Aerobic base

Former Member
Former Member
Reading the Eddie Reese article in the SFF thread and the importance of an aerobic base I was led to wonder, how do you establish and maintain an aerobic base, and how do you know when to go from building the aerobic base to working on non-aerobic training? Do you split your season or do you work on all aspects all the time? I know it's a big question but...
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  • Linday and Ande, This is a huge question and one that is really important. I'd like to think swimmers would start training like the world class runners in track and field. I think the idea that a large base early in the season (the way it's been for over five decades) has got to be questioned. I have heard great scientific rationalizations from some of our best exercise physiologists but none that convice me that we shouldn't be increasing effective intensity, like Rebecca Addlington's coach Bill Furniss. I heard coach Furniss describe the race pace training strategy and it solidified my contention that swimmers train too much at levels under race pace. I believe technical practice that encourages positive stroke changes isn't the yardage I'm talking about, it's the 10 x 200 or 20 x 100 or 50 x 50's that aren't pace training yardage but aerobic and less than threshold bouts. For many swimmers reading this it may be confusing but let me put it another way. If you want to improve your 100 yard time, you don't do 10 x 100 on 1:30 and think that's going to help your speed unless you're in terrible shape and then almost any kind of swimming will help you get faster. For the swimmers who have been training and have hit plateaus, try increasing your rest interval substatially and increasing your intensity to race pace. As the season progresses and you get closer to your most important meet, increase the rest interval to a point where you drop your training times. No athlete from runners to cyclists train as insainly as swimmers. No one spends more time at near race pace times for as long as swimmers do, no one. The top marathon runners log just over 100 miles a week, top swimmers and that includes 200 and 400 meter swimming specialist log in nearly 60 miles a week and more. Track coaches see no reason why a personal best cannot be trained for each and every meet. When the feeling is right, a PR can be broken and a taper is rest before each meet. I think track coaches use stress adaptation better than swimming coaches do and I simply think we can improve our sport more by following some of their training strategies. I believe our lactate tolerance research is showing that mega yardage hurts more than it helps. I know this sounds off topic a bit but when seasons are defined by coaches, adding yardage only when stress adaptation is realized, makes sense. It also makes sense to start the season by recording best training times (race pace) for kicks, pulls, and swims then improving upon them throughout the season. I think this topic is an awesome one and I appreciate you bringing it up. I must appologize for it being so lengthy. Thanks, Coach T. Great post!!!!
Reply
  • Linday and Ande, This is a huge question and one that is really important. I'd like to think swimmers would start training like the world class runners in track and field. I think the idea that a large base early in the season (the way it's been for over five decades) has got to be questioned. I have heard great scientific rationalizations from some of our best exercise physiologists but none that convice me that we shouldn't be increasing effective intensity, like Rebecca Addlington's coach Bill Furniss. I heard coach Furniss describe the race pace training strategy and it solidified my contention that swimmers train too much at levels under race pace. I believe technical practice that encourages positive stroke changes isn't the yardage I'm talking about, it's the 10 x 200 or 20 x 100 or 50 x 50's that aren't pace training yardage but aerobic and less than threshold bouts. For many swimmers reading this it may be confusing but let me put it another way. If you want to improve your 100 yard time, you don't do 10 x 100 on 1:30 and think that's going to help your speed unless you're in terrible shape and then almost any kind of swimming will help you get faster. For the swimmers who have been training and have hit plateaus, try increasing your rest interval substatially and increasing your intensity to race pace. As the season progresses and you get closer to your most important meet, increase the rest interval to a point where you drop your training times. No athlete from runners to cyclists train as insainly as swimmers. No one spends more time at near race pace times for as long as swimmers do, no one. The top marathon runners log just over 100 miles a week, top swimmers and that includes 200 and 400 meter swimming specialist log in nearly 60 miles a week and more. Track coaches see no reason why a personal best cannot be trained for each and every meet. When the feeling is right, a PR can be broken and a taper is rest before each meet. I think track coaches use stress adaptation better than swimming coaches do and I simply think we can improve our sport more by following some of their training strategies. I believe our lactate tolerance research is showing that mega yardage hurts more than it helps. I know this sounds off topic a bit but when seasons are defined by coaches, adding yardage only when stress adaptation is realized, makes sense. It also makes sense to start the season by recording best training times (race pace) for kicks, pulls, and swims then improving upon them throughout the season. I think this topic is an awesome one and I appreciate you bringing it up. I must appologize for it being so lengthy. Thanks, Coach T. Great post!!!!
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