Short Distance/Intervals vs. Long Distance/intervals
Former Member
Hey all. My first 4 days back in the water have been pretty good so far. It's gonna be awhile before I'm back to doing the 2000 - 3000 yard workouts that I was used to in high school, but I'll get there slowly but surely.
Since I'm very out of shape, I can't go very long distances without having to stop for rest, and if I do go as far as I can (about 100 - 150 yards at a time is my maximum right now) I have to rest for quite awhile. I have ben doing workouts of about 700 yards total so far, and while I was swimming today, I got into a debate with myself, and figured I'd ask for some advice here.
As a former competitive swimmer, who has been out of the water for 7 - 8 years, I am very out of shape. As I get back into swimming, would it be better for me to do sets that are shorter distances with shorter rest intervals (ie 25's & 50's on :10 - :20 secs rest), or longer distances with longer rest intervals (ie. 75's & 100's on :30 - :45 secs rest)??
I'm still at a point where if I swim a 100, I have to rest for quite awhile (almost a minute) before I can do another. So I wonder if I would be better off to do shorter distances with less rest for the time being, until my stamina builds up, or should I do the 100's and just rest alot?
Thanks in advance!
Brad
Parents
Former Member
I don't try to do that much with 10 seconds rest. I'm going to turn 47 and some of the workouts I seen on these boards like doing fly at 1:30 interval. The best workout time for me is 1:39 and when I tired in fly and swim moderately slow its around 1:55 or so. The same goes for breaststroke. The best I did in workout was a time trail after a 200 yard warm up at the begining of the workout is 1:36. So, I wouldn't be able to make 1:35. The only stroke I can do repeats under 1:35 in workouts is freestyle. So, I develop workouts that fit me not younger swimmers or more elite swimmers in my age group. I did for example 3 100 free's at 1:50 and 2 and 2:00 and 2 100 breaststrokes at 2:15 and one at 2:30 and 2 100 flys at 2:30.
I don't try to do that much with 10 seconds rest. I'm going to turn 47 and some of the workouts I seen on these boards like doing fly at 1:30 interval. The best workout time for me is 1:39 and when I tired in fly and swim moderately slow its around 1:55 or so. The same goes for breaststroke. The best I did in workout was a time trail after a 200 yard warm up at the begining of the workout is 1:36. So, I wouldn't be able to make 1:35. The only stroke I can do repeats under 1:35 in workouts is freestyle. So, I develop workouts that fit me not younger swimmers or more elite swimmers in my age group. I did for example 3 100 free's at 1:50 and 2 and 2:00 and 2 100 breaststrokes at 2:15 and one at 2:30 and 2 100 flys at 2:30.
