How Much Do You Warm Up Before A Meet?

The smile on my older daughter's face (now 13) when she drops 10 or 20 seconds in one of these races is so much wider than when she drops a second in a 50 ... Another family-specific reason is that there's never been anyone in the history of Brundages who could sprint in any sport. quote] The Brundage 500 Freestylers! Below shot taken shortly after Dad swam a 17:04 in the 1650 while 500 freestyler daughter counted... at the AZ Polar Bear Meet. (sorry, couldn't resist) I wanted to add to the discussion that I have found as a swimmer and coach, masters swimmers generally do not warmup enough. Rarely have swimmers thought through, planned, and then executed a complete warmup. I had a coach who kind of threw his hands up in the air over this fact and took to telling us that we have to practice swimming fast without a decent warmup. Both scenarios are easy to practice. But hopefully you only have to experience racing with a proper warmup session. I like to consider some of the really good swims I have done at the end of a main set in practice. I sure was warmed up for those swims! Also, because I am often coaching and distracted at masters meets, I tend to swim the best at the end of the meet. A race that comes after swimming several events in a day - including warmups and sometimes even a cool down swim or two. I think I am or should be totally exhausted and yet out pops a decent swim... Excellent post. Couldn't agree more on the warm up thing. I went a lifetime best time on my last event (#6 of 6 events) on the last day of a 3 day meet. Swam the 200 FR exactly 15 minutes before my last event of a 100 fly and posted a :58.1. I felt warmed up, fluid, and ready to go.

CreamPuff brings up a good point, but I think there are two issues that need to be addressed. When I swim warmup, that warms up my muscles, which I think has a rather longer term affect. A decent warm up and my muscles are loose and ready to use for the rather long time between warm up and race. This is not the case for my heart. Rarely do I have lane space and good timing so that my heart rate is still elevated when I step up on the blocks. Maybe I need to work on this, but I spend enough time behind the blocks that my heart rate would be close to resting rate if it were not for the pre-race adrenaline. I think most of the discussion has really been in relation to muscle warm up, and I would like to hear what people are doing to safely elevate their heart rate behind the blocks. Are you swimming warm up until a couple minutes before your race, or something dryland? Thanks CreamPuff. I really wanted the **** scared out of me.

CreamPuff brings up a good point, but I think there are two issues that need to be addressed. When I swim warmup, that warms up my muscles, which I think has a rather longer term affect. A decent warm up and my muscles are loose and ready to use for the rather long time between warm up and race. This is not the case for my heart. Rarely do I have lane space and good timing so that my heart rate is still elevated when I step up on the blocks. Maybe I need to work on this, but I spend enough time behind the blocks that my heart rate would be close to resting rate if it were not for the pre-race adrenaline. I think most of the discussion has really been in relation to muscle warm up, and I would like to hear what people are doing to safely elevate their heart rate behind the blocks. Are you swimming warm up until a couple minutes before your race, or something dryland? Thanks CreamPuff. I really wanted the **** scared out of me. Great points. I'll thank my coaches on your behalf. :) What's interesting for me is that why would every coach I've ever had (as a masters or USS) insist on some kind of warm up prior to racing. . .

I'm not an expert, I just have rational arguments. You mean such as muttering to yourself like a feral child before races is adequate warm-up.

I just read sprinters need more of a warm up than distance swimmers.

You told me that you're actually nice, so I don't get why you're being extremely rude about this. It's not like I called you an arrogant jerk or anything. Your assertions are not supported in the swimming community or sporting community. I believe what you have stated, if followed by most athletes, is a one way ticket to injury.

What is a good warmup for 'fly? I'm doing my first pool meet ever in three weeks, and for some unfathomable reason (temporary insanity?) have put my name down for 50m butterfly. Free and backstroke, maybe some one-arm fly until good and ready to do some easy whole-stroke fly. Then some easy fly. Kinda depends what's up before the 50 fly (if anything). Relax, you'll do fine.

If you want to refute what I've said, I'm glad to hear it. Since I would simply regurgitate what every coach I've ever had says, what every current coach says, what every college athlete I swim with says, what every former D1 swimmer I swim with says it would not be of value to you. Their experience, coupled with my limited knowledge, is sufficient for me. I should be clear that while I find your methods to be unorthodox and unsustainable, they are yours and fine by me. When you reach out on topics completely refuted by most swimmers and coaches and your sole methods of refutation are "I question authority" and "mistakes are made," I'm gonna call you on it.

All I know is that no warm up with stretching means severely pulled hamstring on one occasion and strained long head of biceps on another while playing Ultimate Frisbee. Warm up with a decent amount of stretching means no muscular injuries in 10 years of playing. The two don't necessarily have to be correlated, but they seem to go hand in hand to me. Perhaps I just haven't been able to work myself up sufficiently. I also know that in running races, on the occasions I haven't warmed up properly, my legs felt sluggish and my performances suffered. I'm not discounting what Jazz has to say, but in my experience, it has not worked for me.

butterflies and jitters have never ever in the history of the sporting universe been used as a warm-up technique. That is absolutely the worst advice ever given on this forum, bar none. Thank god no coach out there is telling swimmers to do this. It's a great way to demolish your shoulders should you desire to quit swimming altogether, however. The worst advice ever! Absolutely! I am totally insane!