The cross-training routine that was previously posted on this thread had a variety of advice. Although quite a few people have mentioned to me that they prefer to swim, and don't really want to lift weights. That's understandable, but attempting to compromise I suggest these 4 critical exercises, 3xweek. This could take as little as 15 minutes, but will have significant impact on your swimming base times.
Here's why:
Ankle flexibility is crucial, as this is the anchor on your ship. Even if you don't improve power or strength, having your ankles flexible will reduce the drag and improve body position. So, I recommend a minimum of 6 minutes (3x per week), on the bike with your toes pointed. This is primarily to warm up the ankles as well as training the range of motion.
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Don't be discouraged if you can't do this next stretch right away. When I started 8 years ago I couldn't get my knees off the ground, and my SDK was ineffective. Just have patience, and after several months you should notice a gradual improvement. Not everyone is gifted with natural mobility in the ankles, but the good news is this can be earned. Try and hold the stretch for 3x20 seconds.
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Moving up the body line, core stability is critical for maintaining the right trajectory while swimming. Be sure to bring the elbow all the way around the knee, and tighten the core as you go through the motion. Pick a weight that enables you to do 3x12 reps on both sides.
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This last exercise is great for your core, but I've noticed it is also really good for the upper body, especially the catch phase of the stroke, as well as engaging the lats on the horizontal axis. Again, 3x12 reps, and these four exercises can be made into a short mini-routine that most aspiring swimmers should at least consider.
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Happy swimming,
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So I finally have my video on FLOSWIMMING here it is
100 free SCM - 51.60 which converts to 46.02 SCY
swimming.flocasts.org/.../65295
Yes, that's right. It can be done in any course, I do it in SCY.
Of course the starting time can be adjusted as you like if you want more or fewer 50s. Or you can do other strokes (I've been doing them fly the last few times.)
What is interesting about the set is that you start out relatively easy, getting lots of rest. Really just finding a comfortable pace.
The second 10 50s is slightly harder but no big deal.
But it gets harder in a hurry for the last 10 50s. It is amazing that what feels SO EASY at first will hurt quite a lot at the end...! :)
Thanks. I had been doing something similar but just for fun. (I can't see the clock hands without my glasses and I use non-prescriptions goggles; with my eyesight those might go into the +1000$).
Occasionally I'll do 25s or 50s so slowly that I might be at a standstill;
the next one will be just at a would-be-noodler granny speed and so-on and so-on every time a little bit faster (stopping and resting of course) but I never thought of timing it so finely as you do, descending in one second steps.
50 "drop out" set, start at 60 sec, drop one sec per 50, record first interval missed
How do you keep count on these sets? If the first is on the 60, the next would be on the 59, then 57, 54, 50, etc. which is about were I'd start to lose count.
I've tried a simpler version of starting 100's on 2 minutes dropping five seconds each and had to resort to a cheat sheet of send offs.
Does this mean (I'm just trying to imagine anyone human doing this) The 1st 50m (or y) is done leisurely in 60" then WITOUT STOPping you turn and do your second 50 in 59" then you turn and do your 3rd 50 in 58", 4th 50 in 57, 5th in 56 and so on?
That would turn out to be the World record in negative splitting a 1500m not by 750 and 750 but by each 50.
Or do you stop between each 50 (I know this conversation started with talk of "continuous" swimming. Forgive my memory.)?
No, the times are intervals (60, then 59, 58, etc...).
Our coach actually advocates finding a time (eg, 35 seconds) you can hold for the entire set. Initially you'll get a lot of rest and it will feel fairly easy but it will gradually (and then quickly) get much harder.
He advocates this approach is because it can be difficult to crank it up once the rest decreases a lot. Of course, some swimmer are naturals at negative splitting and don't have a problem with this.
We had our first test set of the season yesterday and I thought I would share.
First a little background: our coach believes in recorded test sets that are repeated about once a month. Rotating through the test sets, it works out to doing them once a week and then repeating after four weeks.
Here are the ones that he records:
5 x 200 on 7:00 from the blocks
5 x 100 on 4:00 from the blocks
8 x 50 on 2:00 from the blocks
50 "drop out" set, start at 60 sec, drop one sec per 50, record first interval missed (lately I've been doing these butterfly).
We definitely do other high-quality sets but they are not routinely recorded.
Anyway, yesterday's set was the 5 x 100 test set. I normally either do it backstroke (most common) or butterfly. Yesterday I tried something different though: I did it backstroke but SWAM repeats 1, 3, 5 and KICKED repeats 2 & 4. The efforts on the kicks were every bit as intense as those on the swim, and I stayed underwater longer (I didn't worry about surfacing by 15m) so there was a hypoxic aspect of the kicks.
In my case, on the swims I did 10 SDKs off every wall but on the kicks I did 15 SDKs off every wall.
All the test sets are hard (esp the 100s and 200s) but my experience is that the set was EVEN HARDER with alternating swim/kick. My legs were absolutely shot (even more than usual) and after each repeat I was sucking wind big time.
I have always been a believer in hard/intense kicking but I have gradually been coming to the conclusion that even I don't do enough of it, considering how much I use it in races. I am hoping that this sort of set will help improve leg conditioning in the back half of a race.
Ack. When I read your posts, I feel like a lazy no good slacker.
Thanks for the drop down set idea. Since it's 50s, I might be able to wrap my brain around it.
Originally Posted by Chris Stevenson forums.usms.org/.../viewpost.gif
50 "drop out" set, start at 60 sec, drop one sec per 50, record first interval missed (lately I've been doing these butterfly).
Does this mean that one (not me) might end up having done 30 or 35 50's with the last 50 in 25"?
Does this mean (I'm just trying to imagine anyone human doing this)
The 1st 50m (or y) is done leisurely in 60" then WITOUT STOPping you turn and do your second 50 in 59" then you turn and do your 3rd 50 in 58", 4th 50 in 57, 5th in 56 and so on?
That would turn out to be the World record in negative splitting a 1500m not by 750 and 750 but by each 50.
Or do you stop between each 50 (I know this conversation started with talk of "continuous" swimming. Forgive my memory.)?
No, the times are intervals (60, then 59, 58, etc...).
Our coach actually advocates finding a time (eg, 35 seconds) you can hold for the entire set. Initially you'll get a lot of rest and it will feel fairly easy but it will gradually (and then quickly) get much harder.
He advocates this approach is because it can be difficult to crank it up once the rest decreases a lot. Of course, some swimmer are naturals at negative splitting and don't have a problem with this.
Thanks, Chris.
Now that make more sense (to me and I can breathe easier now. Not that I would have tried anything past the first three or four 50s........):oldman:
Ack. When I read your posts, I feel like a lazy no good slacker.
Change "slacker" to "sprinter" and you're good to go. :)
(Jokes aside, it is very helpful to have a good coach for motivation. I have great respect for swimmers who are self-coached, often by necessity.)
Hotel swim... Not sure how long the pool is... about 15 yards, maybe 20... Approximately 120 tiles (3-4 inches)... Can anyone do the math?
So, 10x(8 lengths) managed to get into a (2 SDK/2 stroke) rhythm...
Followed by the ab roller, and pulley rope crunches...
This is a compromise, but something is better than nothing...
Change "slacker" to "sprinter" and you're good to go. :)
(Jokes aside, it is very helpful to have a good coach for motivation. I have great respect for swimmers who are self-coached, often by necessity.)
When I win my squirt gun and rubber ducky at the meet this weekend, you'll have to take that back!
:bliss: :bliss:
Jokes aside, I often wonder whether being largely self-coached makes me an underachiever or an overachiever ...
When I win my squirt gun and rubber ducky at the meet this weekend, you'll have to take that back!
:bliss: :bliss:
Jokes aside, I often wonder whether being largely self-coached makes me an underachiever or an overachiever ...
hypochondriac
