'out of shape' and needing advice!

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

Former Member — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:38:20 GMT

I think the hard part will not be getting back your speed, but giving yourself the time to. If it has been many years since you were away from swimming, you have probably been taking your high fitness level for granted. Even in any off season you had, you could regain most of your speed quickly. I was one of those people who took off 10 years only to return and swim faster at 29 than I did at 19. Although I never got close to a minute in butterfly (am a distance freestyler)

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

ande — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:29:48 GMT

thanks Arthur Here's links Swim Faster Faster Ask Ande Ande If you have the time, I would read through the Ask Ande and Swim Faster Faster threads. They are full of useful advice. Since you didn't take much time off and are probably 23-25 years old I think with good training you could match or beat your collage times.

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

waves101 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:57:52 GMT

Unless you were in a major yardage program in college, you should be back in shape after 3-4 months. With a proper taper, I suspect you'd be less than a second off your times.

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

Former Member — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:31:22 GMT

It depends on what kind of training you were doing in college to achieve those times; and if you feel that you reached your potential in college or not. Generally in Masters swimming you aren't competing against college swimmers, you're competing against other Masters swimmers who may be in a similar situation to yours. Less training mileage and different priorities in life, too. Some USMS swimmers swim lifetime best times as Masters; for some it's due to enjoying the sport more, changes in rules, swimwear improvements, technique improvements, reaching peak physical maturity, avoiding injury. Others do not. Some "wipe the slate clean" for their best times whenever they age up to a new age group. But there's more to Masters than just your times. Great post and way to put it! :applaud:

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

Former Member — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:15:35 GMT

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

Former Member — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:03:19 GMT

1 year isn't long at all, even if you do nothing. Be patient and give yourself 6 months and I'll bet you'll be back in great shape (if you are swimming 4x/week, eating good, etc). It comes back ALOT faster in your early 20's than in your late 30's like me!! :agree:

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

orca1946 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:53:01 GMT

Welcome :banana:e back to real world swimming. Build yourself up to have fun & get better to go faster,

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

Former Member — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:02:45 GMT

If you have the time, I would read through the Ask Ande and Swim Faster Faster threads. They are full of useful advice. Since you didn't take much time off and are probably 23-25 years old I think with good training you could match or beat your collage times.

RE: 'out of shape' and needing advice!

tjrpatt — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:24:01 GMT

Hi there! Just as a background, I'm a female, and swim butterfly(58 in the 100, 2:07 in the 200) but I can barely do a 25 fly without feeling like my arms are going to fall off! Does anyone have suggestions of how to get back in reasonable shape or some kind of timeline? Thanks! I really appreciate any input! Wow, you were pretty fast! That is normal to have problems swimming a 25 fly out of shape. I had the same issues a few years when I was getting back in the pool after many masters hiatuses. You are doing the right amount of practices. Eventually add another day and endurance free sets really help with the fly. It builds strength you did for the 100 and espeically 200 fly. It just takes time but since you are in your early 20s, you should be fine in a few months with consistency.