Fall/Winter - Long Course Meters (LCM)

Spring - Short Course Yards (SCY)

Summer - Short Course Meters (SCM)

Month

Concentration

Special Notes

Meets / Meetings

January

Start Increasing Intensity while Stabilizing Distance

Through midseason LCM, we will plan on training 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the pool per day, covering between 2,000-4,000 meters or more per day. Much of the work in the early season will be long, slow distances. In midseason the workouts will give way to sets of swims called "repeats," with high intensity and little rest, maybe only five or 10 seconds between swims.

In addition to pool workouts, we encourage our swimmers to lift weights three times per week and stretch daily in midseason. Some athletes incorporate cross-training, such as bicycling or running, into their regimen.

Note: DSST coaches are not trained specialist in the fields listed above. We encourage you to consult a specialist prior adding these workouts to your workout regiment.

February

Continue increased intensity and incorporate (Breaststroke)

This month ...

March

Continue increased intensity and incorporate (Backstroke)

Masters Nationals Swim Meet

April

Continue increasing intensity and incorporate   (Butterfly)

May

After spending 3 months incorporating stroke development, we will tie it all together and focus on I.M. (Individual Medley)

Many members of DSST meet at the LaJolla Cove on Saturday mornings at 10:00 am. (This is self directed, and not a DSST sponsored activity.)

Bart Hopple Swim

June

During the later part of midseason, our swimmer will swim shorter sets, with faster swims and will receive 15-20 seconds rest, rather than 10 between swims.

In order to swim your fastest in a competition, swimmers must achieve a "peak" by lessening their work load. Weights and cross-training are often dropped or greatly reduced at this time.

July

Tapering will be scheduled to  start between 7 to 21 days prior to leaving for the event, depending on the intensity of training prior by each individual.

Our training will be reduced in an incremental fashion with a 60-90 per cent reduction in training volume. Training intensities will take the form of high interval work (90% VO2max) with sufficient rest between sets. The frequency of training should be reduced by no more than 20 per cent in order for the swimmers to maintain their 'feel' of the water, and, finally, duration of the taper program will be decided on an individual basis (because of varying responses to tapers).

During the beginning of the taper part of the season, our swimmer will swim shorter sets, with faster swims and much more rest between swims -- one to three minutes or more.

Tapering is as much an art as science. The specifics of the taper require collaboration between coach and athlete and will vary by event. A sprinter, who swims distances of 100 meters or less, can probably afford to taper longer and more dramatically than a distance swimmer, who races 400 meters or more. The middle-distance swimmer's taper falls somewhere in between.

Consistent research suggests that an improvement of 3 per cent in swimming performance can be achieved as a result of tapering. In order to produce the best possible results from tapering, both coaches and swimmers need to be aware of the following factors:

1. The awkward feeling associated with the first few days of tapering.

2. The individuality of the taper process (this is an ABSOLUTELY VITAL consideration). Every athlete will respond to taper differently, so communication between coach and swimmer is of the utmost importance.

3. Mini-tapers and retapers (throughout the season for more than one competition).

4. Shaving and mental preparation.

5. Realistic estimation of performance goals.

August

September

October

Decrease Intensity while Increasing Distance

November

Decrease Intensity while Increasing Distance

December

Decrease Intensity while Increasing Distance

Long Beach Master's Meet