So I got the swimming bug again after the World Championships so I decided yesterday to do a swim meet without having swam at all in 12 years. It was more fun than I expected and I swam about as fast as I was when I stopped swimming (at age 17).
What changed since then? (1) I have no cardio (i.e. died on 35-40m of the 50m LCMs I swam) and (2) 40 extra pounds of muscle with not a lot of extra fat.
I have always been of the view that strength/weight training is vastly underutilized in sports in general and am going to put it to the test in swimming.
My training will consist of only technique training, sprints, kick and very very little yardage (like ~1200 yards a WEEK).
I figure that will be enough to get my cardio to where I can sprint a 50 without dying and I figure all you need for a sprint is to be able to go all out for the whole race, with the remaining factors being power and technique which don't require much yardage I don't think.
Anyone ever try it?
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I swam about as fast as I was when I stopped swimming (at age 17).
What changed since then?
Maybe you just weren't that fast back then, and you are now :angel: Maybe your starts and turns are better, because your pushoffs are way more powerful?
Anyone ever try it?
I've been doing a similar thing for 1.5 years, only a slightly different approach. For me, weights are complimental to swimming rather than supplemental as you describe. I'm going more than 1200 or 2000 per week. (but not too much more at 6000/wk, 3000 of that is warmup). I'm within a half second of all my PB 50's from college, and 60lbs heavier. There's definitely a lot you can do for speed without doing a boat load of yards... just make your yards count for quality, and do the things that will make you faster for 50's.
I swam about as fast as I was when I stopped swimming (at age 17).
What changed since then?
Maybe you just weren't that fast back then, and you are now :angel: Maybe your starts and turns are better, because your pushoffs are way more powerful?
Anyone ever try it?
I've been doing a similar thing for 1.5 years, only a slightly different approach. For me, weights are complimental to swimming rather than supplemental as you describe. I'm going more than 1200 or 2000 per week. (but not too much more at 6000/wk, 3000 of that is warmup). I'm within a half second of all my PB 50's from college, and 60lbs heavier. There's definitely a lot you can do for speed without doing a boat load of yards... just make your yards count for quality, and do the things that will make you faster for 50's.
