I'm planning on resting for a meet in Feb. As usual, I'm wondering what taper to use, how much to rest, etc. I don't feel like I've really hit on the "one" plan that works for me.
I know everyone has their own approach to taper and may taper for between 1-4 weeks. In every taper plan I've seen, the yardage always drops off gradually. Has anyone ever tried a "drop dead" taper? One where you continue to exercise at your regular level and then, say 7 days before the big meet, you precipitously drop the yardage down to 1500 or so with very little sprinting? Thoughts?
I'm wondering if this type of taper might work for me, as I feel (possibly falsely) like I lose conditioning if I taper too long.
Parents
Former Member
It's in the dictionary, and lay folk will know what you mean if you say trying to "tone up." Do we all really want to turn this into a debate on semantics of expression?
Oooh the dictionary! There are actually two meanings to "tone." Technically, it just means a healthy amount of tension in the muscle. If somebody has lost muscle tone, that's a big problem and it has nothing to do with swim training.
The lay meaning is really vague, but usually falls somewhere around the idea of increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat. If someone wants to "tone up," or get a "toned look," this is what they're talking about. This is a bad thing to focus on turing a taper. In a few weeks, no one who has been training for a whole season is going to achieve any kind of significant body composition change. And if you focus on it, you're not focusing on the goal of the taper: swimming fast.
So, no, "tone" is not an appropriate word to use with respect to strength training during a taper.
It's in the dictionary, and lay folk will know what you mean if you say trying to "tone up." Do we all really want to turn this into a debate on semantics of expression?
Oooh the dictionary! There are actually two meanings to "tone." Technically, it just means a healthy amount of tension in the muscle. If somebody has lost muscle tone, that's a big problem and it has nothing to do with swim training.
The lay meaning is really vague, but usually falls somewhere around the idea of increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat. If someone wants to "tone up," or get a "toned look," this is what they're talking about. This is a bad thing to focus on turing a taper. In a few weeks, no one who has been training for a whole season is going to achieve any kind of significant body composition change. And if you focus on it, you're not focusing on the goal of the taper: swimming fast.
So, no, "tone" is not an appropriate word to use with respect to strength training during a taper.
