The FAF AFAP Digest

Arm endurance? How do you develop "arm endurance"

Originally Posted by thewookiee

Arm endurance? How do you develop "arm endurance"

Arm endurance - when you get your arms to endure swimming fast for LCM 50 to 100.

Yes, Frank's right. Because my swimming is so kick dominant, long course is tough for me. Last year, I crashed and burned on 50s sprinting right from the start. Literally, my long course 50 back has about the same # of strokes as my SCY 100 back. I would like to improve last year's 50s at the Zones meet. But I'm just not sure I'll be able to get enough long course swimming in before then ... Practicing in short course doesn't seem to cut it for me in long course. I may play around with high reps in the gym. Not sure how much that will transfer though.

Originally Posted by The Fortress

Practicing in short course doesn't seem to cut it for me in long course. I may play around with high reps in the gym. Not sure how much that will transfer though.

One possibility to practice your speedwork with less SPL, and this would also be a good development for your overall stroke management across all competitive race courses. While it is always best to do LCM prep for LCM racing, I believe doing some fast DPS work discovering the range of SPL that you can use with some 'transfer' for taking it out in a 'longer' race such as LCM 50 or a 100 in any course.

Not that FR is anything like the breaststroke, note that in Kevin's Cordes' record setting 200 breaststroke, his SPL was something like 3-4-4-4-4-4-5-6 per 25. I would speculate there is a correlation among all the strokes relative to individual stroke and underwater skills toward maximizing efficient speed with a strong tempo finish for effective racing strategy in a specific course.

I have been working on DPS/ more efficient free. Our coach told me I had the slowest turnover of everyone in my heat of the 100 free, at least on the first 50. Hopefully, I'm headed in the right direction. Mostly, I just need a long course pool. My best long course season I was training a lot with my team.

If that is the case, when you have a lane to yourself, you might want to use one fo the stretch cords that allow you to only go about halfway down the pool. Swim or sprint out to the middle of the pool. From there, try holding your place in the pool or staying just in front of the spot for 15-45 seconds.

I use to believe that one had to train long course to race long course. Last year, I didn't train any long course and swam pretty well in lcm meets.

One of my best seasons for LCM I trained 95% SCY (with no backstroke flags too). Granted, I was a youngin' still, but it was leaps and bounds better on the whole compared to just about any season since then. I trained a lot of bizarre distances, like 125s and 250s to try and compensate.

I also think Wook's stretch cord idea is a great one- we've done that at UMd on weeks when the pool is switched back to SCY in the summer for camps, and it seems easier to get back into the groove when we go back to LCM.

Originally Posted by thewookiee

If that is the case, when you have a lane to yourself, you might want to use one fo the stretch cords that allow you to only go about halfway down the pool. Swim or sprint out to the middle of the pool. From there, try holding your place in the pool or staying just in front of the spot for 15-45 seconds.

I use to believe that one had to train long course to race long course. Last year, I didn't train any long course and swam pretty well in lcm meets.

Great idea! I had completely forgotten about my bungee cord. That is a surefire way to work on endurance. It is pretty exhausting though, with the added resistance.

Originally Posted by swimmieAvsFan

One of my best seasons for LCM I trained 95% SCY (with no backstroke flags too). Granted, I was a youngin' still, but it was leaps and bounds better on the whole compared to just about any season since then. I trained a lot of bizarre distances, like 125s and 250s to try and compensate.

I also think Wook's stretch cord idea is a great one- we've done that at UMd on weeks when the pool is switched back to SCY in the summer for camps, and it seems easier to get back into the groove when we go back to LCM.

Yes, I can and will do longer distances. It's just that I'm almost incapable of not kicking off a wall. I've only got 7 weeks until LCM Zones and I'll probably be pretty wasted for a few days after nationals, so I don't have much time. I have to figure out when the Rockville pool opens. Probably not until after Memorial Day. I'm not sure if Mason is set up long course during rec swim either; I would guess not.

I feel like my last two long course seasons have been sub-par with 50s feeling like marathons. Unlike short course where I've smashed my tech suit bests, I'm not very near them in long course (of course my short course PRs are due to adding even more kicking). Last year, I had the power outage debacle and didn't sleep or get in the pool before Omaha. I feel snakebit in long course!

Originally Posted by thewookiee

If that is the case, when you have a lane to yourself, you might want to use one fo the stretch cords that allow you to only go about halfway down the pool. Swim or sprint out to the middle of the pool. From there, try holding your place in the pool or staying just in front of the spot for 15-45 seconds.

I use to believe that one had to train long course to race long course. Last year, I didn't train any long course and swam pretty well in lcm meets.

Excellent suggestion! Bungie/stretch cords provide a wide range of applications for swim training. I have short cords for my 12.5 yard HOA pool, and intended to also order some longer ones to keep in the back in my car to use as needed. Your comment reminded me about it, which I did not put on a list, and with me sometimes "it is out of sight out of mind".

Mason changes to long course tomorrow. For the rest of the summer.

Originally Posted by 200free

Mason changes to long course tomorrow. For the rest of the summer.

Even during rec swim? That would be fantastic. I'm going to try to make some weekend practices too.

If you have to use the stretch cord in a short course pool, get a tempo trainer. Set it for something like :30 seconds. When it beeps, try to swim at a strong pace until the next beep, then swim easy until it beeps again or two beeps or three beeps, your pick.

While swimming at a strong pace, try to stay in the same spot or move a little forward. During the rest phase, just focus on good mechanics.

You can build up to 1:00 of fast swimming, a couple of minutes of easy swimming.