As I crawled back into the pool today fat and out of shape, I wondered: Don't sprinters need some minimal aerobic work? I see that Ande is doing none whatsoever and Paul advises not "fighting fat" in the pool. I do a lot of race pace training and cross training. But still, is just a little aerobic work called for? I can tell I don't need any for 50s, but my 100s could use a little something. I don't think I have the substantial swimming aerobic base that people like Ande have because I was out of the pool for so many years .. So I'm either taking my 100s out too slow for fear of dying or actually dying. Does aerobic work help counter this? Or do I need more lactate work such as doing 100s with huge amounts of rest?
I cross train for fun and fitness, not because it helps my swimming.
I think you have the right idea about cross-training. I am somewhat undecided about whether cycling helps my kicking, but mostly I think not. Certainly it is better than being on the couch...but should one skip swim workouts to bike, as a strategy to improve swimming? My own impression is no.
On the one hand, cycling increases leg strength (much) more than swimming does, and that is significant. It is also great for fitness and burning calories. The scenery is enjoyable too, and riding with a group is pleasantly sociable (as long as they aren't too hard core).
But it is not so good for upper body and I believe it reduces flexibility in the hams and lower back. I am not cycling much at all these days but kicking faster than I have in a long while. (It's a zero-sum game: more swimming/lifting means less cycling.) If I get a little tired of swimming or lifting in the future the pendulum may swing the other way for awhile. It is nice to have options, I don't always want to train exactly the same way.
Good cross-training for kicking: weights (legs) and core exercises.
About training for sprinting, you've gotten a lot of good advice from others. The only thing I would add is about broken sets (100s, 200s). They are great and we do them all the time, but don't depend on them solely for your "high lactate" days. Every so often you need to reproduce the lactate levels that you get at the end of a 100, to train your body to handle that and still swim fast and efficiently. Doing fast 100s on long intervals is a surefire way to do it, though painful (not something you do often, perhaps).
I cross train for fun and fitness, not because it helps my swimming.
I think you have the right idea about cross-training. I am somewhat undecided about whether cycling helps my kicking, but mostly I think not. Certainly it is better than being on the couch...but should one skip swim workouts to bike, as a strategy to improve swimming? My own impression is no.
On the one hand, cycling increases leg strength (much) more than swimming does, and that is significant. It is also great for fitness and burning calories. The scenery is enjoyable too, and riding with a group is pleasantly sociable (as long as they aren't too hard core).
But it is not so good for upper body and I believe it reduces flexibility in the hams and lower back. I am not cycling much at all these days but kicking faster than I have in a long while. (It's a zero-sum game: more swimming/lifting means less cycling.) If I get a little tired of swimming or lifting in the future the pendulum may swing the other way for awhile. It is nice to have options, I don't always want to train exactly the same way.
Good cross-training for kicking: weights (legs) and core exercises.
About training for sprinting, you've gotten a lot of good advice from others. The only thing I would add is about broken sets (100s, 200s). They are great and we do them all the time, but don't depend on them solely for your "high lactate" days. Every so often you need to reproduce the lactate levels that you get at the end of a 100, to train your body to handle that and still swim fast and efficiently. Doing fast 100s on long intervals is a surefire way to do it, though painful (not something you do often, perhaps).
