healthy/unhealthy set?

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

elise526 — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:16:50 GMT

I have noticed that there seems to be a trend towards breath control sets among age-group and college coaches. I do have to wonder about the wisdom of some masters swimmers doing these sorts of things. For example, the other day, I was doing a workout a college kid had brought home. One of the sets was as follows: 12 x 50 free on :40 with every third 50 ONLY ONE BREATH ALLOWED With my health issues - asthma and autonomic dysfunction, I wasn't even going to go there. I did the set on the interval, but on the 50s, I took at least two breaths per length. Hypoxic sets were big back in the early 80s and then went away for awhile. I wonder why the return of such sets as above.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

The Fortress — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:54:21 GMT

The purpose is to increase oxygen debt before the 25, but I still don't understand why that would be beneficial. Me neither, that's why I was puzzled and thought it was more of a game. I think some hypoxic work/CO2 tolerance is necessary if you want to stay underwater and SDK on fly or back. But no need to torture yourself. And, as I said I don't see the benefit of breath control sets for freestyle (e.g., breathe 3-5-7-9) at all.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

Allen Stark — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:48:44 GMT

I'd put extreme hypoxic sets in the same category as football practice without letting the players drink water,a wrong headed idea about what toughness means.I do think reasonable underwater work is useful like extra SDK off the wall or 2 pullout BR turns but anything past about 20 sec and you are asking for trouble.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

slknight — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:33:49 GMT

We were going to do some 25 no-breathers the other day and the aquatics director at our Y asked us not to. I heard a rumor that it is a new nationwide YMCA policy to forbid no-breathers. Can anyone confirm this?

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

Former Member — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:23:00 GMT

Hypoxic gives me headaches. I'm pretty sure it kills brain cells too. And there's the potential for, you know, death.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

Former Member — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:01:41 GMT

I don't understand the rationale for just hanging out under the water holding your breath? :confused: Wouldn't it be better to at least be swimming or kicking underwater while holding your breath? Maybe that set was just for tricks and giggles? (I do like hypoxic work in connection with improving underwater SDKs and during taper like Chris. But, otherwise, I hate breath control sets.) You hang out underwater before an 25 no breath sprint. The purpose is to increase oxygen debt before the 25, but I still don't understand why that would be beneficial. The set really might have been a fun set. It is a new, not wholly speed based, competition for the kids. When I was an age grouper, it might have been fun.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

Former Member — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:01:59 GMT

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

Allen Stark — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:54:14 GMT

Stupid and dangerous.25 no breathers are OK as they arer over before a trained swimmer iis likely to pass out.As you get past that it becomes more and more problematic.As you get into the macho/push past my pain stage it gets dangerous.If you pass out underwater you will probably inhale and fresh chlorinated water in your lungs will ruin your whole day.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

__steve__ — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:18:38 GMT

I'm finding hypoxic efforts cause my heart to do weird things (i.e., skip beats, irregular rhythm) if I don't alternate with normal breathing.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

jeffsab — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:11:22 GMT

When we did stuff like this in high school it was always a macho sort of thing -- if you could make it, you were tough. In other words, it was done more for the psychological benefit, the theory being that in a big race you "know" you don't have to breathe. Although I used to be able to hold my breath as well as anyone on my team back in the day, I don't find this sort of thing to be much fun anymore.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

The Fortress — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:31:10 GMT

We did hypoxic sets as part of warm up when I was a kid. I never understood why, and my breath control during sprints is the same now, not ever doing any hypoxic/breath control, as it was then, doing daily sets. I am not a fan, and it does seem like holding your breath for 60 seconds before doing a sprint 25 is asking for someone to pass out. Chris Stevenson does hypoxic during taper to raise his heartrate without having to expend as much energy, but I don't think this is the typical justification of hypoxic work. I would be interested in seeing justification as to why breath control work should be part of regular training. I don't understand the rationale for just hanging out under the water holding your breath? :confused: Wouldn't it be better to at least be swimming or kicking underwater while holding your breath? Maybe that set was just for tricks and giggles? (I do like hypoxic work in connection with improving underwater SDKs and during taper like Chris. But, otherwise, I hate breath control sets.)

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

Former Member — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 06:09:36 GMT

Wow! I can't recall doing anything like that in all my years of swimming at any level!:applaud: That is pretty hardcore. I think the hardest thing I can remember is just 50's, and maybe a 75 no breathers. But you would work into those (3, 2, 1, no breath). Being a distance guy it wasn't a huge focus as we were aerobic swimmers for the most part.

RE: healthy/unhealthy set?

aquageek — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:11:32 GMT

That's a pretty sweet set.