 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Swim Glossary (from www.mvm.org) |
Workout Terms
The cruise or base interval is the time that allows you to swim 100 yards of freestyle at least ten times comfortably with a low heart rate when you
have 7- 10 seconds rest between each 100. For example, a 1:30 cruise swimmer is a swimmer who swims 100's comfortably in 1:20-1:23 and
departs (has a send-off) on a 1:30 interval. For this swimmer, 1:30 is called the cruise send-off interval.
Note: cruise send-off intervals for longer (and shorter distances) are calculated by extrapolating the 100 cruise over the specified distance. The 1:30
cruise swimmer will swim 200's on 3:00 (2x 1:30) and 400's on 6:00 (4x 1:30).
Cruise send-off intervals are often adjusted by adding or subtracting seconds from it. Also, seconds are added to or subtracted from the sum of the
cruise intervals, not to each 100 in the distance. Example of -5 seconds: the 1:30 cruise swimmer's "cruise - :05" intervals are as follows: 100's on 1:
25, 200's on 2:55 , 400's on 5:55.
Adjusted cruise send-off intervals for different cruise send-off interval levels:
Read down the column with your cruise interval for your adjusted send-off intervals.
Intervals for non-free stroke and IM sets are designated with "cruise plus ..." These are calculated off of your freestyle cruise interval.
Warm up
The warm-up is almost always some version of 600 yards/meters. Swim this very easy in what will feel like slow motion swimming. Stop to stretch
whenever you want. This is the time to adjust goggles, caps and what not.
Drill
The drill set is an extension of warm-up. There are rarely interval times associated with this set, so that you may focus totally on stroke technique
without concerning yourself with speed or rest. Again, stretch as necessary and pay close attention to your body position and form. Allow your heart
rate to come up slowly. You should get 10-15 seconds of rest between each part of the Drill Set.
Main
The main set ranges in length from 1200 to over 2000 yds/mtrs. To modify the main set (or any set of the workout) for less distance, you may either
decrease the distance in the repetitions or decrease the number of repetitions.
For example: a set of 10x 100 can be modified to 5x 100 or 10x 50 to arrive at a set one-half the distance.
If your water time is limited, avoid the temptation to eliminate the warm-up and/or drill sets. These are important for injury prevention, better stroke
technique and the flow of the workout. Equally important is to leave time for a cool-down swim at the end of your workout!
Pattern Repeating
Often the workout will give you a pattern of strokes and/or drills and/or kicking to do over a given distance. Note that the pattern does not always equal
the distance of the swim. You are being asked to repeat the pattern over the given distance. For example, the following set:
is asking you to swim the pattern of 50 free / 25 back / 25 breast as many times as necessary to complete a 300. In this case it is 3.
Swim to the Interval
Swim to the Interval is a general way of specifying that the swimmer pace himself through a swim such that he doesn't go too fast (getting too much
rest) or too slow (getting too little rest). The idea is to pace yourself properly to swim easy for an easy interval and to swim fast for a fast interval.
Descend
Descending sets ask you to swim each repetition faster than the previous. For example, the following set:
asks you to swim each 100 starting easy (with perfect technique) and increasing speed within each 100 to a fast finish (maintaining perfect technique
throughout). As you may have guessed, the goal in a "Build" swim is to build speed while maintaining good stroke technique.
Negative Split
Swimming a Negative Split means that the second half of the distance is swum at a faster pace than the first half. For example, the following set:
asks you to swim the second 300 yards at a faster pace and time than the first 300 yards. The idea is to control your pace at the beginning of the
swim so that you have the energy necessary to swim faster at the end of the swim.
Transitional IM's
These are IM repeats that work on the stroke transitions of the Individual Medley. The three transitions are fly -> back, back -> breast and breast ->
free. The following set:
3x 100: Transitional IM
would be swum: #1) 50 fly / 50 back, #2) 50 back / 50 breast, #3) 50 breast / 50 free. And the following set:
6x 50: Transitional IM
would be swum #1-2) 25 fly / 25 back, #3-4) 25 back / 25 breast, #5-6) 25 breast / 25 free. This of course, could also be swum 1 of each transition,
going through the pattern twice for a total of six repeats.
IM with alternate lengths Free
This is describes an IM swim with the even lengths freestyle. For example, a 400 IM with alternate lengths freestyle would be swum as: 25 fly / 25 free
/ 25 fly / 25 free / 25 back / 25 free / 25 back / 25 free / 25 breast / 25 free / 25 breast / 25 free / 25 free / 25 free / 25 free / 25 free.
Pull-Outs
A Pull-Out is a strength building exercise. It must be done in water at least 6 feet deep with the pool deck preferably much higher than the water level.
Facing the wall, the swimmer will place his hands on the edge of the deck or gutter about shoulder-width apart. Without kicking, the swimmer will pull
his upper body up and out of the water to the full extent of the arms. Once full extention is obtained, the swimmer will lower himself back into the water
carefully. Within a swim set, Pull-Outs are used to build upper body strength. For example, the set:
asks the swimmer to complete a 200 yard swim within his Cruise interval, then complete 10 Pull-Outs at the wall, and then progress to another 200
yard swim within his Cruise interval.
Kicking: Using only the legs for propulsion. Sometimes done with the use of a kickboard.
Pulling: Using little or no kick to focus on the upper body. Sometimes using paddles and/or a pull buoy.
Main set: That part of the workout usually 20 minutes in duration in which the heart rate is elevated.
Drill set: Focuses on one part of a particular stroke. Most commonly meant to be done with precision, not speed.
Cool down: The concluding part of the workout in which the heart rate should be gradually lowered.
Blue zone: Refers to sets that are relatively low in aerobic intensity. Usually the warm-ups and cool downs are blue zone swimming.
Green zone: Refers to sets that are aerobically moderate. Pulling and kicking sets will often be green sets.
Red zone: Refers to sets that are the most aerobically challenging. Your face will be red once you have finished one of these sets.
Sprinting: Refers to short intense swims of usually not more than 100 yards, usually Red Zone swimming.
Easy: Refers to a distance of relaxed swimming used as part of a recovery from a more intense set of swims.
Build: Getting progressively faster within a swim. Example: 1 x 400, build by 100's. The pace should increase after each 100, but one should not stop
swimming until the 400 yards are completed.
Descend: Swim progressively faster within a set of repeats. Example: 3 x 100 Freestyle at 2:00 descend; swim times could be 1:35, 1:33, 1:28.
Rest interval: A specific and constant period one should wait between swims in a given set. Example: 6 x 75 Backstroke at RI :15 is six 75-yard
Backstroke swims with 15 seconds rest afer each one.
Negative split: Swim the second half of a distance faster than the first half. Example: 2 x 400 Freestyle Negative Split-the second 200 of each 400
should be swum a few seconds faster than the first, but there should not be a break between the 200s.
Pace: Hold a steady speed throughout a set, often trying to match a goal race tempo. Example: 4 x 50 Breaststroke at 1:00 holding a 200 race pace.
Most people can swim shorter distances at a faster average speed than they can hold for longer distances. This instruction says to swim all four 50's
at the average speed one would normally do a 200.
Cruise interval: Used to explain the pace for the lane. Example: All the members of the lane are able to do 100s on the 1:30. Be sure your cruise
interval is compatible with the other members of the lane in which you are swimming.
Sculling: A relaxing motion using the hands in a back and forth motion under the water. Used to feel the water, especially for warm-ups, cool downs,
and easy swims. Use a flutter or whip kick.
Elementary backstroke: Used mainly for cool down and easy swims. Pulling with both arms at the same time: both the pull and the recovery are
under the water. Uses a whip kick.
have 7- 10 seconds rest between each 100. For example, a 1:30 cruise swimmer is a swimmer who swims 100's comfortably in 1:20-1:23 and
departs (has a send-off) on a 1:30 interval. For this swimmer, 1:30 is called the cruise send-off interval.
Note: cruise send-off intervals for longer (and shorter distances) are calculated by extrapolating the 100 cruise over the specified distance. The 1:30
cruise swimmer will swim 200's on 3:00 (2x 1:30) and 400's on 6:00 (4x 1:30).
Cruise send-off intervals are often adjusted by adding or subtracting seconds from it. Also, seconds are added to or subtracted from the sum of the
cruise intervals, not to each 100 in the distance. Example of -5 seconds: the 1:30 cruise swimmer's "cruise - :05" intervals are as follows: 100's on 1:
25, 200's on 2:55 , 400's on 5:55.
Adjusted cruise send-off intervals for different cruise send-off interval levels:
Read down the column with your cruise interval for your adjusted send-off intervals.
- Cruise Base -> 1:15 1:20 1:30 1:45 2:00
- Sample Set:
- 1x 100 on cruise 1:15 1:20 1:30 1:45 2:00
- 1x 300 on cruise - :15 3:30 3:45 4:15 5:00 5:45
- 1x 100 on cruise + :05 1:20 1:25 1:35 1:50 2:05
- 1x 200 on cruise - :15 2:15 2:25 2:45 3:15 3:45
- 1x 100 on cruise + :10 1:25 1:30 1:40 1:55 2:10
- 1x 100 on cruise - :15 1:00 1:05 1:15 1:30 1:45
Intervals for non-free stroke and IM sets are designated with "cruise plus ..." These are calculated off of your freestyle cruise interval.
Warm up
The warm-up is almost always some version of 600 yards/meters. Swim this very easy in what will feel like slow motion swimming. Stop to stretch
whenever you want. This is the time to adjust goggles, caps and what not.
Drill
The drill set is an extension of warm-up. There are rarely interval times associated with this set, so that you may focus totally on stroke technique
without concerning yourself with speed or rest. Again, stretch as necessary and pay close attention to your body position and form. Allow your heart
rate to come up slowly. You should get 10-15 seconds of rest between each part of the Drill Set.
Main
The main set ranges in length from 1200 to over 2000 yds/mtrs. To modify the main set (or any set of the workout) for less distance, you may either
decrease the distance in the repetitions or decrease the number of repetitions.
For example: a set of 10x 100 can be modified to 5x 100 or 10x 50 to arrive at a set one-half the distance.
If your water time is limited, avoid the temptation to eliminate the warm-up and/or drill sets. These are important for injury prevention, better stroke
technique and the flow of the workout. Equally important is to leave time for a cool-down swim at the end of your workout!
Pattern Repeating
Often the workout will give you a pattern of strokes and/or drills and/or kicking to do over a given distance. Note that the pattern does not always equal
the distance of the swim. You are being asked to repeat the pattern over the given distance. For example, the following set:
- 1x 300: 50 free / 25 back / 25 breast
is asking you to swim the pattern of 50 free / 25 back / 25 breast as many times as necessary to complete a 300. In this case it is 3.
Swim to the Interval
Swim to the Interval is a general way of specifying that the swimmer pace himself through a swim such that he doesn't go too fast (getting too much
rest) or too slow (getting too little rest). The idea is to pace yourself properly to swim easy for an easy interval and to swim fast for a fast interval.
Descend
Descending sets ask you to swim each repetition faster than the previous. For example, the following set:
- 6x 50: Descend 1->6
asks you to swim six 50's with each one faster. If the set read:
6x 50: Descend 1->3, 4->6
you are asked to descend the first 3 and the second 3 in the set. The fourth 50 should be slower than the third. The third and sixth are the
fastest in the set. Unless specified, the interval stays the same, giving you a bit more rest as your swimming time descends.
Build
Building is different from Descending in that the swimmer's goal is to increase speed within the single swim distance(s). For example, the
following set:
- 3x 100: Build
asks you to swim each 100 starting easy (with perfect technique) and increasing speed within each 100 to a fast finish (maintaining perfect technique
throughout). As you may have guessed, the goal in a "Build" swim is to build speed while maintaining good stroke technique.
Negative Split
Swimming a Negative Split means that the second half of the distance is swum at a faster pace than the first half. For example, the following set:
- 1x 600: Negative Split
asks you to swim the second 300 yards at a faster pace and time than the first 300 yards. The idea is to control your pace at the beginning of the
swim so that you have the energy necessary to swim faster at the end of the swim.
Transitional IM's
These are IM repeats that work on the stroke transitions of the Individual Medley. The three transitions are fly -> back, back -> breast and breast ->
free. The following set:
3x 100: Transitional IM
would be swum: #1) 50 fly / 50 back, #2) 50 back / 50 breast, #3) 50 breast / 50 free. And the following set:
6x 50: Transitional IM
would be swum #1-2) 25 fly / 25 back, #3-4) 25 back / 25 breast, #5-6) 25 breast / 25 free. This of course, could also be swum 1 of each transition,
going through the pattern twice for a total of six repeats.
IM with alternate lengths Free
This is describes an IM swim with the even lengths freestyle. For example, a 400 IM with alternate lengths freestyle would be swum as: 25 fly / 25 free
/ 25 fly / 25 free / 25 back / 25 free / 25 back / 25 free / 25 breast / 25 free / 25 breast / 25 free / 25 free / 25 free / 25 free / 25 free.
Pull-Outs
A Pull-Out is a strength building exercise. It must be done in water at least 6 feet deep with the pool deck preferably much higher than the water level.
Facing the wall, the swimmer will place his hands on the edge of the deck or gutter about shoulder-width apart. Without kicking, the swimmer will pull
his upper body up and out of the water to the full extent of the arms. Once full extention is obtained, the swimmer will lower himself back into the water
carefully. Within a swim set, Pull-Outs are used to build upper body strength. For example, the set:
- 1x 200: Swim, on Cruise
- 10x Pull-Outs
- 1x 200: Swim, on Cruise
asks the swimmer to complete a 200 yard swim within his Cruise interval, then complete 10 Pull-Outs at the wall, and then progress to another 200
yard swim within his Cruise interval.
Kicking: Using only the legs for propulsion. Sometimes done with the use of a kickboard.
Pulling: Using little or no kick to focus on the upper body. Sometimes using paddles and/or a pull buoy.
Main set: That part of the workout usually 20 minutes in duration in which the heart rate is elevated.
Drill set: Focuses on one part of a particular stroke. Most commonly meant to be done with precision, not speed.
Cool down: The concluding part of the workout in which the heart rate should be gradually lowered.
Blue zone: Refers to sets that are relatively low in aerobic intensity. Usually the warm-ups and cool downs are blue zone swimming.
Green zone: Refers to sets that are aerobically moderate. Pulling and kicking sets will often be green sets.
Red zone: Refers to sets that are the most aerobically challenging. Your face will be red once you have finished one of these sets.
Sprinting: Refers to short intense swims of usually not more than 100 yards, usually Red Zone swimming.
Easy: Refers to a distance of relaxed swimming used as part of a recovery from a more intense set of swims.
Build: Getting progressively faster within a swim. Example: 1 x 400, build by 100's. The pace should increase after each 100, but one should not stop
swimming until the 400 yards are completed.
Descend: Swim progressively faster within a set of repeats. Example: 3 x 100 Freestyle at 2:00 descend; swim times could be 1:35, 1:33, 1:28.
Rest interval: A specific and constant period one should wait between swims in a given set. Example: 6 x 75 Backstroke at RI :15 is six 75-yard
Backstroke swims with 15 seconds rest afer each one.
Negative split: Swim the second half of a distance faster than the first half. Example: 2 x 400 Freestyle Negative Split-the second 200 of each 400
should be swum a few seconds faster than the first, but there should not be a break between the 200s.
Pace: Hold a steady speed throughout a set, often trying to match a goal race tempo. Example: 4 x 50 Breaststroke at 1:00 holding a 200 race pace.
Most people can swim shorter distances at a faster average speed than they can hold for longer distances. This instruction says to swim all four 50's
at the average speed one would normally do a 200.
Cruise interval: Used to explain the pace for the lane. Example: All the members of the lane are able to do 100s on the 1:30. Be sure your cruise
interval is compatible with the other members of the lane in which you are swimming.
Sculling: A relaxing motion using the hands in a back and forth motion under the water. Used to feel the water, especially for warm-ups, cool downs,
and easy swims. Use a flutter or whip kick.
Elementary backstroke: Used mainly for cool down and easy swims. Pulling with both arms at the same time: both the pull and the recovery are
under the water. Uses a whip kick.
Other Terms
Break out: The transition from the push off mode into the full swimming pattern.
Breaststroke kick (whip or frog kick): Where the legs and feet come apart in a symmetrical motion keeping the feet under the water.
Catch phase: The beginning part of the stroke where the arms and hands start to propel the body.
Dive start: Using the starting blocks and diving into the water from the side of the pool as opposed to pushing off from the side while in the
water.
Dolphin kick: Used in the Butterfly where the thrust of the kick comes from the hips, and the feet and legs are held together.
Flip turn: Competitive racing turn by utilizing a somersault where the feet push off from the wall.
Flutter kick: Used in both Freestyle and Backstroke where the feet and toes are pointed and kick the water in an alternating motion.
Individual Medley: Refers to an event in which the four competitive strokes are done equally in the order of Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke,
and Freestyle.
Open turn: Noncompetitive turn by touching the wall with one hand and pushing off with the feet.
Push off: Refers to pushing off from the wall and into the streamline position.
Recovery phase: The conclusion of the stroke where the hand and arms finish pulling and set up to start the next stroke cycle.
Taper workouts: Done a few days to a few weeks prior to an important race (usually at the end of a season). Depending on your training style
and plan for racing, your taper workout may be just dropping 200-300 yards off your total yards for your daily workout for a week, or it could
mean gradually tapering off from 4,000 yards a day to 2,500 during the two–three week period prior to a racing period. Many competitive
swimmers (particularly men) shave their body hair at the end of the taper period and just before the important race. This is thought to provide
less drag and a better feel for the water in addition to providing a psychological advantage. Taper workouts will be provided to those swimmers
who would like to compete. Taper workouts and shaving are not a requirement of membership in WSU Masters Swimming.
Transition: Generally refers to the change of strokes in the Individual Medley event. For example the transition from Butterfly to Backstroke.
