by Mike Bottom
Sprint Swimming
The Five-Finger Approach
Imagine a large marble balancing in your open, upturned hand. Your fingers
are extended and the palm of your hand forms a shallow bowl. With every
slight movement of your hand, the marble rolls over the lines and ripples of
your palm.
The marble represents your sprinting goal. To "grasp" the marble or your
goal, you must act with the five digits of the hand, each corresponding to a
component of sprint swimming.
Aerobic or Endurance
Training: The Little Finger
According to Dr. Ernest W. Maglis-cho's book, Swimming Even Faster, only two
percent of the energy used to sprint 50 meters comes from aerobic metabolism,
while 10 percent of the energy used in a 100-meter race is endurance-related.
So why do sprinters train so many endurance yards?
Back to the analogy of the hand: The little finger does not appear to add
much to the strength of the grip around the marble. However, of the eleven
muscles that move the fingers, five act on the little finger. The muscles in
the palm of the hand below the little finger are all connected in some way to
the movement of the small finger. Without this muscular base, the marble
would roll off before the hand could be closed.
Endurance training increases the volume of blood the heart pumps and
improves the central circulatory and respiratory systems. These systems, in
turn, affect every energy system in the body.
Anaerobic or Lactate
Training: The Ring Finger
Does the term "tying up" mean anything to you? The last five to 10 meters of
a sprinter's 100 usually makes or breaks the race. According to Dr.
Maglis-cho, 48 percent of the energy spent in a 50-meter sprint and 65
percent of the energy used in a 100-meter race originate from anaerobic
metabolism. To train this energy system, one must swim with 95 to 100 percent
of one's energy for 30 to 60 seconds. In other words, you should reach the
"pain barrier" and then keep going.
Anybody who has been in a lasting relationship knows what makes or breaks a
relationship is the ability to push through the times of painful confusion.
When all seems to break down, the "winners" find a way to make it through the
challenging moments.
Sample set: 3 x (100 blast, 200 swim), starting every six to eight minutes.
Immediately after the fast 100, move into the 200 swim, which is 50 on your
back, 150 working on your stroke. On the 100 blast, try to keep the heart
rate between 160 and 180, depending on age. Three or four lactate sets per
week should be maximum.
(Note: Those with a history of heart problems should consult with a doctor
before attempting lactate work.)
Power or Speed Training:
The Middle Finger
Power and speed are the trademarks of the sprinter. Fifty percent of the
50-meter sprint and 25 percent of the 100-meter race are attributed to energy
sources in the muscles that are stored and ready to use. However, to swim
fast in competition, it is necessary to train at fast speeds. When training
at race pace, the body will ride high and the swimmer must learn to hold or
feel the water at high speeds.
Interestingly, in our culture the display of the middle finger often
communicates a power stance.
Sample set: 10 x 100, swimming 25 blast through turns, 75 stroke work. Play
with speed every workout.
Body Position and Stroke Mechanics:
The Index Finger
Many of the world's strongest people swim like a rock, displaying poor form.
I believe the most important ("number one" with the index finger) component
of sprinting is body position and mechanics. Golf and tennis enthusiasts will
hire experts on stroke mechanics and invest as much time and money as needed
to "get it right." For some reason after many people have passed the
learn-to-swim class, they feel they have arrived.
Water is a thousand times more dense than air. Doubling your speed in the
water results in quadrupling your body's drag force or resistance in the
water. The easiest way to get faster is to reduce your body resistance in the
water, accomplished by spending time with an expert and a video camera.
Strength of Will (Commitment and Concentration):
The Thumb
The limiting factor in grip strength is the ability of the thumb to oppose
the force of the fingers. The factor limiting how fast you can swim is not
your aerobic fitness, your ability to push through pain, your speed or power
in the water, or your ability to overcome the resistance of the water. Simply
stated, it is your WILL. To swim fast as you are able, you have to want to
swim fast more than you want to watch TV, more than you want to feel
comfortable or more than you want to eat lunch with a friend.
Go for it! Swimming fast is fun.
Mike Bottom, sprint coach at the University of Southern California, has
coached many of the United States' top sprinters, including Gary Hall, Jr.
