workouts/drills

You aren't alone, a lot of Master swimmers start back the same way. If you can swim 75 without stopping this week, then next week try to swim 80 to 85. It is okay to stop in the middle of a length. Make a mental note where you stopped in the pool and the next week try swimming 90 to 95. I think I've read somewhere, that you shouldn't increase distance by more than 10 to 20% a week... to help prevent injury to your shoulders. Try swimming 50's with a very short rest inbetween (like 5 sec) and increase the number of intervals you do. I could only do four of these intervals when I first started back before I died. Try swimming 50's and swim the 2nd 25 faster than the first. Try breathing on 3 for one lap, 5 on the next lap and 7 on the next lap (or you might want to start out on lengths). These are killers for many folks! CHECK YOUR TECHNIQUE, if you are lifting your head and/or your hips aren't high enough then you are increasing drag and using a lot more energy than you should. Press your chest down until you feel your hips rise... once I relearned that, the distance I could swim increased quickly.

or try... Warmup and warmdown are important parts of a workout. Try to do at least a 500 straight warmup and at least a 200 warmdown. All of my workouts will include w/ups and w/downs. Starting out workout: The point is to work on speed and pacing warmup: 500 ( 300 free (stretch it out, nice and easy) 200 choice (nice and easy)) 8x25 odds: Free evens: choice descend within a 25. Start out slow and at the end of the 25, sprint (your sprint will only be the last few strokes) take 10 sec. rest between each 6x50 Free. Pace workout. You want all 6 to be the same time. So choose a pace that is not too fast or too slow. I think you may want to be around a 50 sec. pace. Take 20 seconds of rest between each one. You should start to feel it by the last one. Get to know what your pace feels like, from the time that you feel fine to when you have to push it stay on pace 400 (mix it up with the strokes that you can do right now) This is your recovery 4x100 Back on 2:15. Concentrate on stroke count. Try to keep your stroke count the same for all 4 25's within your 100. If you are more than three off, try to have a longer streamline or really stretch it out or rotate more. Experiment. 200 w/down Your choice. Think about long, stretched muscles. Write down the pace that you were able to hold on the 50's. Write down your stroke count on the 100s. Keep a record of this and then you can refer back to it when you do this set again. See your improvement. The 6x50's is a great starter set. You have to hold a pace that should be relatively fast and continue to hold the pace with little rest. I recommend doing this set about once a week. When this set no longer feels hard, drop the rest to 15 or 10 sec. or try and hold a faster pace. You can also add a 25, and hold 6x75 Free with 20 sec. rest. When you swim at meets, it will be nice to know how fast you are going because you have done pace workouts. Another workout w/up: 500 (100 swim, 100 kick, 100 IM, 100 pull, 100 swim) 8x50 choice 25 all out sprint, 25 easy swim on 1:15 8x50 Free 25 easy swim, good turn, 25 hard on 1:15 This works your speed and endurance. 200 Free get your time. go medium hard. Figure out your splits. Example: 3:00. Take 20 seconds rest. 2x100 Free try and get the time as your 200 splits, but have the second one be faster than the first. Ex. 1:30, 1:29. Interval: 2:20 4x50 Free splits. Descend 1-4 Ex. 45, 44, 43, 42. Interval: 1:15 200 w/down 2000 yds The 200, 2x100, and 4x50 set can also be used for backstroke. If your shoulder is healed enough, you can do it IM. with 200 IM, 2x100 IM, 4x50 one of each stroke. This workout will help you know your pace and your endurance.

I just started back in September after about 15 yrs off. I started by doing aobut 1000 yds and then trying to add 100 yds each time I went. This worked well to get me up to the 2500 yd level. I found it was better to do longer distances at first (300, 400 500, 600s), as I didn't have the stamina or technique to do short, fast repeats. Concentrate on stretching your stroke, and try to reduce or maintain the number of strokes you take each length.

I returned to lap swimming after a 12 yr. lay off of any kind of exercise and a hip replacement, I'm 52. My first workout 01-05'04 lasted 12 mins. and ended with a severe headache. I now average 4400 yrds three times a week. My advice, CONSISTANCY. And do all the things that improve techinique. Dont forget yardage using fins or just kick board. Outside the pool be healthy, drink water, supplements and positive thinking. Visit this forum often for inspiration and support.

Here's my tip which I take myself: Look at the workouts posted on this website by Coach Mo Chambers, Coach Jeremy Kipp and Coach Nate McBride. Coach Mo (for example) has numerous workouts that focus on the things you are looking for. She also provides a pretty comprehensive set of definitions to assist in understanding the workouts. The workouts can be modified for distance, stroke, intervals, etc. based on your level of fitness and skill. The point is a swim coach has put the thought into the workouts including the technique-improving drills. I use hers and the other coaches' workouts regularly. For those of us who swim alone without a coach, these coaches' efforts on this forum are one of the best resources. Good luck. P.S. I was in your neighborhood (Waco) for a deployment ceremony for 3000 guard troops going to Iraq last weekend. I love the Temple area.

I like the suggestions given so far. Here is another one. If you can go 75 yards nonstop (three sets of these max), then stick with that for a few workouts. Then try one set of 100 yards non stop. Or try 4 or 5 sets of 75 yards nonstop. The key is patience. Once you can increase one notch, stick with it for a few workouts and then try another notch.

Originally posted by Guvnah I like the suggestions given so far. Here is another one. If you can go 75 yards nonstop (three sets of these max), then stick with that for a few workouts. Then try one set of 100 yards non stop. Or try 4 or 5 sets of 75 yards nonstop. The key is patience. Once you can increase one notch, stick with it for a few workouts and then try another notch. This is a great point. At times I have tried to advance too quickly which can be discouraging. Staying with a level of workout for a while will build stamina for that distance/skill level and provide a base on which to progress to another challenge.

I can swim *** stroke non stop all day long, but Freestyle absolutely kills me. The most I can do is 50 yards without stopping and then it's 'bring out the oxygen tank!' I seem to swim about 1000 yards every time I am in the pool, and on my 'marathon' days (one day a week), more like 1200 or so. Once a month I go for a mile. So I'm looking for something to help me build my endurance without killing me -- we are a new club and don't have a coach. I have trouble reading the 'lingo' in these workouts posted. I sit there and go "huh?" Thanks in advance, getting ready to go to the pool now. Our clock was broken the other day; hopefully they got that fixed.:eek: