I saw this in a post: I will swim 200 laps in a 25 meter pool. All free style. Non stop. This is done in 3 phases , !st 64 laps is moderate speed 2nd 64 laps is distance the balance is for endurance.
My first reaction was WHY ? If you swim like this you will never know how good a swimmer you could be !
Reasons why.
1.- Your range of motion becomes less as your muscles fatigue and tighten up. This leads to the long, smooth stroke that your first few lengths have, deteriorating into a short, choppy survival stroke.
2.- You can only train one energy system, Aerobic, the anaerobic & lactic systems are untouched.
3.- You cannot improve your technique unless you use drills in a progressive manner.
4.- Why not put in some drills to check your technique. For example 10 strokes of head-up free every few lengths to check you hand entry ?
5.- By only doing Freestyle you are setting yourself up for injured shoulders, with all kinds of impingement problems.
6.-Where are the Kick sets and fly kick sets to improve core body strength and awareness ?
7.-What about the joys' of fly, back and
*** ?
I put together this poll to see how people out there are training.
Former Member
"I am suggesting that the rate of increase in adult runners and cyclists is greater than the rate of increase in the number of masters swimmers. "
This quote is from a previous writer. More people swim/water exercise daily for exercise than bicycle or run (at least the last survey I read said so). There is such a huge emphasis on compettition in swimming right now that I am very much afraid that we are becoming our own worse promoters. We must learn to push swimming as fittness. That is how running has always been able to reinvent itself when its numbers begin to decrease. Having said that, another problem with swimming is that it is almost invisible. I took a class two years ago and one of the readings was on sports promotion since WWII. the aurthor wrote that in 1964 the most likely college or nonprofessional sporting event to be televised was swimming!
The reason why running & bycling store are so successful is becasue of the high mark up on bikes & running shoes. Most running shoes are made for, at the most, a few dollars. They even last less time than a good pair of swim briefs. Bikes have a huge mark up. Also, we have seen the explosion of internet sites dedicated ot swimming equipment. There aren't as many for bikes.
Ann,
I understand completely the frustrations of swimming sets during public swimming. I train 80% of my workouts during public length swims. I have many amusing and frustrating stories.
Basically I come with 2 sets in mind. One for the ideal swim lane world which can happen! and the other for when I get caught in the 'log jams'.
One way I solved the problem is to arrange, if you can, to meet other swimmers who would also like to do the same workout. That way you are making good use of the lane, and if there are 4 or 5 swimmers the lane looks busy and the 'classic cruisers' may well choose another lane.
A few years ago I had a 'personal lane clearer'. He was a huge 6 foot 2 man, with an enormous barrel chest and a wing span of an albatros. (At 65 he was the world champion breastroker). He would stand by the edge of the pool, with his 'garbage can sized paddles' on his hands. He would leap feet first then swim some breastroke with paddles. The bow wave he produced would drown even a seasoned swimmer. Those wall flowers who hold on to the wall and kick, or do various exercises, soon moved to another lane. As did those swimmers who did sidestroke in time to a waltz.
If you are part way through a workout and you want to try to fininsh the set, try holding on to the wall, legs bunched up ready to push off. One arm extended ready to go. Look up at the pace clock, back down the lane, up at the pace clock etc. That way swimmers might wait and let you go. But only do that for less then 10 secs. Adjust the interval if you have to, otherwise you will be swimming slalom as you dodge and pass them.
I have had many workouts ' interrupted' by surprises. Like swimmers who were swimming in the lane beside me, and simply decided to pop under the lane and swim in the next lane.
I try not to let it bother me. Use them as your pace clock. Get to know their speed and do some sets where you will try and catch up to them on the wall. OR when passing see how stretched out and strong your stroke can be as you smoothly pass them. That way you won't be noticed and they will not get annoyed.
If the lane is jammed, do a lot of drills.
If it is impossible, go over to the leisure lane and do some vertical kick sets until it clears a bit.
The lifeguards are not interested in what we are doing. They are simply interested in our safety. If they speak to a swimmer and suggest they move over, they must deal with the feelings and reactions of that swimmer.
Don't forget, if you are swimming in a public pool, every one who pays has the right to come in and use the pool however they like. Be it slow or fast, relaxing and recharging or training.
Happy training.
Kiwi
Funny... I do the same thing. Well I suppose it just makes sense: Anyone using a public pool to do reps has to give themsleves options. I have two workouts prepared everyday - one that's backstroke / freestyle and one that's IM driven. I keep my workout sheet in a large ziplock. It works great.
And like you, I use the short/kiddie end if their are no lanes with only one person in them. In this case the kiddie end is only 14 yards... so I have a conversion chart at the bottom of my workout for that as well.
I found I can't swim with two people in my lane. I'm not the fastest swimmer in town, but it's really tough to swim around people and keep your pace on the interval.
Originally posted by Gareth Eckley
6.-Where are the Kick sets and fly kick sets to improve core body strength and awareness ?
I thought kick/fly kick sets only make your legs stronger, can't really imagine how it improve core body strength. Could you explain? I have a weak core and I've been looking for additional ways to improve it.
I train alone and can't stand structured workouts with countless drills. I know what needs work and motivation isn't a problem because I really love swimming. Really. Love it.
My coach answers questions and offers support via email and we meet once a week. She gets in the pool with me when we work together and doesn't give me workouts. She swam my event competitivly for 2 decades so it keeps us synched up.
Psychologically she is a tremendous help because I've never been a competitive person. That's probably why training alone works best for me. "You WILL start to notice people in other lanes when you race," she says. Not gonna happen. I'm soooo slooooow.
At least 4 days a week with 3 hour sessions in the pool. Light cardio 3 days a week for 1/2 an hour. It's easy to spend that much time there because the pool meets most of my needs. I also take advantage of articles, Olympic footage, and physics research, etc...
Originally posted by penguin4501
I thought kick/fly kick sets only make your legs stronger, can't really imagine how it improve core body strength. Could you explain? I have a weak core and I've been looking for additional ways to improve it.
Do a 200m dolphin kick set and you'll imediately understand how kick sets strengthen your core. :D
I want to hear some comments on the assumption made previously. Is swimming all freestyle workouts necessarily bad for your shoulders. I believe butterfly is just as stressful on your shoulders, isnt it?
I am a short distance freestyler. If I use intervals, kicking, pulling, and drills, etc. in my workouts and I am not getting a complete workout if I dont do any stroke work?
I just dont want to waste time doing odd strokes that I don't compete in...
Any insights would be appreciated.
- Beanie
I just moved to NYC from Austin and I was pretty spoiled on the level of coaching and training at Longhorn Aquatics--Kim can tell you. Right now I find myself adapting the coached workouts I'm getting to suit myself. As a coach myself I think it's imperative that you are creative and challenging. Personally sets that are 10 x 100 or 6 x 200 just kill my spirit. I've already done those sets, it reminds me of the 70's! Here are some sets I like, that I've adapted to fit the intervals I'm being given.
8 x 100's on the 1:30--if I did free I'd get +:20 rest so instead I kick a 50 and drill/swim a 50 of Bu or BA--then I only get :05 rest and it's more challenging.
12 x 50's on the :55. Too much rest even if I did them backstroke or fly, so I put on fins and did a relaxed 25 underwater, a big open turn and then a fast 13 yards underwater kick with a fast breakout. By the third one it's recovery in oxygen debt.
Instead of doing 6 x 200 IM's try this one:
20 x 25 (5 Bu :30, 5 Ba :30, 5 Br :35, 5 Fr :25) Relaxed and Long
16 x 25 (4 of each stroke) descend each 4
12 x 25 (3 of each stroke) strong
8 x 25 (2 of each stroke) sprint
(it's a 1400)
A good warmup-700 yards
Pattern: first and second length free, third length choice stroke,
fourth length kick w/o a board.
1 x 25, rest :10-free
2 x 25, rest :10-free, stroke
3 x 25, rest :10-kick, free, free
4 x 25, rest :10-stroke, kick, free, free
5 x 25, rest :10-stroke, kick, free, free, stroke
6 x 25, rest :10-kick, free, free, stroke, kick, free
7 x 25, rest :10-free, stroke, kick, free, free, stroke, kick
Here's a 2000 I could do:
100 left arm fly
100 right arm fly
100 streamline kick on you back
100 Finger tip drag
100 swim
Do it 4 x for a non-stop 2000
My new favorite
100 perfect free with 10 breaths on the 1:30
100 fast on the 1:15
3 x 50 on the :35
do it 4 times--the perfect free becomes a recovery 100.
or this one
2 x 25 (half length UW, half length easy), :30
2 x 25 (half length UW, half length build), :30
2 x 25 (half length UW, half length fast), :30
3 x 50 fast, :40
Repeat 4 x
Keep swimming!
