Since there is
Help my Flutter Kick is Horrible
and
Help my SDK is Horrible
I decided to begin
Help My Speed is Horrible!
a thread for swimmers who want to dramatically improve their 25 speed and times
Help My Speed is Horrible! is a Sprint improvement program
If you do it consistently you should dramatically improve your 25 swimming time.
When you improve your 25 speed
you'll improve your times in all swimming distances
especially 50's, 100's, & 200's
even 400, 500, 800, 1,000, 1,500 & 1,650 times will benefit.
Here's the Program for "Help My Speed is Horrible"
Begin with testing figure out your starting point. Where are you now?
Then train
Then retest
Test
Get your times on the following swims
1) 15 meters
2) 25
3) 50
4) 75 &
5) 100
Test the 15, 25, & 50 on one day then the 75 & 100 on a different day
put plenty of rest between each timed effort
like a very easy 75 or 125 or 175 then 3 to 7 more minutes of rest
put more rest between the longer sprints
also note
The suit you wore
Your start: how did you start each swim
(roll, push, or coaches go, )
dive from a block or side
push from in the water
Use a STOPWATCH tell the timer how you want them to time you
Report your Results in this thread
Training
1) do this set 2 or 3 times a week, 12 x 25 swim
3 EASY recovery concentrating on perfect form
1 as fast as possible for time
YOU MUST GO SUPER FAST ON THESE
IF YOU HOLD BACK AT ALL YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME
preferably no breath, unless your 25 time is over 20 or 25 seconds
It's OK to do more working out, just fit this set in some where in your workouts,
be consistent, one round is better than none
2) Test every Friday or Saturday
1) 3 weeks of 15, 25, & 50
2) 1 week of 25, 75 & 100
3) work on improving your flutter kick and SDK
www.usms.org/.../showpost.phpwww.usms.org/.../showpost.php
if you're working on your swimming speed, SDK and Flutter kick
do 2 x (4 x 25) swim
2 x (4 x 25) flutter kick
2 x (4 x 25) SDK
4) stretch your feet / ankles to improve your toe point
5) Lift weights to improve your strength power and speed
2 or 3 times a week
6) get a tech suit
www.usms.org/.../showpost.phpwww.usms.org/.../showpost.php
7) perfect your swimming technique
pushoff
streamline
SDK
head position
body position
arm motions
leg motions
touching the wall (the clock doesn't stop until you touch the wall)
8) Train and test for 5 weeks then
Rest one week, reduce your yardage
Mon 2 x 4 x 25
Tue easy
Wed 4 x 25
Thu easy
Friday or Saturday TEST wearing a tech suit
Report your results
9) begin another 6 week cycle
Report your test results in this fashion
(put most recent times on top)
8/10/08: 23.48
7/26: 25.92
7/6: 24.94
7/2: 25.45
5/10: 25.55
4/4: 27.18
3/29: 26.27
3/22: 27.62
3/15: 27.12
3/8: 28.0
3/1: 30.2
You should begin to see dramatic improvements in your 25 speed.
I look forward to reading your results.
Let me know if you accept this challenge
Give it a try and see what happens
Don't be fooled by how simple it is.
Are you in?
Was able to lift head about 2" without effecting balance. Wasn't physically in a position to compare time because I was still recovering from heavy dryland duty. In addition as Col. Frog suggested, evf drills have been implemented but it will take some time before I can do it at high effort.
www.youtube.com/watch
I am very thankful for the suggestions (Allen and fm), more criticism is welcome and NEEDED
Hello Ande,
I've just completed my first 6-week cycle of your program, and I'm really happy with the results.
Here are my times so far (SCM, push start, timed by a friend, regular briefs - jammers didn't arrive in time for testing):
25m free
11/1 - 16.74
10/24- 17.58
10/17- 17.19
10/10- 17.41
10/3 - 17.62
9/13 - 18.85
50m free
11/1 - 34.45
10/25- 34.77
10/12- 36.43
10/5 - 36.90
9/13 - 39.05
75m free
10/17 - 0:56.68
9/13 - 1:03.95
100m free
10/18- 1:20.11
9/13 - 1:31.20
25 m free kick
10/25- 26.32
10/17- 24.65
10/10- 25.25
10/3 - 26.91
Big thanks!
Radu
congratulations & you're welcome
you've made excellent progress
keep working on it all, especially your kick, fast kicking is the key to fast swimming and your kick showed some improvement then a reversal,
get to where you can kick a 25 under 20
be fierce!
Hello Ande,
I've just completed my first 6-week cycle of your program, and I'm really happy with the results.
Here are my times so far (SCM, push start, timed by a friend, regular briefs - jammers didn't arrive in time for testing):
25m free
11/1 - 16.74
10/24- 17.58
10/17- 17.19
10/10- 17.41
10/3 - 17.62
9/13 - 18.85
50m free
11/1 - 34.45
10/25- 34.77
10/12- 36.43
10/5 - 36.90
9/13 - 39.05
75m free
10/17 - 0:56.68
9/13 - 1:03.95
100m free
10/18- 1:20.11
9/13 - 1:31.20
25 m free kick
10/25- 26.32
10/17- 24.65
10/10- 25.25
10/3 - 26.91
Big thanks!
Radu
Hello Radu
You should work on your stroke efficiency. You need 28 strokes on a 25 meter, that is way to much. If you count the achieved time to it, it is 28 + 16 = 44. I can do a 50 in 29 seconds, but only need 16 strokes on a 25.
When I see your kicking, your ankles seem a bit stiff. They act like barriers in the water instead of being propulsive. (specially in the underwater phase) On youtube you will find some excercises to loosen your ankles a bit up
Succes!!
Will you be attending the european ch in Eindhoven in 2013?
Hello everybody and happy hollidays!
I’m posting the next round of results, after a new set of 6 weeks following Ande’s program (SCM, push start, timed by a friend, Yingfa jammers for the final tests, briefs for the others).
I’ve started this program with the goal of going under 30 seconds in the 50m freestyle by March 2013. It’s worked great so far, and I think I have a good chance of making it. I’m going to start training in a 50m pool, with block-starts, and I’ll keep posting my times.
Here is a clip that shows how my sprinting looks like right now, and any advice is appreciated.
www.youtube.com/watch
25m free
12/23 - 15.15
12/14 - 15.68
12/7 - 17.30
11/29 - 17.05
11/23 - 16.11
11/7 - 16.70
11/1 - 16.74
50m free
12/22 - 32.78
12/14 - 34.10
11/29 - 33.78
11/23 - 33.95
11/1 - 34.45
75m free
12/6 - 56.30
10/17 - 56.68
100m free
12/7 - 1:18.00
10/18 - 1:20.11
25m free kick
12/23 - 22.96
12/14 - 23.29
12/7 - 24.78
11/29 - 24.71
11/23- 26.23
11/7 - 26.08
10/25 - 26.32
25m sdk
12/22 - 22.76
12/14 - 24.67
It looks like you,are dropping your elbows on the pull.Either EVF(high elbows) or straighter arm (windmill) would be faster.
Hello everybody and happy hollidays!
I’m posting the next round of results, after a new set of 6 weeks following Ande’s program (SCM, push start, timed by a friend, Yingfa jammers for the final tests, briefs for the others).
I’ve started this program with the goal of going under 30 seconds in the 50m freestyle by March 2013. It’s worked great so far, and I think I have a good chance of making it. I’m going to start training in a 50m pool, with block-starts, and I’ll keep posting my times.
Here is a clip that shows how my sprinting looks like right now, and any advice is appreciated.
www.youtube.com/watch
25m free
12/23 - 15.15
12/14 - 15.68
12/7 - 17.30
11/29 - 17.05
11/23 - 16.11
11/7 - 16.70
11/1 - 16.74
50m free
12/22 - 32.78
12/14 - 34.10
11/29 - 33.78
11/23 - 33.95
11/1 - 34.45
75m free
12/6 - 56.30
10/17 - 56.68
100m free
12/7 - 1:18.00
10/18 - 1:20.11
25m free kick
12/23 - 22.96
12/14 - 23.29
12/7 - 24.78
11/29 - 24.71
11/23- 26.23
11/7 - 26.08
10/25 - 26.32
25m sdk
12/22 - 22.76
12/14 - 24.67
You need to work on your hand entry, too.
You need to think of spearing your hand into the water at an angle, fingertips first, trying to create the least amount of disturbance as possible.
Check out http://youtu.be/s3HhNlysFDs which demonstrates a really smooth hand entry.
I know I tend to punch the water when I sprint. I have a smooth hand entry at lower speeds. Perhaps I'll be able to improve my efficiency and lower my stroke rate, which will give my hands more time for a cleaner entry.
The video shows a really nice stroke, I guess the swimmer has an excellent kick to keep it so fluent.
Thanks,
Radu
Hello Radu
Great you take te feedback in a positive way. About your ankles; if you look at them under water the feet and your underleg make a 90 degree angle. That causes a lot of drag and slowes you down. Next time in the pool try out for fun a steamlined push off from the wall with the feet likes you have them on the video and push off with the feet streamlined. I think it will differ a couple of meters. With the SDK on the video you have them okay.
For two years when I was back into swimming I sprintes like you did on the video (spinning with the arms) and it took me to 32 seconds on the 50 free. Then I met this coach who started me to teach tyhe right technique:
1. Hand entry as far as possible in front of you ( I did not do that)
2. Hand and underarm as soon as possible vertikal ( I did no do that)
3. finish the pull by pushing the water besides my hips (My hands came out the water before my hips)
Then I had only to concentrate my stroke rate, the less the better. First it was hard but now I benefit from this advice. I need 13 strokes to do a 25. Time still 17 seconds.
In a sprint I do 16 strokes and my time is 14 seconds.
euphilos,
Feedback thus far from above:
You are dropping your elbows on the pull. Either EVF(high elbows) or straighter arm (windmill)
You should work on your stroke efficiency
your ankles seem a bit stiff
You are creating a lot of turbulence as you enter the water
Your "slow" video shows elbow first catch clearly:
www.youtube.com/watch
You swim reasonably fast for such incredible inefficiency (32 seconds 50m taking 60 strokes). Fixing your catch would directly increase distance each stroke and speed.
Hello everybody and happy hollidays!
I’m posting the next round of results, after a new set of 6 weeks following Ande’s program (SCM, push start, timed by a friend, Yingfa jammers for the final tests, briefs for the others).
I’ve started this program with the goal of going under 30 seconds in the 50m freestyle by March 2013. It’s worked great so far, and I think I have a good chance of making it. I’m going to start training in a 50m pool, with block-starts, and I’ll keep posting my times.
Here is a clip that shows how my sprinting looks like right now, and any advice is appreciated.
www.youtube.com/watch
25m free
12/23 - 15.15
12/14 - 15.68
12/7 - 17.30
11/29 - 17.05
11/23 - 16.11
11/7 - 16.70
11/1 - 16.74
50m free
12/22 - 32.78
12/14 - 34.10
11/29 - 33.78
11/23 - 33.95
11/1 - 34.45
75m free
12/6 - 56.30
10/17 - 56.68
100m free
12/7 - 1:18.00
10/18 - 1:20.11
25m free kick
12/23 - 22.96
12/14 - 23.29
12/7 - 24.78
11/29 - 24.71
11/23- 26.23
11/7 - 26.08
10/25 - 26.32
25m sdk
12/22 - 22.76
12/14 - 24.67
You need to work on your hand entry, too.
6919
A screen shot from your video.
You are creating a lot of turbulence as you enter the water. With all that turbulence you will never be able to get a solid 'grip' on the water. You are compensating by increasing your stroke rate. This is very inefficient. 28 strokes for 25M is way too much. You should be aiming in the 16 - 20 range. But in order to do that you need to really work each stroke and you won't be able to do that with all that white water around.
You need to think of spearing your hand into the water at an angle, fingertips first, trying to create the least amount of disturbance as possible.
Check out http://youtu.be/s3HhNlysFDs which demonstrates a really smooth hand entry.
