Now that you had read the simple rationale why we do pool events, the most important reason or key takeaway is yourself. That’s why in additionally to asking you guys what you all had for lunch, the mindless questions, I would additionally quiz you guys on why you all have intend to join competition? Some of the common answers are,
- Keep fit
- Just for experience
- Fun
- Win Medal
- Revenge (yes, someone said that along the lines)
- Break all the records (NTU LG records only)
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, of course. But in general, I hope everyone can align their goals to be a better lifesaver.
- keep fit (putting in effort to train, you will definitely be stronger, faster better LG.)
- Just for experience (The most boastful, worst objective. You can tell everyone you partook in comp before. People will think you are a very good lifesaver, but you might not be)
- Fun (As long as you put in effort to make it an enjoyable experience for all, don’t whine and complain, it will be fun for everyone.)
- Win Medal (you will definitely be a better lifesaver)
- Revenge (yes, someone said that along the lines) {Nothingness is naught, naught is nothingness. Why bother? But you will become better}
- Break all the records (NTU LG records only) {Do I need to elaborate more? Such a straightforward goal}
It’s only in lifesaving that you get the opportunity to perfect your finning, manikin towing, clipping technique, surface dive, and endurance or sprinting.
I go to the pool every Monday and Wednesday hoping you guys can remember you are here to be a better lifesaver.
This is a skill that enables you to save lives, no matter how underrated it seemed. It’s only imperative that you perfect your craft.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Why we do this part 2: On everything else...
They are essentially based on very real scenarios that are very applicable to open waters and the pool (close water) provides a very good test bed for training these scenarios.
Manikin carry
- Simulate short distance sprinting of 25m surface dive to recover victim from underwater and tow for another 25m to complete the event.
Rescue medley
- simulates a swim out to a victim 50m away, dive under for a underwater search (17.5m) say the water us murky, so you got to hold breath and search for your victim and towing for 32.5m back.
100m manikin carry with fins
- pretty similar to the rescue medley above, just that with fins swim out 50m, pick up a submerged victim underwater and tow 100m back to shore.
Line throw
- The perfect skill of throwing a rope to a conscious victim and pulling him back to shore.
4x25 manikin relay
- Not so much of having a key relation to lifesaving technique, but is more on communication and teamwork amongst the 4 competitors to pass the manikin to one another.
4x50 medley relay
- Not so much of having a key relation to lifesaving technique, but is more on communication and teamwork amongst the last 2 competitors
Superlifesaver
- Combo of manikin carry and 100m tow with tube and fins.
100m Tow with tube and fins
- With the aid of both a lifesaving torpedo tube and fins, fin 50m, clip a conscious aka floating victim and swim back 50m.
Manikin carry
- Simulate short distance sprinting of 25m surface dive to recover victim from underwater and tow for another 25m to complete the event.
Rescue medley
- simulates a swim out to a victim 50m away, dive under for a underwater search (17.5m) say the water us murky, so you got to hold breath and search for your victim and towing for 32.5m back.
100m manikin carry with fins
- pretty similar to the rescue medley above, just that with fins swim out 50m, pick up a submerged victim underwater and tow 100m back to shore.
Line throw
- The perfect skill of throwing a rope to a conscious victim and pulling him back to shore.
4x25 manikin relay
- Not so much of having a key relation to lifesaving technique, but is more on communication and teamwork amongst the 4 competitors to pass the manikin to one another.
4x50 medley relay
- Not so much of having a key relation to lifesaving technique, but is more on communication and teamwork amongst the last 2 competitors
Superlifesaver
- Combo of manikin carry and 100m tow with tube and fins.
100m Tow with tube and fins
- With the aid of both a lifesaving torpedo tube and fins, fin 50m, clip a conscious aka floating victim and swim back 50m.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Why we do this? 200m Obstacle swim.
Similarly to how army works, for every lifesaving competition event, there is a certain rational or argument of how we do things. For the next few blogs (if no one else blogs) will be on the different events, their rationales and how we can train to perfect them. Of course, these are all my personal thoughts.
These training styles may differ from place to place, and based on personal preference.
Completion starts out long long ago, where a few people come together to see who is better at a certain trade.
Obstacle Swim.
Rationale.
This is akin to doing an underwater search for a victim or going under an obstacle to a victim under the obstacle.
How we train?
Keep doing surface dives. Practice makes perfect. Make it 4 strokes to 1 surface dive to practice diving. Aid the dive with a breaststroke pull and kick to touch the floor, bring your knees to your chest and kick off the floor with both legs. For some, they do not like for hands to touch the floor before kicking off the ground. (personal preference)
When going up make sure hands are straighten, (a good habit, esp when surfacing at sea, might have debris, hull of boats) continue flutter kicking or dolphin kicks and surface with freestyle.
Note when going down, the surface dive, not to be a sharp 90 degrees down. Adopt a 45 degree angle for more distance. Note your breast stroke, not to do your breast stroke kick in the air.
These training styles may differ from place to place, and based on personal preference.
Completion starts out long long ago, where a few people come together to see who is better at a certain trade.
Obstacle Swim.
Rationale.
This is akin to doing an underwater search for a victim or going under an obstacle to a victim under the obstacle.
How we train?
Keep doing surface dives. Practice makes perfect. Make it 4 strokes to 1 surface dive to practice diving. Aid the dive with a breaststroke pull and kick to touch the floor, bring your knees to your chest and kick off the floor with both legs. For some, they do not like for hands to touch the floor before kicking off the ground. (personal preference)
When going up make sure hands are straighten, (a good habit, esp when surfacing at sea, might have debris, hull of boats) continue flutter kicking or dolphin kicks and surface with freestyle.
Note when going down, the surface dive, not to be a sharp 90 degrees down. Adopt a 45 degree angle for more distance. Note your breast stroke, not to do your breast stroke kick in the air.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Hypoxic or Endurance Training
Instead of breathing every 3, 5, or 7 strokes by 50s, try breathing every 5, every 3, every 2 by 25s. Try to remain just as fluid on the last lap of each interval as you are on the first.
If you normally breathe to one side, and if any hypoxic work is too much for you, swim the set breathing only to your opposite side. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy this will become after just a few laps, and at how it can help streamline your stroke once you return to breathing on your "normal" side.
Since excessive or improper head movement is the stroke error with the greatest potential to hurt your body position and balance, one of the most effective and simplest drills to correct it is to swim short distances with the head held absolutely still. Try swimming 25-yard repeats, taking 0 to 2 breaths per length. For 50-yard repeats, aim for 3 to 4 breaths per length. On longer distances, try to breathe every 3 to 5 armstrokes, BUT GO VERY EASILY in order to swim without feeling distressed or tense. Tune in to how this smoothes out body movement and what your stroke feels like when you do so.
You may find that when you do hypoxic sets, your body seems hungrier for air on the first repeat, but becomes progressively more comfortable with each repeat. This is because your body is adapting to the reduced oxygen availability by identifying and letting go of needless tension. Tension is nothing more than useless and involuntary muscle contractions that use oxygen without helping your swim faster. By relaxing and letting go of tension, you teach your body to use the oxygen that's available more efficiently.
Hypoxic sets are most often assigned with pull buoys. That's because the largest (and oxygen-hungriest) muscles in the body are your quadriceps or thigh muscles. Stop kicking and it gets easier to swim further between breaths. But unless you anticipate being able to use a pull buoy in your next race, you're better off training your aerobic and nervous systems to perform without the aid of extra flotation. To take the load off your thigh muscles while doing hypoxic work, think of your legs as passive, and simply do less overt kicking. If you use hypoxic training, do it with the awareness that the benefits will be in technique, not physiology. While you're swimming further between breaths, concentrate on better balance, controlling your head movements, and learning to relax more while swimming.
If you normally breathe to one side, and if any hypoxic work is too much for you, swim the set breathing only to your opposite side. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy this will become after just a few laps, and at how it can help streamline your stroke once you return to breathing on your "normal" side.
Since excessive or improper head movement is the stroke error with the greatest potential to hurt your body position and balance, one of the most effective and simplest drills to correct it is to swim short distances with the head held absolutely still. Try swimming 25-yard repeats, taking 0 to 2 breaths per length. For 50-yard repeats, aim for 3 to 4 breaths per length. On longer distances, try to breathe every 3 to 5 armstrokes, BUT GO VERY EASILY in order to swim without feeling distressed or tense. Tune in to how this smoothes out body movement and what your stroke feels like when you do so.
You may find that when you do hypoxic sets, your body seems hungrier for air on the first repeat, but becomes progressively more comfortable with each repeat. This is because your body is adapting to the reduced oxygen availability by identifying and letting go of needless tension. Tension is nothing more than useless and involuntary muscle contractions that use oxygen without helping your swim faster. By relaxing and letting go of tension, you teach your body to use the oxygen that's available more efficiently.
Hypoxic sets are most often assigned with pull buoys. That's because the largest (and oxygen-hungriest) muscles in the body are your quadriceps or thigh muscles. Stop kicking and it gets easier to swim further between breaths. But unless you anticipate being able to use a pull buoy in your next race, you're better off training your aerobic and nervous systems to perform without the aid of extra flotation. To take the load off your thigh muscles while doing hypoxic work, think of your legs as passive, and simply do less overt kicking. If you use hypoxic training, do it with the awareness that the benefits will be in technique, not physiology. While you're swimming further between breaths, concentrate on better balance, controlling your head movements, and learning to relax more while swimming.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
competition part 5: More on Food...
Read on the bold parts if you got no time...
"Clinical studies have proven that athletes who consume carbohydrates within two hours after exercise are able to more completely restore their muscles' glycogen levels." In support of this need to quickly consume carbohydrates, researchers at the University of Illinois found that laboratory animals who exercised until their glycogen vanished recovered more quickly with sugar water. In results presented at the American Society for Nutritional Sciences (April 6, 1999), they found that they recovered 60% of their glycogen in an hour and 100% within four hours. Animals who only drank water took eight hours or more to recover their glycogen and muscle protein synthesis.”
Therefore, its not wise to starve yourself after a heavy training session. Starving is a way the brain communicates to you that you need food. So do satisfy that craving, however we must replenish only what is right.
Protein Provides "OOOmph"
However, merely binging on sugar (the ultimate refined carbohydrate) or other sweets after working out will not maximize glycogen creation and storage. To most effectively store muscular energy, boosting "insulin is essential," Dr. Burke points out. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps move glucose from the blood stream and into the muscles. "Studies have shown that protein, when combined with carbohydrate, almost doubles the insulin response and increases the rate of glycogen synthesis by 30%," notes Dr. Burke.
Burke cautions, however, than an overindulgence in protein provokes the body's production of a biochemical called cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK slows down the rate at which food and fluid moves from the stomach and into the intestines for absorption. This process then hinders absorption of both carbohydrates and water, consequently slowing your recovery.
One effective way to eat protein with your sugar is to consume nonfat yogurt sweetened with fruit and fruit juice. A tuna sandwich (skip the fatty mayo) along with plenty of fruit juice and fruit also provides protein with carbohydrates.
That’s why in competition, there is always tuna, bread and nutella.
Chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation, and contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
Basically it’s a relaxing and happy food. Moderation is key! Competition is a highly stressful environment and the long waiting time between events sure will send your heart racing with excitement. A little chocolate will calm things down.
Banana- potassium can help in improving a person's alertness. However, it should be noted that excessive quantities of potassium cause decreased heart muscle activity. A medium-size banana contains at least 450 mg of potassium.
With all that toning down with the chocolates, you need this to perk up, recommended to be consumed not less then 15mins before your event!
"Clinical studies have proven that athletes who consume carbohydrates within two hours after exercise are able to more completely restore their muscles' glycogen levels." In support of this need to quickly consume carbohydrates, researchers at the University of Illinois found that laboratory animals who exercised until their glycogen vanished recovered more quickly with sugar water. In results presented at the American Society for Nutritional Sciences (April 6, 1999), they found that they recovered 60% of their glycogen in an hour and 100% within four hours. Animals who only drank water took eight hours or more to recover their glycogen and muscle protein synthesis.”
Therefore, its not wise to starve yourself after a heavy training session. Starving is a way the brain communicates to you that you need food. So do satisfy that craving, however we must replenish only what is right.
Protein Provides "OOOmph"
However, merely binging on sugar (the ultimate refined carbohydrate) or other sweets after working out will not maximize glycogen creation and storage. To most effectively store muscular energy, boosting "insulin is essential," Dr. Burke points out. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps move glucose from the blood stream and into the muscles. "Studies have shown that protein, when combined with carbohydrate, almost doubles the insulin response and increases the rate of glycogen synthesis by 30%," notes Dr. Burke.
Burke cautions, however, than an overindulgence in protein provokes the body's production of a biochemical called cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK slows down the rate at which food and fluid moves from the stomach and into the intestines for absorption. This process then hinders absorption of both carbohydrates and water, consequently slowing your recovery.
One effective way to eat protein with your sugar is to consume nonfat yogurt sweetened with fruit and fruit juice. A tuna sandwich (skip the fatty mayo) along with plenty of fruit juice and fruit also provides protein with carbohydrates.
That’s why in competition, there is always tuna, bread and nutella.
Chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation, and contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.
Basically it’s a relaxing and happy food. Moderation is key! Competition is a highly stressful environment and the long waiting time between events sure will send your heart racing with excitement. A little chocolate will calm things down.
Banana- potassium can help in improving a person's alertness. However, it should be noted that excessive quantities of potassium cause decreased heart muscle activity. A medium-size banana contains at least 450 mg of potassium.
With all that toning down with the chocolates, you need this to perk up, recommended to be consumed not less then 15mins before your event!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Competition Part 4: All about food
Read on; especially note the bold pointers…
Before the competition
“To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to workouts to determine what works best for you.”
Eat way before competition to reap best benefits from your food, and reduce possibility of stitching, nausea, the need to pass motion, so on. Eat food high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. These include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars. Have it the night before. In our context, no one eat pasta for breakfast, right? As least not for me. We all always need a comfort food, be it ice cream, spicy stuff, fried stuff. Start cutting them down ONCE you read this article. 1-2 weeks before competition, stop them. Control what you eat.
During the competition
“You should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event”
This is where the Banana, Apple, Grapes, Oranges come in. Isotonic drinks and energy gels. You got to know by now, how much you need. So try not to overeat! all of us tend to do it during competition. Especially me.
Foods to Avoid Before Exercise Any foods with a lot of fat can be very difficult and slow to digest They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal. Spicy stuff should be avoided too!
After the competition
Feel free to indulge in the food you have been avoiding for the past 1-2 weeks. The feeling is very rewarding. You have just trumped yourself by controlling your diet, and you deserve it. However, if its National still water, this indulgence is short lived. Open water is less then 1 month away.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/EatForExercise.htm
Before the competition
“To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to workouts to determine what works best for you.”
Eat way before competition to reap best benefits from your food, and reduce possibility of stitching, nausea, the need to pass motion, so on. Eat food high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. These include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars. Have it the night before. In our context, no one eat pasta for breakfast, right? As least not for me. We all always need a comfort food, be it ice cream, spicy stuff, fried stuff. Start cutting them down ONCE you read this article. 1-2 weeks before competition, stop them. Control what you eat.
During the competition
“You should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event”
This is where the Banana, Apple, Grapes, Oranges come in. Isotonic drinks and energy gels. You got to know by now, how much you need. So try not to overeat! all of us tend to do it during competition. Especially me.
Foods to Avoid Before Exercise Any foods with a lot of fat can be very difficult and slow to digest They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal. Spicy stuff should be avoided too!
After the competition
Feel free to indulge in the food you have been avoiding for the past 1-2 weeks. The feeling is very rewarding. You have just trumped yourself by controlling your diet, and you deserve it. However, if its National still water, this indulgence is short lived. Open water is less then 1 month away.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/EatForExercise.htm
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Competition: Part 3
Part 3 of the competition series.
THE BEST ARTICLE BY FAR! PLS TAKE SOME TIME TO READ!
If you got no time, print it out and read while on the move. REALLY A GOOD READ!
Sprint Swimming:The Five-Finger Approach
by Mike Bottom
Imagine a large marble balancing in your open, upturned hand. Your fingers are extended and the palm of your hand forms a shallow bowl. With every slight movement of your hand, the marble rolls over the lines and ripples of your palm. The marble represents your sprinting goal. To "grasp" the marble or your goal, you must act with the five digits of the hand, each corresponding to a component of sprint swimming.
Aerobic or Endurance Training: The Little Finger
According to Dr. Ernest W. Maglis-cho's book, Swimming Even Faster, only two percent of the energy used to sprint 50 meters comes from aerobic metabolism, while 10 percent of the energy used in a 100-meter race is endurance-related. So why do sprinters train so many endurance yards?
Back to the analogy of the hand: The little finger does not appear to add much to the strength of the grip around the marble. However, of the eleven muscles that move the fingers, five act on the little finger. The muscles in the palm of the hand below the little finger are all connected in some way to the movement of the small finger. Without this muscular base, the marble would roll off before the hand could be closed. Endurance training increases the volume of blood the heart pumps and improves the central circulatory and respiratory systems. These systems, in turn, affect every energy system in the body.
Anaerobic or Lactate Training:The Ring Finger
Does the term "tying up" mean anything to you? The last five to 10 meters of a sprinter's 100 usually makes or breaks the race. According to Dr. Maglis-cho, 48 percent of the energy spent in a 50-meter sprint and 65 percent of the energy used in a 100-meter race originate from anaerobic metabolism. To train this energy system, one must swim with 95 to 100 percent of one's energy for 30 to 60 seconds. In other words, you should reach the "pain barrier" and then keep going.
Anybody who has been in a lasting relationship knows what makes or breaks a relationship is the ability to push through the times of painful confusion. When all seems to break down, the "winners" find a way to make it through the challenging moments.
Sample set: 3 x (100 blast, 200 swim), starting every six to eight minutes. Immediately after the fast 100, move into the 200 swim, which is 50 on your back, 150 working on your stroke. On the 100 blast, try to keep the heart rate between 160 and 180, depending on age. Three or four lactate sets per week should be maximum. (Note: Those with a history of heart problems should consult with a doctor before attempting lactate work.)
Power or Speed Training:The Middle Finger
Power and speed are the trademarks of the sprinter. Fifty percent of the 50-meter sprint and 25 percent of the 100-meter race are attributed to energy sources in the muscles that are stored and ready to use. However, to swim fast in competition, it is necessary to train at fast speeds. When training at race pace, the body will ride high and the swimmer must learn to hold or feel the water at high speeds.
Interestingly, in our culture the display of the middle finger often communicates a power stance.
Sample set: 10 x 100, swimming 25 blast through turns, 75 stroke work. Play with speed every workout.
Body Position and Stroke Mechanics:The Index Finger
Many of the world's strongest people swim like a rock, displaying poor form. I believe the most important ("number one" with the index finger) component of sprinting is body position and mechanics. Golf and tennis enthusiasts will hire experts on stroke mechanics and invest as much time and money as needed to "get it right." For some reason after many people have passed the learn-to-swim class, they feel they have arrived.
Water is a thousand times more dense than air. Doubling your speed in the water results in quadrupling your body's drag force or resistance in the water. The easiest way to get faster is to reduce your body resistance in the water, accomplished by spending time with an expert and a video camera.
Strength of Will (Commitment and Concentration): The Thumb
The limiting factor in grip strength is the ability of the thumb to oppose the force of the fingers. The factor limiting how fast you can swim is not your aerobic fitness, your ability to push through pain, your speed or power in the water, or your ability to overcome the resistance of the water. Simply stated, it is your WILL. To swim fast as you are able, you have to want to swim fast more than you want to watch TV, more than you want to feel comfortable or more than you want to eat lunch with a friend.
Pinapples contain bromalains; papaya, mangos, and passion fruit contain papace and papain. These fruits (must be fresh, not processed) eaten daily can provide that little bit of added help in allowing the body to recover faster.
Wise athletes cool down after workouts or races. If you suddenly quit, your heart and breathing rates will soon go back to resting levels, but your muscles retain by-products such as lactate. If you continue to exercise at a lower intensity (about 60% of maximum effort), you keep your heart pumping at a somewhat higher than resting level. This keeps the supply of nutrients coming to help clear out your muscles.
1) Long, easy, even paced, even tempo swimming helps develop a sense of rhythm. Being in a swim rhythm is a comfortable feeling that helps develop relaxation. When arm stroke, kick and breathing are in a co-ordinated rhythm, real relaxation in the water is possible. From there, it is possible over time to learn to stay relaxed at faster speeds. Learning to relax at slow speeds first is the crucial step.
2) Swim techniques and drills have been developed to decrease the resistance your body experiences when swimming. Developing technical excellence means you move through the water with less effort.
3) Work on M.D.S. or D.P.S. (Maximum Distance per Stroke or Distance per Stroke) skills as a priority. The best swimmers in the world are able to maintain long strokes at top speed, when tired and under pressure. It all starts with learning to swim with less strokes in training. In warm up, try counting strokes on the first lap. Then aim to take one stroke less on the next lap and so on.
4) Try the MINI-MAX workout (MINIMUM STROKES, MAXIMUM SPEED) used to great effect by Bill Sweetenham. Count your strokes on your first 50 metres. Accurately note your time. Next, add the number of strokes to your time. For example, if you take 50 strokes and swim 45 seconds for the lap, your lap score is 95. Aim to swim a lap score of 94 on the second lap, which means you need to either swim a little faster, or stroke a little longer. Continue the process 6 times. Fewer strokes is good. Faster speed is great. Fewer strokes and faster speed is best.
5) Work on keeping strokes long and strong at training. In every effort ask yourself "Could I do this with fewer strokes?" When doing skills work like drills aim for technical perfection, then technical perfection with the minimum number of strokes and finally technical perfection with a minimum number of strokes at maximum speed.
6) Develop real speed by thinking about swimming FAST rather than trying too hard and increasing effort during your speed. Train fast to Race fast.
7) Every turn in training is a race turn, every dive is a race dive. Every finish should be completed on the wall with power and controlled aggression. Train as you would like to race.
8) Drills should be completed with precision and with 100% concentration. Think technique first at all times.
9) Challenge yourself to swim fast when tired. In training challenge yourself to jump up at the end of the session and swim fast. When racing, challenge yourself to swim fast when tired, to swim fast heats in the morning then faster finals at night, to swim as fast on the last day of the meet as you did on the first day etc.
10) Learn to enjoy pressure situations. Being nervous is a sign that something great is about to happen. Your body is getting ready to do something brilliant. Learn to enjoy the pressure of competition.
THE BEST ARTICLE BY FAR! PLS TAKE SOME TIME TO READ!
If you got no time, print it out and read while on the move. REALLY A GOOD READ!
Sprint Swimming:The Five-Finger Approach
by Mike Bottom
Imagine a large marble balancing in your open, upturned hand. Your fingers are extended and the palm of your hand forms a shallow bowl. With every slight movement of your hand, the marble rolls over the lines and ripples of your palm. The marble represents your sprinting goal. To "grasp" the marble or your goal, you must act with the five digits of the hand, each corresponding to a component of sprint swimming.
Aerobic or Endurance Training: The Little Finger
According to Dr. Ernest W. Maglis-cho's book, Swimming Even Faster, only two percent of the energy used to sprint 50 meters comes from aerobic metabolism, while 10 percent of the energy used in a 100-meter race is endurance-related. So why do sprinters train so many endurance yards?
Back to the analogy of the hand: The little finger does not appear to add much to the strength of the grip around the marble. However, of the eleven muscles that move the fingers, five act on the little finger. The muscles in the palm of the hand below the little finger are all connected in some way to the movement of the small finger. Without this muscular base, the marble would roll off before the hand could be closed. Endurance training increases the volume of blood the heart pumps and improves the central circulatory and respiratory systems. These systems, in turn, affect every energy system in the body.
Anaerobic or Lactate Training:The Ring Finger
Does the term "tying up" mean anything to you? The last five to 10 meters of a sprinter's 100 usually makes or breaks the race. According to Dr. Maglis-cho, 48 percent of the energy spent in a 50-meter sprint and 65 percent of the energy used in a 100-meter race originate from anaerobic metabolism. To train this energy system, one must swim with 95 to 100 percent of one's energy for 30 to 60 seconds. In other words, you should reach the "pain barrier" and then keep going.
Anybody who has been in a lasting relationship knows what makes or breaks a relationship is the ability to push through the times of painful confusion. When all seems to break down, the "winners" find a way to make it through the challenging moments.
Sample set: 3 x (100 blast, 200 swim), starting every six to eight minutes. Immediately after the fast 100, move into the 200 swim, which is 50 on your back, 150 working on your stroke. On the 100 blast, try to keep the heart rate between 160 and 180, depending on age. Three or four lactate sets per week should be maximum. (Note: Those with a history of heart problems should consult with a doctor before attempting lactate work.)
Power or Speed Training:The Middle Finger
Power and speed are the trademarks of the sprinter. Fifty percent of the 50-meter sprint and 25 percent of the 100-meter race are attributed to energy sources in the muscles that are stored and ready to use. However, to swim fast in competition, it is necessary to train at fast speeds. When training at race pace, the body will ride high and the swimmer must learn to hold or feel the water at high speeds.
Interestingly, in our culture the display of the middle finger often communicates a power stance.
Sample set: 10 x 100, swimming 25 blast through turns, 75 stroke work. Play with speed every workout.
Body Position and Stroke Mechanics:The Index Finger
Many of the world's strongest people swim like a rock, displaying poor form. I believe the most important ("number one" with the index finger) component of sprinting is body position and mechanics. Golf and tennis enthusiasts will hire experts on stroke mechanics and invest as much time and money as needed to "get it right." For some reason after many people have passed the learn-to-swim class, they feel they have arrived.
Water is a thousand times more dense than air. Doubling your speed in the water results in quadrupling your body's drag force or resistance in the water. The easiest way to get faster is to reduce your body resistance in the water, accomplished by spending time with an expert and a video camera.
Strength of Will (Commitment and Concentration): The Thumb
The limiting factor in grip strength is the ability of the thumb to oppose the force of the fingers. The factor limiting how fast you can swim is not your aerobic fitness, your ability to push through pain, your speed or power in the water, or your ability to overcome the resistance of the water. Simply stated, it is your WILL. To swim fast as you are able, you have to want to swim fast more than you want to watch TV, more than you want to feel comfortable or more than you want to eat lunch with a friend.
Pinapples contain bromalains; papaya, mangos, and passion fruit contain papace and papain. These fruits (must be fresh, not processed) eaten daily can provide that little bit of added help in allowing the body to recover faster.
Wise athletes cool down after workouts or races. If you suddenly quit, your heart and breathing rates will soon go back to resting levels, but your muscles retain by-products such as lactate. If you continue to exercise at a lower intensity (about 60% of maximum effort), you keep your heart pumping at a somewhat higher than resting level. This keeps the supply of nutrients coming to help clear out your muscles.
1) Long, easy, even paced, even tempo swimming helps develop a sense of rhythm. Being in a swim rhythm is a comfortable feeling that helps develop relaxation. When arm stroke, kick and breathing are in a co-ordinated rhythm, real relaxation in the water is possible. From there, it is possible over time to learn to stay relaxed at faster speeds. Learning to relax at slow speeds first is the crucial step.
2) Swim techniques and drills have been developed to decrease the resistance your body experiences when swimming. Developing technical excellence means you move through the water with less effort.
3) Work on M.D.S. or D.P.S. (Maximum Distance per Stroke or Distance per Stroke) skills as a priority. The best swimmers in the world are able to maintain long strokes at top speed, when tired and under pressure. It all starts with learning to swim with less strokes in training. In warm up, try counting strokes on the first lap. Then aim to take one stroke less on the next lap and so on.
4) Try the MINI-MAX workout (MINIMUM STROKES, MAXIMUM SPEED) used to great effect by Bill Sweetenham. Count your strokes on your first 50 metres. Accurately note your time. Next, add the number of strokes to your time. For example, if you take 50 strokes and swim 45 seconds for the lap, your lap score is 95. Aim to swim a lap score of 94 on the second lap, which means you need to either swim a little faster, or stroke a little longer. Continue the process 6 times. Fewer strokes is good. Faster speed is great. Fewer strokes and faster speed is best.
5) Work on keeping strokes long and strong at training. In every effort ask yourself "Could I do this with fewer strokes?" When doing skills work like drills aim for technical perfection, then technical perfection with the minimum number of strokes and finally technical perfection with a minimum number of strokes at maximum speed.
6) Develop real speed by thinking about swimming FAST rather than trying too hard and increasing effort during your speed. Train fast to Race fast.
7) Every turn in training is a race turn, every dive is a race dive. Every finish should be completed on the wall with power and controlled aggression. Train as you would like to race.
8) Drills should be completed with precision and with 100% concentration. Think technique first at all times.
9) Challenge yourself to swim fast when tired. In training challenge yourself to jump up at the end of the session and swim fast. When racing, challenge yourself to swim fast when tired, to swim fast heats in the morning then faster finals at night, to swim as fast on the last day of the meet as you did on the first day etc.
10) Learn to enjoy pressure situations. Being nervous is a sign that something great is about to happen. Your body is getting ready to do something brilliant. Learn to enjoy the pressure of competition.
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