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
Former Member
Korosh is the most naturally talented underwater kicker I've ever seen for his age. Look at these picture comparisons between Phelps and Korosh!
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It's amazing to think he has this skill at the age of 7!
YouTube - Korosh
I think it's interesting that he's looking forward quite a bit and his posture is almost like he's sitting rather than flat, but his hips are still riding near the surface.
Maybe this is one reason I like his stroke, b/c I also tuck my chin a bit and have a large body/hip roll. Like Irie, my shoulder comes way out of the water when I swim. (The similarities pretty much end there, though; no one has ever accused me of having a smooth stroke.)
But I was watching two young swimmers today -- both v good backstrokers and both just finished their college freshman year. They look back more and swim much lower in the water. It looks slow to me, like you have to power through the water...but they get good results with it.
I have always thought that the two most important things in backstroke are: big rotation and high hips. The rotation allows much better leverage for the pull, you are not nearly as strong when you pull behind as when you pull on your side. The main disadvantage of big rotation is a slower turnover.
What is perhaps scary is that Irie has quite a bit of room for improvement on his underwaters & walls. If you look at the 100 back swim from that dual meet with Australia (when he was something like 0.02 off the WR), he gets crushed on the turn.
Actually, aside from the lope, Chris' stroke is quite similar to Irie's.
The speed is a little different too...:)
Irie seems to have a huge upside, given that he is so young and probably will get a lot stronger in the next five years. Aaron Peirsol talks a little about Irie towards the end of his interview on Floswimming. (Peirsol seems like a great guy and I hope he wins at World Champs; it will be exciting racing, anyway.)
LCM
3x (100 IM Drill + 200 free)
3x (3x200 free on 4:00, descend 1-3 +100 kick no board on 2:00)
6x50 DPS on 1:00
4x50 on 1:30 1 easy, 1 FAST
6x100 DPS on 2:00
200 dolphin dives
Maybe this is one reason I like his stroke, b/c I also tuck my chin a bit and have a large body/hip roll. Like Irie, my shoulder comes way out of the water when I swim. (The similarities pretty much end there, though; no one has ever accused me of having a smooth stroke.)
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Right, this phase of your stroke is very similar to Irie, and as you pointed out, the "real" reason is the hip roll, something we can clearly see in Irie's underwater pictures posted above!!
I have always thought that the two most important things in backstroke are: big rotation and high hips. The rotation allows much better leverage for the pull, you are not nearly as strong when you pull behind as when you pull on your side. The main disadvantage of big rotation is a slower turnover. What is perhaps scary is that Irie has quite a bit of room for improvement on his underwaters & walls. If you look at the 100 back swim from that dual meet with Australia (when he was something like 0.02 off the WR), he gets crushed on the turn.
Yes, good observation and descriptions, thanks again for your contribution.
Although many people in this community are aware of your clear grasp of the stroke, I've been promoting this thread to non-swimmers who might be interested in learning or being entertained. So to show the possible new "viewers", here are your swims, again.
Many of you already know my personal opinion is that this level of excellence reached by master athletes can be equated to similar achievements from the younger categories. It can also be argued that an entire lifetime of dedication may be an even higher honor, relatively speaking.
YouTube - Chris Stevenson 200 Back SCM Masters WR
Aaron Peirsol talks a little about Irie towards the end of his interview on Floswimming. (Peirsol seems like a great guy and I hope he wins at World Champs; it will be exciting racing, anyway.)
Thanks for this interview Chris, Peirsol certainly touches on some important topics, for sure!
So I've been watching the Irie 200 back underwater segment, frequently over the past few days... I'm really trying to understand his leg action. At first I thought it was a 4 beat kick, but it's not. It's a loping 2 beat, (or a quasi-straight leg scissor dolphin action) and the down beat seems to be more like a reverse kick in the sense that his leg stays somewhat straight as he pushes downward with the calf, with his hips rolling at the same time as his lat/arm initiate at the top, the rest of the time his feet (and knees) virtually stay on the surface...
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So, trying to mimic this action in the pool, the only way that seems to feel "right" is by not really trying to kick in the traditional sense, instead keeping the feet/legs tight at the surface during the stroke, (There is still foot action, but little knee motion) and only that one single "reverse" kick per side (calf presses down with straight leg) at the same time as rolling and catching at the top. Hopefully this explanation helps, and it'll certainly take some training to get this right... One thing I can notice right away is more power in the catch, as I seem to "glide" past the torso.
Here is another sprint work-out...
400 swim
2x 100 on 1:50 build to strong last 15m
4x (4x50 25 strong/ 25 easy on 1:30) fly, back, back, fly
3x75 DPS on 1:30
4x150 paddles free on 3:00
100 easy
75 - freestyle fast from dive on 4:00
200 easy
OKAY FOLKS!!! I was able to get some help from a kind co-worker and we slowed down the underwater portion of the video to 25%, and repeated it 3 times... here it is now!
YouTube - slowswim
This is hard to ignore.... notice the "reverse" kick I was mentioning in the previous post. PLEASE SHARE THIS THREAD!! My initial thought is this unusual motion must help to keep his body/torso closer to the surface throughout the rolling action!
I would rather have a view from the end of a pool with a direct view of what is happening.
Huh? As he swims away from the camera? Either way, yes I agree, it would be good to have alternative angles on this, maybe even a flow-dynamic model.
I tried to play around with this kick in the pool last night, and it's not quite so simple... After watching the video again, I recognize that there is still foot action in between, but just not the same knee bend like a traditional kick.
I would argue that this slow video does still have value, it's just that this might not be a skill that main stream swimmers will be able to mimic effectively. An old training partner (backstroker) going back 20 years had this to say about the video which nicely sums up this nagging observation:
"Wow that's different!!! Just remember that everyone has a different buoyancy and position in the water. Simply copying the fastest person in the world will not necessarily make one swim any faster.
What I think the future of swimming will be is that each person that becomes great will have perfected a stroke that is unique to their body type, position and strengths. Each champion will look very different technically from the next. That's what it is all about now. Not copying but reinventing." ~Bart Ujack~
After seeing his kick I think he is not concentarting on the kick more on his body and hip roll, letting the legs do what comes natural. It is what I had to do when swimming in the ocean where bouyancy changes how you kick and you need to keep the legs in the water.
It is not necessary to copy his actions but re invent how you are going to do it.
