Friday, February 28, 2014

Wednesday Workout - High Velocity


High Velocity

This Past Wednesday, we had a great workout I thought I'd share.


The Goal: High Velocity, not just trying hard, but true high end velocity and tempo's.

The Process:  In order to do this, it takes time, because you are not going to be able repeat high velocity efforts with any success if you don't have enough time to recover between.  When we are training with the entire team, I have found that I can successfully get about 40-50 high velocity efforts in about 60 minutes.  This week we just have 6 training for NCAA's and we were able to get 60 efforts in just over an hour without sacrificing the quality of each swim.  This is on the high end and we will reduce these from here on out.

Tools:  I use power racks and have always been a big fan of these (it is important not to have too much weight as it could affect tempo's). I use a whistle a lot.  We do 10 second sprints which are 25's for most of them, but I have found they swim differently when they are trying to get as far as they can before the whistle blows vs. just to the wall.  A good swimmer will start picking up if they are a half stroke ahead or behind and more small details than just swimming to the wall.  In other workouts, we use weights to vertical kick, the wall, anything we can think of.

How to do it:  The swimmers have to be all in.  It's all or nothing in these kinds of workouts:

The Main Set:

5 rounds of 12 minutes where each round consists of 4 minutes on the power rack, 4 X 25 @ 1:00 (sprint to :10 second whistle), and 4 minutes of a kick/swim/equipment progression.

5 rounds (60 minutes):

Power racks: first 2 round 8 @ 30 (2nd round add weight), last 3 rounds 4 @ 60 add weight each round unless coach stops you.

4 sprints from dive @ 60
*start on whistle, sprint to whistle

3rd part changes with each round:
Round 1 – 4 X 50 Kick @ 60 all out 1st :10
Round 2 – 4 X 50 Kick w/ fins @ 60 all out 1st :10
Round 3 – Kick against the wall all out for :05 + turn + sprint 1st 2 stroke cycles (4 FR/BK)
Round 4 – 4 X 50 sprint 1st :10 w/ fins & pads

Round 5 – 4 X 12 ½ sprint from mid pool, leave on whistle

Let me know if you have any questions, would love to talk.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

How to Win the Close Races

This past weekend was our Championship meet and we saw close races all weekend long, it was a great.  I don't like when I hear how the last 25 always comes down to who "wants it more."  You can't tell me that 2 swimmers of equal talent and ability turn together at the last 25 and one wants it more or less than the other, simply not true.

Here is the trick to winning close races, I believe it is a combination of 2 things:

1.  It comes back to the team.  If you invest in the team, you will have more invested in the swim, you will have more to fight for, it will be more than just a time.  It is not who wants it more, but who has more reasons to get to the wall first.  During the season, never under estimate the importance of getting to know your teammates and making those deep connections.  They will pay off.

2.  Execution! It's not who wanted it more, it's who executed the last 25 the best.  Who stayed the most streamlined, who timed the finish the best, who's hips were higher, who had the better breakout or pullout?  That is where it is won and lost.  That does not come from who swam the furthest, but who swam the best.  Get your team to value the importance of learning the details of successful swimming.  A lot of people can swim far, it takes execution and paying attention to the details to swim fast.