Lap Time for Flutter Kick
Don Liu
I feel kick is very important in front crawl. Kick is probablly the
biggest diference between a good swimmer and a swimmer. So even in a
casual workout, I always make sure I kick (with kickboard) at least 10
laps (500M). On a good day, I can kick 500M non stop. For once I timed
my 50M kick sprint, ~ 1 min. While I do kick, I can't keep my head
above the water all the time. My head is out of water only when
breathing.
Any comment? I was wondering how your guys do your kick training?
Thanks,
Don
Rick Osterberg
> my 50M kick sprint, ~ 1 min. While I do kick, I can't keep my head
> above the water all the time. My head is out of water only when
> breathing.
> Any comment? I was wondering how your guys do your kick training?
Try some interval training on kicking. Or some interval training with a
"descending effort". For example, some sets I do (in a 25 yard pool):
5 x 100 kick @ 2:00
5 x 100 kick @ 2:00, descend 1-5
5 x 100 kick @ 2:00, descend 1-3, easy 4, 5th fast
6 x 100 kick @ 2:00, descend 1-3, 4-6.
10 x 50 kick @ 1:00, one easy, one fast
If you're not familiar with it... "descend 1-3, 4-6" means first is easy,
second faster, third fastest, fourth easy, fifth faster, sixth fastest.
Adjust your time intevals appropriately. When I do 5 x 100 kick @2:00, I
usually hold around 1:25 to 1:30 per 100 (i.e., 30 or so seconds rest).
When I do the descending sets, the fast 100 kick is usually around 1:10 to
1:15 (i.e., 45-50 seconds rest). So you can adjust appropriately.
-Rick
--
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Rick Osterberg oste...@fas.harvard.edu |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Derek McEachern
>> laps (500M). On a good day, I can kick 500M non stop. For once I
>> timed my 50M kick sprint, ~ 1 min. While I do kick, I can't keep
>> my head above the water all the time. My head is out of water only
>> when breathing.
>
>> Any comment? I was wondering how your guys do your kick training?
>
> Try some interval training on kicking. Or some interval training
> with a "descending effort". For example, some sets I do (in a 25
> yard pool):
>
> 5 x 100 kick @ 2:00
> 5 x 100 kick @ 2:00, descend 1-5
> 5 x 100 kick @ 2:00, descend 1-3, easy 4, 5th fast
> 6 x 100 kick @ 2:00, descend 1-3, 4-6.
> 10 x 50 kick @ 1:00, one easy, one fast
>
> If you're not familiar with it... "descend 1-3, 4-6" means first is
> easy, second faster, third fastest, fourth easy, fifth faster,
> sixth fastest. Adjust your time intevals appropriately. When I do
> 5 x 100 kick @2:00, I usually hold around 1:25 to 1:30 per 100
> (i.e., 30 or so seconds rest). When I do the descending sets, the
> fast 100 kick is usually around 1:10 to 1:15 (i.e., 45-50 seconds
> rest). So you can adjust appropriately.
>
> -Rick
>
>
I also like to do swimming/kicking combination sets like
10x100 (50 Kick/50 Swim) then (50 Swim/50 Kick).
--
Derek
derekm at airmail dot net
RunnSwim
described previously....to repeat:
In a long course pool, swim the first 25 full stroke, flat out hard, then stop
stroking and try to maintain your momentum all the way to the wall, kicking
only (preferably racing workout buddies on either side of you). Do a few of
these, and you'll really feel the burn (and be sore the next day). Ideal if
someone can time you for the 1st 25 vis a vis the 2nd 25. Great sprint
freestylers slow down hardly at all. Watching this drill is what first gave me
the idea about what I think is the most important role of kicking in "long
stroke" swimmers...the conservation of momentum in the dead time between arm
strokes. Hard to get a stalled automobile moving when you are pushing by
yourself, but, once moving, relatively easy to keep it moving. This is what
kicking does. Elite swimmers who are poor kickers invariably stroke more
rapidly maintain their momentum, but good kickers can get more of a rest
between arm strokes, because their kick keeps them moving ahead without loss of
momentum (plus an "aerobic" kick removes lactate from the bloodstream plus an
"aerobic kick" burns fat much more effectively than does upper body stroking,
etc., etc. as previously discussed).
- Larry Weisenthal
Don Liu
> One of the most spectacular/exciting kicking drills I've ever seen was
> described previously....to repeat:
>
I am sure this is a great drill.
I remember I read an article somewhere, saying "when you push off a
wall, that is the highest speed you can obtain in swimming."
This is probably true, the speed of swimming: ~100M / 47 sec.= ~2.1
M/sec. And when you push off the wall, how many meters you traveled in
that short period.
So this could indicate that: in a short course sprint (e.g. 50M), the
world top kicker could beat world top sprinter.
It looks like that: the name of the game of swimming is about how to
keep the speed, instead of how to gain the speed.
Donald Graft
"Don Liu" <ddl...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:873c59ab.01061...@posting.google.com...
> wall, that is the highest speed you can obtain in swimming."
Wrong. The highest speed is attained on the dive from the blocks.
> This is probably true, the speed of swimming: ~100M / 47 sec.= ~2.1
> M/sec. And when you push off the wall, how many meters you traveled in
> that short period.
>
> So this could indicate that: in a short course sprint (e.g. 50M), the
> world top kicker could beat world top sprinter.
Your logic is not only nonexistent, but if that were true, the freestyle
world record would be held by a person who kicked the whole race.
It isn't.
> It looks like that: the name of the game of swimming is about how to
> keep the speed, instead of how to gain the speed.
"name of the game"?
Don
i.s
Throw the kick board away and do all your kicking without it and in a good
body position. Or are you training to compete in a sprint kickboard comp?
Ian
"Don Liu" <ddl...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:873c59ab.01061...@posting.google.com...
Don Liu
> Don
> Throw the kick board away and do all your kicking without it and in a good
> body position. Or are you training to compete in a sprint kickboard comp?
> Ian
>
Thanks for the advice.
Last weekend in a local swimming meet, I had chance to speak to a
former Olympian, 200 IM world record holder. My understanding is: in
swimming, just like anything else in the world, there is no shortcut.
Every Olympic champion start swimming when very little, practice under
a coach, swim tens of thousands of yards every day, give up almost
everything else in life.
Of course, there is no chance for us to become Olympic champion. But
to become a good swimmer, we got to do the similar thing. Join a club,
find a coach, swim a lot..... I will join a local club pretty soon.
Regarding kick, I feel I am getting some progress. Kick really
initiate from hip. Ankle should really loose up. Actually, I know this
from very beginning after reading several books, but I don't know what
it really means. Only after so many laps of kick, I come to realize
it. My legs come to be strong enough. Remember someone said "you
should love the struggle".
Anyway, Thanks for all the information got from here. I swim my first
1500 m after I saw Tom Dolan's video from Don's web page.
I will talk to you soon.