Power training

Power training consists of ultrashort sprints designed to stress both the force and speed of contraction of muscles fibers involved in competitive swimming. The purpose of power training is to increase stroking power.

Training effects

Stroking power increases because of several adaptations

• An increase in muscular strength
• An increase in the rate and pattern of muscle fiber stimulation by the central nervous system
• An increase in the rate of force development within muscles
• Increases in the ATP and CP content of trained muscle fibers

Guidelines for constructing Power repeat sets

• Set length: 50 to 300m. Three to six sets can be completed in a training session devoted to power training.
• Repeat distances: 10 to 12 1/2 m. Efforts involving sprinting for four to eight stroke cycles can also be used for this purpose. Stroke-simulated land efforts on swim benches or weight machines are also effective. For those methods, 4 to 12 repetitions are optimum in sets of three to six.
• Rest intervals: 45 sec to 2 min between repeats in the water. Exercises on land can be done continuously for the prescribed number of repetitions. Athletes should take rest periods of 2 to 3 min between sets.
• Training speeds: Training speeds should be maximum or near maximum. Stroke rates should be as fast or faster than those used in 50 races. Swimmers should maintain distance per stroke at a reasonable length so that they do not thrash indiscriminately.

Adequate amounts of power training in the water should be part of the training plan during all phases of the season. Power training does not require much time, so it fits easily into the weekly plan without sacrificing other types of training. Swimmers should emphasize it during the early season so that they can increase swimming power before the emphasis on the lactate tolerance training begins. The goal during the middle of the season is to maintain the swimming power, and then try ro increase it again during the latter portion of the season.

The best way to motivate athletes to continue striving for greater speed during power training is to time their repeats. Swimmers should therefore apply progressive overload by trying to improve their times for power repeats. Because it is difficult to time this repeats acurately, you should try starting timing these repeats when the head of the swimmew passes under the flags and stopping when the head passes the marker that indicates that the swimmer has covered the prescribed distance.