50+ workout

This was a high intensity workout - also had considerable yardage. 700 easy 4 X 100 as follows: 25 kick, 25 swim, 25 drill, 25 swim freestyle pyramid: 100, 2 X 75, 3 X 50, 4 X 25 - each of these is swum with maximum effort with a rest interval equal to the time of your swim. What's interesting is that the 25s were the worst because I was tires and the rest intervals were shorter. 50 easy IM or stroke pyramid: 100, 1 X 75, 2 X 50, 5 X 25 - same as above, except that the last 25 was easy. 6 X 100 pull with 15 seconds rest interval. 12 X 50 of various things (things we took turns making up). 250 easy total: 3500 yards

Do you also lift weights? At your age, you should consider it. I just read an article in the March/April 2003 edition of SWIM Magazine regarding osteoporosis. Article noted that swimmers were at a "higher risk". I'm a 32 year-old male who preferred weights/running/walking until I was 25. Then I got into swimming. I've noticed that ever since I got into swimming, and stopped lifting weights, my body fat percentage has been higher than ever. I attribute some of this to the fact that I'm getting older. But some if it has to do with the fact that weight lifting is an effective fat-burning tool. I just bought a pair of dumbbells. I've been lifting twice a week, performing a complete body circuit. I'm lifting to burn fat, and stay healthy. I'm not lifting bodybuilder style. I've already noticed a difference in my waist line, and overrall appearance. This time, I've learned my lesson. I'll never give up the weights, for as long as I live.

Originally posted by Courteous Swimmer Do you also lift weights? At your age, you should consider it. I just read an article in the March/April 2003 edition of SWIM Magazine regarding osteoporosis. Article noted that swimmers were at a "higher risk". I run in addition to my swimming. I prefer the running to weights. I also "do" some of the machines at the Y like the elliptical trainer and sometimes go to a spinning class.

My Work out consist of the following. Monday swim free style. 200 laps in a meter pool.None stop. Freestyle. Tuesday gym . Sit ups 5 varites of chins. About 2 hours . These are done in strict style. One minutes rest in between sets. Tuesday a varity of differnt weight machine . Two hours one minute rest between sets. Wed. I do free weights . This work out is geared to help my swimming. Two hours. One minutes rest in between sets. Thur rest . Fri swim. 200 laps freestyle. sat. sun .rest. This traing is done with in 70% of my body weight.Some times 20% more thanbody weght. In N.Y. Iused to box. but since I am getting on in age well you know. But some of my best work outs used to be ,punching the speed bag and the big bag.one to one and half hours. Dom

The pool was recently switched around to long course. Here is the workout I did today. 500 easy 12 X 100 as follows (straight set - no rest extra rest between different stroke). This set gives you the opportunity to practice the turns you do in an IM. 4 X 100 fly/back on 2:40 4 X 100 back/*** on 2:35 4 X 100 ***/free on 2:30 200 easy Long course always seems, well, long at first, but after a while you get used to it and begin to like it.

We have a new coach for our early morning workouts, and she seems to be more into sprinting and swimming hard. I think it will be good for me. This is what we did this morning. 400 easy 12 X 25 - odds are HARD kick, and evens are easy freestyle IM set - 1st is fly, 2nd free, 3rd back, 4th free, 5th *** done as follows: 3 X 50 descend times + 4 X 25 sprint HARD. 10-15 sec. rest between each 50 and 25. 12 X 50 free pull with breathing as follows: 3/3, 3/5, 3/7, 3/9 (then repeat this cycle). 200 easy total: 2750 yards

My pool was recently turned around to long course. Today the water temperature was reasonable (thanks to some rain), so I decided to do an old workout that I had in my baggie. It was a short course workout and featured a fair amount of fly, but hey!! -the water was cool. So I decided to give it a go. 1. 600 meters easy 2. 10 X 100 freestyle with 15 sec. rest 3. 2 X (4 X 100) - 30 sec. rest 25 fly + 75 free 50 fly + 50 free 75 fly + 25 free 100 fly 4. 300 easy 2700 meters set #3 was supposed to be 3 X (4 X 100), but there is a HUGE difference between short course and long course when doing fly. Gasp!! Maybe I'll do the whole thing when I am more used to long course?

Done in a long course pool. 500 easy 5 X 100 as follow: first three were 50 at 80% plus 50 fast; #4,5 were descend. 500 broken - done as all out sprints with rest between as follows: 25, 25, 50 25, 75 100 25, 25, 25, 25, 50, 50 500 easy 2500 meters

500 easy 36 X 50 as follows with 15 sec. rest: 10 X 50 fly 2 X 50 free fast 10 X 50 back 2 X 50 free fast 10 X 50 *** 2 X 50 free fast 200 easy 2500 meters PS: Hi Lydia

I swim in a coached workout three mornings a week. This is good as I end up doing sets that I wouldn't even consider doing when I work out on my own. I abhor kicking. Even easy kicking is hard for me. On Tuesday morning we did 500 kicking with fins. We started off easy (but even easy is hard for me), then she (the coach) would yell "HARD!!" and we would kick as hard as we could, then she would call "Easy" and we could ease off, then "HARD!" and so forth. I would never think of doing 500 kick with maybe half of it "HARD!" This morning we did 9 X 50 FAST, and the coach kept track of our times. It was hard but very gratifying as I showed marked improvement over what I did last March. But again, I wouldn't have done it on my own.