Fun, and Fast

Jonathan, Looking for an 60 min SCY freestyle workout suitable for a 50/100 sprinter. I'm a 23/52 SCY swimmer right now and am looking for some interesting and challenging workouts for the next week to do on my own while our pool is undergoing winterization. Any recommendations? Paul Here are some sets that will help your 50/100 sprint endurance. You can pick and choose, on different days. For the 100's 3x(25 fast on :45, 50 fast on :40, 25 fast on :45) +100 easy On 3:00 3x(2x50 on 1:00, 2x50 on :50, 2x50 on :40, 2x50 Fast on 1:30) 2x(75 FAST on 1:30, 2x25 Fast on :30) + 200 easy on 4:00 2x(2x25 Fast on :45, 75 FAST on 1:00) + 200 easy on 4:00 For the 50's 12x25 on 2:00 with full length Pool Tubing, swim against the tubing one length, and with it on the next length. This really helps to train your body, autonomously reducing the drag at faster than race pace, a key to swimming faster. 8x25 with fins on 3:00 4x25 from dive for time, 4x25 turns for time from middle pool 8x15 meter dive times, walk backs For the 200's Also any of these sets can be adapted for the 50/100 Example sets are; (On different days) SCM 5x(4x50) on 1:10, 1:00, :50, :40, 1:30 (LAST 4, BEST AVERAGE) 3x(4x100) on 1:40 (Last 100 of each set FAST) 3x(75 strong on 1:00, 2x25 FAST on :45, 75 strong on 1:00) + 2:00 rest 4x150 on 4:00 with fins, (Best average) 6x50 on 1:00 (Try to hold sub-30's) 4x75 on 1:10 (Try to hold sub-45's) A broken 200 with 10 rest at each 50 200 TOP SPEED with finz LOT's of DISTANCE PER STROKE WORK COUNT STROKES, SWIM SLOWER and bring down total # example 3x200 descend stroke count (really slow, s-t-r-e-t-c-h) 4x100 2 strokes less, (walk the stride) .

Thanks Jonathan. I always like your workouts. I did my 8 x 25 AFAP with fins this week. I'm going to try to do it at least 2x a week. Hard to do it on the 4:00 though. With respect to your 50s training, why do you do them on descending intervals? To simulate the fatigue you get racing? Do you have a photo of what that full body tubing looks like?

Thanks Jonathan. I always like your workouts. I did my 8 x 25 AFAP with fins this week. I'm going to try to do it at least 2x a week. With respect to your 50s training, why do you do them on descending intervals? To simulate the fatigue you get racing? Do you mean this set? 5x(4x50) on 1:10, 1:00, :50, :40, 1:30 (LAST 4, BEST AVERAGE) Right, the extra rest on the last four, with the increased speed after holding 4 at :40, this really helps the 200 sprint endurance. (These pace times can be adjusted for each person) Do you have a photo of what that full body tubing looks like? 1172 You attach one end to the block and swim against the resistance to the other end of the pool. On the way back, you're swimming faster than race pace with the tubing, which trains your body to reduce drag at top speed. Doing this 2-3 times a week, for several months before racing, is a good way to set personal best times in the 50/100's.

SCM 400 reverse IM drill 200 paddles 6x50 kick on 1:30 3x100 DPS 8x25 with fins on 2:00 Fast 2x100 DPS 3x50 with fins on 3:00 Fast 2x100 DPS 75 kick with fins on 2:00 Fast 3x100 DPS

Right, EVF or Early-Vertical-Forearm, this is a description coined by coach Tom from this forum, who has been silent ever since a bunch of people disagreed with him... When you watch the video of Grant Hackett it appears to be EVF, but it really isn't. If you look closely, sure enough you can see a high elbow catch, but that turns into a horizontal follow through, which depends on the camera angle. Here are two video's, Hackett www.youtube.com/watch and Sullivan www.youtube.com/watch Alex, this link didn't open. Personally, I've decided not to over-think in the vertical plane when I'm swimming anymore, and that has been incredibly helpful. Sure enough though, high elbow on the catch, but the hand and forearm "presses" around the front axis, and pulls towards the chest (left hand pitching past right armpit), the pull then switches into a pushing action and flushes down the body-line, fairly close to the chest/torso. Also, it seems that at the end of the stroke the hand pitch changes when I focus on the horizontal path. It's almost as if my hand is sideways at the end, pitching right to left or the opposite, (like the rudder of a boat) instead of actually pushing backwards. This becomes a longer stroke and helps with the rolling hips. Technically, if you just focus on elongating the horizontal path this naturally changes your hand pitch at the end as you reach forward with the opposite arm. Sounds good, keep me posted. dont worry about that link, it was just a picture of a key hole, you know the type, semicircular uptop with a dove tail like shape coming from the bottom.... after watching hackett swim thats pretty much how his arms are moving. the catch, with the high elbow being around the circular part of the key and the main pushing part of the stroke then following the bottom of the circle and into the dove tail shape ending past the hip. going off your description that sounds just how i swim now..... not sure about how high my elbow is but i reckon i got a nice high elbow with a good bend in it, my forearm is pretty horizontal, pulling down the center of the torso, with the hand passing the opposite arm pit. i tried to day in the pool to think about what my arms are doing more since i breathe twos im sure it goes to pot very quickly, and i have to say i definitely felt like my stroke was doing more for me i seem to have gotten a better feel for the water and am working it harder. getting a better Distance Per Stroke. thankfully ive always had the long stroke right past the hips... i think ive had that part nailed since i was 14 so i know not to worry about that part. i believe you are right when you say the pitch changes...the hand doesnt go fully side ways, but its an intermediate angle, palm facing outward i think. feels quite natural to me anyway. have you seen this ? this is mark foster's stroke.... he seems to keep his arms out to the side or at least hand in line with same shoulder...by the looks of it www.youtube.com/watch www.youtube.com/watch this ones more for entertainment, but these little treadmill style pools look like a lot of fun and quite useful! i wish we had one. infact today i was devising a design for something like this...only better, with hi-speed cameras and glass bottom as well as sides. swimmer would wear little tags on key joints n their positions recorded and used to generated CFD models which can then be manipulated to see what technique works best and then feedback to the swimmer/coach, its fairly pie in the sky, but hey im an engineer and i was bored.

can some one explain EVF to me in a simpler way, i cant quite understand the descriptions, i thought i had it then i watched a video on youtube that said otherwise. i assume early means the first part of the pulling action of the stroke.... now vertical? all i see is people bending at the elbow and following through from start to finish is a half-keyhole pattern. the forearm isnt really vertical at all from what i see, more horizontal. i've never heard of EVF, but we have always been taught about making this half-keyhole shape www.worth1000.com/.../7043_w.jpg half of that effectively though not quite so squat as that is obviously combining that with good shoulder role.... have i unwittingly being doing this (correct?) EVF? it seems theres some debate about what EVF actually is and whether its actually useful. so yeah a clear up would be good. cheers! what i will do when i get back to uni is try get hold of the bungee rope so i can swim in place and get a friend to use his water proof camera and just film me doing freestyle.

Thanks for these links... no, I hadn't seen the Mark Foster video yet... I like the music... You know, there are differences between athletes, and some variables are the same. Yet, each person has to determine which stroke suits there physiology the best, from Popov to Klim. Looking at Sullivan, and then Foster, yes there are some differences... but they have a lot in common as well. have you seen this ? this is mark foster's stroke.... he seems to keep his arms out to the side or at least hand in line with same shoulder...by the looks of it www.youtube.com/watch www.youtube.com/watch this ones more for entertainment, but these little treadmill style pools look like a lot of fun and quite useful! i wish we had one. infact today i was devising a design for something like this...only better, with hi-speed cameras and glass bottom as well as sides. swimmer would wear little tags on key joints n their positions recorded and used to generated CFD models which can then be manipulated to see what technique works best and then feedback to the swimmer/coach, its fairly pie in the sky, but hey im an engineer and i was bored. That was a good video, thanks for sharing... Hey, reach for the pie in the sky, tell me if it is strawberry-rhubarb, or apple?

can some one explain EVF to me in a simpler way, i cant quite understand the descriptions, i thought i had it then i watched a video on youtube that said otherwise. i assume early means the first part of the pulling action of the stroke.... now vertical? all i see is people bending at the elbow and following through from start to finish is a half-keyhole pattern. the forearm isnt really vertical at all from what i see, more horizontal. i've never heard of EVF, but we have always been taught about making this half-keyhole shape. Right, EVF or Early-Vertical-Forearm, this is a description coined by coach Tom from this forum, who has been silent ever since a bunch of people disagreed with him... When you watch the video of Grant Hackett it appears to be EVF, but it really isn't. If you look closely, sure enough you can see a high elbow catch, but that turns into a horizontal follow through, which depends on the camera angle. Here are two video's, Hackett www.youtube.com/watch and Sullivan www.youtube.com/watch www.worth1000.com/.../7043_w.jpg half of that effectively though not quite so squat as that is. Alex, this link didn't open. obviously combining that with good shoulder role.... have i unwittingly being doing this (correct?) EVF? it seems theres some debate about what EVF actually is and whether its actually useful. so yeah a clear up would be good. Personally, I've decided not to over-think in the vertical plane when I'm swimming anymore, and that has been incredibly helpful. Sure enough though, high elbow on the catch, but the hand and forearm "presses" around the front axis, and pulls towards the chest (left hand pitching past right armpit), the pull then switches into a pushing action and flushes down the body-line, fairly close to the chest/torso. Also, it seems that at the end of the stroke the hand pitch changes when I focus on the horizontal path. It's almost as if my hand is sideways at the end, pitching right to left or the opposite, (like the rudder of a boat) instead of actually pushing backwards. This becomes a longer stroke and helps with the rolling hips. Technically, if you just focus on elongating the horizontal path this naturally changes your hand pitch at the end as you reach forward with the opposite arm. cheers! what i will do when i get back to uni is try get hold of the bungee rope so i can swim in place and get a friend to use his water proof camera and just film me doing freestyle. Sounds good, keep me posted.

its an odd video isnt it..... it kinda shows the speed of travelling in water quite well, you dont usually really get the sense of speed watching swimming on the TV, but that kinda shows the speed rather well.

What injury did you have? Got water on the elbow after a nasty fall. It is better now (still a little tender to the touch) but it kept me out of the water for two weeks. Thanks again for the workouts.