James Gibson MBE

Swimmers use the loping stroke when swimming 100-200 meters because it is less demanding on power and oxygen debt. It also results in less fatigue. It is different from the sprint technique which uses a straighter arm approach.
 
Transcript: "Why do we late hundred freestylers? Use a low ping stroke? Not all of them, some do. And they're more, the Senate 100-200, guys, that breathe every stroke. You know, more than 100 200, guys, we use the lope In freestyle and more the Sprint baseball, where use more of a straighter arm, kind of technique there. The fifty hundred guys, they will use them or Sprint technique. So, yeah, there's two different types of techniques lope and stroke more straight arms. Print, based technique lope in stroke is characterized by breathing every stroke and the reason why I do it. The reason why they do it is because they got they can if they're going to feel better in their back end. So the hundred two hundred guys, using the low pinstripe will do all their damage and the second 50, like our Charmers, he'll eat up everyone going down that second 50. Debbie Popovich e will go everything on that second 50. So that's that. Two different sort of two different styles, it's also less demanding on power, you know, the loping stroke breathing every stroke. You got option coming in less oxygen debt and it's also less aggressive for the muscle system. Um so that's why they use this so they get less fatigued at the end. So if you're more of a hundred 200 swimmer and you're trying to use the Sprint style, you're going to blow up at the end because it's too much muscle in there too much power."

For a group of sprinters, middle distance, and distance athletes, I would use 25 200s for the distance guys, 7 200 step test for mid distance, and 30 25s with 1 all out, 2 aerobic for the sprinters. The last aerobic should be done on 1 minute 30 to give them time to climb out and get ready for their next set.
 
Transcript: "So three sets only, what would I use? So if I'm coaching a group range, so if you've got sprint middle distance and distance, for the distance guys, I'd use 25 200s. Now this is something that we used to do with our elite guys at Energy Standards. It was 25 200s all on 220. 220 is your turnaround. It goes for aerobic, then 1 progress, 1 to 5. That's kind of a little bit of VO2 max effects on there. So 25 200s, 4 aerobic, and 1 that progresses 1 to 5, finishing all out on the last one. So that's all on 220. So it's pretty fruity turnaround time as well. For the mid distance guys, I like the 7 200 step test. You don't need any lactate measuring equipment, don't any heart rate monitors. What you can do is intermittent periods parts in your cycle. You just do 7 200s, you can always tell progress 1 to 7. So 7 200 on 4 minutes. So lots of rest. Progress 1 to 7, progress 1 to 7 on that. And when you progress 1 to 7, what you need to do is you need to take the stroke count for that last 50. And that will help you-- if you haven't got the heart rate monitors or the lactate test and stuff that will help you to monitor where you at, take that stroke count on the last 50. Low stroke count, fast times, always very, very good. I feel the pure sprinters are like a bit of a lactic power work. Also you can class it a of ultra short race pace in there as well. So we're going to do a set of 30 25s, 30 25s. 1 pretty much all out, 2 aerobic. That's alactic power. So you're not going to produce too much lactate on that so you can keep the power going. 30 25s, 1 all out, even from a die from a push, 2 aerobic. And the aerobic has to be aerobic. It can't be-- I tend to say the word-- let me say for the sprinters-- shit backstroke. So they can't just flop on their back and start flopping around in the pool, pretending that they're dying. So they have to keep their core and their connection all together. So 1 all out, 2 aerobic. And what I would do-- I'd go the 1 all out on 30, the 1 aerobic on 30, and the last aerobic on 1 minute 30, so they got time to climb out and get to go again."

The amount of aerobic training for a 50, 100, and 200 depends on the individual athlete. Generally, you would need at least 50-70 km of aerobic training for a 100 or 200 and 30-50 km per week for a 50. It is important to remember to not do too much anaerobic work because it can take away from your aerobic capacity. Aerobic work should be the foundation of your training for the 100 and 200 as it helps with recovery between races.
 
Transcript: "How much aerobic training? Does it take to finish a good 50, 100 and a 200, right? Okay. So this is all dependent on athlete and individual characteristics, you know, it's not one method, fits all like, I used to coach been proud and floor amount of do two. Totally different athletes, you know, you give been aerobic. It was toxic for a system. He flow anaerobic, he gets better. So you need to actually really understand the work athlete you're working with. So 450 guys, you can get away with quite a low amount of aerobic and more the anaerobic. Work. So aerobic capacity forms of that the smaller amount of your program and your anaerobic work. Probably a little bit more but you can't go too much anaerobic work because if depletes the nervous system, so, we're my generals printer. That I'd only really do three anaerobic sessions a week. I wouldn't do any more than that because what you end up is over training for 100 200. Yes. You definitely need a solid aerobic capacity base, but one error that a lot of coaches make is we go for too much VO2. We all get excited. That the athletes are excited. They want to work hard. They want to go hard every session. We want to push hard because we like it. We like watching fast swimming. And then we have a tendency to do is we turn a threshold set into a vo2max set. It would alter that songs have been a lactate tolerance or a lactic power. We don't really need to go. That aerobic should be done at the proper error. So the proper the proper intensity, the proper margin, slow efficient swimmer because your aerobic capacity continues to grow. That's why we see a lot of like marathon runners and Older distance from a Zakk, Wylde, for you. Keep growing that capacity. It grows. Well, here, anaerobic capacity can take the more you do can tailor and a two systems in the an old wrecks way. They work against each other. Aerobic capacity, aerobic capacity and how they work together. And I wrote power are at Clark and take away from one to the other. So too much an aerobic. Power will take away from your aerobic capacity. So you have to be very careful with all that but for me personally, I think for the 100 and 200 that aerobic work has to be the foundation of your training. For 2:00 yet at least 50 to 70 kilometers a week, you know, in there in that at least 50 k. It's got to be aerobic level and 100. 100 guys. You have 40 40 or Source. It can vary from 30 30 to 45 50 kale week. But again, 80% of that training needs to be a proper aerobic base because it helps to recovery system. Olympics, world's highest sell. I sell multiple racing. You've got to recover, Olympics. World's Heats a of finals. Your aerobic was help you recover through the rounds and it Hope you back in."

My favorite lactate set was the old classic, four 100s off eight minutes and 20 25s off one minute. It's a challenging workout that produces anaerobic power.
 
Transcript: "Hi, Henry. You know what? With this question, I've got probably one of the best sprinters ever to have lived. He's a bit older than you guys, so you might not know him. Multiple world champion, world record holder Mark Foster. So what's your favorite lactate set ever, mate? My favorite lactate set was the old classic. It was four 100s, off eight minutes. But mine, 20 25s, off one minute. It doesn't sound like an awful lot, but if you go for it, and you go for it hard, you will pay. Yeah, I think the nature is, go hard from round one. Then you get that full on anaerobic response, anaerobic power."

You can improve your 50 kick time, but it's not necessarily related to your 50 freestyle time. To do this, you should use drag socks and fins, do short burst sets (15-25s), and use resistance equipment like dry stretch cords.
 
Transcript: "Jonty, thanks for your question. So kick. Kicking, 50 meters kicking, and the 50 meter event. So if we're talking specifically just for the 50s, I'm going to say your 50 kick time has no correlation to your 50 freestyle time overall. I think 400, 200s you need a great kick. You don't see many distance like 200, 400 swimmers without a great kick. And then you get to even further extreme like the 1,500s, then I don't think it matters so much either. But in the 50 events, generally, I've seen swimmers that are the best in the world are not the best in training at kick at all. So what I would do-- and that's actually in both men's and women's events. Because I've been fortunate enough to work with two of the fastest girls ever and two of the fastest boys ever. So what I would say is if you're working with a swimmer, then they're struggling a bit on their 50 kick, and they're a sprinter, don't worry about it. But what I would do is I'd bring in some sets exactly like you've asked. You want some set examples, where you can develop power on the dolphin kick at the start. So I'd bring in drag socks. You can use drag socks with fins. You can do 50s underwater, dolphin kick with fins and drag socks. You can do 15 meter burst drag socks. I'd keep also the sprint kicking to a minimum, like 15, 20s, bursts. No real long kick sets for sprinters. I would be less inclined to do something like 10 ones or 10 twos kick. I'd be more on the level of the athlete. So if the level of the athlete is not so good, I'd be doing 15s but fast or 25 fast. So it's very specific to what they do. Ones that I like to do is 10, 25s kick or 20, 25s kick. One all out, one easy. Back to the water, short sharp. So the athlete doesn't deteriorate. But you could also get people that can't even manage that to a real high level. So you just drop it to 15s. And what you find out is you keep the quality. Work the resistance equipment as well. You can get dry stretch cords on, kick against the cord, dolphin kick against the cord just so you working generally. But I'd say first point, does it have a correlation? No. Is there a way to get better at it? Yes. But the athlete, if they're generally not a gifted kicker, they're not going to change too much over time."

Freddie bus game had a strong similarities to the straight arm freestyle stroke. This video is from the semi-finals in Budapest 2010. The stroke is aggressive, with a straight arm and slightly bent elbow. The shoulder is in a forward position, allowing the hands to come in and attack the water. There will be an element of bubbling under the hands, but not in the catch phase.
 
Transcript: "Hey Michael. So the question is, did Fred bubble under his hand floating on straight arms? And I'm going to apologize a little bit. I'm not really sure exactly what you're meaning by the question. But what I've got here is a video Freddie bus game. So he's the model, he's my model of straight arm freestyle, and if you see probably, you can see some very strong similarities in been proud stroke floor. I slightly different a little bit more aggressive but you know Freddy Freddy was like the master of freestyle for me the straight arm. This is where technology Really changed. So this is the semi finals in Budapest 2010. Not many people have this video because it was a semi-final, but you said the questionnaire about bubbles under the hand. Yes, there is an element of bubbling under the hand cause the stroke is so aggressive but not in the catch face. If you look at Freddy's arm there it's a straight arm. Slightly bent going to be a little bit of technique model on him straight slight arm like a claw, really coming over, but his shoulder, his shoulder is in a forward position. So he's going to hands going to come in and attack the water just in front of you shit, while a long way in front of your shoulder blade, if you look at knees strand next to him, he's straight arm is a shoulder in a negative position, basically, the shoulders very open. So we've got a positive position close shoulder and we've got an exterior - shoulder position here. So just watch Freddy again. If I can get the video going. Sorry. So here we go. As again, it's got this beautiful straight arm, anchor points in the strike, very deep Catch 10 up and down movements, there's no bouncing around. So look at nice trout here - shoulder position Freddy positive shoulder position and of course yet there will be an element of bubble under the hands in the 53 just because"