Originally posted by Paul Smith
Here's the deal folks...forget about weights...if you REALLY want to make a significant break through in your swimming relative to competition stop swimming for 4-8 weeks and go to kick only workouts...as you ease back into swimming you will have the opportunity to "learn" how to integrate a new and powerful element to your stroke...something that 90% of the swimmers I see competing do not do well....
This really caught my attention. I seem to have been hearing this a lot lately: people coming back after a shoulder op, doing kick only workouts and then having their best seasons ever.
I don't doubt the authenticity of it either. I am just interested on what is actually going on. Why should this be the case?
Has anyone ever scientifically measured the amount the kick contributes to forward propulsion? I mean ratio wise, compared to the arms, what would it be? 80% arms : 20% legs?
What about the swimmers who are great kickers in workouts but can't translate it into faster swimming?
How do we actually integrate the kick into our swimming so that it becomes a new and powerful element to our stroke as Paul suggests?
Would it be fair to say that a big part of the improvement these (post op/ focus on kicking )swimmers achieve can be attributed to the strengthened core which is a result of the additional kicking. In other words more credit given to the strengthened core than increased forward propulsion.
I don't know. I just throw out these ideas for discussion.
Syd
great points!
we can train to improve our
1) flat out SDK speed and
2) how effective our SDK is at the end of races,
how far and fast we go off the 2nd to the last turn and the last turn in races
flatout SDK speed is a factor of
streamline,
pushoff (jumping force)
technique and
leg strength
end of race SDK depends on the above plus
mental toughness, conditioning and correct splitting.
chris, explain what you mean by the "modest goal"
give a few examples
ande
One can train to go ever further underwater. Kicking speed determines how effective your SDK is at the beginning of the race; that plus training determines how effective it is at the end of the race (where you can REALLY make some gains on your competition).
A modest goal, if you are interested: every season add one additional kick off the walls. Practice it on EVERY SINGLE SET that you do. Do that for several seasons until you are happy (or hit 15m every time). Work on hypoxic sets -- today, for example, our last set was 10 x 50 on the 0:50 where the 2nd lap had to be no breath SDK (use zoomers if you absolutely must, but wean yourself as soon as you can). And do one HARD (ie, not "social") kick set a day, if possible. You'll see a difference.
great points!
we can train to improve our
1) flat out SDK speed and
2) how effective our SDK is at the end of races,
how far and fast we go off the 2nd to the last turn and the last turn in races
flatout SDK speed is a factor of
streamline,
pushoff (jumping force)
technique and
leg strength
end of race SDK depends on the above plus
mental toughness, conditioning and correct splitting.
chris, explain what you mean by the "modest goal"
give a few examples
ande
One can train to go ever further underwater. Kicking speed determines how effective your SDK is at the beginning of the race; that plus training determines how effective it is at the end of the race (where you can REALLY make some gains on your competition).
A modest goal, if you are interested: every season add one additional kick off the walls. Practice it on EVERY SINGLE SET that you do. Do that for several seasons until you are happy (or hit 15m every time). Work on hypoxic sets -- today, for example, our last set was 10 x 50 on the 0:50 where the 2nd lap had to be no breath SDK (use zoomers if you absolutely must, but wean yourself as soon as you can). And do one HARD (ie, not "social") kick set a day, if possible. You'll see a difference.
