and I think it makes sense, I hope it works. I raced in a SCY meet back in late Feb. I swam pretty well since I wore my practice suit (forgot racing suit), was not shaved or rested or anything else, but my times were still a little slower than i had hoped. I have decided to focus on the 50 free and 50 fly for nationals, with my entries in the 100 free/fly/IM on days 2 and 3 just being an excuse to stay in Arizona longer. So for the past 4-5 weeks I have done three things differently.
1) I have focused on speed work in practice more than ever, making almost every set into speed work. If I'm given 8x125's I will do them as 75's or 100's and focus on sprinting different portions of them. Always working on EVF, always working on SDK, always working on all the other stuff I always do
2) I am incorporating a ton of explosive type weight sets on my off days. squats, lunges, bench press etc.....
and I'm hanging my hat on this last thing making the biggest difference, and is why I named the thread what I did.
3) I want to lose 20 pounds before nationals. I raced at my meet a month ago at 195. That very day I dropped coca-cola cold turkey. I had a 4 can a day habit, maybe more on the weekends. I have had maybe a total of three cans in a month an I have gone from 195 to 184 as of this morning. Starting tomorrow I cut all fried and fast foods from my diet as well, as I'm not sure the no coke thing will make the last 9 pounds go away.
So could racing at 175 and not 195 with the same or better strength make a huge difference?
Former Member
So could racing at 175 and not 195 with the same or better strength make a huge difference?
I am late to this party, but dropping 20lbs isn't going to make a bit of difference. Actually, you will be much prettier to look at, so please continue.
The improvements in your strength and your training focus on sprinting will make a difference, mostly the training aspect. It is a really short time period for strength building, but since it seems to be new, or refound, there are quick and easy gains to be made.
Do you feel healthier when you eat healthier? I do, and this helps me train better, but it might be purely psychological. If you have the same benefit, this should carry over to your workout. It is pretty easy to have a good workout when you feel good showing up at the pool, it is a little more difficult where you show up with a headache, lethargic, achy, etc.
There is plenty of taper plans on the forums and just as you are too lazy to search, I am too lazy to search for you.
Good luck at Nationals.
If you want to be fast, you have to train fast. If you are in short races lots of 25s. If middle distance lots of 75s and 100s. If distance a mix of 25s 50s, 100s, 200s, at race pace.
it depends
what I did to prepare for the 2008 Nats worked quite well for me
follow my workouts from 2008 SCY Zones to 2008 SCY Nats
here's another post on tapering
Well, I have increased my weight training since and my bench, squat #'s etc.. have improved.
Here's my other question, as a follow up. I have very little faith in my deck coach to adequatley taper me. When should I start a taper and how should I taper?
I'm guessing there's a tip from Ande about this but I'm too lazy to search.... ;)
It has been my experience with varying weight (from 138-210, pregnant!) that when I eat healthier I am happier, more balanced in my mood, and swim a heck of a lot faster.
I would bet a million dollars (that I don't have) that this is all physiological. I think that the psychological is a result of the physiological.
:2cents:
I really don't see how one could safely lose 20# in a month. It certainly wouldn't be sustainable. My weight varies 3-6 pounds in the average week (more in summer, up to 10#), so I certainly wouldn't get excited over 3#.
My abs started to show when I lost weight + did abs exercises. When I got my running up to the 8+ mile level I really started seeing that happen.
People will be coming from across the country and around the world, of all different skin types. If you swim outside, you'll naturally get tan anyway. Otherwise, I'd focus on ways to improve my swimming rather than how I look. The last masters meet I went to certainly was not a beauty contest (although there are usually gals in bikinis over their breaks).
At the end of practice Friday I went a 26.3 50 Fly and a 22.7 50 free from a push (with fins) friday. Weight was 183
By comparison I went 25.2 and 23.7 (obv no fins there) 4 weeks ago at the DAM meet, at 195 pounds.
The weight is starting to come off again after I changed my lunch diet last week, already at 180 this AM.
Did bench Saturday and did a pyramid 12 at 135, 10 at 155, 8 and 175, 6 at 195, 4 at 215 and 2 at 235....then went back down
5 weeks ago I started that same pyramid at 8 at 135 and stopped at 195....
Also think the protein powder is helping.
My abs are starting show, love handles are going NOWHERE.
Got my new suit in the mail, wanted to get a B70 or LZR but settled for Aquablade and bought ticket sto the final 4 instead!
I want to try it in practice but I am afraid of wearing it out prior to the meet.
Plan to get a tan before I go so I won't look like a ghost in the AZ sunshine!!
Well, hard to know if it was THE reason why, but I dropped 1.1 seconds in the 50 fly and .9 in the 50 free. Of course this was also shaved, tapered and suited!!!
