I've got a meet coming up Feb. 28th/Mar. 1st and I want to focus on the 100 freestyle (want to break 60s; just did a 1:03, have done 1:01.8). I've got 18 weeks until the meet and have constructed a plan based on Janet Evan's periodization cycle in her book and Tudor Bompa's periodization idea of a really hard day followed by an easier day. This is how it looks right now:
Base Training--About 25-30k a week
7 weeks (Goal is to get body fit and ready for next phase)
Mostly aerobic free but also IM and pure speed work
M/W/F--swim 4-5k + weights + run 25-30 minutes
T/H--swim 4-5k (long kick sets/IM work and some pure speed work and starts)
S--swim 5k-6k and do a test race (longer race) at end of workout from blocks--try to beat time every week.
Sundays--Hot tub and flexibility work
Threshold Training--About 20-25k a week
5 weeks (Goal is to get comfortable at faster speeds; "easy speed")
Mostly aerobic threshold workouts but also aerobic free/sprint/IM work
Pretty much the same schedule as above but a slight decrease in workout yardage and slight increase in intensity.
Speed Training--About 15-18k a week
5 weeks (Goal is to work on pure speed and get fast)
Mostly speed workouts w/long rests but also threshold workouts and easy aerobic workouts.
More intense; less yardage; less reps in weight room but heavier and faster; emphasis is still on technique but power is a close second. Increase intensity w/runs as well but shorten them to sprints. Everything I'll do will be fast but on the easy days everything will be extremely easy.
Taper--About 5-10k this week
1 week (Cut back on about everything; sharpen and prepare to race)
Cut weights/running completely two weeks from meet. Do body weight work the week before taper starts. Taper week no dry-land at all.
My weight training is alternating workouts (1-5m rest between sets and try to increase weight every week) Takes about 25-30 minutes.
Workout A
Squats
Incline Bench
Inverted Rows (upper back/rear delt work)
Decline Pushups 3xFailure
Abs
Workout B
Squats
Overhead Press (military press but standing up)
Deadlift
Pull-ups/Chin-ups (rotate) 3xFailure
Prone Bridges 3x1 minute
I hope this isn't too long of a post; thanks for your help.
There are not any races coming up except the one in March and it's close to where I live. I really only compete twice a year unless another meet pops up close to where I live or my parents live so I can have free lodging and meals for the weekend :)
From your posts I would suggest the following:
- Focus - you want to break 60, but also swim a 100 Fly and a 200 Free. Do strength training, but also endurance + running + flexibility. I used to do the same - but then realized that I just can't do that any more (age and recovery). Just pick one goal and let everything else be what it is - 100 Free break 60.
- Build your plan - but put in priorities each week for each part of your workouts. If it's an endurance week - make sure you can do your 2-3 aerobic sets - everything else is a bonus.
- From your 50 time, you already have enough speed. "Built like a brick" sounds like you need to go easy in the weight room. If you are already strong on land - then land strength is not your main focus. How to get that strength into swimming should be the focus.
- Speed + strength work in the water: It's a 100 ... less than 60 sec. This is your main area to work on. 25s 50s 75s -- resistance work building to sprints -- sprints with zoomers -- sprints with paddles -- 25 kick + 25 swim at max speed -- broken 100s -- broken 75s
- Technique - find somebody to tape you or take a look. The best drills to do on your own are distance per stroke OR doing relatively fast repeats (50s) and finding "an easier way to swim the same time".
First, let me say that I am impressed with your workout schedule. It is far more training than I currently do. It is also far more training than I will ever do in the future. Your current workout plans would bury me. However, this is not to say that it wouldn't work for you. I would advise that you try and take much more of a sprinter mentality if you're training for the 100. Sprinters do as little as possible, usually with remarkably good results--this always frustrates the distance swimmers. You will have to learn what works best for you, which means you have to start somewhere. I think you're overtraining by quite a bit and not sprinting and resting enough with your current plan. But then again, it's not like I know anything. I would get rid of the 30k weeks, throw in much more sprinting, and taper a lot more and focus on checking my progress at a few meets in between.
I am seeing a lot of people touch on the overall workout that you do, etc. My personal opinion (since all of the other bases are covered), your taper is way too short. I extend a taper out to a 3 week period where we start a gentle cut with increasing intensity, and down to the final week where the swimmers are out of practice a bit early, but it is full on intensity and a lot of recovery. Just an opinion.
