Hey there
i realise that this is a predominantly american board and that as an englishman i may not be welcome. however that shouldnt matter, the only thing that does is we all share a passion for swimming.
i've been at it since i was 5, i got to national level and even made it on to the loughborough university team (where most of our olympic swimmers are based), though it was short lived due to time constraints. it was either swim, or get a 1st class degree in engineering (from what is one of the UK's top engineering universities). i chose the latter.
however, i havent given up on swimming.... i merely switched to a different level/form.... speed life saving. we, at loughborough, are one of the best speeds teams in the UK, however after recently going to the world champs in berlin, its clear that despite us being top in the UK, we barely make a splash on the world stage. As the next world champs are based in Newquay UK in 2010...this must change.
reading around here, you guys are very good, very fast... looking at some of the gym and swim sessions posted by JMiller, they look like they'd be very useful for speed lifesaving, a sport mostly dominated by 1) freestyle and 2) butterfly/dolphin leg kick and 3) short, sprinty events.
i think this place can help me raise my game for 2010 and i would be grateful for any help and advice you guys can give. after all america has kicked ass in the pool for years, especially kicking our asses....so why not learn from the guys who are clearly the best.
i am seeking to improve my power in the water, so i can sprint harder. also improve power in my legs so i can actually use the rescue fins that our sport demands (Sebak or Leader fins made from composite materials, much more hi-tech than standard fins and not at all like scuba fins). for that the sprint sets i have found here look useful, but i would like guidance on gym work.
sorry for the long post!!!
Alex
p.s. if anyone would like some explanation of the speed lifesaving events... please ask and i will be happy to explain. we do get looked down upon by normal swimmers, but having been to a few european and world events i can tell you the athletes are no less impressive and after having got a normal swimmer to do one of our events he quickly changed his mind after coming dead last to guys who would never ever make it onto a team such as loughborough.
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Former Member
p.s. if anyone would like some explanation of the speed lifesaving events... please ask and i will be happy to explain. we do get looked down upon by normal swimmers, but having been to a few european and world events i can tell you the athletes are no less impressive and after having got a normal swimmer to do one of our events he quickly changed his mind after coming dead last to guys who would never ever make it onto a team such as loughborough.
wowza. i have nothing against the UK, per se, but this speed lifesaving...
so, i had never heard of it before you mentioned it, and now i have done some quick reading of it. it is basically combining the elements of competitive swimming with rescue elements of lifeguard certification. it's certainly a different game in practice than competitive swimming.
assuming that the feel of such a competition is much like the rescue equivalent of completing aquatic obstacle courses, then i would imagine that the ability to kick hard and hold your breath for a good long time are key to any success.
so, you get to compete with composite fins, and you want an edge in kicking. perhaps add some weight to your legs while kicking with the composites? get some waterproof running weights that can be applied to the legs? something like this: www.nefitco.com/swim_ankle_weights.html
as for in the gym, you could go with the leg press. on that you can either do a straight press, or you could do some sets where your legs are extended, but it is the pointing of toes that does the lifting. leg press is good for the entire leg, and the pointing toes version is good for the calves. leg lunges are good for maintaining mobility, flexibility, and toning. running helps too.
--Sean
p.s. if anyone would like some explanation of the speed lifesaving events... please ask and i will be happy to explain. we do get looked down upon by normal swimmers, but having been to a few european and world events i can tell you the athletes are no less impressive and after having got a normal swimmer to do one of our events he quickly changed his mind after coming dead last to guys who would never ever make it onto a team such as loughborough.
wowza. i have nothing against the UK, per se, but this speed lifesaving...
so, i had never heard of it before you mentioned it, and now i have done some quick reading of it. it is basically combining the elements of competitive swimming with rescue elements of lifeguard certification. it's certainly a different game in practice than competitive swimming.
assuming that the feel of such a competition is much like the rescue equivalent of completing aquatic obstacle courses, then i would imagine that the ability to kick hard and hold your breath for a good long time are key to any success.
so, you get to compete with composite fins, and you want an edge in kicking. perhaps add some weight to your legs while kicking with the composites? get some waterproof running weights that can be applied to the legs? something like this: www.nefitco.com/swim_ankle_weights.html
as for in the gym, you could go with the leg press. on that you can either do a straight press, or you could do some sets where your legs are extended, but it is the pointing of toes that does the lifting. leg press is good for the entire leg, and the pointing toes version is good for the calves. leg lunges are good for maintaining mobility, flexibility, and toning. running helps too.
--Sean
