500 yard swim

[matt6599]

Does anyone know any good workouts to improve speed in the 500 yard swim?

 

[brs2585]

I liked to do cycles. Do a set like 5-10 * 100yd at lets say 1:30 per 100. Do for a week or so and then try to cut off 5 sec per hundred

 

[matt6599]

did you swim everyday?

 

[brs2585]

do this at least 3 times a week

 

[matt6599]

ok thanks for your help I am going to give it a try in the morning.

 

[brs2585]

you want to becoming in with about 5-10 seconds left in the cycle

 

[Purdue Jones]

When does the swim test take place? I took the PRT earlier and we didn't do it. Is it only at OCS?

 

[brs2585]

you can ask to do the swim instead of the run

 

[Kolja]

I don't know how OCS works, but there are (or were, at least) a couple training places where you don't necesarily get the option. I remember API made you run it whether you were normally a swimmer or not.

I really ought to look into swimming it, but for training it just seems so much more convenient (not necesarily easier!!) to step out the front door and start running, or watch TV on the treadmill - going to the pool is kind of a pain in the ass.

 

[nugget81]

I swim 50yd sprints. I like to sprint it, rest until the 1:00 min mark, sprint it again, etc. I do this for 10 minutes (500 yds total). You can move the rest mark up or down according to your ability (rest until :55 or 1:05) This increases overall speed and teaches you to really pace the swim. If you keep all the times relatively close then you will swim the total 500 in less time rather than swimming your first leg quickest and your last leg at near double the time. Keep in mind that this is literally a sprint - each and every leg.

 

[brs2585]

50 sprints are good if you are training for 200yd races but you need to work 100's and 200's for the 500.

 

[matt6599]

is there a trick to learning the flip turn or is there another way to turn and kick off of the wall that is fairly efficient and more simple?

 

[brs2585]

i like to teach it a couple of feet from the wall. this helps you concentrate on the flip and then later worry about planting your feet on the wall.

 

[matt6599]

I got the flip down i just cant judge how far i am from the wall and never get a good kick, that or i am to close and basically kick the wall on the flip.

 

[gaijin6423]

I was not a strong swimmer before I went to college. I never had trouble with our swim quals when I was an enlisted Marine, but I couldn't hang with the lap swimming thing. ...Which they made me do endlessly at the academy.

Probably the thing that helped me the most was a pyramid-style interval workout. Usually 100-200m to warm up, some quick stretching, then sprint 50m, rest for 5-10 sec, repeat. I'd do that a couple times, then increase both the distance and the rest time to 100m/25-30 sec, and then increase both again. After I got up to 300m/1min of rest, I'd work my way back down before a very ssslllllooooowwwww 300-400m cool down.

Worked well for me, and if you combine that with a push-up/pull-up/ab workout right afterwards and running 3x/week, it'll put you into pretty kick-a$s shape.