Cesar Cielo is fastest swimmer in the world -- 25 yards in 8.88 to the foot -- he was just trying to "maintain" on the second 25...
There are 3 ways to swim faster in any given race:
1) Improve your technique -- if you become more effecient in your technique, your times will drop across the board
2) Maintain a pace as close as possible to maximum speed -- You can hold your maximum speed for 6-8 seconds. There are no swim races of that length - so when training for any swimming race (50 up the mile), you are trying to maintain a pace as close to your maximum speed as possible.
3) Get Faster = improve your maximum speed
I would say on average, Masters swimmers (and age-groupers) spend their in the water workout season according to the following breakdown (rough guess):
1) Improving technique = 20-30%
2) Maintaining close to max = 65-79%
3) Improving Max Speed = 1-5%
Think about it -- if you swim 4-5 times per week, that equals about 20 hours a month. Did you spend more than a full hour in October on maximum speed ?
This Thread is all about Category 3 -- Improving your Max Speed --
Erik,
Good topic. Obviously I'm interested.
One thought re max speed and stroke tempo: For me, kick tempo often affects stroke tempo, i.e. the faster the kick tempo, the faster the stoke tempo. So you might want to work on quick feet. One way I do this is with vertical kick. I find the more "resistance", such as holding a diving brick out of the water, the quicker the tempo. If the resistance is very high I can only do short bursts of up to 10 seconds.
Give it a try sometime and let me know what you think.
Rich
So how do you get faster ?
Again - it's actually pretty simple - there are 2 ways to improve your maximum speed:
A) More distance per stroke while maintaining the same stroke rate. Part of this is usually technique - but there are other ways - like strength.
B) Swim with a higher stroke rate, while maintaining the same distance per stroke
For me - my stroke rate is simply too low. At maximum speed, my stroke rate is 52 -- meaning it takes me about 1.14 seconds to complete a full cycle (left and right arm - some watches have a stroke count feature or you can have somebody time 2-3 full cycles; it's more accurate than timing just one).
Some of this depends of course on your height and arm length - but I just watched Matt Grevers (he is 3 inches taller than me) go at a rate of above 60 in his 50 Free.
My new best friend for the Spring season will no doubt be the tempo trainer -- I already started working with it this week even though I have one more fun race this weekend. I am just planning the Season now - so more to come
kick tempo often affects stroke tempo
Amen -- this is something I will have to focus on much more. I come from the 200 Free swimming almost a catch-up stroke with a very strong kick - the kick really determines my speed. However - for sprinting this does not work any more (at least for me at the moment) - I now have to basically intentionally try to ignore my kick and just focus on arm speed (thinking the legs will follow the arms and go automatic).
That is less than ideal - so I will have to increase my foot speed - and do the vertical kicking.
Here is favorite drill for learning to use your legs while sprinting --
Start sprint swimming for 6-8 strokes and then stop using your arms (just leave them in the front) - but continue with the same kick you were using while sprint swimming. Are your legs just splashing or are they driving you forward ? Does the kick feel different from a kick only sprint ? Do it the other way around - start kicking turn it into sprint swimming ? Go sprint swim / Kick / sprint swim all within a 25 --- and please - all at full speed and no more than a 25.
I received a question about the tempo trainer and thought other people may be interested:
I use the tempo trainer quite a bit - and I think it's one of the best tools out there for all swimmers -- but you have to do some work prior to using it.
You must learn all about your stroke rate / turnover during races and in practice. Some people need to lengthen their stroke (majority falls into this category) and some people want to shorten their stroke. No matter what - you have to know where you are at and where you would like to go.
You should either have a video of one of your races or have a coach time your stroke rates on each 25 of the race (we are not talking anything above a 100 on this thread). Some watches have a stroke rate already in -- or you can just measure 2 full cycles - easiest when one hand enters the water.
My stroke rate for a 100 is about 46-48 -- for a 50 I can get into the low 50s. That means my turnover is 48 cycles per minute or each cycle is 1.25 seconds. Let's say, I want to increase my turnover to 54 -- that would be 1.11 seconds per cycle (that's a huge switch). I would set my tempo trainer 55 and swim race pace 25s. I put it behind my ear under the cap - that is the only place I can hear it at full sprint (even that is difficult).
Now there is a trade-off -- I will not be able to get the same distance per stroke out of each of my strokes -- if I go for such a big increase (would be 12.5% increase) >> if I could, I would have just shaved a second off each 25.
I take 9 cycles per 25 meters - but I do streamline and do the turn about 1 meter out - so let's say I swim 20 meters with those 9 cycles or 2.22 meters per stroke - and I swim the 20 meters in 9x1.25 = 11.25 seconds. So let's say with my NEW turnover I lose about 10% of my stroke length. Now I have to do 10 cycles for my 20 meters of swimming - but I complete them in 10x1.11 = 11.11 seconds >>>> I just took 0.14 seconds off my 25 !!!
I need to get the video of one my races this weekend - and I should have better numbers to shoot for - but that is the general principle.
1 more things: You will curse at the little beeper, especially going long-course you will always feel like the thing is speeding up in the second 25 of a lap
Start sprint swimming for 6-8 strokes and then stop using your arms (just leave them in the front) - but continue with the same kick you were using while sprint swimming. Are your legs just splashing or are they driving you forward ? Does the kick feel different from a kick only sprint ? Do it the other way around - start kicking turn it into sprint swimming ? Go sprint swim / Kick / sprint swim all within a 25 --- and please - all at full speed and no more than a 25.
Erik,
To speak a little more to this, I have both my age-groupers and master's swimmers do something similar to this in order to gain a better sense of their timing for the stroke. I have them sprint 25 legs with easy arms, sprint 25 arms with easy legs, then sprint 50 full stroke. Obviously, depending on the swimmer's age and ability I alter the yardage and intensity, but it has had a significant impact in the fluidity of the stroke.
I like where this post is going...keep it up!
Thanks for starting this thread and the advice so far. As a former distance swimmer determined to have some fun this SCY season sprinting, this is great. I've been told about the tempo timer and encouraged by one coach to get it. This might be the first "toy" I invest in. I've generally done well via stroke length, but never really focused on stroke rate.
Mind you, while I do want to get more competitive in the 50/100, my longer term goal is still to be a faster mid-distance swimmer (200/500), but, for me to reach my goal times in those events, I figure I need to get "easy speed" for the first half of the race much more built into my muscle memory.
One question for Erik: are you using the tempo timer throughout workout or only on your speed sets?
First things first...get your ass back in the pool and quit avoding my workouts!
First things first...get your ass back in the pool and quit avoding my workouts!
He's "resting up" after Zones even though the lazy sprinters are back in the pool.
Paul - Speaking of avoiding -- there was a meet last weekend. Is So-Cal too cold in the winter or were you crying because all your records went ... :D
Actually I was crying because I was stuck in meetings in Toronot for 4 days!
And as long as ANYONE other than John takes down a record of mine I'm fine with it!
Thanks for starting this thread and the advice so far. As a former distance swimmer determined to have some fun this SCY season sprinting, this is great. I've been told about the tempo timer and encouraged by one coach to get it. This might be the first "toy" I invest in. I've generally done well via stroke length, but never really focused on stroke rate.
Mind you, while I do want to get more competitive in the 50/100, my longer term goal is still to be a faster mid-distance swimmer (200/500), but, for me to reach my goal times in those events, I figure I need to get "easy speed" for the first half of the race much more built into my muscle memory.
One question for Erik: are you using the tempo timer throughout workout or only on your speed sets?
PWB, how's that USA-S registration thing going?
If sprinting you want - you shall receive!
Look up the Lost Dutchman meet. They offer the 4 50's, I think. It's right there at Cactus something or other pool in Chandler. Not too much of an investment of traveling plus I recommend blowing off finals. It's usually some time in mid Feb, so very complementary with USMS schedule.
You could do this meet like a fast workout!
First things first...get your ass back in the pool and quit avoding my workouts!
Paul - Speaking of avoiding -- there was a meet last weekend. Is So-Cal too cold in the winter or were you crying because all your records went ... :D
