I have been swimming 3-6 times a week now for about two months. Within the past month I transitioned from 25-3500 meters in a practice to attempting some of this high intensity only training I keep hearing people experiment with. Maybe it isnt so "experimental" and I am just that naive.
I am swimming 3 - 5 times a week and lifting weights twice a week. I am doing mostly the weight program that Jason Lezak recommended, with some modifications. Mainly only lifiting twice a week not three(Tuesday/Thursday). My pool time has been split. MWF I am doing all high intensity sprinting with about 300 warmup and 1-200 cool down. Usually swim about 1000 after I do weights to help with muscle recovery.
I do not have a benefit of a coach blowing a whistle at me or setting up my intervals. I have been trying to "cram" as much sprint yardage into my high intensity training as possible. I have been surprised at how quickly the my body is adapting to this type of training. The first week I could not do but 4 x 25 all out sprint, without the vomit feeling. Monday of this week I was able to 8x25s, 4x37.5s and 2x50s. With 3 minutes rest in between each. I was holding around 12secs on the 25s and 28secs on the 50s, I didnt get the time for the 37.5s. These are all from a push by the way no diving blocks at the pool I practice at.
All of that just to ask if anyone has any recommendations or insight on a way forward. Or am I headed the wrong way. I wont actually get to swim in a meet until Nov.8th. I just found a pool in the area that will let me use their diving blocks!!!
Please let me know if there is any adivce. Thanks in advance.
Parents
Former Member
Thanks ehoch for the feedback!
I am just focusing on the 50 for right now. And as it turns out the only meet I will be able to swim before next spring sometime will be the one in November 8th. And since I started the 3rd week of August it seems I am right in your 12ish week recommendation.
I would even say that through my first two weeks I focused 70% effort on technique and 30% workout distance. After that for about 2-3 weeks I emphasized my kick/dsp/increasing workout duration. Then about the last week of September I decided to start lifting weights and then at the end of that week I decided to try all high intensity workouts.
I am using paddles/zoomers on the days after I lift and if I swim on sat/sun. I am also using zoomers during some of the sprint sets. I know that JMiller recommends fullsize fins for this but I dont have and cant afford right now to get them. For instance I just got back from my workout and I swam:
200 swim
100 Pull
100 Kick
50 easy swim
4 x 50 swim with zoomers on 3:30
4 x 50 swim w/o zoomers 4 minutes (I only made one of these)
200 cool down
My intention for this training is to see if I can still compete. I swam through high school but only took my senior year seriously, and because I hadnt much foundation on technique, I bulled my way through the water. I know academically the correct technique, but was unwilling to implement in my swimming. Because of this I over worked my shoulder. I ended up swimming two years in college after taking a year off. My times didnt get any faster after high school, but I grew two inches. And like most red blooded americans after being motivated by the olympics, I said "Hey I can do that!!!" and with dreams of grandeur I decided I wanted to test the waters, no-pun intended.
Again thanks for the input, any more based off of the additional info is greatly appreciated.
Thanks ehoch for the feedback!
I am just focusing on the 50 for right now. And as it turns out the only meet I will be able to swim before next spring sometime will be the one in November 8th. And since I started the 3rd week of August it seems I am right in your 12ish week recommendation.
I would even say that through my first two weeks I focused 70% effort on technique and 30% workout distance. After that for about 2-3 weeks I emphasized my kick/dsp/increasing workout duration. Then about the last week of September I decided to start lifting weights and then at the end of that week I decided to try all high intensity workouts.
I am using paddles/zoomers on the days after I lift and if I swim on sat/sun. I am also using zoomers during some of the sprint sets. I know that JMiller recommends fullsize fins for this but I dont have and cant afford right now to get them. For instance I just got back from my workout and I swam:
200 swim
100 Pull
100 Kick
50 easy swim
4 x 50 swim with zoomers on 3:30
4 x 50 swim w/o zoomers 4 minutes (I only made one of these)
200 cool down
My intention for this training is to see if I can still compete. I swam through high school but only took my senior year seriously, and because I hadnt much foundation on technique, I bulled my way through the water. I know academically the correct technique, but was unwilling to implement in my swimming. Because of this I over worked my shoulder. I ended up swimming two years in college after taking a year off. My times didnt get any faster after high school, but I grew two inches. And like most red blooded americans after being motivated by the olympics, I said "Hey I can do that!!!" and with dreams of grandeur I decided I wanted to test the waters, no-pun intended.
Again thanks for the input, any more based off of the additional info is greatly appreciated.
