There is a 1:45 backstroker on the affiliated USS team where I swim masters. We both recently did a 10 x 100 on 2:00 backstroke test set. I averaged less than 1 second slower than him...despite the fact that he trounces me in meets at any distance. (And he was spent after the set, I don't think he was holding back.)
But in meets he can step it up in a way I no longer am able to do.
.
That's me, too. I can easily beat the kids in practice (11-18 year olds) but some can blow me out of the water in meets. One kid and I raced a 500 in practice. I came in way ahead of him but his best time in a meet is 20 sec faster than mine. I have good endurance but not great speed where as he has speed and endurance due to his youth.
My tip on how to get stronger? Get a buddy like Hulk. He came to our masters practice and then showed me what to do in the weight room to improve. I'm a bit sore today but not nearly as bad as I thought I would be. Thanks Hulk! Hope Hulk got over machine stealing nuts.:rofl:
Alternating dumbbell curls
I use more weight than Hulk.
I use less weight than my wife.
And don't even get me started on my squats 7 dead lift...I'm about 7th grade girl(s) on those right now!
Jazz....are you going to Portland? I was very impressed with your 50 in Austin...but really want to see you swim the "race of truth'...the 100 LCM free! man up!
(S)he..glad to hear you found a coach you trust and want to listen to.....good luck....also would love to see you swim at USMS nationals some time!
Ourswimmer...its time on this forum to stop using the word "bulk? when referring to swimmers and weight training....from hence forth it should be referred to as 'ripped" and/or powerful..and there is nothing better on this planet than a "brainy, ripped 7 powerful" female swimmer!
Jazz....are you going to Portland? I was very impressed with your 50 in Austin...but really want to see you swim the "race of truth'...the 100 LCM free! man up!
Ourswimmer...its time on this forum to stop using the word "bulk? when referring to swimmers and weight training....from hence forth it should be referred to as 'ripped" and/or powerful..and there is nothing better on this planet than a "brainy, ripped 7 powerful" female swimmer!
Oooohhhhh, sounds like a 100 free gridge is brewing! I'll be at Portland; I entered 100/200 fly, 200/400 IM, 400 free, and 200 back. 6th event is the 200 IM. Anybody wanna gridge? I might walk up to you before your heat and whisper "secret forum gridge" just to mess with you... :rolleyes:
Regarding female ripped bulkage, my understanding is that the correct code word is "toned." At the gym I swim at, that's the word they use when they advertise a strength training class. Toned = good, ripped = bad, actual difference = nothing.
I tried overhead squats for the first time today. What an amazing exercise. It was challenging to use just the bar.
Aren't they cool? Stick with it and you'll find yourself adding more and more weight. I've read where you've "arrived" when you can do 3 sets of 10 with your bodyweight. So far I haven't arrived, but I can do my bodyweight for a couple. I started out just doing the bar, having the muscle kids look at me like I was a doofus, but who cares. It's really helped me with my lower back issues.
After you get a handle on the overhead squats, you can graduate to "pistols"
www.youtube.com/watch
I'm still at the intermediate stage :bouncing:
Some of the fun exercises I did this weekend:
Overhead squats
See my previous post. Falling over can be embarrassing.
Deadlifts
Duh.
Lat pullover machine
I do these one arm at a time, alternating.
Lat pulldowns
I also like to do these one-armed, with the V attachment.
Dips
A great exercise for swimmers, with a dip belt or just bodyweight.
Face pulls
Good for shoulder health, folks say.
Alternating dumbbell curls
I use more weight than Hulk.
Jazz....are you going to Portland? I was very impressed with your 50 in Austin...but really want to see you swim the "race of truth'...the 100 LCM free! man up!
At the moment I'm planning to go, but I haven't registered yet. Probably the 50 fly and the 50 free. I didn't get the memo about 100 LCM being the race of truth; I'm terrible at it even when I'm on high yardage.
funkyfish, bodyweight overhead squats for any number of reps sounds hardcore. I can't even press that much weight into the starting position.
They aren't the only ones. My daughter (13) told me today that a group of guys routinely refer to her as "man" at school. (She's buff like me, and about my size or thinner.) Apparently, middle school guys (despite Title IX) still aren't used to strong athletic women ... Argh.
Don't worry. Tell her that I was called a "man" and a "hoss" recently - and by the gals! When I passed one of the National gals on a set in practice, she said she thought I was a "man." Was also called, "You are such as hoss!" by one of the young gals when she asked what I did on my 100 fly. Is it possible to be :cane: and :roids: at the same time?! :lmao: What a combo!
BTW (back to the strong topic), my coach told me at the end of the meet that I had this weekend that I DO NOT need to do more or heavier weights. He said I was strong enough but that I need to learn how to swim LC. He went over race strategies and some technique issues for different events.
A while ago, there was a (PBS?) history show on the Spartans. The narrator (attractive English lady history prof) talked about how the women competed in the same sports and training as the men. Spartan women (to a large extent) were considered more attractive than the other (softer, sedentary) Greek women. She also pointed out that "Helen of Troy" was originally "Helen of Sparta".
Which way to Sparta? :laugh2:
The actress that played Helen in the most recent version of the movie "Troy" with Brad Pitt was the size of a toothpick.
I didn't get the memo about 100 LCM being the race of truth
That's because Mr. Smith is mistaken: it is the 200 LCM fly...
Conveniently I won't be swimming it at nationals because it is right before the 100 back. Yet another example of the fly/back discrimination conspiracy...the 200 back is also right before the 100 fly, but I'm sucking it up for that double.
(Sorry for the thread drift...I guess you have to be strong to do LCM fly? Or maybe brain damaged...)
