In our earlier articles we noticed {that a} good kick isn’t just very important for sprinters but additionally for swimmers coaching for long-distance races.
On this article we offers you three guidelines to comply with to enhance your leg kick and three varieties of coaching on your legs to be integrated in your weekly coaching plan within the water.
Rule number one
Carry out leg drills proper via the season.
Through the first a part of your coaching, leg work could even be as a lot as 70% of your whole coaching quantity in any single session. Because the season progresses, most of your coaching quantity shall be dedicated to different varieties of work, however don’t forget to incorporate some leg drills in your coaching classes.
For those who plan to coach 4 instances every week within the water, one session must be totally dedicated to leg coaching. Two different coaching classes ought to embrace some particular units (velocity or velocity endurance) to leg coaching, in order that your physique will get used to the right mechanics of a strong leg kick.
Rule quantity 2
One of the simplest ways to study the right leg kick motion within the water is to make use of fins and a snorkel. Collectively these two coaching aids will permit you to hold your physique correctly aligned, enhance your head place and, therefore, additionally the place of your hips and knees.
Right here’s a helpful tip: don’t overuse these two coaching aids as a result of, firstly, they’ll turn into addictive and, secondly, bear in mind you can’t use them in races.
So use them at first of the season to study the right leg kick motion and correct physique place within the water. After that, attempt to not use them for greater than 20%-30% of your whole coaching quantity.
Rule quantity 3
As we’ve got already seen in earlier articles, it is very important practice your legs out of the water, too.
There are two methods of doing this.
The primary is to work in your energy by performing particular workouts and in addition in your core. This can permit you to enhance your energy and improve your stability within the water.
The second – to be performed together with the primary – is to enhance the elasticity of your ankles, so as to have the ability to work more durable together with your ankles and, therefore, develop a simpler leg kick.
We advocate the next drills:
Legs set #1 – endurance with foremost set utilizing your legs:
- Heat-up 400m (200 swimming how you want + 200 working in your method);
- Pre-set 5x100m with fins, snorkel and board with 20” restoration;
- Fundamental-set legs: 2x800m with 30” restoration
- #1 fins + board (50 regular + 50 onerous)
- #2 solely fins in your again (25 onerous + 50 regular)
- 200 with good method;
- half-hour of workouts engaged on the elasticity of your ankles.
Legs set #2 – leg velocity:
- After warming up correctly and finishing the principle set, carry out this set for velocity and velocity endurance;
- 10×50m onerous with fins with30” restoration;
- 200 simple;
- 20×25 m onerous with out fins with 15” restoration (alternating 1x freestyle legs 1x butterfly legs).
Legs set #3 – drills with fins and a snorkel:
- After warming up and earlier than the principle work out, carry out these drills with fins and a snorkel;
- 6 x 30” vertical legs with fins controlling your leg kick movement with 45” restoration;
- 200 simple;
- 10 x 50 with fins and a snorkel with no board in a streamlined place, rigorously controlling the place of your head and hips.
