Terry's insight on Coached workouts
Regardless of individual goals and focus, the pool is a fantastic place to enjoy yourself with a great group of friends!
For those who do not wish to compete, the workouts will continue to provide great fitness and stroke improvement.
Here’s what you should expect from your coaches
- Provide structured workouts designed to improve both fitness and technique, explained with clarity so that each swimmer understands the purpose of each set.
- Treat each athlete as an individual, taking into consideration the person’s background, abilities, and goals, while recognizing and encouraging each to his/her full potential.
- Give constructive feedback tailored for the athlete, both in terms of content and quantity.
Here’s what the coaches expect from the swimmers
- Strive to understand yourself well enough to know what you want from the workouts, including whether you want to compete, what strokes/distances you favor, your fitness and performance goals, etc.
- Work with your doctors to understand any limitations or adaptations, and take responsibility for ensuring that your workout strategy is compatible with your health outlook.
- Communicate your goals, limitations, and concerns with your coaches.
- Ask for clarification when you don’t understand or when what you hear seems to conflict with other things you’ve been told.
- Enjoy the social aspect of Club membership. Have fun with and respect your teammates, and contribute to making each practice a positive experience for everyone. (This includes being willing to share a lane and swim circles when required.)
Here are some general workout concepts to consider
- Technique improvement has a bigger impact than mere effort. Taking stroke development seriously pays big dividends.
- At the same time, your body must be stressed to stimulate growth. If you don’t work hard, you won’t get stronger.
- Dryland stretching and weightlifting, etc. are part of the equation.
- Gains come only when hard work is followed by recovery -- Usually the older you are, the more recovery you need.
- Pay attention to your body to find the right balance.