Talk to the
swimmer in the lane next to you sometime and ask them what their heart
rate is when they’re swimming. Chances are, they have no idea.
Why? The next time your coach
says to swim the following set of 50’s hard, do you ask, “How hard?”.
The next time the coach says to swim the next set of 100’s at 80%
effort, exactly how hard is that? What
is 80%, 90%, or even 100% effort for that matter?
 These
are all excellent questions to ask both yourself and your coach next time
you hop in the pool. Heart
rate monitoring has been a very successful measure of effort or exertion
for a very long time. Why,
then, aren’t swimmers using their heart rate monitors?
Let’s look at the following reasons:
-
Myth:
Heart rate monitors are too expensive.
Truth: Heart rate monitors can be purchased for as little as $40.00.
-
Myth:
Heart rate monitors are not waterproof.
Truth: Almost all heart rate monitors are waterproof, with the
following recommendation: do
not press the buttons underwater as this may break the waterproof seal.
-
Myth:
Heart rate monitors are too hard to program and understand.
Truth: Sure, some instructions can be as confusing as programming
your VCR, but you read it once or twice until you finally get it.
-
Myth:
Heart rate monitors are difficult to wear and use.
Truth: With the information available these days, all it takes is
either a few minutes on the internet, or a few hours with a good book to
understand how to “read” the results of your heart rate monitor and
plan an exercise or training program accordingly.
-
Myth:
Heart rate monitors give inaccurate information in the water.
Truth: To this we can only assume that the monitor is being worn
incorrectly or the battery needs to be replaced. Occasionally, a monitor may “shift” in the water losing
contact with the chest (or back). In
this instance, give the monitor an extra few seconds to record data.
One’s training can be taken to an elite level using the following
principles and using a heart rate monitor to measure workouts.
-
An athlete should spend
approximately 60% of the week’s total workout in an aerobic zone
-
An athlete should spend
approximately 25-30% of the week’s total workout developing the
anaerobic system
-
An athlete should spend only
10-15% of the week’s total workout in the “max” zone which develops speed.
-
An athlete should allow 48 hours
between workouts in the max zone.
All
of the above principles of training should be applied seasonally as well
to provide for maximum benefits. For instance, the early season might consist 100% of aerobic
work, building an endurance base. As
the base is built, anaerobic threshold work can be added.
These workouts are done at 80-90% of maximum heart rate.
The purpose of these workouts is to adapt the body to increasingly
more difficult workouts. Eventually,
time in the anaerobic zone will become a comfortable place to be as the
anaerobic threshold moves closer to one’s maximum heart rate.
Because of the
difficulty sustaining 90-100% maximum heart rate, time spent that zone is
limited to just a few minutes with a longer recovery period required.
Have
you encountered the swimmer who always swims at the same speed?
Perhaps you know the swimmer who does everything hard everyday?
Maybe you know the opposite swimmer, one who swims everything too
easy. Actually, most athletes
fit into one of these two categories:
they either train too hard all the time or too slow all the time.
Proper scheduling of workouts can further increase the athlete’s
benefit. For instance, it is
an inefficient use of time to do a max hr workout when fatigued by the
previous day’s workout. Proper
recovery is essential so an easy aerobic workout should follow a max
workout. This not only aids
in improving performance in the max HR zone, but also allows for proper recovery
and helps prevent unnecessary injury and/or illness from over training.
BUT
I DON’T KNOW MY MAXIMUM HEART RATE!
No problem!
But, you need to do a test or two knowing the following:
1.
For maximum accuracy, perform a swim max test, which will take you
to complete exhaustion (you will feel like puking, if you’ve done it
right).
2.
Your maximum heart rate on land (either running or cycling) is the
point at which increased effort does not result in an increase in heart
rate for one minute.
3.
Only as a last resort, use this preferred formula:
210 - (.5 x age) – (.05 x body weight) + 4 (men only) = maximum
heart rate
This
formula assumes that fitness declines with age (not necessarily true).
4.
Your maximum heart rate in the water may be 10-15 beats lower than
your heart rate on land due to the
cooling effect of the water, buoyancy, gravity, etc…
Some individuals
should consult a doctor before taking a maximum heart rate test.
There are a few good “sub-maximum” tests available.
Good luck in your training!
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