USPRT Workouts?

I was surprised to hear sprinter, Doug Martin added it. I'd make a comment on Doug's training habits (since we share the same pool), but I'm sworn to uphold the veil of secrecy surrounding them.

This has taken some interesting turns! For me- former college swimmer and super out of shape with thoracic outlet issues, USRPT 2-3x week has been a nice way to get in a little bit of shape. I'll see how mesa goes. I'm really only able to do 1-2 of the sets each workout, no way could i do 3. My guess is that I'll be able to complete my chosen events at the pace I've trained for but there will be no "surprise drop" like in big meets of my younger years :) I'm not sure, but I think I'll stick with usrpt after mesa but add in a traditional workout a few times a month to mix it up. Good for you! First, when I started USRPT full time 5 years ago, no way could I do more than one USRPT set a day. Now I can do three sets, but not everyday. In terms of a drop in time, you can expect a small drop at a meet like Mesa because it is a focus meet and you are shaved and focused. But the thing about USRPT, if done correctly (and not everyone does it correctly), is that because you are doing race pace swimming everyday (hopefully) that you are always ready to race. The story I like to tell about this is that when I started training with USRPT in September of 2014 I did not know how it would work out. At a meet in my home pool that February, which I had swum in for several years, I would usually swim the 200 free and go about 2:09. By Nationals in April or May I would go 2:05 or so (in 2013 as a 63 year old I went 2:05.97). But in 2014, as a 64 year old at the February meet I went 2:03.35...at that point I knew that USRPT was working for me. At Nationals that year, also at 64, I went 2:02.26. Again, I was training exclusively USRPT and doing it 5 times a week.

This has taken some interesting turns! For me- former college swimmer and super out of shape with thoracic outlet issues, USRPT 2-3x week has been a nice way to get in a little bit of shape. I'll see how mesa goes. I'm really only able to do 1-2 of the sets each workout, no way could i do 3. My guess is that I'll be able to complete my chosen events at the pace I've trained for but there will be no "surprise drop" like in big meets of my younger years :) I'm not sure, but I think I'll stick with usrpt after mesa but add in a traditional workout a few times a month to mix it up.

I think USRPT works on me because it forces me to use the best technique I have got in order to make the target time at race pace (the idea of specificity), which no other kind of training provides these stimulants. You are RIGHT on with what you have said here! Excellent! There are only three aspects of swimming that are important, the first and most important is technique, the second in importance is the mental aspect of our sport, i.e., the self talk part and the race strategy part etc. The least important is conditioning...but that is the one most swimmers and coaches put emphasis on. That is not to say that conditioning is not important, of course it is, but the first two are more important (yes, I know this goes against what most coaches preach). The only way to make your target time in USRPT is to concentrate on technique especially when the set begins to get very hard and you feel you cannot make another repeat. I have several strategies I use when I get to that part of the set. One thing I do is go into fourth stroke breathing on the second length of the 50, that usually will get me a few more repeats at my target time.

Gonna be honest here, I think saying "the least important is conditioning" with respect to someone that wants to be a marathon swimmer is way off base.

Good for you! First, when I started USRPT full time 5 years ago, no way could I do more than one USRPT set a day. Now I can do three sets, but not everyday. In terms of a drop in time, you can expect a small drop at a meet like Mesa because it is a focus meet and you are shaved and focused. But the thing about USRPT, if done correctly (and not everyone does it correctly), is that because you are doing race pace swimming everyday (hopefully) that you are always ready to race. The story I like to tell about this is that when I started training with USRPT in September of 2014 I did not know how it would work out. At a meet in my home pool that February, which I had swum in for several years, I would usually swim the 200 free and go about 2:09. By Nationals in April or May I would go 2:05 or so (in 2013 as a 63 year old I went 2:05.97). But in 2014, as a 64 year old at the February meet I went 2:03.35...at that point I knew that USRPT was working for me. At Nationals that year, also at 64, I went 2:02.26. Again, I was training exclusively USRPT and doing it 5 times a week. Thanks! I did respond on the other thread but I've been so pleased to be able to do an efficient workout, often 've put on more muscle and am able to get away with nutritional indiscretion WAY more than when I would do steady state cardio like run/bike or other things over the years. Anyway, I am a fan. Next will be adding a tempo trainer and getting someone to look at my stroke/technique (which is circa 1997).

Trust me, I know what USRPT is. It is not going to get a total beginner ready to swim an open water 5k. I am totally ready for the 5 km distance, totally ready for open water and totally ready for the temperature - I have done a 3.7 km race last year before at the same place, and I swim about 3 km with the OW group in my city every week, and swim about 12 - 15 km total a week - the ONLY problem I have is my speed so I now refrain from adding mileage further but do USRPTs instead. I think USRPT works on me because it forces me to use the best technique I have got in order to make the target time at race pace (the idea of specificity), which no other kind of training provides these stimulants.

Without unlocking this veil, could you go so far as to mention if training, compared to blogs few years back, has changed somewhat, moderately, a lot, or something else? I wasn't aware that he blogged his workouts, so I can't say what that content looks like versus what he does now. I can say that I rarely see him do any more than 50 yards straight, but again my view is mostly from in the water while I am working out! He does A LOT of stretching. Sometimes he has arrived on deck right after I have started my warm-up, and I'll be halfway through my main set and he still hasn't gotten in the water. Just stretching out on the deck! EDIT: I should amend my comment about only seeing him do 50s. Looks like the last time we worked out together was Friday, August 17, 2018. We did the a set of 75s. Workout is here: forums.usms.org/entry.php I know Doug likes his breath control sets!

This has taken some interesting turns! For me- former college swimmer and super out of shape with thoracic outlet issues, I don't know you; however I will offer this anyway: :bighug: I had thoracic outlet syndrome in 2002, and a first rib resection in 2003. (It was work-related; not from swimming.) Bruce Kone was another swimmer with TOS. He had successful surgery and was back to his usual FAST swimming! Good luck! :cheerleader:

Bruce Kone was another swimmer with TOS. He had successful surgery and was back to his usual FAST swimming! Yes, and training doing USRPT exclusively!