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
hey buddy
get well
feel better sooner rather than later
ande
What's a tutu? Is that like a grass skirt or something?
On another note, sorry folks I've not been writing much lately, I did get the flu... I read about y'all getting it, and I was hoping I could avoid it, but alas, it didn't work out that way... I'm just glad it's now instead of right before my taper meet, like last season... I was literally coughing during the 100 IM, on the freestyle leg... cough/gasp/pull, this could be a new event..
Anyways,
As far as the kicking discussion... We all know that the kick is an important part of swimming. However, it's the timing of the kick, and over-all body co-ordination with this kicking that is crucial for maintaining higher speeds. Poor timing could be in large part due to limited range of motion.
So yes, kick hard and smarter.
hey buddy
get well
feel better sooner rather than later
ande
What's a tutu? Is that like a grass skirt or something?
On another note, sorry folks I've not been writing much lately, I did get the flu... I read about y'all getting it, and I was hoping I could avoid it, but alas, it didn't work out that way... I'm just glad it's now instead of right before my taper meet, like last season... I was literally coughing during the 100 IM, on the freestyle leg... cough/gasp/pull, this could be a new event..
Anyways,
As far as the kicking discussion... We all know that the kick is an important part of swimming. However, it's the timing of the kick, and over-all body co-ordination with this kicking that is crucial for maintaining higher speeds. Poor timing could be in large part due to limited range of motion.
So yes, kick hard and smarter.
