Surf Fitness & Nutrition

[nm]

10x100 fly@1:40
10x100back@1:30
10x100breast@1:45
10x100free@1:30
10x200IM @3:00

I don't train like that anymore.

warm down. carve pumpkin, drink beer.

That's more my speeed.

[intrepid]

Maybe we should post some of the monster sets we've done in the past. Here is one of mine. It was the winter of '98 my "long distance" stint when I was a swimming machine.

108x100 free

1-15 @ 1:25
16-42 @ 1:20
43-108 @ 1:15

total: 10.8 kilometers

(keep in mind it was scm)

I'm going to try and get back into the pool this next week. We'll see...

[nm]

You guys are asking me to remember workouts I did over 16 years ago? Good luck. The only thing I remember from winter workouts was the distance. The furthest being over 16,000 yards in one day. And the vague memory of downing a lot of tylenol-3 (codine).

[intrepid]

I can't remember most of my workouts either. Fortunately I have a copy of some of the gnarliest. I'll have to dig it out. It will give me the jitters and get me stoked for swimming again.

Nothing like remembering the "Glory Years"

[fresh mode]

You guys are asking me to remember workouts I did over 16 years ago? Good luck. The only thing I remember from winter workouts was the distance. The furthest being over 16,000 yards in one day. And the vague memory of downing a lot of tylenol-3 (codine).

I only remember the rediculous sets, or the ones where i didn't black-out. haha. I've noticed that butterfly probably isolates paddling muscles better than freestyle. But, you can't create the stamina for paddling by swimming lots of fly. fly is just to nasty to swim too much of (nowadays anyways, for me). What's your opinion?

[nm]

I've noticed that butterfly probably isolates paddling muscles better than freestyle. But, you can't create the stamina for paddling by swimming lots of fly. fly is just to nasty to swim too much of (nowadays anyways, for me). What's your opinion?

I agree..........in that fly is just too nasty to swim too much of. It does work the lats and tri's much better than say free or back and is a sprint stroke.......short powerful bursts of speed. However, I have seen guys do entire workouts of fly........so it is possible to build up a good endurance base. But do you really want to go that far?

[intrepid]

I'd say that in swimming the shoulders are the primary area of damage. I have yet to meet a serious butterflier who doesn't swim with some type of reoccurring pain. It makes me glad butterfly wasn't my best stroke. I'm fine with just doing 50's.

[fresh mode]

I'd say that in swimming the shoulders are the primary area of damage. I have yet to meet a serious butterflier who doesn't swim with some type of reoccurring pain. It makes me glad butterfly wasn't my best stroke. I'm fine with just doing 50's.

Yeah, there are a lot of flyers with sore shoulders...
A big part of shoulder damage also comes from the freestyle stroke. Any experienced swimmers know that free is the primary stroke swum to increases aerobic base. One time when I got done swimming a timed 3000, my coach told me I was crossing over with my right arm. which means my left hand/forearm was slightly on the left side of my body as I pulled through the water...just a tiny bit, hence "crossed over." I thought to myself, "whatever, coach." Well, I was doing kick sets the next 10 days because my shoulder was so sore.

I swam tons of breaststroke. best time 55.4...and my knees are just fine. That's what's great about swimming...there's no joint damage due to impact, but the wrong technique can be very damaging.

If anybody wants to prevent shoulder problems, go buy some surgical tubing...stretchy but not too tight, and do abduction and adduction excercises with your shoulders. Important to keep your elbow touching your side while doing this. It strengthens the rotor cuff muscles.

and then you could try making a giant water balloon launcher!

[Gazsurf]

If anybody wants to prevent shoulder problems, go buy some surgical tubing...stretchy but not too tight, and do abduction and adduction excercises with your shoulders. Important to keep your elbow touching your side while doing this. It strengthens the rotor cuff muscles.and then you could try making a giant water balloon launcher!

Just what I need to do rotor is giving me grief, thanks.

[intrepid]

A big part of shoulder damage also comes from the freestyle stroke. Any experienced swimmers know that free is the primary stroke swum to increases aerobic base.

I agree. There is a lot of damage done freestyle wise, because of the volume it is swum. Little errors in stroke can have big impact over a long period.

Two things to look for to prevent injuries with your stroke: A lot of people don't wait for the "catch" part of freestyle and start putting power on their outstretched arm. Another thing for a lot of people is not breathing on both sides.

There are so many little things that you can look at and change with swimming, and they are changing all the time. Swimming is such a complex muscle movement. There is so much to think about!

[holddown]

I could have done three things to prevent my shoulder problem. I could have:

1) Not stepped on my softball glove while running and stretching out for a long fly ball.

2) Not got slammed into the bottom while milking a wave 10 yards too far into a beach break close out section.

3) Not landed shoulder first into the ice after falling off a a snowboard gap to platform obstacle that I thought was just a gap obstacle because of poor visibility in the fog.

[kevinfromseattle]

swim more butterfly. it is the most demanding physically and whips yur butt

[nm]

25 yard pool

600 swim/ 100 kick/ 300 pull

8x50 back @ 1:00 (desc. 1-8 )
200ez
8x50 breast @ 1:00 (desc. 1-8 )
100ez
8x50 free @ 1:00 (desc. 1-8 ) fast
50 ez
8x25 fly @ :40 (desc. 1-8 )

300 kick

16x25 pull @ :25

200 ez

[nm]

25 yard pool

3 x [100 swim/ 100kick/ 100 pull]

4 x 25 @ :30 scull

3 x [4x100 IM @ 1:45/ 4x25 kick @ :30/ 100 free ez]

300 IM kick

8 x 25 @ :40 (200 IM)

200 ez
---------------

All this stroke work.......my pecs are killing me. (Bad knees.....forced to pull all the breast stroke.)

[gills]

freshie:

Explain the shoulder thing a little better. I get a bit soar from my swims, as I tend to swim a lot. I'd like also like suggestions for stretching out your arms before hopping into the pool.