Legs are so important in swimming, but people rarely use them to their full potiential while swimming. The next time you are in the water just notice if you are dragging your legs as dead wieght or if they are helping you. If you are just dragging them along for the ride you will find that your body positioning in the water is, most likely, low in the water and your arms get fatigue fast. Your legs have the ability to make you feel like you are pulling rocks or feathers. The choice is up to you... rocks or feathers? If you use your legs properly in the water you will find yourself in the proper streamlined body position, breathing will be easier (I know many of you would like this to happen), and a long relaxed stroke is possible. Remember that just because I say you need to use your legs properly, does not mean that you should kick like a motor boat every time you swim. On the other hand, it is important to learn a kick that will keep you in proper streamline positioning, but not exhaust your legs after the first lap. The way we work on a better kick is to KICK. Pulling can also help you work on a good kick, believe it or not. When pulling-- your legs are buoyed up in the water and this allows you to feel the proper positioning in the water--then you should try and emulate this positioning in your swims by kicking properly. The last point that I will make about legs is that they are some of the bodies largest muscles and therefore use the most oxygen. Because your legs hold so much oxygen they can make or break your swimming, depending on how in shape they are. If your legs are not in shape you will find that you can't use those legs for very long before oxygen becomes very hard to come by. You will just resort to not using your legs and therefore become low in the water.
TUESDAY'S WORK OUT
WARM UP 200 x swim
200 x kick
400 yrds
16 x 50--swim 4, kick 4, pull 4, swim 4. 30 Sec. rest between 50s
800 yrds
8 x 75-- pull 75, swim 75. Work on feeling that body positioning in the water during the pull and then copy that feeling in the swim. Adjust your kick to make the body positioning happen. 30 sec. rest between 75s.
600 yrds
24 x 25-- sprint kick 2 x 25s, moderate swim 25, sprint swim 25, then repeat this until all 24 are done. 30 rest on the kicks 15 sec. rest on all swims.
800 yrds
*Note: If you are doing the Iron man or you are training for a long swim keep going in the work out. The rest of you cool down with a 200 easy and get out here.
1st Group Total Yards: 2800 yrds
*Note: If you have an event this week sometime, adjust the workout so you are not doing so much kicking. In place of kick, do drill and stay long. It's ok to do the kick in the warm up but do minimal kicking throughout this workout. We do not want to exhaust your legs before your event.
5 x 200 pull with paddles, if you can find some. I want you guys to work on staying long and finding a good solid kick that keeps you up in the water, but does not exhaust you. These need to be hard. I want you to leave on 3:30 MAKE THESE! Just cause I am not there does not mean i'm not watching. Mwahaha!
1000 yrds
200 easy warm down.
200 yrds
Good luck
4000 yrds
*Note: Those of you doing the iron man it is more important that you do the last set then some of the others. If you find that you are running out of time skip something and get to the 5 x 200s.
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