swim properly for triathlons and I taught him a lot of TI freestyle drills. Here I go zipper switching away ...:thhbbb:
