Drop Dead Taper

This seems ideal, for sure. I do recall you feeling kinda crappy at one point at Rutgers though. Right before you swam an unbelievable PB. Which goes to show that maybe (subjective) feelings about how fast/slow/good/bad one feels should be taken with a grain of salt! :) I've definitely also had mediocre or disappointing swims when I was feeling great in the water. Tapering is such a head game. (In this case, though I think what I felt was residual sickness from the sinusitis I had a couple weeks prior; it isn't my usual feeling during taper.) As far as weights: err on the side of caution (more rest) is my motto. There have been a number of times that I know I was losing "weight lifting" strength during taper even as my raw speed, power, and max sustainable turnover rate increased in the water. Others will disagree with me on this, I know; you'll have to experiment to find your sweet spot. Just remember that the ultimate goal is to swim fast, not to be able to lift heavy weights at your taper meet.

Which goes to show that maybe (subjective) feelings about how fast/slow/good/bad one feels should be taken with a grain of salt! :) I've definitely also had mediocre or disappointing swims when I was feeling great in the water. Tapering is such a head game. So true. When I have had my absolute best swims over the years it often was when I felt like crap literally till I dove in for my first race. You have to have 100% confidence in what you have done in your training and trust that your ready.

So true. When I have had my absolute best swims over the years it often was when I felt like crap literally till I dove in for my first race. You have to have 100% confidence in what you have done in your training and trust that your ready. This is the trick. You must completely ignore the fact that you feel like utter crap. It can require some experience to successfully do it though. Do you still store glycogen if you're not lifting like a "lifter"?

Anyone have any thoughts on weights for women? I'm inclined to lift a couple more times at lighter weight instead of taking week 1 off entirely. I just feel, with no scientific basis, that women take longer to build muscle and lose it more quickly. Also, it seems like women have less muscle mass (although I'm starting to look like Hulk, I fear) and lift with less intensity/weight than men. Think toning not building for the taper phase. Doing good form reps with lighter weighs may be OK. Chris uses paddles instead of lifting he said... I think it'd depend on your taper. When I used to lift, I'd skip a week or two with work or whatever and go back to a body full of glycogen and lift like an animal; the payoff was a really sore body 2 days later! I'm not a taper expert but you won't lose lots of muscle strength if you're still swimming, getting your sprints in etc. in 3 weeks! Yes you'll lose some mass but you'll be storing glycogen for the meet! Same as bodybuilders they bulk then cut...can't be building mass and getting ripped at the same moment in time...though steroids have helped this balancing act out... As with anything, you have to do what will make you feel you're peaking. If you have the luxury; follow the advice of someone and see how it goes, but don't doubt it once you commit. If it works then maybe you can try it again next time, or something different. I can only go by my LCM Zones performance and Ande's taper plan he gave me. It worked and I had a good meet., but I just trusted in him and the plan and didn't think back...I always like the idea of swimming less and less over a few weeks though. A good excuse to be lazy. I remember feeling ready for a rest for the first 2 weeks and then the last week, with the meet looming, I got mentally prepped and by Saturday I was ready to go. You can only pool advice, you have to find what you can place faith in. What does Jazzy have to say on it? He's the swim/weight guru...

This is the trick. You must completely ignore the fact that you feel like utter crap. It can require some experience to successfully do it though. Do you still store glycogen if you're not lifting like a "lifter"? Everyone stores glycogen...I don't pretend to understand the full science of it: how long it can be stored, how much, when does it dissipate to "normal" levels. Here found this.. as a jump off point..it even mentions VO2 max LOL www.pponline.co.uk/.../0903.htm

I'd beware the 1 wk taper as 1 wk is where I feel loggy.At 3 wk I don't stop lifting,but I drop the weight and try to focus on hand and foot speed for 10 days and then stop lifting.I generally feel great(but fragile and neurotic)the last week of a taper.I like a 3 week taper,but one year there was an SCM meet I wanted to swim in 1 wk before our Association meet.I tapered as usual for the SCM meet and for some reason swam lousy.I continued the taper doing little more than warmup for the next week and had a great meet.The next taper meet I tried a 4 week taper and did really lousy,so I went back to 3 wks.

Fort, best is just ignore those that lack the intestinal fortitude to mock in there own name. I always do. I was just enjoying pointing out the double standard mostly. :-) :angel: And where's Raul Swift anyway?

maintenance or toning (in the sense I meant) on a taper is technically only possible if you actually train in the first place. I don't believe this was actually meant for Jazzy. lol I'm freakin toned enough!! I don't care about any more toning. I just want to know if I should lift in the next 2 weeks. So far, my "research" can be thusly summarized: chicks say yes, guys say no.

The swimming benefits from strength training are slow developing Could you elaborate on this thought more please? I have the sense this is true. Since I only do a 2 week taper twice a year, I think I'm safe on maintaining my "tone."

Fort, I think there is absolutely no reason to continue lifting inside of two weeks for a fullye rested meet...it does nothing but keep the muscles fatigued. And Jazz is correct....never change a lifting pattern at this stage because the change in either reduced weight or reps will cause a change in muscle memory and again...do nothing but create addtional fatigue. At this point its about developing feel and tempo with blasts of speed work and lots of rest...