Hydrodynamics, Strength, technique. What is you weakest area?
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fishgutzy
Posts: 2,807 Member
I have observed, in myself and other swimmers that these three factors, in combination, determine who fast one can swim a 100.
Today, there was a much younger swimmer, clearly physically stronger than I am, and much better hydrodynamics (thinner
). Yet his technique was his obvious weak area.
I have also seen swimmers with rather round shapes but power and technique that swim circles around me.
And one swimmer who had the strength and upper body technique but a runners kick that really slowed him down.
My technique is much improved over time, and my hydrodynamics are much better than they were 100 pounds ago. Both can still improve. But strength is probably my weakest aspect. That limits how much I can speed up my stroke cadence while maintaining stroke per length count. When I push harder, I can shave a few seconds off my lap time and maintain proper technique and 20 strokes per length.
I do various lifts in the weight room to build mu upper body strength over all as well as swimming muscle focused.
Some day I'll get down to a 1:40 100. A 1:30 would be even better. Then I could swim 5 miles before work instead of 4
Today, there was a much younger swimmer, clearly physically stronger than I am, and much better hydrodynamics (thinner
). Yet his technique was his obvious weak area.I have also seen swimmers with rather round shapes but power and technique that swim circles around me.
And one swimmer who had the strength and upper body technique but a runners kick that really slowed him down.
My technique is much improved over time, and my hydrodynamics are much better than they were 100 pounds ago. Both can still improve. But strength is probably my weakest aspect. That limits how much I can speed up my stroke cadence while maintaining stroke per length count. When I push harder, I can shave a few seconds off my lap time and maintain proper technique and 20 strokes per length.
I do various lifts in the weight room to build mu upper body strength over all as well as swimming muscle focused.
Some day I'll get down to a 1:40 100. A 1:30 would be even better. Then I could swim 5 miles before work instead of 4
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Like you, my strength is definitely my weakest point. I can do the proper stroke - slowly (52 strokes/min is my go-to speed). But if I speed it up, or do long distances, I get tired and my elbow drops or I don't finish the stroke. And pushing harder means that my stroke per length goes way down (when I am focusing on this, it takes me 17 strokes to get across a 25m pool. If I stop being careful, it goes up to 22/23 per length).
I need to start a strength program again. I know this, but I really don't want to.0 -
I don't know for sure, but I think it is 98% technique and maybe a little bit of hydrodynamics for me. I'm pretty strong but I think coming to swimming later in life and swimming on my own for so many years has left me with a not so hot stroke. It's kind of short and I have trouble getting stretched out and getting enough body rotation. I'm a slow swimmer. Swimming with the masters group and different clinics have helped me improve but I wonder how far that can take me. You sure don't learn things as fast at 50 as you did at 20!
I've often wondered about hydrodynamic effects but I sure see all sorts of people larger and smaller than me swimming faster. What I have wondered about more is buoyancy and drag. I am so buoyant I think I could swim a pull stroke without a buoy. I also have a pretty pronounce pear shape with large hips. Does the excess buoyancy cause drag through the water? Does the fact that larger shoulders are not punching a bigger hole through the water for the rest of me matter? Probably as slow as I go, it doesn't really but since I'm swimming anyway I think of it while crawling up and down the pool. 0 -
Hard to say.
Training at a higher stroke rate has definitely upped my upper body strength in a big way, and physical endurance generally!
I definitely do not have the preferred swimmers body - slim, tall and long limbs. I am medium height. Heavy bones and muscular (an Arnie body type going by the swimsmooth categories).
So although the strength is pretty high, I think the 'hydrodynamics' as you called them are not ideal.
Doing my best to work on my technique, body position, etc to help with this.
I think I also lose out on some of the buoyancy that some with more body fat have. There was a guy that I used to see in the pool earlier in the year! His body fat percentage must have been pretty high, but boy could he swim fast!0 -
Hydrodynamics as it relates to body shape. Technique effects hydrodynamics too but I consider that to come under technique.
For instance, heavy people that are fast vs. skinny people that are slower, what I have observed is that body position, legs/butt up makes a huge difference. Skinny person that lets the legs and butt sink has to work harder.
Using burner fins definitely helped my body position. Before that my legs and but sank. Keeping my chin tucked a little helps with that too.
@mpeters1965 You got that right about learning at 50. But I am learning. That short video on you tube about the catch up drill is what got me from 24 down to 20 strokes per length. And I have the text book at home to study for AFAA personal trainer certification. Haven't had time to take the test yet though. Too many China trips. It is something I would do so I could volunteer at the Y as a trainer, not do it for income. Though if I did do so as an independent I'd call it New Tricks Fitness. Who say you can't teach an old dog new tricks 0 -
My last 20 of 141 this morning I tried pushing up my rate a little. About a 1:50 100 vs about a 1:55 to 1:55 100.AquaticQuests wrote: »Hard to say.
Training at a higher stroke rate has definitely upped my upper body strength in a big way, and physical endurance generally!
It always amazes me how much more effort that small increase requires. By if I keep doing that, it will get easier. Of course, it takes me abut a month to get back to where I was before a month long China trip with no swimming.0 -
I was just thinking today that I need to start using the pull buoy because my arm strength is no bueno. I can kick all the the livelong day and not think a thing of it, but my arm and back muscles are weak so my stroke cadence is slow. So yeah, strength for me for sure.0
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Fishgutzy - I have been doing the catch up drill, especially concentrating on stroke length and rotation and it has helped some with my stroke and body rotation as long as I concentrate. If I think really hard about it I can do 25 yards in 20-21 strokes. My norm is more like 24-25 though.0
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My strength is there as I really have to think about kicking more. I don't know about technique because I can't see myself
Lately my weakness has been boredom. 0 -
Like Gutzy, I think it's got to be hydrodynamics due to body shape. Although I've lost a good amount of weight, I'm still a big guy - especially through the upper body (shoulders, chest). I'm not a sprinter & never have been, even when I competed through high school - I did much better in the longer events (200 & 500 free) because of endurance & the 100 fly because I had the upper body strength. Being older (51), I'm not as strong as I used to be, but I'm building up better than I had been. I still probably can't do 100 fly, but I can do bunch of 50's of it in my I.M.'s & I definitely feel stronger doing it. My techniques are OK to pretty good, depending on the stroke & slowly improving. Knowing what to do & how to do it s completely different from being able to do it....0
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I can't really pick one ....but then at around 3:00 100m I think I probably have plenty of room to improve all 3 ...if I can ever get to 1:50 sustainable for an hour I'll be happy ...0
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You'll get there. One lap at a time.stephenrhinton wrote: »I can't really pick one ....but then at around 3:00 100m I think I probably have plenty of room to improve all 3 ...if I can ever get to 1:50 sustainable for an hour I'll be happy ...
When I was at 310# I found that using TYR burner fins helped my form and helped distribute the work more while I lost weight and got a little better hydrodynamic form
Before using the fins, my butt and legs would drop too much.
Now my butt is pretty much out of the water and my legs stay up. I only use the fins for kick board laps.
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