Okay, if i'm currently going a 25.8 in a 50 Freestyle (SCY), what would i have to do to bring it down to a 23.8 by the end of the summer?
2 second drop in 3 months? is that possible? And i don't mean by using a fast suit or anything, i just want to make myself faster while wearing a brief.
I'm only 14 so i should be growing and getting stronger (i hope) haha
Anyways, in the summer i will practice with my team for about 3 hours a day, and i plan on lifting weights everyday aswell. So, what can i do to get my 50 time down.
My start is decent, and my flip is aswell, but how do i get faster like just by pushing off the wall?
I hear that sprinting in practice helps.
My flutter is TERRIBLE.
In practice, when we do kicking sets, i try as hard as i can, i'm probably the one making the biggest splash, but everyone around me is passing me, and i get TIRED from doing kick. How can i help that?
Anyways, please tell me how to get my times down.
thanks alot :)
Former Member
When I was your age my major competition in the CIF "B" 50 free got grounded by the medical profession about a month before the CIF finals. He was lifting too much, getting strong, but tweaking his bones! I won the race, but was a little bummed cuz I wanted him in the race. He hung up his trunks at too early an age.
Be careful.
Former Member
If you are really serious about getting faster, I recommend becoming close friends with your existing coach, or find a coach in your area that has been successful. Then try to get in as many practices as possible with the coach refining your stroke style, turn style, start style as well as anything he/she sees while watching you swim.
That being said, when I was around your age, the things that sped me up were:
- practice taking fewer breaths. At my height I did not breath at all the first lap of a 50 and tried to only take a few breaths on the lap back. If you are getting too tired to hold your breath that long, you need to practice more.
- practice your turnover, ie: try to speed up your stroke in the water
- practice your kick more. If you are making a lot of splash, but not going anywhere, ask your coach for more direction on proper form. My guess is you are bending at the knee too much and need to keep your legs a little straighter when kicking, but im no expert.
The bottom line is, advice from a forum may be hard to replicate in the water without some visible confirmation, I think its vital to start up a relationship with a coach and let them know you are very serious about improving your time.
Train like a sprinter.
Fast swimming in workout must be accompanied by lots of recovery so you can do the next repeat at race pace.
If you were in Masters, you'd see how often this philosophy is not used.
Jeff, the looks I get when I say to my lane 'I'm sprinting the first 50, then resting the remaining interval' on repeat 100's is just priceless.
Former Member
Train like a sprinter.
Fast swimming in workout must be accompanied by lots of recovery so you can do the next repeat at race pace.
If you were in Masters, you'd see how often this philosophy is not used.
Yep, we have the recovery part down, it is the fast swimming we have so much trouble with.
Former Member
Train like a sprinter.
Fast swimming in workout must be accompanied by lots of recovery so you can do the next repeat at race pace.
If you were in Masters, you'd see how often this philosophy is not used.
Great advice - but I think the bigger problem is age group swimming. Very few seem to understand this at all including some famous swimming programs. Pound the yardage, pound the distance. Still seems to be the Rx for many kids.
