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Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills
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 2009-07-23 9:56 PM |
Expert  1046   Fountain Hills, AZ |  Subject: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus DrillsHey everybody I am a BT maybe improving into a recreational racer.... my third Oly is Nation's in DC and I really want sub-3. After that, I got plans for half-em-dot next June. |
| 2009-07-23 10:55 PM in reply to: #2305030 |
Champion 7233   | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills frankly aside from a few drills to address issues, if you want to get faster, you need to, well swim faster. strucured interval training is going to get you there, just getting in and swimming will get you more comfortable/a bit faster, but not much. you need to be doing hard sets something like 6-20 x100 2-8 x200 10-30x50 harder intervals with shorter rest like 100s with 5-10 sec rest, will improve indurance, harder intervals with more rest, like 100s with 20-50 sec rest, will improve speed. you want more of the first, less of the 2nd. if you can get in and swim 45 min, in that time or a bit more you can get in a very solid workout. something like 400 of warmup stuff main set of: 10x100 a few drills, cool down. any combination of this stuff will help 4x200 followed by 6x100 or 15x50 followed by 2x400 etc etc etc |
| 2009-07-23 11:06 PM in reply to: #2305030 |
Champion 6656 | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills Do you mean swim sets or swim drills? It seems to me you are asking about sets...Sets are useful for you to vary your training and focus on different areas of swimming (power, endurance, speed, effeciency, etc.) As a former swimmer, I find swimming staight freestyle all the time drives me insane and really deters me from getting into the water. You can still make sets extremely difficult and they will keep you motivated instead of doing 45min straight all the time Hope this helps and is along the lines of what you were looking for |
| 2009-07-23 11:16 PM in reply to: #2305030 |
Extreme Veteran 516 Olathe, KS | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills Generally speaking, drills are a good way to improve your swim stroke technique but they shouldn't be the focus of your workout. Often when we swim lap, after lap, after lap we can start to develop bad stroke habits or lose focus of what we are doing with our hands and body in the water. This often happens without even realizing it and an unconscious pattern can develop with our stroke. Doing drill sets can help re-focus your stroke technique and I would devote maybe one set or two to doing drills, but not a whole workout. During my regular swims I simply try to be aware of what my body/hands/elbows are doing. Drill sets, if done correctly, can help replicate what your stroke should feel like (to a point, drills can sometimes be an aspect of over-emphasis). |
| 2009-07-23 11:33 PM in reply to: #2305030 |
Champion 5782 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills What newbz said... Personally, I swim twice a week and one is usually intervals and the other a continuous endurance swim at a lower speed. Not really any different from how I train for the run or the bike, frankly (just fewer workouts) and I've seen results I'm happy with. To get real value out of long non-stop swims, you do need to have acquired decent stroke mechanics...but, of course, you can ingrain bad habits just as easily with 2000 yds of intervals as you can with 3500 yards continuous swimming. If you don't know what you're doing in the pool, then drills are pretty helpful in building a sound freestyle stroke. One comment I'd add--and I used to be a competitive distance freestyle specialist back in the day, so there's no bias against training for swim competition here--is that, IMO, too many triathletes lose sight of the fact that triathlon is really one sport, not three, and spend too much time on drills (esp. kickboard drills) that are more relevant for someone training for the 50 or 100 free, but of generally minimal value for people who will be most likely be swimming in wetsuits in open water, needing to conserve energy for a long bike and run. No different from the prevalence of time trial bikes in triathlon for long rides that road racing specialists would be riding on a road bike...because, there again, the usual no-drafting rules coupled with the run to follow argue for triathlon specific equipment and techniques. |
| 2009-07-24 7:07 AM in reply to: #2305030 |
| Extreme Veteran 454 OKC | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills just doing general drills is a waste of time... you need drills that address your specific swim issues. if you've been "just swimming", then you'd likely experience a great leap from just doing structured intervals... |
| 2009-07-24 7:37 AM in reply to: #2305030 |
| New user 10 | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills Doing lots of swimming at a steady pace will make you really good at swimming a steady pace. In order to increase speed you need to practice drills at a higher intensity- using the clock/watch so you have something to motivate you and keep track of your progress. One workout that has always worked for me is below: 25m pool: 32 lengths steady warm up 3 x 8 lengths, breaking down each set into 2 lengths steady, 2 slightly quicker, 2 fast and 2 sprint 16 lengths steady using pull buoy or hand paddles to build resistance 4 x 4 lengths sprint 8 lengths steady (2 lengths breathing every 7 strokes, 2 lengths breathing every 5, 2 every 3rd, 2 every 2nd- this gets your heart rate down to normal) 8 lengths easy to cool down any stroke Good luck! |
| 2009-07-24 7:41 AM in reply to: #2305030 |
Extreme Veteran 369 Maine | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills I've been using the programs created by swimplan.com You create a free account, then log your best times at various distances and the site creates workouts for you. Do I follow each of them 100% of the time? No, but it's much better than my just jumping in and making up a workout as I go. Much more structured. |
| 2009-07-24 9:55 AM in reply to: #2305030 |
Expert 1046 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills You guys are awesome... I'll digest this over the weekend ... I am already stoked about getting faster... I'll also find a coach to check my technique. |
| 2009-07-24 10:22 AM in reply to: #2305030 |
Extreme Veteran 1942 In front of computer when typing this. | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills Agree 100% with what others ike newbz and tcovert have said. One thing to add- I see no need to overcomplicate intervals. Say you want to do a 2000m workout, do a warmup of 3-500 meters. And then pick something simple but tough to do. For example, 16X100 (with 10 or so seconds of rest, as newbz indicated) and a warmdown. Or 8X100 and 4X200. Something like that. Lots of swim workouts are, IMO, overly complicated with all sorts of sets built in. Some people like those, some don't. My point is it doesn't have to be complicated. |
| 2009-07-24 10:46 AM in reply to: #2305725 |
Champion 7233 | Subject: RE: Swim Training? Lots o' Laps Versus Drills louiskie - 2009-07-24 9:22 AM Agree 100% with what others ike newbz and tcovert have said. One thing to add- I see no need to overcomplicate intervals. Say you want to do a 2000m workout, do a warmup of 3-500 meters. And then pick something simple but tough to do. For example, 16X100 (with 10 or so seconds of rest, as newbz indicated) and a warmdown. Or 8X100 and 4X200. Something like that. Lots of swim workouts are, IMO, overly complicated with all sorts of sets built in. Some people like those, some don't. My point is it doesn't have to be complicated. agreed, it can be over the top complicated, or it can be so brutally simple that its insane. both work well, find something you enjoy, and keeps you motivated. in the winter i like to mix it up more, keep me thinking, ocne i am outside swimming for the summer, i like simple sets that dont change. |
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