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?
Jonathan, this is not a criticism because I think there are a number of good ways to train. This dryland program is clearly challenging.
My own view of weight training is that it should complement what I do in the water. You almost seem to be trying to reproduce it; I feel like I can get the same kind of benefits (and be even more "swimming specific") by doing fast swims in the water.
In the weight room my own approach is to cycle between sets with relatively high reps (12-15, with less recovery time between sets) for a couple weeks and then sets with decreasing number of reps (more weight and more recovery time) for a couple weeks, recover for a week with light (or no) lifting, then repeat.
Again, I'm not saying this is better than your methods, just offeing my own take. Maybe one year I'll try it with more reps and less weight. (I'm a believer in changing training around to keep from getting stale...or bored...).
Of course, there is always Super Slow lifting. (Has anyone tried this?)
Another question to people who do weights: 2X a week or 3X a week? I have been doing 3X a week but I'm toying with the idea of going to 2X a week so I can do other cross-training (ie, one extra bike ride a week).
Chris, I agree about trying to compliment vs. reproduce. Also, I really want to strengthen the opposing muscle groups for swimming...overdeveloped muscle groups like chest/peck dominate vs. some of the smaller groups of back muscles....one of the reason swimmers can have that very slouched look..and another great reason to take yoga.
Also, after adapting some of the weight routine that the U of A & ASU groups utilize i have to admit I've gotten a LOT stronger. Old is new if you will, lots of Olympic style dead lifts, clean & jerk, squats....heavy weights low reps...working on explosiveness.
2x a week max for me with regard to lifting. Current workout is swimming M-W-F, lifting T-Sa, riding T/Th/Sun. No more than 1hr in the pool, 1hr on the bike, 40 minutes lifting...doing yoga on my own here and there and need to get more consistent...a 10 minute series of sun salutations first thing in the morning is the goal.
Jonathan, this is not a criticism because I think there are a number of good ways to train. This dryland program is clearly challenging.
My own view of weight training is that it should complement what I do in the water. You almost seem to be trying to reproduce it; I feel like I can get the same kind of benefits (and be even more "swimming specific") by doing fast swims in the water.
In the weight room my own approach is to cycle between sets with relatively high reps (12-15, with less recovery time between sets) for a couple weeks and then sets with decreasing number of reps (more weight and more recovery time) for a couple weeks, recover for a week with light (or no) lifting, then repeat.
Again, I'm not saying this is better than your methods, just offeing my own take. Maybe one year I'll try it with more reps and less weight. (I'm a believer in changing training around to keep from getting stale...or bored...).
Of course, there is always Super Slow lifting. (Has anyone tried this?)
Another question to people who do weights: 2X a week or 3X a week? I have been doing 3X a week but I'm toying with the idea of going to 2X a week so I can do other cross-training (ie, one extra bike ride a week).
Chris, I agree about trying to compliment vs. reproduce. Also, I really want to strengthen the opposing muscle groups for swimming...overdeveloped muscle groups like chest/peck dominate vs. some of the smaller groups of back muscles....one of the reason swimmers can have that very slouched look..and another great reason to take yoga.
Also, after adapting some of the weight routine that the U of A & ASU groups utilize i have to admit I've gotten a LOT stronger. Old is new if you will, lots of Olympic style dead lifts, clean & jerk, squats....heavy weights low reps...working on explosiveness.
2x a week max for me with regard to lifting. Current workout is swimming M-W-F, lifting T-Sa, riding T/Th/Sun. No more than 1hr in the pool, 1hr on the bike, 40 minutes lifting...doing yoga on my own here and there and need to get more consistent...a 10 minute series of sun salutations first thing in the morning is the goal.
