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
Former Member
It's the timing of the kick, and over-all body co-ordination with this kicking that is crucial to maintaining higher speeds.
A good kick really does help. My coach has been making me kick so much lately that my legs go numb by the time I am done. For some reason he likes to give me these sets just before I have to get out to make a quick call to wake up my kids for school. I think he just likes to see me have trouble walking afterward.
Used to be that my 50 free kick was a 1:05 but now I can do :52. Have to work on my fly kick now.
I have always been noted for dragging my legs behind me on anything 200 or more. Not any more! Last weekend I kicked the entire 200 Free and took 11 seconds off my time:banana:. Next weekend I may try the same thing with the 500 Free. I'll have to see how it goes.
The key was actually getting to where I had the right coordination between pull and kick. I began by doing kick sets with a board. This got my kick faster and help to get some of the fat off my thighs.
Next I had to learn to coordinate the kick with the arm stroke. This is alot harder to do than you think when you are used to a two beat kick. I did some drills to help with that coordination thing.
The next phase has been to join the kids in their lane on their intervals which are much too fast for me, but I use fins to keep up. This has forced me to use my legs when I normally would not. I only do this 3 out of the 11 practices I attend per week. But I have been told I will need to do this more to reach the new goals I had to set for myself.
Since I took 5 seconds off my 100 Free (1:03.80) now the new goal is 59.99 or better by nationals. That may be a bigger chunk than I can handle but I will try my best to get there and kicking with fins is helping.
Ande, Thanks for your inspiration and ideas regarding kicking in your other threads. That has really help me alot. Your words of swimdom have been very helpful in my training.
Donna
The key was actually getting to where I had the right coordination between pull and kick. I began by doing kick sets with a board. This got my kick faster and help to get some of the fat off my thighs.
Next I had to learn to coordinate the kick with the arm stroke. This is alot harder to do than you think when you are used to a two beat kick. I did some drills to help with that coordination thing.
The next phase has been to join the kids in their lane on their intervals which are much too fast for me, but I use fins to keep up. This has forced me to use my legs when I normally would not. I only do this 3 out of the 11 practices I attend per week. But I have been told I will need to do this more to reach the new goals I had to set for myself.
Since I took 5 seconds off my 100 Free (1:03.80) now the new goal is 59.99 or better by nationals. That may be a bigger chunk than I can handle but I will try my best to get there and kicking with fins is helping.
Ande, Thanks for your inspiration and ideas regarding kicking in your other threads. That has really help me alot. Your words of swimdom have been very helpful in my training.
Donna
Donna: Your progress is just awesome! Keep it up!
I can't believe you're doing 4 hour workouts and 11 practices a week. :bow:
It's interesting that the fin work has helped. Definitely strengthens the legs.
Right there with you Donna. Trying to do more kicking in workouts. (Course I'm not dropping NEAR the time you are!) :cheerleader: Went from kicking at 0% to about 30% (at least in the 500 free.) Dropped 11 seconds in my 500 free today from 5:23 to 5:12.
Kicked some (better than nothing.) Still have a LOOONG way to go. Focused more on not breathing in and out of my turns. Gotta continue to work the kick.
Next I had to learn to coordinate the kick with the arm stroke. This is alot harder to do than you think when you are used to a two beat kick. I did some drills to help with that coordination thing.
The next phase has been to join the kids in their lane on their intervals which are much too fast for me,
Ande, Thanks for your inspiration and ideas regarding kicking in your other threads. That has really help me alot. Your words of swimdom have been very helpful in my training.
Donna
i think that's great and
the faster you get the harder it is to drop
how's your SDK
some swimmers are doing SDKs in 500's
not many SDKs though, there's this need for air we share
ande
Right there with you Donna. Trying to do more kicking in workouts. (Course I'm not dropping NEAR the time you are!) :cheerleader: Went from kicking at 0% to about 30% (at least in the 500 free.) Dropped 11 seconds in my 500 free today from 5:23 to 5:12.
Kicked some (better than nothing.) Still have a LOOONG way to go. Focused more on not breathing in and out of my turns. Gotta continue to work the kick.
Dropped 11 seconds in my 500 free today from 5:23 to 5:12.
Wow! Great time for this point in the season...heck, great time for any point in the season. Remind me to never swim in the same heat as you. :)
Geochuck:
Does his book mention, help from the second wave???
What does that mean?
Is kick propulsion added on top of the propulsion generated by the arms? It seems to me there is propulsion from the kick beyond what is needed for balance.
I watch this famous race which shows just how hard they are kicking.
www.youtube.com/watch
congratulations Donna
looks like your faster kick lead you to a significant breakthrough
A good kick really does help. My coach has been making me kick so much lately that my legs go numb by the time I am done. For some reason he likes to give me these sets just before I have to get out to make a quick call to wake up my kids for school. I think he just likes to see me have trouble walking afterward.
Used to be that my 50 free kick was a 1:05 but now I can do :52. Have to work on my fly kick now.
I have always been noted for dragging my legs behind me on anything 200 or more. Not any more! Last weekend I kicked the entire 200 Free and took 11 seconds off my time:banana:. Next weekend I may try the same thing with the 500 Free. I'll have to see how it goes.
