BoMan wrote:I was doing the fly to build my aerobic fitness and to relieve the boredom of an all freestyle swim. Will butterfly hold me back?
No, butterfly is good for what it is. Its just that its not particularly close to paddling. But if it keeps you going, interested, general cardio - keep doing it. I probably wouldn't use it as the foundation of your workout (which should be freestyle), but as something different to break things up, by all means.
BoMan wrote:Right now the short laps are "swim then rest" because I'm still out of shape, but I'll switch to sprints when I can. If my best time for a 25 free is 14 seconds what should I shoot for in the repeats?
What I suggest trying is laps 'on time' - so lets say you are doing 25m repetitions (personally I suggest at least 50m but if 25m is what you feel like you are up to, then 25m). It takes you 14 seconds at the moment. So do 10 laps 'on 30 seconds' - basically every 30 seconds you start a new lap. So (for example), your first lap takes 15 seconds, you rest 15 seconds and push off right at 30 seconds. Next lap takes 16 seconds, rest 14 seconds, push off right at 1min. etc etc. Until you have done xx laps (6 or 8 or 10, depending on fitness). Once you get to 10 laps 'on 30' then, next session, drop the time - to, say, 'on 25' (something like 27 seconds would probably be a good drop, but trying to figure out 27 seconds after 9 laps might be a bit hard!).
This is just one part of the session - so you might do 'on time' for a block; another block might be swim 75m or 100m as fast as you can and then rest until you feel good again (breath back), then do another 75m sprint etc. Notice your times and try to beat them next time. Another block might be 400m at any pace but no stopping. If you want (a bit more advanced) do descending sets eg 4x25m as fast as possible on 20 or 22 seconds; then rest for a couple of minutes. Then 4x25m on 25 seconds and rest. Then 4 x 25m on 30 seconds.
Distances and timings are for you to determine, this is just by way of example.
Every few sessions, swim for 20 minutes without stopping or do 1000m or whatever.
'Real swimmers', like my cousin (who I don't train - he is up at 0530 for swim training 4 mornings a week. I'm up at 0530 approximately 0 times per year), do 3500 - 4500m per session x 4 times per week. Their warm up might be 800m and then 4x200m sprints. There is no way and no point people like me (and, I hope you don't mind me saying, you!) are ever going to do that - but keep in mind just how far you can push your swimming if you really really want to.
Big H wrote:I'm jealous of your willpower for a program like that......I really can't exercise for the sake of it....I need to be doing something (IE playing soccer rather than running to get in shape). Attention deficit, lack of willpower, boredom
This is the very reason why I like timing your swims - it keeps you motivated. You want to beat the time, you want to meet the deadline etc. If you just hop in a pool and start swimming, then blah. But if you create internal competition. For example, if you swim 50m in 40 seconds, then you try to do 100m in as close to 80 seconds as possible. Or you try to swim 4x100m in 90 seconds each, with the last swim just as fast as the first. Or 500m in xx minutes etc. Whatever keeps you going.
Swimming is something that takes a while to get into, at least for me. Its a chore, its hard work, it feels wrong. But after about 4-6 months (or so!) you start picking up a rhythm, getting fitter, it becomes less agony. Its not dissimilar to starting a jogging routine in that respect, but its an activity that many of us (including me) don't really have the background or training in and so it seems a lot more effort than running.
