Swimming Myths

Here are the answers... 1. False. Kicking accounts for only about one-third of forward propulsion, and in the process, it uses your largest and most oxygen-thirsty muscles. Thus, super-hard leg work doesn't have much payoff and will probably tire you out quickly, slowing you down in the long run. Sprinters may want to kick harder than distance swimmers, but if you're swimming a short distance, build to a hard kick instead of working your legs the whole way, advises Jane Katz, author of The All-American Aquatic Handbook: Your Passport to Lifetime Fitness (Allyn & Bacon, 1996). 2. False. Sorry, Mom. Unless you've eaten a big meal, you should not have a problem if you dive in before the half-hour mark. And that's particularly true if you eat mainly carbohydrates. "Carbs are the first to be digested out of the stomach, followed by protein, then fat," says dietitian Jackie Berning. 3. True. Scott Rabalais estimates that drafting can lower a swimmer's time by one to two seconds per hundred. "That's pretty significant," he says. Drafting is acceptable, but don't take advantage of it. Let each person in the lane lead off a set so that everybody gets to draft and one person doesn't do all the work. 4. False. Unless you're prepared to call 1992 Pan American Games gold medalist Jane Skillman a nerd. Skillman wears a nose clip to avoid allergic reactions to pool chemicals, and other elite-level swimmers wear them to avoid getting water up their noses when learning underwater dolphin kick on the back. 5. False. At least for many people. Some research shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick with a fitness regimen, but if you are not a morning person or can't squeeze in a workout before work, it probably isn't your best bet. Choose the time of day when you feel most energetic and when professional and personal responsibilities are least likely to interfere. 6. False. "l'd like to see 400-individual-medley world record holder Tom Dolan race against Arnold Schwarzenegger," says Oregon coach Volckening. "Dolan is so skinny he almost disappears sideways, but he has one clear advantage: he has developed and refined his swimming technique." Unlike many other sports, swimming is highly technical. Muscle can certainly contribute to improving performance, but technique comes first. check it out...www.alexandriamasters.com/.../test.htm

Here are the answers... 1. False. Kicking accounts for only about one-third of forward propulsion, and in the process, it uses your largest and most oxygen-thirsty muscles. Thus, super-hard leg work doesn't have much payoff and will probably tire you out quickly, slowing you down in the long run. Sprinters may want to kick harder than distance swimmers, but if you're swimming a short distance, build to a hard kick instead of working your legs the whole way, advises Jane Katz, author of The All-American Aquatic Handbook: Your Passport to Lifetime Fitness (Allyn & Bacon, 1996). 2. False. Sorry, Mom. Unless you've eaten a big meal, you should not have a problem if you dive in before the half-hour mark. And that's particularly true if you eat mainly carbohydrates. "Carbs are the first to be digested out of the stomach, followed by protein, then fat," says dietitian Jackie Berning. 3. True. Scott Rabalais estimates that drafting can lower a swimmer's time by one to two seconds per hundred. "That's pretty significant," he says. Drafting is acceptable, but don't take advantage of it. Let each person in the lane lead off a set so that everybody gets to draft and one person doesn't do all the work. 4. False. Unless you're prepared to call 1992 Pan American Games gold medalist Jane Skillman a nerd. Skillman wears a nose clip to avoid allergic reactions to pool chemicals, and other elite-level swimmers wear them to avoid getting water up their noses when learning underwater dolphin kick on the back. 5. False. At least for many people. Some research shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick with a fitness regimen, but if you are not a morning person or can't squeeze in a workout before work, it probably isn't your best bet. Choose the time of day when you feel most energetic and when professional and personal responsibilities are least likely to interfere. 6. False. "l'd like to see 400-individual-medley world record holder Tom Dolan race against Arnold Schwarzenegger," says Oregon coach Volckening. "Dolan is so skinny he almost disappears sideways, but he has one clear advantage: he has developed and refined his swimming technique." Unlike many other sports, swimming is highly technical. Muscle can certainly contribute to improving performance, but technique comes first. check it out...www.alexandriamasters.com/.../test.htm