Perhaps no sport requires as much preparation, controlled intensity of workouts and specific tapering schedules leading up to a major meet as swimming. A typical seasonal training plan for a swimmer revolves around the concept of peaking at the right time. For a world-class swimmer, it might be at the Olympic Games. For a high school swimmer, the state finals. To determine the right training plan, a coach "walks back" from the big event and starts building the swimmer's condition and speed. In addition, extensive work on stroke technique and regular out-of-water strength training are a part of your workouts during the season.
Endurance Phase
As an article originally published in "American Swimmer Magazine" explains, the endurance phase of your seasonal training should last from 16 to 18 weeks. After that, swimmers progress little or not at all in their ability to increase repetitions, which means they are as aerobically fit as possible. Almost all coaches build up your aerobic ability early in the season, so you have a base of endurance from which to work.
Speed Phase
After the primary endurance phase of training, interval training is phased in to build up your speed and strength for competition. A period of six to eight weeks of interval training seems to be the ideal amount of time for gradually lowering your times. After six to eight weeks, you will plateau at times. The endurance and speed phases add up to roughly 24 weeks of training to peak at the right time.
Tapering
Tapering time is subject to trial and error for each coach and swimmer. Coaches initiate major reductions in training time and intensity anywhere from one week to four weeks before the event. Your coach might give you one or two days per week with no workouts as opposed to the normal daily practice sessions, and distance and speed work are reduced significantly.
Considerations
Seasonal training plans for swimmers are based on tradition and experience but not hard science. The Coaches Info website questions the conventional wisdom. A survey of 24 top New Zealand coaches found that they follow the standard seasonal workout plan -- build a base of endurance for hard workouts and competition, emphasize good technique and avoid overtraining. However, Coaches Info faults the overuse of freestyle workouts for specialists in other strokes and says the normal seasonal plan might not produce the best results. "Training prescription on the whole appeared to have little impact on swimming performance," the site said.
Member Comments