I made this a 3 step process to eliminate some non essential stuff, and also to honor those who have actually paid me for my 12 week course, of which this curriculum is a part. I edited the title of the previous two kick timing posts to reflect this. You should definitely complete and understand those two lessons, on successive weeks, before attempting this third step.
Last week, I challenged your sense of kick control by limiting the kick to 1-kick per arm cycle. During the workout, you had some opportunities to get accustomed to this very limited use of the kick.
Now, we add an additional element to this drill: specific timing. With specific kick timing, our objective is to develop a sense of the most effective place to put a single kick during the stroke.
At this point in the cycle, we have been doing a whole host of activities that have focused on foot control, leading up to an ability to “time” our kicks. These have taken the form of stopping and starting the kick: 3-beat kick with board, pulling (not kicking), pulse kicking (turn it on and off)*, 1-leg kick (turn off one leg), and 1-beat kick (specifies duration of kick cycle).
Now, we take this to the next level, by specifying a specific timing of the kick with the arms. Difficulty in performing this can be expected with a majority of athletes, but by reviewing and reinforcing the activities that we have done up to this point, you will build your “physical vocabulary” in such a way as to allow you to achieve this command of timing.
Generally speaking, the most effective place to kick a single-beat is during the “finish” phase of the pull of the arm on the same side as the kicking leg. In other words, if you are kicking with your right leg, place the downbeat of the kick when the right arm is in the last half of the underwater portion of the stroke. This will give you a sensation of synchronized thrust, and acts much in the same way that a team off rowers delivers all of their paddles at the same time. More importantly, perhaps than any actual thrust generated by the kick, this foot provides your body with a “platform” off which to drive the rest of the body – allowing you to generate more force with your arms and torso, and thereby making the pull more effective.
We also introduce another speed-play concept: descending. Descending swims are common fare amongst competitive swimmers, and it simply refers to increasing speed between successive swims in a set (increasing speed = decreasing time, hence “descending”). So, if we are doing a set of 6 X 50, descending 1-3, it means we will increase our speed as we go from the 1st to the 2nd to the 3rd swim of the set, and then begin the process again through the 4th, 5th and 6th swims. This is in contrast to the “BUILD-UP” which involves changing speed within a single swim.
The set of 6x50 in the conditioning set of the primary workout also introduces another concept that you may or may not be familiar with - the "send-off interval". In contrast to the "set-rest" intervals that we use throughout most of the program, these sets list 3 intervals to the right - "1:00 / 1:15 / 1:30" -- you can choose one from this list that matches your speed, with an eye towards selecting an interval that gives you about :10 rest on the slow 50s. The 3 intervals are just suggestions, representing a wide range that tends to suit the range of swimmers that we encounter in our live classes - but you may wish to have one that is slower, faster, or somewhere in between.
A final note about kick timing... Often, after a few dedicated weeks, a swimmer "gets it" and the tendency is to move on, assuming that the proper timing is present and will always remain. My experience is that "getting it" is most likely just "getting it close", and there can be months and years of refinement available. Perfectly dialed in kick timing is a hallmark of successful swimmers, and for AOS, this "perfection" can take quite a bit of conscious work after the initial "getting it". Proper kick timing can also come and go, especially at first, and especially when attempts are made to integrate that timing into new and non preferred kick rhythms.
If you want to see videos and explanations for some of the drills and activities (SoL, F&P, Pulse kicking, etc) presented in this workout, see my Essential Information post on Patreon. Those drills and activities are not required to learn the fundamentals of kick timing, but they can't hurt.
WARMUP
1 X 300 ALT. 50 SWIM / 25 F&P (or PULL)
:30 REST
4 X 50 on :10 REST
ODD – 3 BEAT KICK w/ BOARD
EVEN – PULL
4 X 50 SWIM on :15 REST
#1 – BREATHE EVERY 3RD
#2 – BREATHE EVERY 4TH
#3 – BREATHE EVERY 5TH
#4 – BREATHE CHOICE
1 X 100
ALTernate. 25 1-6 SoL / 25 3-6 SoL w/UN-INTERRUPTED KICK
REST :30
1 X 100 ALT. 25 6-6 PULSE / 25 SWIM
REST :30
INSTRUCTIONAL
6 X 25 SWIM WITH 1 LEG KICK with FINISH TIMING on :20 REST Do 3 with each leg.
CONDITIONING / DRILL REFINEMENT
6 X 50 PULL OR F&P, DESCEND 1-3 on :15 REST
1 X 300 done as 100 SWIM / 100 6-6 PULSE / 100 SWIM
REST :30
6 X 50 SWIM DESCEND 1-3 on :10 REST
REST 1:00
1 X 300 SWIM STRONG (Practice for next weeks time trial!)
REST 1:00
1 x 100 SWIM EASY
NOTES:
KICK TIMING – Generally speaking, the most effective place to kick a single-beat is
during the “finish” phase of the pull of the arm on the same side as the kicking leg. In other words, if you are kicking with your right leg, place the kick when the right arm is in the last half of the underwater portion of the stroke. This will give you a sensation of synchronized thrust, and acts much in the same way that a team off rowers delivers all of their paddles at the same time.
DESCEND – This is a basic speed-play concept which generally refers to increasing
speed between successive swims in a set (increasing speed = decreasing time, hence
“descending”). So, if we are doing a set of 6 X 50, descending 1-3, it means we will
increase our speed as we go from the 1st to the 2nd to the 3rd swim of the set, and then
begin the process again through the 4th, 5th and 6th swims.
This is in contrast to the
“BUILD-UP” which involves changing speed within a single swim.
Last week, I challenged your sense of kick control by limiting the kick to 1-kick per arm cycle. During the workout, you had some opportunities to get accustomed to this very limited use of the kick.
Now, we add an additional element to this drill: specific timing. With specific kick timing, our objective is to develop a sense of the most effective place to put a single kick during the stroke.
At this point in the cycle, we have been doing a whole host of activities that have focused on foot control, leading up to an ability to “time” our kicks. These have taken the form of stopping and starting the kick: 3-beat kick with board, pulling (not kicking), pulse kicking (turn it on and off)*, 1-leg kick (turn off one leg), and 1-beat kick (specifies duration of kick cycle).
Now, we take this to the next level, by specifying a specific timing of the kick with the arms. Difficulty in performing this can be expected with a majority of athletes, but by reviewing and reinforcing the activities that we have done up to this point, you will build your “physical vocabulary” in such a way as to allow you to achieve this command of timing.
Generally speaking, the most effective place to kick a single-beat is during the “finish” phase of the pull of the arm on the same side as the kicking leg. In other words, if you are kicking with your right leg, place the downbeat of the kick when the right arm is in the last half of the underwater portion of the stroke. This will give you a sensation of synchronized thrust, and acts much in the same way that a team off rowers delivers all of their paddles at the same time. More importantly, perhaps than any actual thrust generated by the kick, this foot provides your body with a “platform” off which to drive the rest of the body – allowing you to generate more force with your arms and torso, and thereby making the pull more effective.
We also introduce another speed-play concept: descending. Descending swims are common fare amongst competitive swimmers, and it simply refers to increasing speed between successive swims in a set (increasing speed = decreasing time, hence “descending”). So, if we are doing a set of 6 X 50, descending 1-3, it means we will increase our speed as we go from the 1st to the 2nd to the 3rd swim of the set, and then begin the process again through the 4th, 5th and 6th swims. This is in contrast to the “BUILD-UP” which involves changing speed within a single swim.
The set of 6x50 in the conditioning set of the primary workout also introduces another concept that you may or may not be familiar with - the "send-off interval". In contrast to the "set-rest" intervals that we use throughout most of the program, these sets list 3 intervals to the right - "1:00 / 1:15 / 1:30" -- you can choose one from this list that matches your speed, with an eye towards selecting an interval that gives you about :10 rest on the slow 50s. The 3 intervals are just suggestions, representing a wide range that tends to suit the range of swimmers that we encounter in our live classes - but you may wish to have one that is slower, faster, or somewhere in between.
A final note about kick timing... Often, after a few dedicated weeks, a swimmer "gets it" and the tendency is to move on, assuming that the proper timing is present and will always remain. My experience is that "getting it" is most likely just "getting it close", and there can be months and years of refinement available. Perfectly dialed in kick timing is a hallmark of successful swimmers, and for AOS, this "perfection" can take quite a bit of conscious work after the initial "getting it". Proper kick timing can also come and go, especially at first, and especially when attempts are made to integrate that timing into new and non preferred kick rhythms.
If you want to see videos and explanations for some of the drills and activities (SoL, F&P, Pulse kicking, etc) presented in this workout, see my Essential Information post on Patreon. Those drills and activities are not required to learn the fundamentals of kick timing, but they can't hurt.
WARMUP
1 X 300 ALT. 50 SWIM / 25 F&P (or PULL)
:30 REST
4 X 50 on :10 REST
ODD – 3 BEAT KICK w/ BOARD
EVEN – PULL
4 X 50 SWIM on :15 REST
#1 – BREATHE EVERY 3RD
#2 – BREATHE EVERY 4TH
#3 – BREATHE EVERY 5TH
#4 – BREATHE CHOICE
1 X 100
ALTernate. 25 1-6 SoL / 25 3-6 SoL w/UN-INTERRUPTED KICK
REST :30
1 X 100 ALT. 25 6-6 PULSE / 25 SWIM
REST :30
INSTRUCTIONAL
6 X 25 SWIM WITH 1 LEG KICK with FINISH TIMING on :20 REST Do 3 with each leg.
CONDITIONING / DRILL REFINEMENT
6 X 50 PULL OR F&P, DESCEND 1-3 on :15 REST
1 X 300 done as 100 SWIM / 100 6-6 PULSE / 100 SWIM
REST :30
6 X 50 SWIM DESCEND 1-3 on :10 REST
REST 1:00
1 X 300 SWIM STRONG (Practice for next weeks time trial!)
REST 1:00
1 x 100 SWIM EASY
NOTES:
KICK TIMING – Generally speaking, the most effective place to kick a single-beat is
during the “finish” phase of the pull of the arm on the same side as the kicking leg. In other words, if you are kicking with your right leg, place the kick when the right arm is in the last half of the underwater portion of the stroke. This will give you a sensation of synchronized thrust, and acts much in the same way that a team off rowers delivers all of their paddles at the same time.
DESCEND – This is a basic speed-play concept which generally refers to increasing
speed between successive swims in a set (increasing speed = decreasing time, hence
“descending”). So, if we are doing a set of 6 X 50, descending 1-3, it means we will
increase our speed as we go from the 1st to the 2nd to the 3rd swim of the set, and then
begin the process again through the 4th, 5th and 6th swims.
This is in contrast to the
“BUILD-UP” which involves changing speed within a single swim.
Last edited by:
FindinFreestyle: Dec 4, 17 6:52