How brutal are swim team work outs?

Question

The swim team at the high school I'm going to (I'm going next year, 8th grader right now) is a non-cut sports team so now I'm positive I want join. I've been swimming my whole life, starting at a "Mommy and Me" class when I was a baby and I took swim lessons up until now. I've been asked by instructors a few summers ago to swim at something like the "All City Swim Meet" or something like that but I turned him down because I was going on vacation the next week and I wasn't sure if I could do it (I have poor self esteem). I know all the basics and I'm pretty fast: IM, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, flip turns, diving, butterfly, ect.

I'm just worried about the work outs they have. I really suck at running (the fastest mile time I've had is 8:46 which is pretty slow compared to other people) and I suck at doing regular exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. I am able to do them though, it's not impossible for me lol but I'm just wondering how hard they work you. My dad says the work outs are pretty brutal, so is this true?

Answer 1

lol at 'I was asked to join the all-city meet" and "I have poor self-esteem."

You don't sound like you have poor self-esteem. Otherwise, you wouldn't be bragging...lol. Anyway, since you are already a pretty fast swimmer, the practices will be tough, but it's not like you'll get beat to death. "Brutal" is relative. Expect to be sore for a few days because usually HS practices are two or more hours of swimming daily. I doubt you are used to that amount, but you soon will be. Since the team is no-cut, you'll be put in a lane with swimmers of your approximate ability, and the work-outs should be somewhat modified for each lane. As you improve, you get tougher practices with more yardage and harder intervals.

It sounds like swim team should be a good thing for you. So good luck. I'm sure you will enjoy it and do well.

Answer 2

My high school wasn't the best in the conference and didn't have our own pool. here's a little of what we did.

Practice 2 hours every week day night, 1 hour in the morning 3 times a week, and 3 hours every Saturday. Plus maybe a little more if we could fit it in.

Worked out 3 times a week for an hour at a time.

Practices were brutal. I was in the fast lane since day 1 freshman year so that sucked, but I got better faster. The other new guys spent the first week learning the strokes better and after that they always had easier sets on easier times. One of the hardest parts about the swimming is that yo uare working out as hard as you can repeatedly everyday and rarely get a break. However, you can do it. We've had people join our team who didn't even know how to swim, but since then they have become faster and are pretty good now. I would definitely say you should join but be prepared to work hard.

Answer 3

wow! the way everyone has been answering makes it seem like swimming sucks!

so what happens the first day is the coach will have everyone swim a bit, then he will put you all into lanes based on ability. most likely, you will not be in the slowest lane, those are almost always the people who dont know how to swim. then the coach has the team do sets based on the lanes ability. your coach will know what you can and can not make, so it will be suited especially for you. your coach will push you though, if you start to think you cant make a set, just try for a little while longer, most likely you can, your coach wouldnt waste time on having you do a set you cant do.

I suck at running too, but im on the varsity team and going to districts next week, so your running speed doesnt say much.

before the first practice, make sure you have the proper equiptment. dont show up in beachwear, make sure you have a competitive suit

im not sure if you know this but sets are usually given like this:

4 on the 1:30

3 on the :50



Now if that was your set, that means 100s (4 lengths) times 4

then 50's (2 lengths) times 3.

when your coach says leaving on the top, that means on the 60 on the clock.

sorry if you already know this.



here is the list of events that you compete in at meets.

200 medly relay

200 free

200 IM

50 free

Diving (there is a separate team for diving)

100 fly

100 free

500 free

200 freestyle relay

100 back

100 breast

400 free relay



each team member usually gets at least 2 races (one individual one relay)

but sometimes more depending on the size of your team.



as for practice, my team does 2 hours monday through friday after school. We dont do dryland, we just spend more time in the pool, since it is swimming. we can do weights and stuff on our own time, but might as well use our coach for swimming while he's here.

swimming in the morning is usually optional for most teams, it is on mine. but even if its not it is only 3 times a week.

then there is saturday practice. they are usually 3 hours, 2.5 maybe, but saturday is usually more distance and endurance stuff.



hmm.. i think thats about it, i hope i didnt discourage you. swimming is an amazing sport and you will be sooo surprised on how fast you improve, it is soo cool to feel yourself getting better.

happy swimming!

Emily

Answer 4

Yes, I consider swimming one of the hardest sports. You have to be in the water all the time and getting workouts as much as possible. I swim on my high school team and a club team year round. In the summer I practice almost 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. On my high school team, we practice 3 hours M-F, we have doubles on tuesday and thrusday (5 30-6 30 AM and 4-6 45 PM) and saturdays we usually have a another 3 hour practice. Not to mention on meet days, we usually have a practice in the morning and at least an 1 1/2 hour practice before the meet. It's extremly hard sometimes, but not all high school teams are as brutal.

Answer 5

You're probably be good enough for the team. Here's what our team did the three weeks before school started.

7am to 930am dry land: Tybo, push-ups, sit-ups, running for 14 minutes, palates, other exercises; like flutter kicking in the air and sometimes a game of ultimate frisbe.



3pm to 530pm swimming in the pool. Start with a warm-up, like 400 every 4th 25 kick, 6x50s on :50 freestyle, then a pull-set, a kick-set, a main set, sometimes a fin set, a sprint set, and then to end a cool down. Sometimes we would cut it short and play a game for the last 15 minutes.



During the school year we have practice 6 days a week, Mon-Sat, meets on Wed and Sat. Dryland on Sat. It was hard, but once you get used to it, swimmings really fun and the girls on the team become some of your best friends!

Answer 6

Swim practices are extremely hard. You're face is stuck in the water and you're sprinting for quite a while. But with alot of hard work it gets slightly easier as time goes on... Although, once it gets easier that means your interval time goes up which means hard again. But that only makes you a better swimmer. It's the best excercise ever. You technically can't get hurt, except for over-use of joints and stuff. All muscles are used.. So alot of pushups, situps, etc. It'd be hard.. but It's so much fun for me. The feeling you have when swimming is amazing (If you really enjoy it that is). So I'd say try it for 1-4 weeks. You probably will die a few times but, remember, that gets better. I encorage swimming! :)

Answer 7

properly, so some distance as finding out for the gang, based how solid your group is or the style of school, (maximum private colleges close to me have try outs consistent with annum.) with the intention to be on the gang I surprisingly advise which you be waiting to do 4-8 laps with out having drained.(4 laps is a a hundred and eight laps is a 2 hundred) Swimming exercises encompass a lot of those laps, in all 4 strokes. i could say that an uncomplicated swimming exercising consultation for a intense college group, for infants with no longer a lot experience in the pool could be 2,000 yards to 3,000 yards a prepare. yet another solid thank you to get in shape is push ups. wish this facilitates!

Answer 8

no offense but your mile time is slow i have a 6:38 but anyway it depends how competitive your swim team is if your swim team is filled with really fast swimmers its probably gonna be tough..it also depends on the coach..i say find out who the coach is first and how his personality is..if its nice then u probably wont have to harsh ones but if he tends to yell a lot then idont think i have to tell u

Answer 9

yes! swimming is one of the hardest sports ever. It is an extremely hard sport. But if u are willing to put in the time and effort than you should do well.

Answer 10

just try out, its not like they will murder you if you don't make the cut. it would only give you a goal you can aim for the next time you try out for the team.

Answer 11

dont fmess with us. you know you are good enough. they asked you to join the elite team and you declined. running is a minor point of swimming duh. if its a no-cut team you know you are going to crush them. dont waste our time with your "poor self esteem" You are awesome and if you are good at the basics you will dominate! DOMINATE! SAY IT! DOMINATE!



believe in yourself. i do.