What do YOU need to do to have a major swimming breakthrough?"

let us know what kind of training times you're doing with your new technique, 25's, 50's, 75's, 100's, 150's, and 200. ande Originally posted by hooked-on-swimming To Blue Horn: Once you switch to a 6-beat kick I am POSITIVE you will see some major improvement.I have been doing it for a while but the key is also to do it right!It got a lot better recently and I feel as if in heaven when swimming free now.It pretty much improved my entire freestyle performance, including my endurance.Weird?Once I got my six-beat to be natural and rhythmic, I feel like my legs do not work much anymore and it is not nearly as hard as it used to be to make intervals and stuff.I think what happened is the improved kick gave me a chance to take of some stress from my hands and shoulders, 'cause I swim with a better rhythm and streamline, so the amont of work on my hands did not exactly change, but with a better way of going through water with the help of the better kick it feels GREAT!So to those who diminish the improtance of a kick, I can say: YOU ARE WRONG! P.S. Work on your kick, it might feel awkward and hard first but it will get easy some day, just believe in it...

I assume that you are asking Hooked, but if you are asking me here is my response: My biggest thing is just trying to get back in shape and keep up with the kids. I always watched my times working out by myself, but recently I have been sucking so much wind between sets that I am just going when Coach says go. My lung capacity is so bad that I have a difficult time doing flip turns throughout the entire workout. But, when I started last week, I had to stop doing flip turns after our 1k warm-up so I am improving and it has only been a week. I figure that I will be in decent shape in another 6 weeks, and good to very good shape by the end of summer. Maybe I can make the LC meet in the Woodlands at the end of July. Saturday I worked on my turns and a 6 beat kick. It was a recovery day for me (last week was my first working out with a team and my body felt it), so I was going about as slow as I ever do. Swimming lazy and using a 6 beat kick I was able to swim 100 repeats at 1:28. Is it possible for me to get down around a minute per 100 by the end of the summer? What would be a good/realistic goal for the end of summer? Hook'em Blue

i think your goals should be to + train consistently 4 - 5 x per week + lose weight and + improve your stamina As far as being able to swim 100 under a minute, Who's to say what you're capable of? What were your times when you trained when you were younger? I say put in the work, do as good as you can, and be happy with whatever time you happen to swim at the end of the summer. Ande Originally posted by Blue Horn I assume that you are asking Hooked, but if you are asking me here is my response: My biggest thing is just trying to get back in shape and keep up with the kids. I always watched my times working out by myself, but recently I have been sucking so much wind between sets that I am just going when Coach says go. My lung capacity is so bad that I have a difficult time doing flip turns throughout the entire workout. But, when I started last week, I had to stop doing flip turns after our 1k warm-up so I am improving and it has only been a week. I figure that I will be in decent shape in another 6 weeks, and good to very good shape by the end of summer. Maybe I can make the LC meet in the Woodlands at the end of July. Saturday I worked on my turns and a 6 beat kick. It was a recovery day for me (last week was my first working out with a team and my body felt it), so I was going about as slow as I ever do. Swimming lazy and using a 6 beat kick I was able to swim 100 repeats at 1:28. Is it possible for me to get down around a minute per 100 by the end of the summer? What would be a good/realistic goal for the end of summer? Hook'em Blue

Originally posted by ande i think your goals should be to + train consistently 4 - 5 x per week + lose weight and + improve your stamina As far as being able to swim 100 under a minute, Who's to say what you're capable of? What were your times when you trained when you were younger? I say put in the work, do as good as you can, and be happy with whatever time you happen to swim at the end of the summer. Ande I agree completely with your assessment, I just wanted to add a time component to my goals, especially since the Woodlands meet is at the end of the summer. Right now, I would agree with your list that my goals should be to (1) train consistently (I am going 5 days a week and actually look forward to getting up at 4:50 am every morning) (2) definitely lose weight (I am 185 lbs and 5'10, but need to be down around 160-165: I have very broad shoulders and doubt that I could get any lower than that without suffering deleterious effects) and (3) improve my stamina, which is most important right now. Once I improve my stamina everything else should fall into place. As to my previous times, I had to quit swimming in HS to focus on football and keep my weight on (I should have stayed with swimming). Since I focused on *** stroke events and IMs in HS, I just don't recall my times from that far back. Plus, I now realize that my freestyle technique in HS was beyond pathetic. However, I didn't have any difficulties keeping the intervals. My current times: If I push of the wall I can do a 25 around 13 to 14 seconds, and I am right at the 30 second mark for the 50, but my 100 is around 1:18. I guess I am back to the stamina goal. FYI on my background: I shattered the head of my left humorous racing supercross about 6 years ago, and it really tooks its toll. I still don't have a full range of motion but I have noticed it getting much better recently. I am finally able to push it everyday without serious pain and numbness. Actually, these problems are now pretty much gone, so I am able to push it much harder. Thanks for all of your help, I really enjoy your posts. Hook'em Blue

Ande, I have started swimming in August with no prior swimming background.So eight now The mosst I can do is sets of 100s.I can swim 200 but I die after a couple of them and am pretty much shot for the rest of the work-out.Although when I started I could hardly swim more than one length of the pool without panting.Now I am in a great shape,24 y.o., 6'1", 162-165lb, very strong(5 years of lifting), my problem though is my endurance which is improving, but still leaves much to be desired... Well, as for my sets(they are in SCM) I can sustain 100s on 1:40 interval taking them out in around 1:10-1:13 each, as for 50s , well, I can do those forever...Usually to crank it up I will do them on a 55 sec. interval( around 7-10 of those) each at around 32-34 sec. pace...I feel that as my stamina is improving(and my recent better kick) it gets easier and easier to make those intervals, I used yo finish every swim with a desire to quit , 'cause I was panting like crazy, now I do get my heart rate up, but I think it is not that high anymore, 'cause it feels better...All the intervals and times are from a pushh off the wall...So judging by that, what do you think I am capable of in a meet(50 and 100m free) where I am determined to do my best, where the pool is fast vs. my slow pool where I train, shaved, tapered and wearing a good suit?

hi blue, thanks Just do the best you can in each training session and make sensible eating and drinking choices out of the pool. when you do practice sets like 10 x 100 on not much rest work to keep smooth, push a little but not too much as you get in better shape you'll be able to hold faster times on faster intervals Do your fast training swims with someone timing you on a watch, so you'll know your practice times to the 10th of a second. Glad you like my posts. I'm hoping to put in writing most of what I know about swimming and continue to learn as much as I can about swimming faster faster. What I don't want you to do is set some sort of time related goal then miss it and be disappointed. So I write, put in the training, swim in a few meets and find out where you are. Though I do set time goals at the beginning of each season, lately I've found myself having to get real about what I'll be capable of at Zones in the 200 IM. Ande Originally posted by Blue Horn I agree completely with your assessment, I just wanted to add a time component to my goals, especially since the Woodlands meet is at the end of the summer. Right now, I would agree with your list that my goals should be to (1) train consistently (I am going 5 days a week and actually look forward to getting up at 4:50 am every morning) (2) definitely lose weight (I am 185 lbs and 5'10, but need to be down around 160-165: I have very broad shoulders and doubt that I could get any lower than that without suffering deleterious effects) and (3) improve my stamina, which is most important right now. Once I improve my stamina everything else should fall into place. As to my previous times, I had to quit swimming in HS to focus on football and keep my weight on (I should have stayed with swimming). Since I focused on *** stroke events and IMs in HS, I just don't recall my times from that far back. Plus, I now realize that my freestyle technique in HS was beyond pathetic. However, I didn't have any difficulties keeping the intervals. My current times: If I push of the wall I can do a 25 around 13 to 14 seconds, and I am right at the 30 second mark for the 50, but my 100 is around 1:18. I guess I am back to the stamina goal. FYI on my background: I shattered the head of my left humorous racing supercross about 6 years ago, and it really tooks its toll. I still don't have a full range of motion but I have noticed it getting much better recently. I am finally able to push it everyday without serious pain and numbness. Actually, these problems are now pretty much gone, so I am able to push it much harder. Thanks for all of your help, I really enjoy your posts. Hook'em Blue

Dima, If you're concentrating on the 50 and 100 work on your speed, technique, and splitting. do fast half length sprints and 25's with plenty of rest. followed by a 75 easy do fast 50's where you cruise the first 25 hit a great turn and sprint home then give yourself plenty of rest before you start the next one follow the hard swim with an easy 150 with perfect form do negative split 100's too When's your big meet? if you want to improve your endurance do things like 10 x 100 free on 1:25 holding 1:20's or 1:20 holding 1:15's good luck ande Originally posted by hooked-on-swimming Ande, I have started swimming in August with no prior swimming background.So eight now The most I can do is sets of 100s. I can swim 200 but I die after a couple of them and am pretty much shot for the rest of the work-out.Although when I started I could hardly swim more than one length of the pool without panting. Now I am in a great shape, 24 y.o., 6'1", 162-165lb, very strong(5 years of lifting), my problem though is my endurance which is improving, but still leaves much to be desired... Well, as for my sets(they are in SCM) I can sustain 100s on 1:40 interval taking them out in around 1:10-1:13 each, as for 50s , well, I can do those forever...Usually to crank it up I will do them on a 55 sec. interval( around 7-10 of those) each at around 32-34 sec. pace...I feel that as my stamina is improving(and my recent better kick) it gets easier and easier to make those intervals, I used yo finish every swim with a desire to quit , 'cause I was panting like crazy, now I do get my heart rate up, but I think it is not that high anymore, 'cause it feels better...All the intervals and times are from a pushh off the wall...So judging by that, what do you think I am capable of in a meet(50 and 100m free) where I am determined to do my best, where the pool is fast vs. my slow pool where I train, shaved, tapered and wearing a good suit?

Hey Blue, I PMed you. Did you get it?

Originally posted by ande Isn't there anyone else here who wants to make a MAJOR swimming BREAKTHROUGH? Post a question, I wanna help YOU SWIM FASTER FASTER. Ande I would LOVE to have a major swimming breakthrough! I am training on my own, have had very little coaching in the past, but can do all strokes relatively soundly. I have no idea what events would be best for me, but I would love to do IM's, as I enjoy all strokes. I get into the pool only about 3-4 times per week during lunch hours, as that is all the time I can afford right now, do I need to be swimming more than that? I am swimming about 2000 yds in about 45 minutes give or take a few.. and I feel fast in the pool i'm working out in, compared to those swimming with me, but know based on times i see on these forums that I would be put to shame at a meet! lol... I'm not sure what I can do to make a major breakthrough at this time, with limited coaching availability etc...I'm 31, and know that I could be in much better shape than i'm in, so I know that that is a limiting factor that i'm working on at the present time.. I've also started a general weight lifting regimen to gain strength. any ideas or help is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Jeanette.

Hello, first pick two events to train for and focus on plus find out what your current times are you'd benefit from swimming 4 - 5 times a week please add anything else you'd like to include give me some answers and I'll write more soon. Ande Originally posted by jswim I would LOVE to have a major swimming breakthrough! I am training on my own, have had very little coaching in the past, but can do all strokes relatively soundly. I have no idea what events would be best for me, but I would love to do IM's, as I enjoy all strokes. I get into the pool only about 3 - 4 times per week during lunch hours, as that is all the time I can afford right now, do I need to be swimming more than that? I am swimming about 2000 yds in about 45 minutes give or take a few.. and I feel fast in the pool i'm working out in, compared to those swimming with me, but know based on times i see on these forums that I would be put to shame at a meet! lol... I'm not sure what I can do to make a major breakthrough at this time, with limited coaching availability etc...I'm 31, and know that I could be in much better shape than i'm in, so I know that that is a limiting factor that i'm working on at the present time.. I've also started a general weight lifting regimen to gain strength. any ideas or help is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Jeanette.