The Jazz Hands training log, an alternative swimming experience
Former Member
Whenever I mention something about how I train, somebody flips out and asks for clarification. "Jazz Hands," they say, "do you really bathe in ox blood before workouts?" Or, "Jazz Hands, how many grams of testosterone do you inject weekly?" I hope to answer these questions and many more in my training log. I'll be covering water workouts and weight workouts, and I'll answer questions about both, as well as questions about my nutrition and supplementation.
I hope my alternative swimming experience will give other swimmers ideas for their own training, and expand everyone's idea of just what kind of preparation a swimmer needs to go fast.
I typically list weights this way: weight x reps. I list swimming sets this way: reps x distance. They are kind of the reverse of one another, but each one is the standard for each particular activity.
I'll start with some recent workouts.
Evening weights
Saturday December 8, 2007
School mostly finished for me on Friday, so I decided to celebrate with some sumo deadlifts.
Warmed up with 135, 205, 275, 345.
Attempted 415, felt good and fast but something went wrong. I lost control of the bar and it swung and hit me in the right shin, leaving a big red rectangle.
Finished up deadlifts with a bunch of singles at 345, and a few more at 365.
Did a set of alternating negatives on the calf machine with 140.
Evening weights
Sunday December 9, 2007
Started with 90x4 on dips. I try to do dips as deep as possible.
Did several sets of 185 on bent-over barbell rows. Didn't count reps. I mostly focused on form: back flat and parallel to the ground, no jerking and swaying. My form improved with each set.
Finished with 90x5 on dips, a new personal best. My brother watched and said I went really deep on all of the reps.
Morning swim
Monday December 10, 2007
Started with 4x25 sprint flutter kick on my back, with several minutes rest. Went 19, 18, 16, 16.
Did a couple 25s sprint free, my mind was wandering though. I was thinking about how Paul Smith says I can't do a good 100. Why not start it today? Back in the day, I used to do a 100 fly from a push every week or so just to see if I could keep up my endurance while I was swimming mostly 25s. If I remember correctly, I did about a 57 at my best. Pretty cool considering my best time in competition (high school) was a 58.
So, 100 fly! I breathed every stroke, and finished in 59. The first 50 felt really good, but I died just about as bad as I ever had on the last 25. It felt like I was actually going backwards. My friend in the other lane watched me and said I split 26 at halfway. Twenty-six to 33 is not good, and I felt like I was going to throw up for the next half hour. I hope to improve on that a lot in the coming weeks.
Former Member
I sent mine in yesterday. You'll be seeded ahead of me in the 200. I think I put down a 1:55 or so. I'm unlikely to go a whole lot faster than that.
Good luck and I'll see you there. I went 2:09 in practice on Friday. It's a long way from my entry time, but I'm optimistic.
Yikes, I missed that. Yep, VERY nice on that one too. Looks like I've got to get busy myself.
Paul
Former Member
You have an excuse for everything. Fins are faster, even Stud agrees. Wear your precious fins from the blocks once at practice to further prove the point. Plus, if your fin 50 and regular 50 are that close, you need to work on your kicking, without the toys.
I don't even know where to begin on your psych up power factor stuff. I'd rather follow stud in a 400 IM than your logic. How can you state, on one hand, that fins require more power yet, on the other hand, you find them most useful when you are sluggish and therefore have less of this power? You've lost me but don't feel compelled to find me.
We do lactic acid sets at school all the time and many times our coach will have us put fins on for one or two of them...and I have NEVER done a 50 sprint all out with fins in practice that was AS fast or faster than my 50 WITHOUT fins at a meet. Yes, with fins I am closer to that time in practice then I am without the fins, but never as fast or faster. I agree with Jazz that the race situation is so unique that your gonna shave time from your sprint with fins in practice no matter what.
Former Member
Sounds like we have a sub 47 comming our way soon.
I think my 50 would actually be slower with fins because of how awkward the start would be.
I disagree. An all-out with fins from a push should be faster.
Actually doing a standard start with both feet on the front of the block is not that bad with fins. Done them before. It's OK.
Former Member
I use my fins and monofin frequently. I use them for speedwork, SDK work, long aerobic sets that might hurt my shoulder. I do fast timed swims with and without them. I agree with Paul on the kicking though. Except for SDK work, I usually kick without them. (I don't think I've ever done a long kick set though ... that's on the schedule.) I'm sure many people would say I should use fins less. But I seem to be doing pretty well. Do what works for you. Screw other people's criticism. The issue of whether you can use fins in meets is irrelevant. I don't understand that thought at all. They're a training tool to enhance meet performance.
It struck me as odd to be measuring one's speed in the pool with fins on when, as we all know, fins are not permitted in competition. What's next, citing times for backstroke with pool deck starts? ;) Anyhow, feel free to fornicate with my words. :wave:
It struck me as odd to be measuring one's speed in the pool with fins on when, as we all know, fins are not permitted in competition. What's next, citing times for backstroke with pool deck starts? ;) Anyhow, feel free to fornicate with my words. :wave:
It struck me as odd, too. I think the most important thing in training is specificity. You have to practice what you want to be good at. So it would seem that fins don't fit that. You practice with fins, you get good at swimming with fins, but not necessarily swimming without them.
However, there's also a limitation to the race-specificity of swimming without fins, especially in the sprint events. It's very difficult to reach race speeds without equipment. In order to simulate the fast water flow that you'll have to deal with in end-of-season races, you need assistance in the water.
It wouldn't make sense to always use assistance, because you don't get assistance in races. That's non-specific. But for the experience of high-speed swimming, fins help. I also use them to improve my ankle flexibility, because they create a larger force on the foot and ankle.
Now, about measuring the times. I take my times in whatever I do, as a marker of progress. I don't think a 46 with fins implies anything about what I can do without them, but it's a marker to see how I'm doing the next time I swim a 100 free with fins.
