General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Swim warm up Rss Feed  
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2016-06-28 9:12 AM


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Subject: Swim warm up
Hi all,
I'm not a very experienced swimmer and have a question on the "warm up" part of a workout.
I often see workouts that say 200-300 warm up before the main set, etc.
What are these "warm up" swims supposed to be like? How are they different from the "main set" swimming? I have no trouble at all doing a warm up in cycling or running, but when I get in the pool and swim, it is all swimming to me. Maybe I am just that inexperienced. And a swim cool down? To me, that is just more swimming after you are already tired out. I should mention that most of my swimming to date is working on technique. I have not done much "speed work" at all.
Thanks for any advice!
Barry


2016-06-28 9:41 AM
in reply to: Burchib


261
1001002525
Subject: RE: Swim warm up
Originally posted by Burchib

Hi all,
I'm not a very experienced swimmer and have a question on the "warm up" part of a workout.
I often see workouts that say 200-300 warm up before the main set, etc.
What are these "warm up" swims supposed to be like? How are they different from the "main set" swimming? I have no trouble at all doing a warm up in cycling or running, but when I get in the pool and swim, it is all swimming to me. Maybe I am just that inexperienced. And a swim cool down? To me, that is just more swimming after you are already tired out. I should mention that most of my swimming to date is working on technique. I have not done much "speed work" at all.
Thanks for any advice!
Barry


just like cycling or running warmups in the sense you are getting your muscles prepared for the harder effort of the main set. I like to do 200 freestyle, 200 kick, 200 pull buoy. Each of those sites, I start easy for each of those 200s and build the effort within each 200. I'm not going to go fast within the warmup but I'll build the effort a little to get warmed up.
2016-06-28 12:16 PM
in reply to: Burchib

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Master
2429
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Falls Church, Virginia
Subject: RE: Swim warm up
I use the warm up in particular to make sure my cap and goggles are adjusted to my liking, make sure everything is comfy, etc. Because if I'm doing tight intervals that day, there isn't always time for that kind of thing once my real workout starts.
As a newer swimmer, I look at warm up as getting my breathing and body past that initial uncomfortable feeling I get around the 250 mark. I do a bit of breaststroke, a bit of backstroke, and finish up with freestyle.
Cool down is the opposite. Just unwinding, maybe some sculling, getting the heartrate back down.
2016-06-28 2:18 PM
in reply to: Burchib

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Champion
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Sarasota, FL
Subject: RE: Swim warm up

As an older athlete (63) and one who's always taken a long time to warm up over the years, I use the warm up to both get my muscles loose and to get my heart rate and breathing going before hitting it hard.

My Masters swim team usually does a 800 yd warm up:

200 swim/loosen  

200 kick

200 pull / drill

200 swim

During the first 200 I try to focus on good form, especially getting good extension to get my shoulders loose.  I'll do some long underwater streamlines when I push off the wall both to stretch and get a feel for the water - I like to go at least a body length past the backstroke flags.  Some of my teammates like to blast off from the start and "race" the warm up, but I try to resist the temptation and gradually increase my intensity.   I don't want to be winded after my warm up, but I want to have my breathing and heart rate elevated and ready to go.  

The kick set is important to me because I have patella tendinosis in my right knee and it takes time to get it loosened up in the morning.  I normally split the kicking between flutter and dolphin.

Some of our newer or less experienced swimmers will cut the warm up in half, swimming 100's rather than 200's.  The general rule is that you don't want to push yourself beyond the point where your form starts to breakdown.  

At the end of practice, we usually do a 100-200 cool down.  Just EZ swimming, but still concentrating on maintaining good technique.  If I'm not pressed for time I like to do an easy, rhythmic 4 x 25 butterfly, followed by an easy 100 free.  In theory the warm down is supposed to help flush the lactic acid out of your muscles to help reduce soreness and promote recovery, though some of the recent research is challenging that viewpoint.  

Mark 

 

 

 

 

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