How to Build Speed in the Pool

In the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, we saw Michael Phelps and other world-class accomplish nearly-unimaginable feats in the pool. What did the feats entail? Almost every single competition was the same: speed. Go the fastest, and you’re the best swimmer.

It’s easy to look at those athletes swimming so fast, but it becomes another thing entirely when you wonder how it can actually be done. After a few weeks in the pool, you might feel like your technique improved, but what about that “speed ceiling” when it feels like you can’t go any faster? Let’s take a deeper look and explore how to build speed in the water.

According to gold-medal winner Dawn Heckman, training for endurance doesn’t mean you’ll improve speed. Sure, you might say “I’ve spent countless hours in the pool – shouldn’t my speed automatically improve because of hard work?” Not necessarily. You wouldn’t expect to become a faster runner if all you ever did was the same six-miles-per-hour pace for months on end. In order to achieve better results, you have to practice doing what you want to become good at. That means you’ll have to practice swimming quickly!

“Once a week, I would do a low-yardage, high-intensity set where the purpose was to swim at race speed and lay everything down on the line,” said Heckman (http://www.howtobefit.com/build-swim-speed.htm). “In order to be a fast swimmer, you have to practice swimming fast.”

This means that every once in a while, you’re going to need to break up your swimming routine by going all-out, maxing out your speed, and letting endurance fall to the wayside. It’s the only way to get your body used to a faster pace, which in turn will get your mind used to traveling at higher speeds.

When you’re working to improve your speed, you have to also keep your eye on two things: your times and your technique.

For many people, when attempting higher speeds, the technique that they used in earlier endurance swims breaks down. Why? They’re not used to the fast pace and lose their concentration. This is part of the reason it’s important to incorporate “swim sprints” in your training, but it also means you’ll have to concentrate on maintaining technique even when you go full-out.

Also, as the axiom goes, whatever gets measured gets managed. Measure your times every week, and see if there are ways to cut the amount of time it takes for you to swim certain distances. If you can’t have someone else do it, bring a waterproof stopwatch, start it, and then start swimming after ten seconds. Do it consistently to make sure your measurements are accurate on a weekly basis, and don’t only take one “speed trial.” Try a few to make sure you have a handle on where you are, and where you’re progressing.

Photo Credits: marcopako

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Originally posted 2009-03-12 05:26:55.

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Posted by Bike Swim Run on February 19, 2012 in Swimming. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.