Understanding Strokes Per Minute

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi,

After a looooong layoff, I went swimming for the first time in over a year today, finally starting training again.

Anyway, being massively unfit, I set my workout as (meters) 100-200-300-100-200-300-200-100, on 20s rest, 1500m total, with the aim of swimming as relaxed as possible due to lack of any kind of fitness.

It’s the first time I’ve swum with a 910xt, and the data threw up a surprise.

I swam all intervals at a pace between 1:53/100m and 1:58/100m, so they were pretty consistent, and I guess considering total lack of fitness, times are ok.

According to the watch, I had an average strokes per minute of 19-21 for each interval - this is for one arm only, so means my real strokes per minute is 38-42.

I looked on the swimsmooth website, and they have a chart which says that my spm is MUCH too low for the speed, and should thus be increased. Also, when I see videos of swimmers, all good swimmers seem to be well above 70spm.

I was wondering a few things, as I’m not sure how to improve my spm.

  1. Does such a low spm mean I’m doomed? As a positive, can I assume my catch/pull are pretty good?
  2. How do you go about speeding it up? After the workout I tried a length (25m) at about 60 and it nearly killed me, and my shoulders.
  3. Why is 40 ‘low’ what’s wrong with that? What’s the benefit of doing the same speed at a higher spm?

Oh, I breath bilaterally.

I’m sorry if it’s a lot of questions… but I’ve no idea how to proceed, and it makes a change from Lance debates.

Would really appreciate some answers

Richard

2

Hi Richard,

Sorry can’t really help you on what the “ideal” spm would be but can tell you this. Swam growing up, college, and now masters… I have yet to hear anyone reference stroke-per-minute. Go with what works for you and feels the most efficient. Not worth hurting your shoulders trying to do what some website says you should do. Also depends on your effort levels I guess too. Most all swimmers are going to have a much higher turnover when doing 50,100,200 vs a 500 or 1650.

3

I’m not at all suprised that you are near 40 spm for the speed you are going.

You are taking near 80 strokes per 100 or about 20 per length (short course) so unless you are 7 feet tall or 4 foot tall you’re probably in a good range.

Now if you can bring your stroke rate up and still hold the ~20 per length (short course) then you will obviously be going faster. Just grab as much water as you can as fast as you can put it behind you.

For me swimming 1:20-1:25 I’m about 62 to 65 spm and I’m fairly short.

jaretj

4

As you get faster, your spm will naturally improve. At that speed, I think you’re just out of shape and also probably having some technique problems. Swim more. Get qualified stroke instruction. Swim sets like a swimmer. SPM will sort itself out as you get stronger.

5

I believe the 910 counts strokes per length and uses the time for that length count your SPM. This does not take into account the time you spent in your glide after the turn. Your actual SPM is higher.

6

when did swim training get so confusing? garmin for swimming in the pool to measure spm for an athlete swimming nearly 2 minute per100?? do yourself a favor, leave the garmin at home and use that new gadget called a clock.

7

I see someone already said it, your turns are not counted into the equation, so you can add a bunch of strokes before you get to your real number. It really is pretty easy to get your count if you are in a 50m pool. Do a treading water start and just swim across the pool normally and take your time at the end, counting each arm stroke. If it took you 45 seconds and you took 45 strokes, you can just add 25% to each for your SPM, so it would be 60. It is just a basic math problem, but you can see that you can get a good feel for your approximate strokes. And one lap is fine, just don’t do anything different. This also assumes a 50m pool so there is no turn to try and figure out either…

8

Push off wall. Breathe on your first stroke, read the clock. Swim to the other end, counting your strokes. Breathe on your last stroke, read the clock again. Subtract first read from second read, divide into sixty, multiply by stroke count. Done.

(And your example of 45 requires adding 33%, not 25% :slight_smile:

9

when did swim training get so confusing? garmin for swimming in the pool to measure spm for an athlete swimming nearly 2 minute per100?? do yourself a favor, leave the garmin at home and use that new gadget called a clock.

A couple of weeks ago, a new guy shows up at the pool at five AM, and plants himself and all his toys in the end lane. He spends the next half hour mostly swimming very slowly with bad form or standing at the wall playing with some big-assed watch on his wrist. And we have three bright red synchronized digital clocks on the walls.

Could have been this guy.

10

when did swim training get so confusing? .

When triathletes came on the scene.

11

(And your example of 45 requires adding 33%, not 25% :slight_smile:

I guess the math was not so simple!!!

12

To grossly over simplify, strokes per minutes is kind of like cadence on a bike. Finding the “ideal” SPM is very personalized to the athlete and event. My suggestion is to ditch the gadgets at the pool and to increase your turnover (if that’s what you feel you need to do) swim fast a lot (think 25-50s).

13

Because it’s fun trying new things out.

Thanks everyone else for the helpful replies :slight_smile:

14

when did swim training get so confusing? garmin for swimming in the pool to measure spm for an athlete swimming nearly 2 minute per100?? do yourself a favor, leave the garmin at home and use that new gadget called a clock.

A couple of weeks ago, a new guy shows up at the pool at five AM, and plants himself and all his toys in the end lane. He spends the next half hour mostly swimming very slowly with bad form or standing at the wall playing with some big-assed watch on his wrist. And we have three bright red synchronized digital clocks on the walls.

Could have been this guy.

Lol, you can take it out of your hand now.

What a pain in the ass this forum can be, man.

15

You don’t even need to worry about you SPM right now. Focus on your technique, efficiency and endurance. Speed and SPM will come.

16

Get some bands for your ankles with a snorkel, pull buoy, paddles, MP3 player on left ear, metronome on right ear and your arm computer. That is the only way to fix the SPM debacle you are experiencing.

17

Don’t worry about your stroke count. Arm length controls a large amount of strokes per 50. You should compare your self to taller swimmer with stroke count averages. Just you and the clock vs perceived exertion. I also use a garmin for my test sets and long swims, in a 25 m pool it’s hard to count laps. But the watch isn’t 100% accurate on each lap, depends on which arms moves first and even vs odd stoke count per lap .

18

Don’t worry about your stroke count.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfrAba7Nfqs

quote 1: “… they’re good swimmers. There are none of them who swim under 80 to 100 strokes per minute …”
quote 2: “most triathletes in my opinion, you swim too slow, triathletes you just swim too slow, you think oh i have to swim 2.4 miles, let me just see how far i can get in an hour, you just swim too slow”

watch the above cited Gerry Rodriguez. Prepare to revise your ideas.

19

Gerry is pure gold. That series is fantastic. Not what most triathletes want to hear…

20

I don’t think 910xt includes the turns. so numbers it gives are significantly less than they should be especially in a short course pool.