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
you could post them on youtube.com.
sounds like these events really focus on sprint sets. there are no real distance events. so, in practice, i would focus on a lot of timed sprints. try 100m, 150m, 200m, and 250m sprints. you could work sprints up to 250m and then back down to 100m, pyramid-style. set reasonable times, and then lower these times as you improve. Do sets with flippers and other sets without. When you do sets without, try to be mindful of your time with flippers, and push yourself to not fall too far behind that flippered time.
--Sean
ah yeah, forgot about youtube
ill have to wait till i get my computer back from the repair place though as theyre on there. they are also on a friends facebook but whether just anyone can see them is a different kettle of fish!
for gym stuff i am planning on using some of JMillers advice from his thread and that article from bodybuilding.com written by the fastest man in water himself... Jason Lezak (46.06 in a relay, f***ing sick!) and also putting to use the swim sets outlined by Miller
you could post them on youtube.com.
sounds like these events really focus on sprint sets. there are no real distance events. so, in practice, i would focus on a lot of timed sprints. try 100m, 150m, 200m, and 250m sprints. you could work sprints up to 250m and then back down to 100m, pyramid-style. set reasonable times, and then lower these times as you improve. Do sets with flippers and other sets without. When you do sets without, try to be mindful of your time with flippers, and push yourself to not fall too far behind that flippered time.
--Sean
ah yeah, forgot about youtube
ill have to wait till i get my computer back from the repair place though as theyre on there. they are also on a friends facebook but whether just anyone can see them is a different kettle of fish!
for gym stuff i am planning on using some of JMillers advice from his thread and that article from bodybuilding.com written by the fastest man in water himself... Jason Lezak (46.06 in a relay, f***ing sick!) and also putting to use the swim sets outlined by Miller
