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
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Former Member
Syd,
Evil (John) Smith has posted many, many times that swimming is such a fad driven sport that it masks the fact that there really has not been all that much advancement in times being swum vs. 20 years ago. Most recently this came up when Ian Crocker swam unrested in a meet and went 19+, 42+ & 4:19...very imporessive swims and showing and incredible "reach" in bridging the sprint/middle distance gap...thing is Rowdy did the almost exact same times over 20 years ago.
I bring this up because even though I'm a major proponent of heavy kick training I see a LOT of swimmers right now fixated on SDK...even ones who are finding like you that they may ultimately be slower using it. The thing is not everyone can or should be using an SDK for competition....in my opinion it takes years of practice to fully integrate it successfully into the complete stroke and I would guess that easilly 50-75% of swimmers will never achieve that integration...
The ones that can and do are those that have an uncanny "feel" for overall streamline body position....something I'm still not convinced can be "taught". Not to worry however as MANY of the top USS/Collegiate/Masters swimmers out there are doing just fine without it...in fact just recently I swam the SCM meet at Long Beach and had some decent swims in my 100/200 free where I didn't use it at all...but I still practice it every workout.
Final thought....don't get caught up in what others are doing so much and so fixated on a certain number of kicks to use, be "fluid" in every workout and adjust as you see how your body is working/feeling...you may find that things will happen more naturally and hopefully with better results.
Point taken. Trust me though, I am hardly spending all my time on SDK's. I am spending a lot more time than I used to on kicking, though. But that doesn't say a whole lot because I hardly ever did any kicking before. This slight re-orientation of focus toward kicking is a fun and exciting. It is a whole new area for me and I have an opportunity to break new personal records each practice. My swim times are improving, too.
Swim enough, think enough and it all falls into place.
Quite, changing from a two beat crossover to a four beat and sometimes six beat kick seemed impossible at first, but now with lots of practice, it has become a whole lot easier and almost quite natural.
In any event, it is good to train in different ways, it keeps things more interesting. The key is to apply the same intensity, and to care about your progress as much, as you do in your "regular" swim sets.
That's just my :2cents:,
Chris
Really well put.
A simple solution to see whether using SDK's is an advantage or disadvantage for anyone (in a shorter race) is to have yourself timed to 15 meters going off the blocks with full rest numerous times on numerous different days. Make sure the timer is being consistent. Compare times to the 15 meter mark with no kicks, 2 kicks, 4 kicks, etc., etc.
40-50 efforts over a two week period should give you a pretty good idea of what your ideal SDK amount would be. You can also do this off turns starting the watch on the feet.
For me the "sweet spot" is 4 kicks on free and 5 on fly. For some reason the extra one on fly helps me avoid the dreaded arms under water breakout.
Great advice. Many thanks.
Syd
Syd,
Evil (John) Smith has posted many, many times that swimming is such a fad driven sport that it masks the fact that there really has not been all that much advancement in times being swum vs. 20 years ago. Most recently this came up when Ian Crocker swam unrested in a meet and went 19+, 42+ & 4:19...very imporessive swims and showing and incredible "reach" in bridging the sprint/middle distance gap...thing is Rowdy did the almost exact same times over 20 years ago.
I bring this up because even though I'm a major proponent of heavy kick training I see a LOT of swimmers right now fixated on SDK...even ones who are finding like you that they may ultimately be slower using it. The thing is not everyone can or should be using an SDK for competition....in my opinion it takes years of practice to fully integrate it successfully into the complete stroke and I would guess that easilly 50-75% of swimmers will never achieve that integration...
The ones that can and do are those that have an uncanny "feel" for overall streamline body position....something I'm still not convinced can be "taught". Not to worry however as MANY of the top USS/Collegiate/Masters swimmers out there are doing just fine without it...in fact just recently I swam the SCM meet at Long Beach and had some decent swims in my 100/200 free where I didn't use it at all...but I still practice it every workout.
Final thought....don't get caught up in what others are doing so much and so fixated on a certain number of kicks to use, be "fluid" in every workout and adjust as you see how your body is working/feeling...you may find that things will happen more naturally and hopefully with better results.
Point taken. Trust me though, I am hardly spending all my time on SDK's. I am spending a lot more time than I used to on kicking, though. But that doesn't say a whole lot because I hardly ever did any kicking before. This slight re-orientation of focus toward kicking is a fun and exciting. It is a whole new area for me and I have an opportunity to break new personal records each practice. My swim times are improving, too.
Swim enough, think enough and it all falls into place.
Quite, changing from a two beat crossover to a four beat and sometimes six beat kick seemed impossible at first, but now with lots of practice, it has become a whole lot easier and almost quite natural.
In any event, it is good to train in different ways, it keeps things more interesting. The key is to apply the same intensity, and to care about your progress as much, as you do in your "regular" swim sets.
That's just my :2cents:,
Chris
Really well put.
A simple solution to see whether using SDK's is an advantage or disadvantage for anyone (in a shorter race) is to have yourself timed to 15 meters going off the blocks with full rest numerous times on numerous different days. Make sure the timer is being consistent. Compare times to the 15 meter mark with no kicks, 2 kicks, 4 kicks, etc., etc.
40-50 efforts over a two week period should give you a pretty good idea of what your ideal SDK amount would be. You can also do this off turns starting the watch on the feet.
For me the "sweet spot" is 4 kicks on free and 5 on fly. For some reason the extra one on fly helps me avoid the dreaded arms under water breakout.
Great advice. Many thanks.
Syd
