5 Ways to Improve Your Training in 2017
5 Ways to Improve Your Training in 2017
The new year just around the corner. Follow these steps to improve your swimming and start fresh in 2017.
The new year is just around the corner, and that means it's time to reboot your training. Here are five tips to improve your swimming and start fresh in 2017.
The clock can be your best friend, your worst enemy, or just a piece of plastic. The good news is that it's always ticking and it never tells a lie. Using the clock to your advantage in practice is crucial in making sure you are on pace to reach your goals come taper time.
I know coaches can be scary and often determine how much pain you're about to endure, but they also determine how fast you're going to go at the end of the season. Talk to your coach constantly, tell them how you're feeling, and ask what you can do better. Being a coachable swimmer is not only great for your swimming, but it's also a HIGHLY recruitable trait for college coaches.
If there's one thing that can single-handedly make you have better workouts, swim faster, and just overall have more energy...it's having proper nutrition. Now you're probably thinking you'll need to go to your local GNC, stock up on $10,000 worth of supplements, and find a nutritionist, but that's not the case. Although that stuff can help, something as simple as hydrating more, cutting out junk food, or making sure you're getting enough protein in your diet can make a world of a difference. Eat your veggies. Drink your water.
More often than not, there are two types of swimmers on the pool deck: those who can't bend over and touch their own knee caps and those who can turn themselves into a pretzel. Maybe you aren't going to be a pretzel person, but what you can do is make sure you're flexible enough to perform the movements that swimming requires.
Waking up at 5:30 AM six times a week can have an impact on how you feel throughout the rest of the day. Normally this is an issue because we're up late doing homework and only getting a whopping total of four hours of sleep each night. Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you to go to bed at 7 PM every night, but you can try to maximize your sleep to ensure you're healthy and ready to rock and roll.
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1) Use the clock.
The clock can be your best friend, your worst enemy, or just a piece of plastic. The good news is that it's always ticking and it never tells a lie. Using the clock to your advantage in practice is crucial in making sure you are on pace to reach your goals come taper time.
2) Talk to your coach more.
I know coaches can be scary and often determine how much pain you're about to endure, but they also determine how fast you're going to go at the end of the season. Talk to your coach constantly, tell them how you're feeling, and ask what you can do better. Being a coachable swimmer is not only great for your swimming, but it's also a HIGHLY recruitable trait for college coaches.
3) Proper nutrition.
If there's one thing that can single-handedly make you have better workouts, swim faster, and just overall have more energy...it's having proper nutrition. Now you're probably thinking you'll need to go to your local GNC, stock up on $10,000 worth of supplements, and find a nutritionist, but that's not the case. Although that stuff can help, something as simple as hydrating more, cutting out junk food, or making sure you're getting enough protein in your diet can make a world of a difference. Eat your veggies. Drink your water.
4) Stretch, stretch, stretch.
More often than not, there are two types of swimmers on the pool deck: those who can't bend over and touch their own knee caps and those who can turn themselves into a pretzel. Maybe you aren't going to be a pretzel person, but what you can do is make sure you're flexible enough to perform the movements that swimming requires.
5) Sleep more.
Waking up at 5:30 AM six times a week can have an impact on how you feel throughout the rest of the day. Normally this is an issue because we're up late doing homework and only getting a whopping total of four hours of sleep each night. Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you to go to bed at 7 PM every night, but you can try to maximize your sleep to ensure you're healthy and ready to rock and roll.
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