swim training structure

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Permalink Reply by Julian Downing on March 11, 2008 at 7:46pm

Not totally sure on what you are saying or asking but swimming is a very technical skill and if the stroke has flaws these will show up however "fit" you may be, its the laws of physics. So the faster you become the more correct the stroke needs to be to go even faster.

Of course you are quite correct you also need to do tempo and speed work, but the basics and tuning must be in place.

As for the LSD I am not a great fan of this and feel the time can be used to a greater effect with drills specific to your own stroke needs and/or your needs in triathlon swimming.

So the correct (not just anyone to pass the time, that is a waste) drills are required to enable speed and to a certain extent drilling correctly and specific alone will make you go faster. Add to this once the stroke is correct intervals, speed work etc and the jig-saw falls into place.

Hope that’s what you looking for.

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Permalink Reply by PB Swimming Editor on March 15, 2008 at 4:29pm

Swim training can echo the way you train on the bike and the run in many ways, in that certain sessions target different aspects of your fitness, e.g. strength, endurance, speed, lactate threshold etc. It’s very important with swimming being such a skillful sport that even if you incorporate such sets as 10 x 100m or 8 x 200m or 4 x 400m (to give a very basic idea of a "main set"), that these be done whilst maintaining good form.

One of my favourite sessions is to start off with a gentle warm-up which usually constitutes 10-20% of the entire session; followed by some specific drill / technique work targeted at your inefficiencies; back this up with a short set of intervals that will elevate the heart rate and prepare you for the main set; include a main set which is specifically targeted to address what you are looking to work on, e.g. strength, endurance, speed etc and that the rest intervals and intensities are set appropriately; cool down with another set of drills / technique work to allow you to leave the pool with your stroke in great shape, or mix things up a bit and include some specific open water work, e.g. drafting / starts etc which can be fun and enjoyable and give you the motivational "carrot" to get through the main set.

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Permalink Reply by rodney_tri on May 4, 2008 at 2:49pm

Only during the real base phase should a lot of time be spent on drills. and even then not some much throughout the main set which should be done in 100m lots. As swimming is a technical sports, as to do with bio-mechanics and what not, there needs to be a very good foundation in place with technique. however, after a certian while no real drills should be needed as once the skills is learned and practiced by the mucsles, they remember and no further in need of massive drill sets.

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