Much has been discussed on this topic but i wanted to revisit it after watching the track & field championships and remembering debates about how much pool training time swimmers put in relative to a runner competing in the equivalent event (a 400m runner to 100m swimmer).
What got my attention on this again was a recent article in Men's Fitness about Jeremy Wariner, specifically his training week during mid-season:
M= 200's: 8 x 200's two minutes followed by 40 yd sprints w/20 seconds rest
T= 350m: 2 x 350's followed by 1 x 300, one minute rest then a 100m to simulate the end of the race
W= 450m: 2 x 450's each under 1:00 with 9 minutes rest between each
Th= 90m: Recovery day each run in an "X" pattern
F= 100m: last run of the week is multiple 100m sprints
That's an insanely lower amount of training time than even i put in....Ande & Jazz come to mind.
More of this in an excellent article:
"Elite coaching special - Clyde Hart coach to Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner"
Here's are a couple of excerpt:
Clyde believes the principles of training are the same for many events: "I trained Michael Johnson like I trained a four minute miler. A four minute miler was doing a lot of the same things Michael Johnson was - a lot of the same things in training but more of them.
"The longest workout we have ever done - not counting warm up and warm down - would be under 20min, I think we have never worked more than 20min. That's not counting the Fall phase.”
So here's my challenge...I'm going to pick one of the next seasons (either SCM this fall or SCY in the spring) and try and adapt to this regime...anyone else game?
I think your post is mostly incorrect. A 50 yd race is about 25 secs long. Based on sources of energy - this race is completed using energy exclusively from stored glycogen. Aerobic training probably contributes near zero to the 50.
The 500 swimmers you mention were probably very good at the 50 relative to their peers because their peers weren't very good. These 500 swimmers were probably very fine swimmers they weren't REALLY that good in the 50. They had great stroke mechanics becuase they swam A LOT. Many high school sprinters are powerful and lightly trained. Lots of mediocre high school boys can swim a 23-24 sec 50 because they are strong and explosive.
Hofffam - Your opinion reeks of middle-distance/distance swimming snobbery. A high school boy is not mediocre if he swims a 23 or 24 in 50 free, especially considering that it may be his first year swimming and he may participate in other sports. Also, there are boys that are primarily 500 swimmers that do a high 21 or low 22 in 50 free. A 21 for a 15 year old is not mediocre. Also, there are boys that are pure sprinters that do a 21 in 50 free that will beat the 500 guy that does a high 21 or low 22. The 500 guy is still good in a 50.
Also, according to Dan Benardot in his book, Nutrition for Serious Athletes, in a swim lasting 25 seconds, up to 20% of the energy source is aerobic. Good luck convincing a swim coach that aerobic training for a guy specializing in a 50 has no value whatsoever.
I think your post is mostly incorrect. A 50 yd race is about 25 secs long. Based on sources of energy - this race is completed using energy exclusively from stored glycogen. Aerobic training probably contributes near zero to the 50.
The 500 swimmers you mention were probably very good at the 50 relative to their peers because their peers weren't very good. These 500 swimmers were probably very fine swimmers they weren't REALLY that good in the 50. They had great stroke mechanics becuase they swam A LOT. Many high school sprinters are powerful and lightly trained. Lots of mediocre high school boys can swim a 23-24 sec 50 because they are strong and explosive.
Hofffam - Your opinion reeks of middle-distance/distance swimming snobbery. A high school boy is not mediocre if he swims a 23 or 24 in 50 free, especially considering that it may be his first year swimming and he may participate in other sports. Also, there are boys that are primarily 500 swimmers that do a high 21 or low 22 in 50 free. A 21 for a 15 year old is not mediocre. Also, there are boys that are pure sprinters that do a 21 in 50 free that will beat the 500 guy that does a high 21 or low 22. The 500 guy is still good in a 50.
Also, according to Dan Benardot in his book, Nutrition for Serious Athletes, in a swim lasting 25 seconds, up to 20% of the energy source is aerobic. Good luck convincing a swim coach that aerobic training for a guy specializing in a 50 has no value whatsoever.
