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 post Carrie! I do tend to view SDKs as significant to my shoulder health.
Here's some questions:
1. I tend to be weaker SDK-ing on my back. Not off the start so much, but off the turns. What's the best way to improve that?
2. What's the best way to integrate your flutter kick with your freestyle? I think I'm fast kicking with a board, but not so swell kicking otherwise in non-50 distances.
3. If you're better SDK-ing on your side than your back, should you do more side kicking in backstroke? I guess maybe this is one of those test it and time it things. I only see a few people SDK-ing on their side.
4. When you're SDK-ing, what role do your arms and upper body play?
Thanks, Leslie! You're getting advice from people a lot more knowledgable than me on your questions, but here's a few thoughts...
On the back sdk'ing, do you blast out too much of your air on your turns? I do... then I don't have much air left to leak slowly out my nose as I'm kicking. Something to check next time you're doing a backstroke set. Also, according to my PT, kicking on your back (whether dolphin or flutter) puts more emphasis on hamstrings. Usually, people's quads are relatively more developed than their hamstrings, and hamstrings are usually less flexible than quads. You were a runner for years... runners are notorious for tight hamstrings. Maybe some hammie exercises and stretches might help? Certainly won't hurt and will be good for your overall knee health (yeah... I know... I always have knees on the brain...)
Re: integrating your flutter into your freestyle, one thing that has helped me is to do a 6-beat kick all the time. I try to keep my legs moving, even if the kick is very light. I liked Ande's suggestion of gears. When you do swim with your group, see if you can race people on the last 100 of sets by turning 'on' your legs. Or if you're leading your lane, try to pull away from folks with your legs. You can count your strokes to make sure you're not just spinning arms as you try to speed up.
Great post Carrie! I do tend to view SDKs as significant to my shoulder health.
Here's some questions:
1. I tend to be weaker SDK-ing on my back. Not off the start so much, but off the turns. What's the best way to improve that?
2. What's the best way to integrate your flutter kick with your freestyle? I think I'm fast kicking with a board, but not so swell kicking otherwise in non-50 distances.
3. If you're better SDK-ing on your side than your back, should you do more side kicking in backstroke? I guess maybe this is one of those test it and time it things. I only see a few people SDK-ing on their side.
4. When you're SDK-ing, what role do your arms and upper body play?
Thanks, Leslie! You're getting advice from people a lot more knowledgable than me on your questions, but here's a few thoughts...
On the back sdk'ing, do you blast out too much of your air on your turns? I do... then I don't have much air left to leak slowly out my nose as I'm kicking. Something to check next time you're doing a backstroke set. Also, according to my PT, kicking on your back (whether dolphin or flutter) puts more emphasis on hamstrings. Usually, people's quads are relatively more developed than their hamstrings, and hamstrings are usually less flexible than quads. You were a runner for years... runners are notorious for tight hamstrings. Maybe some hammie exercises and stretches might help? Certainly won't hurt and will be good for your overall knee health (yeah... I know... I always have knees on the brain...)
Re: integrating your flutter into your freestyle, one thing that has helped me is to do a 6-beat kick all the time. I try to keep my legs moving, even if the kick is very light. I liked Ande's suggestion of gears. When you do swim with your group, see if you can race people on the last 100 of sets by turning 'on' your legs. Or if you're leading your lane, try to pull away from folks with your legs. You can count your strokes to make sure you're not just spinning arms as you try to speed up.
