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?
Former Member
Hi Ande,
I am new to swimming having only learned this summer and having swum 1000m nonstop for the first time this past week.
I am wondering if you can help me improve my speed and perhaps just as importantly develop a program for speed and endurance given that I swim in a 42m pool and that I only know how to swim freestyle and a little backstroke. Trying to convert all the great advice I read about for 25y pools into my 42m workouts is not so obvious to me...
Right now, get into the pool after work and swim a set of freestyle laps depending on how much pool time remains (pool closes at 10pm).
Last few days:
Tuesday: rest
Monday: Morning--3 x 420m (10 lengths); Evening 1 x 840m (20 lengths; each was 77-87 seconds, with most around 83 seconds);
Sunday: 3 x 336m (8 lengths)
Saturday: 6 x 168m (4 lengths); 1 x 84m (2 lengths hard); 2 x 336m (8 lengths)
Monday was the first time I had ever had my laps timed.
Warm Up? I don't really warm up nor know truly how to think about warming up in the 42m pool.
Rest between sets of laps? I give myself enough rest until I feel ready to go again--have not really thought about timing it.
Breathing: every other stroke on the same side
Turning: open turn
My goals? I would like to get faster and stronger in the pool for all distances under a mile. How much faster? At this point, I just want to feel like I know how to get faster and make this less a mystery and more about execution. Right now, I am just grateful I can swim 1000m. But I know myself: the desire for speed and progress is just around the corner.
Thanks,
LC
congrats
those are dramatic improvements
20 to 17.5 for your 33
are you getting timed on a watch?
keep working on it you can drop your times even more
Ande
Been doing a "fast " set once a week which includes ALL OUT swims with alot of rest. Today I felt I really got turning over and went 17.5 from a push. That works out to a 52.5 pace. Hoping for that sub 60 at a meet at the end of month.
8/27
33.3 20sec
66.6 44sec
9/4
33.3 19sec
66.6 43sec
10/14
33.3 17.5sec
Hey LateComer
don't worry that you train in a 42 meter pool
you can do some 42 meter sprints
for shorter sprints you can
pick points in the pool that are around 15 meters and 25 meters
(use immovable items on the deck, ie lines on the bottom. )
then do repeat sprints to those points
you can accurately measure them or go with approximations
the point is to establish benchmarks then seek to improve them
Good luck
hope this helps
Ande
Hi Ande,
I am new to swimming having only learned this summer and having swum 1000m nonstop for the first time this past week.
I am wondering if you can help me improve my speed and perhaps just as importantly develop a program for speed and endurance given that I swim in a 42m pool and that I only know how to swim freestyle and a little backstroke. Trying to convert all the great advice I read about for 25y pools into my 42m workouts is not so obvious to me...
Right now, get into the pool after work and swim a set of freestyle laps depending on how much pool time remains (pool closes at 10pm).
Last few days:
Tuesday: rest
Monday: Morning--3 x 420m (10 lengths); Evening 1 x 840m (20 lengths; each was 77-87 seconds, with most around 83 seconds);
Sunday: 3 x 336m (8 lengths)
Saturday: 6 x 168m (4 lengths); 1 x 84m (2 lengths hard); 2 x 336m (8 lengths)
Monday was the first time I had ever had my laps timed.
Warm Up? I don't really warm up nor know truly how to think about warming up in the 42m pool.
Rest between sets of laps? I give myself enough rest until I feel ready to go again--have not really thought about timing it.
Breathing: every other stroke on the same side
Turning: open turn
My goals? I would like to get faster and stronger in the pool for all distances under a mile. How much faster? At this point, I just want to feel like I know how to get faster and make this less a mystery and more about execution. Right now, I am just grateful I can swim 1000m. But I know myself: the desire for speed and progress is just around the corner.
Thanks,
LC
8/27
33.3 20sec
66.6 44sec
9/4
33.3 19sec
66.6 43sec
10/14
33.3 17.5sec
10/22
three 2 lengthers (66.6 yds) from a push with good recovery
went 42, 42 and 43.
Then,
33.3 fly, went 23
33.3 back, went 24
33.3 ***, went 29
Pool was full of swimmers and water was extremely choppy. I swam them at a 100 yd pace, that is long and strong and breathed on every four strokes. Tomorrow a few fast 100's and one fast 133 IM. Friday a few fast one lengthers and Sunday go for broke.
Taper this week for a meet.
Went:
33.3 free, 17sec from a push.
My friend said 17.5, but I clearly watched the clock sweep to the top before I even pushed off.
Concentrated on a "monster" kick and turnover. I think the speed workouts and stroke workouts are helping.
Thanks Ande for this thread challenge.
get a watch or find someone with one
Taper this week for a meet.
Went:
33.3 free, 17sec from a push.
My friend said 17.5, but I clearly watched the clock sweep to the top before I even pushed off.
Concentrated on a "monster" kick and turnover. I think the speed workouts and stroke workouts are helping.
Thanks Ande for this thread challenge.
8/27
33.3 20sec
66.6 44sec
9/4
33.3 19sec
66.6 43sec
10/14
33.3 17.5sec
10/22
three 2 lengthers (66.6 yds) from a push with good recovery
went 42, 42 and 43.
11/22
33.3 free, 17sec
1/8/09
33.3 17 sec
66.6 42 sec
Started to work in some speed for me upcoming meets. I love the 17 sec time since it is 25.5 yd speed from a push, but don't like the 66.6 time. I nailed the turn but I'm stuck at 42. The differential is not good. If I double the 17 and even add 4 sec, that's a 38. A 42 seems slow. I do the 33.3 with one breath. I do the 66.6 breathing on every stroke since this is how I swim a 100. I think I subconciously swam it like I was going to do another length. Next time I'll swim the 66.6 ALL OUT and try breathing every 4th and then no breath the last 10.
I do the 33.3 with one breath. I do the 66.6 breathing on every stroke since this is how I swim a 100.
Try timing yourself swimming the 33.3 with the same breathing pattern that you are going to use in your 100. If the differential between your 1 breath and every other breath is significant, then you know you need to focus on breathing smoothly so it flows with your stroke and doesn't slow you down much.
I don't have numbers, especially not for a 33.3, but my WAG is that there should only be about a second difference at most between your two breathing patterns.
Good luck at your meet.
Not enough. We just started to devote a workout per week to all out speed, so I am happy about that. Last Friday was four 133.3 yd IM's all out on 5 minutes. Went 1:45, 1:55, 1:58, 2:00.
Will test the shorter repeats next week.
