Training for the 100 fly?

And maybe lots of aerobic work?

Weightlifting-wise, if your shoulders can manage it (not withstanding injury or impingement), anterior, lateral, and posterior d-bell shoulder raises are good. Try sets with moderate-heavy weight for 6-10 reps, and some with light weight for 14-20 reps. I've also used the stretch bands and tried to mimic the recovery motion and did as many reps as I'd take strokes when swimming a 100 fly (for me that was between 30-36). Swimming-wise I like to do 125s broken into free, fly, free, fly, fly or fly, free, fly, free, fly. I use the free as a bit of recovery. Lately I've been trying to do a 100 fly at the end of each swim practice where I'll try and get the maximum distance per stroke on the first 75 and push as hard as possible on the last 25. I've also noticed that some days are better than others. Good luck. :bouncing::wiggle:

While not doubting the need for aerobic work I've seen enough people who have no problem swimming 150 free hard without dying that experience the piano in the 100 fly that I don't think aerobic work alone will get you there. Really didn't need to hear that Lindsey :doh: Since I am swimming my first ever 100y Fly as a Master in a little over two weeks, I only hope that I die AFTER the last turn and not before.

Another good way to train for the 100 ... do 100s 50 free/50 fly. On the free work it! Swim it fast and do a lot of SDKs. This will get you a bit tired going into the 50 fly. I also think from time to time you do need to do 100s and even 125s so you know what to expect, how to handle it, and your body swims "tired fly" from time to time.

And maybe lots of aerobic work? Hahaha. Touche. I actually did more aerobic work this summer for LC. I'm doing some this fall as well. But I think Lindsay is correct that it's not solely aerobic. I've seen the piano fall on even the very fit. I think I have been neglecting the rear delt work, as Stud notes. So I will do that along with some fly specific training. Although a 100 fly for time at the end of each practice seems a bit much ... it would become too much of a chore for me.

Here's what I did for 100 fly long course. 1st 50, breathe 2 up 1 down, last 50, breathe 1 up 1 down. I practiced this, building up until I could complete a 100. I tried to spend less energy lunging up and down and instead concentrate on moving forward.

Lindsay--Do you have a link for that video? www.youtube.com/watch It's at about the 5:30 mark, and I was wrong he is using cables on a weight machine not stretch cords. And maybe lots of aerobic work? While not doubting the need for aerobic work I've seen enough people who have no problem swimming 150 free hard without dying that experience the piano in the 100 fly that I don't think aerobic work alone will get you there. While it may not apply to anyone here, I know that I and many others can be tempted to "force" the recovery and that that can lead to premature shoulder fatigue compared to a more relaxed recovery that flows with the stroke. And the further back you take your pull the more effort it takes to initiate the forward motion. And that the closer your hands are under the body the more the recovery seems to flow out of the outward movement of the hands toward exit from the water. The above video and this one: www.youtube.com/watch have some good slow motion shots of the entry and catch, I was surprised at how his hands aren't that far apart even at the beginning, and then pull straight back. Crocker and Phelps sweep out wider in the early part of the pull.

The key to swimming anything is practice! You don't need to do 10x100's butterfly during a workout but you need to do fly. Swimming the 100 butterfly is not like swimming the 100 freestyle it's more like swimming the 800 freestyle. While the 200 butterfly is more like swimming the 1500 freestyle. You need to practice your race strategy. You don't want to do so much fly the stroke falls apart and you pretty much are dying in the water but you need to do enough to get into the groove of the stroke. Lot's of time when we get the choice of doing stroke in a set I'll add butterfly and backstroke into the mix. Give myself some recovery time in between the various butterfly. Start with 25's and 50's and over time add in a 100 here and there. Those special times when the coach let's you do a 100 for time do the butterfly. Get a base time and then break it down into splits by 25. Then when you swim those 25 and 50 fly's you know your base time.

As is always the case there is no "cookie cutter" approach. Things like body type, flexibility, aerobic vs. physical strengths...and with regard to fly the most forgotten aspect mental...how many people dread swimming/racing fly because of the pain that might be involved. I see this as the same problem one has when skiing, if you look at the tree you'll hit it. If you go into a race worrying about failing you probably will. Another point, there are two types of fly and in general very few people I see who excel at both. The exceptional 200 flyers are extremely well conditioned and do well in the 400/500 free's, 400IM, etc. etc. These folks can swim long fly seats/repeats in workout, many have adapted to breath every stroke and generally have a minimal kick....all things that are usually the opposite from what you need to do in the 50/100 fly. For me I can honestly say I haven't swam a 100 fly in workout since college. I work endlessly on form and power. Lot's of drills, lots of hard kicking...tempo-tempo-tempo! I also never worry about dying...maybe thats my problem!!

What fly drills are you doing, Paul? How do you work on tempo? Lots of 25s? The piano doesn't seem to deter me. I'm signed up for another 100 fly in October. No 200s for me, for the reasons you mention above.