Warmup for the swim tips

Dude, triman I was just wondering the same thing! It's like I don't get into a groove until about lap 17 or 425 m. I'm swimming a sprint tri on May 15 and the swim is only 525. How the heck can I get geared up and get in the groove without totally being a slowpoke?Another thing is that I cannot swim first. I've got to either bike, run, lift weights or something before I swim. So what am I gonna' do on tri day. Run a mile, then swim a 1/2 mile then bike 12 miles then run a 5K? That just seems dumb! Ugggggh! I need some help!Ovetta.

i agree w/both you guys. i was an elite swimmer in my competitive days and need roughly 1000 yds to properly warm up. my sprint tris don't offer a warm up so i'm wondering if i should stop by my gym which is open 24 hours to get some laps in before i head out. any suggestions?

Trilover,Glad to hear it's not just me. What is that with taking so long to warm up on the swim? I mean my times are decent but if I moved as fast in my second 500 as I do in my first they would be incredible. What's a girl to do. As you can see this issue is really frustrating me! Do I swim 500 m before the race??? I won't have time for that probably. Hmmmmm..... Such a dilemma.

Alotta help you guys are! OK, so obviously we have a widespread problem here, one of such significant proportions that we already have, uhhhhh, 3 people seriously impacted. I fear there might be more. Come on folks, help us figure this out before it spreads into a full-fledged plague or something!

withlut warmup, your muscles contract and tighten, however, after properly warming them up, they stretch out. my last sprint tri, my muscles were incredibly tight and i never felt "loosened up."

Have you considered running a couple miles before your swim?

But running only helps the legs. My swim is nearly almost in the arms! Maybe I should do some bicep and tricep curls before. I notice after I do upper body weightlifting I sometimes swim better. Ugggghhhh! This is so frustrating.

So, maybe you should do a sprint tri to warmup for your olympic/IM tri. ( just kidding! ).

Seriously though, some light db's might be a good warmup. Doing arm circles and the like with low low weight to warmup shoulder and arms for the swim sounds like it could be a good idea.

I have no idea what I'm talking about here though, as I've got no firsthand experience in this matter ( yet! ).

-Chris

I have the same problem, so I am just gonna get my fat butt in the water early and do some warm up there.

On my long swims for the week I jump into the pool and swim the first 75 yards moderately fast, then settle into my pace. It sorta mimics the swim start of an actual race. I have also recently been timing my long swims for the week in the lap lane when the water aerobics class is going on in the main section of the pool. Depending on the number (and size) of folks taking the class it can create some SERIOUS Class 5 rapids.....

I have only done 2 open water swims in lakes and we were able to take a dip before the race started so I guess I am not much help with that topic. :-(

It looks like I'm going to either have to 1. Lift weights before swimming to loosen my muscles or 2. Swim before the race to lossen my muscles. Uggggghhh. More work before a tri! Just what I needed.

Running does work only legs, but it does warm up the whole body.

My general warmup is
- about 5-10 min run, with some sprinting and some arm flailing
- stationary body part flailing, arm swinging, trunk rotations and like...
- pullups/chinups (usually end up hanging of a tree branch), usually just a dozen or so.
- stationary body part flailing, arm swinging, trunk rotations and like...
- 20 hindu pushups (similar, but not the same, to dive bomber pushups)
- stationary body part flailing, arm swinging, trunk rotations and like...
- a big breath

From all what I've read it's a good idea to actually go for a swim before your triathlon to warm up, as your body will be used to the water temperature once the swim starts so you will be able to get right down to the business. That holds true for colder water swims especially...

I would definitely get in and swim before your race. It will give your body a chance to adjust to the water temperature and it will get your swimming muscles warmed up and ready to swim well. How much you need to warm up is pretty individual, but I would go at least as long as it takes you feel during practice, either in minutes or distance. Once you are out of the water it is important to stay warm until the start. Just prior to your wave, I would do some arm swings and the like to get yourself ready to swim. I would also practice this aspect of the race start: warm-up swim; get out, dry off and get warm; wait around a few minutes, then get ready to swim again and got for it.

If you go and watch a race, you will notice that some people swim a warm up of  400 yards, some people do 200 yards and some people will do absolutely nothing.  Everybody is different and you need to do what makes you feel the best.

Edited by Michael 2004-04-06 10:18 PM

Before my swims I usually try to do some sort of a light to moderate aerobic workout just to get the blood pumping ant to literally warm-up the muscles. Something like a quick 5-10 minute jog or bike gets the muscles warmed up, but like many of the concerns, this is not specific for the sport you will be working out in. So, if you prefer warm up for 5-10 minutes in the water with a moderate swim. Then when you are done with the warm-up, perform some LIGHT stretching. This is what is recommended for a warm up for any exercise.