How Green were my Muscles - finboy Digs Deep

[finboy]

Marykaa - Re. the flat bike ride...just getting in a ride around the neighborhood (with street lights) before the sun came up. We have plenty of hills here in central Texas for bike training. Don't forget Lance Armstrong lives here.
Faraz - thanks for the pressure, bud and thanks for visiting.
Pete - HGM is definitely a kick in the pants!
BFG - sorry to hear you've got issues with running...knee problems?

April 27, 2006

Swim
1000 meters total

Working on form today...leisurely swim for the most part. Until...I tried Milkman's suggestion about hypoxic training where you swim under water without breathing for 25 yards, then recover for 25 yards. I wasn't using fins and let's just say I got about 10 yards (at the most) before I came to the surface gasping for air! I can hold my breath for a decent period of time, but under water swimming...I've noticed I can hardly go 10 seconds. Milk...would the hypoxic training have any other benefits besides the additional calories burned?

HGM for lunch.

[Ogedei]

Just get in there and swim without the breathing!

I can do the full 25m w/o the breath but I doubt I could use an easy lap as recovery for it. I typically throw in a 30 - 60 second recovery window.

I unfortunately overslept today so I have missed my swim, so now I am trying to figure out what to do about that.

AnyHOW. I've read that the hypoxic trains your lungs to utilize your oxygen more efficienty as well. Does Milk have any comments?

[milkman21]

Builds your lung capacity very quickly, increases mental toughness, increases work capacity, etc...

I don't know if there's science to support this, but IMO it seems to have the effect of HIIT if done at moderate intensity, and if done at full intensity (as I suggested trying) it seems to magnify the effects of the HIIT even more. It seems that you're able to push yourself further than otherwise possible.

[milkman21]

Originally Posted by Ogedei

AnyHOW. I've read that the hypoxic trains your lungs to utilize your oxygen more efficienty as well.

Also true

I can't be sure which effects of this training are more mental and which are more physically induced, but either way you look at it, it kicks ass for getting you into shape.

[Ogedei]

And there is quite the feeling of accomplishment when you swim that first 25 totally without breathing!

Incidentally. The first time I tried I made it about half way. The next workout I made it 3/4s of the way and then...then I said screw it I can make the last little bit to the end!

I think alot could be mental, but if that's the case, it's even better excercise for triathletes I would suspect.
Og.

[milkman21]

Originally Posted by Ogedei

The next workout I made it 3/4s of the way and then...then I said screw it I can make the last little bit to the end!

Nice work. Since I probably got a little overzealous recommending alternating 25's UW and EZ, perhaps you should try a 3/4 length UW followed by 1-1/4 lengths EZ to catch your breath. Or if more appropriate, 1/2 UW followed by 1-1/2 EZ. You get the idea... choose a distance you can challenge yourself to try and make 6-10 continuous cylcles through.

[Marykaa]

FINBOY

We have plenty of hills here in central Texas for bike training. Don't forget Lance Armstrong lives here

excellent.. hills are great.. for the eyes and for training.

Lance? I didn't know that! Now I'll be able to say that Lance comes from the same region as Finboy ( and not the other way around )

[finboy]

Originally Posted by milkman21

Nice work. Since I probably got a little overzealous recommending alternating 25's UW and EZ, perhaps you should try a 3/4 length UW followed by 1-1/4 lengths EZ to catch your breath. Or if more appropriate, 1/2 UW followed by 1-1/2 EZ. You get the idea... choose a distance you can challenge yourself to try and make 6-10 continuous cylcles through.

I may actually grab the fins and try this next time. Since my pool is 200m long, I'll just need to go as far as I can, then recover for 2 to 3 times that distance.

Hey Milkman or Og...question. When I tried this today, I was kicking only with my arms straight in front of me. Is that correct? Or are you stroking also?

Originally Posted by Marykaa

Now I'll be able to say that Lance comes from the same region as Finboy ( and not the other way around )

Thanks...that's what I always say!

[Ogedei]

I'm swimming standard freestyle. I work very little on my kick, ie not at all as I try to minimize it as MUCH as possible to keep my legs decent for the next two events. I basically kick to keep my legs afloat in the pool, otherwise they drop.

It sounds to me though like milkman might be more of a swimmer than I am. I only really started swimming this year for real.

[milkman21]

Swimming has been my life for 16 of my 22 years on this planet... so yea I guess I consider myself a swimmer

Anyway, Fin, as for your kicking body position... I always told my younger swimmers that Superman might have been very strong, but he wasn't particularly smart. Superman flies through the air with his arms straight out, as if at the top of a military press, hands at shoulder width. You're much more streamlined if you align your body like an arrow, and you'll cut through the water much more efficiently.



The biceps should touch the backs of your ears, your chin should be roughly perpendicular to your chest, and torso should have the posture as if standing at full attention. Ideally, your kick should be strictly propulsive while being minimally resistive (if that's a word), so that means small, fast kicking stemming from your hip flexors as opposed to your knees.

Hope that helps.

[finboy]

Thanks Milkman. This was roughly my form...hopefully I wasn't pulling a Superman! Just confirming that the drill is kick only, not freestyle stroke. Although that may be a way to start out a bit easier?

[milkman21]

Well for the hypoxic work, you can do it while swimming freestyle or by kicking underwater. I prefer kicking underwater, here's why...

When you're just kicking (no arm strokes) you're relying strictly on your leg muscles for propulsion, and your legs "consume" considerably more oxygen than your arms and upper body do. Additionally, swimming freestyle enables you to "float" your way through it and just is not as taxing, IMO.

You can try it both ways, but I prefer doing hypoxic work with kicking.

[finboy]

April 27, 2006

HGM Iron Manual
Week 2, Workout 2

Not a very good workout today. I went into it intending to take it easy and save something for the 10K run on Saturday.

QUAD 1
Standard Squat:3 x 5 x 115 lbs. (fewer reps)
Dumbbell Incline BP:3 x 10 x 40s
Barbell RDL:3 x 12 x 115 lbs.
Pull-ups:3 x 5 x BW, 3 x 5 x 120 Pulldown

QUAD 2
Dips:3 x 6 x BW (not enough gas for 8 reps)
No lunges or step-ups, just:
Lying leg curls:3 x 8 x 35
Seated Row:3 x 8 x 120
Hanging Leg Raise:3 x 8

All in all, I probably should have gone even lighter...nothing left right now.

[Ogedei]

Are you in an organized race this weekend?

[finboy]

Originally Posted by Ogedei

Are you in an organized race this weekend?

Yes...5K or 10K run and Family Walk event. I'm doing the 10K for the second year in a row...had hoped to run it in 50 minutes (or less). Not sure I'm going to have the gas or the legs for that speed?

[Ogedei]

Man I feel all lazy now! You'll have two races under your belt before I get to my first one!

Good luck on your time, that is faster than I could do.

[Steve-O-68]

Good luck Fin! Jagerbombs are great after a race! :p