swim sets

[Disylizzy]

@mon-goose, why such long sets? Just curious

[Mr Winter]

You guys should also include if the set is designed to improve a certain aspect of your swimming. For example if the set is supposed to improve your distance or speed.

[RexFuzzle]

Imprint from coach back in the day:

100 Kick

100 Pull

100 Swim

Repeat until somebody cries.

[mon-goose]

I'm trying to increase speed over a 3km distance and trying to comfortably complete a distance of 5km. Want to do a 3km open water swim within an hr in November and then a 5km within 2hrs in Feb.

 

I'm just mixing up sets to make sure I do some speed work and some distance. Not following any particular approach. If the set has a fair amount of sprinting them it's working my speed and if it's long then working my endurance.... my basic approach.

[mon-goose]

I was in the pool yesterday and there was a youngster, probably around 12, and his coach was seriously working him. This kid was really fast but at one point this poor kids was in tears... but he kept going pretty fast, left me way behind

[mon-goose]

did my first masters class this morning to see what it's all about. The distance was less than normal but the intensity and the drills killed me. We did:

 

300 Warmup

8x100 kick

8x50 one arm catchup, alternate arms each 25

8x50 normal catch up

8x50 sprint - only breathing once on the first 25m

300 warm down

 

was meant to do 800 warm down to get to 3000m total. but I didn't have time and had to leave for work

 

quite enjoyed the session and realised I probably also need to do more drills.

[davem]

Admin, please close this thread. Mongoose is making us all feel inferior.

[Disylizzy]

Masters groups are really good to swim with. There's always someone there faster than you. You'll find that even though you don't do the distance in the session that you're used to, you're working a hell of a lot harder than swimming by yourself. And when you do go swim the distance events, you'll be surprised at how easy you find them.

[mon-goose]

that's what I recon. And I got one or two tips on my stroke technique as well which I could already feel the difference when changed. I wasn't pulling all the way back until my arms were almost straight back before bringing them out of the water to bring them forward. I was pulling them out of the water too early so the pull wasn't complete.

 

Don't worry DAVEM, you'd put me to shame on the bike and run. I haven't been on a bike in about 5 years thanks to bad knees.

[SwissVan]

Do you guys really do all those kicking sets?

 

I gave up kicking long ago, not only because my kick is useless but at the end of the day as a triathlete i figured the time was better spent training drills or something else.

 

The time spent kicking (it takes me forever to kick 100m ) does not justify the difference between a great kick and a *** kick... in triathlon anyway...IMO

[mon-goose]

as I said I usually don't do more than 150 kick. Just followed instructions this time around:)

[davem]

SwissVan. I am with you on that. But I do the following as a core strengthening exercise which will hopefully stop me bending in the water.

 

25m back kick with fins

25m back dolphin kick with fins

25m front kick with fins

25m front dolphin kick with fins

 

Repeat x5

 

By doing only 25m of each type at a time. You don't fatigue as much and are able to concentrate on technique. With the fins, it passes fairly quickly and you don't drown.

 

To me kick is for stabilisation not propulsion.

[SwissVan]

SwissVan. I am with you on that. But I do the following as a core strengthening exercise which will hopefully stop me bending in the water.

 

25m back kick with fins

25m back dolphin kick with fins

25m front kick with fins

25m front dolphin kick with fins

 

Repeat x5

 

By doing only 25m of each type at a time. You don't fatigue as much and are able to concentrate on technique. With the fins, it passes fairly quickly and you don't drown.

 

To me kick is for stabilisation not propulsion.

 

That's my theory as well.

 

When I start swimming again this winter I'm going to try concentrate on flexing / keeping my ankles straight or pointing to the wall behind me to reduce drag. The problem is to do it naturally without thinking to hard. For someone who has spent a lot of time running / cycling my ankles are quite flexible but this needs to be improved.

 

Fins help enforce ankle flex so that your toes point to the wall and not the bottom of the pool

[Disylizzy]

I have to disagree about the kicking. Praciticing kicking makes you more cognizant of your leg position in the water, ie if you're dragging or not. Also if you have a strong kick, then in any event, even open water where you barely kick is more beneficial than dragging your legs in the water.

[Ilana]

As Dizzy says - as long as you have a good body position in the water and not dragging your feet openwater swimming (esp if you are swimming in a wetsuit) does not require a strong kick. As long as you have a n efficient pull the kick is merely there to stabilize you. I find that when I am doing longer distances my kick slows down to a two beat but revs up to a flutter when doing sprints when the extra propulsion is required.

 

Did a killer set on Tuesday night:

Warm up (400m)

200m f/s easy

200m IM kick/swim (25m kick/25swim)

 

Main set: (1800m)

8x50 f/s @ '55

200m recovery - fly drill - 25 mellada/25 one arm alternating every 2nd stroke

8x50 f/s @ '50

200m recovery - backstroke drill - 25 double touch/ 25 6 kick drill

8x50 f/s @ '45

200m recovery breastroke drill - 25m 3 kick pull/ 25 normal

 

Cool down: (300m)

300m pull with paddles and pool buoy

Total set - 2500m

[SwissVan]

 

As Dizzy says - as long as you have a good body position in the water and not dragging your feet openwater swimming (esp if you are swimming in a wetsuit) does not require a strong kick. As long as you have a n efficient pull the kick is merely there to stabilize you. I find that when I am doing longer distances my kick slows down to a two beat but revs up to a flutter when doing sprints when the extra propulsion is required.

 

 

 

That's what I was getting at, its great if you can kick well then you use it, but if you are just an average or useless kicker then rather focus on technique rather than trying to improve the strength of your kick.

 

Another thing kicking is also good for.... it gives your shoulders a rest during training

 

BTW, what is the f/s in your set mean?