Swimming Lingo

Remember your first Master's workout with us...walking onto the pool deck having no idea what to expect, getting into the water, and after a nice leisurely warm-up you hear some strange words coming out of my mouth, such as..."OK, we're doing an interval pyramid set of 10x100's, descending/ascending doubling the top and starting on the 2 minutes. All free with no break at the half - READY GO!!". As you push off the wall following the feet in front of you, the one question that runs through your mind, as well I'm sure many others in the pool is... "WHAT IN THE WORLD DID HE JUST SAY??".

First off, let me just say that I completely understand that sometimes the swimming lingo we use can seem like a foreign language, and sometimes I'll run through a set explanation very quickly in order to get everyone swimming again. Although I can usually tell when I'm talking in some foreign language by all the puzzled looks, if the set explanation doesn't make any sense, just let me know and I'll be more than happy to repeat the set...just don't ask me to draw pictures, or then we'll both be totally confused =). Once you get familiar with all the new terms, you'll probably be able to know the set even before I finish explaining it. In fact, some of you who have been swimming with me for quite some time are even able to predict what the next set will be...but I still have a few more workout surprises left up my sleeve to make this more difficult...so give it your best shot!. Here's a brief definition of some of the workout terms and lingo you'll be hearing:

*"ON THE TOP" or "ON THE UP" or "ON THE 60": This is the starting time of the set, which refers to the position of the pace clock's seconds hand (the 60 is in the straight up position, like 12:00 on a normal clock). The pace clock is divided into 60 second increments, with one full revolution equal to 1 minute. It is important to become very acquainted with the pace clock since much of your workout may be spent gazing up at it...and hoping it would give you just a little more rest!

*PYRAMID SET: Refers to a set of variably changing distances and/or intervals with a given pattern. For example, 200, 150, 100, 50, 50, 100, 150, 200 is the appearance of a typical Pyramid Set, with the 50 doubled at the top. A pyramid can also refer to timed intervals, as in .40, .50, 1:00, 1:00, .50, .40. This set would be for a set of 6x50's, starting on the .40 seconds, doubling at the top (1:00), and then coming back down to .40

*ASCENDING/DESCENDING: The terms "Ascending" and "Descending" can be used to refer to either timed intervals, and/or distance. Descending times mean the pace increasingly gets faster, whereas Ascending means the pace is getting slower. A set that is both "Ascending/Descending" is an interval pyramid such as the example given above. The first half of the pyramid set is Ascending, meaning the pace starts fast, and gradually gets slower. Then at the top of the pyramid, the set starts descending, meaning the slower pace gradually gets faster again. A distance set which is Ascending refers to an increase in distance, and Descending means a decrease in distance. Therefore, a distance pyramid that is Descending/Ascending would be decreasing in distance the first half, and then increasing in distance the second half (such as the example given in the Pyramid set)...So, is your head spinning yet?

*LADDER: A ladder is a set which is Ascending or Descending in interval or distance, but in one direction only. A pyramid is basically two ladder sets back-to-back.

*LAP: Equal to 1 (one) length of the pool - 25 yards. A lap is NOT 2 (two) lengths - 50 yards. A 200 yard swim equals 8 laps...NOT 4. I know this may not make sense, but at least we'll all be confused together now.

*CIRCLE-PATTERN: Used to safely and practically accommodate numerous swimmers in a single lane. Refers to swimming on the RIGHT side of the lane line (the little black line on the bottom of the pool), so as to allow others to swim in the opposite direction without collision. It is recommended to swim as far to the right as possible, but not to the extent of hitting the lane divider during any portion of the stroke (or anyone in the next lane over).

*LANE-SPLITTING: Only possible when 1 or 2 people are swimming in the lane. Refers to swimming on 1 side of the lane line at all times (right side or left side). This is not recommended when swimming in unsupervised lap pools because it can result in a collision if a 3rd swimmer should join the lane.

*VERTICAL KICKING: A drill done in the deep end of the pool where swimmers position themselves in a vertical position, and kick with rapid, short strokes. The hands should be used as little as possible to assist in maintaining a proper body position. This drill provides an increased resistance to normal kicking, and is a good drill for building sprint-kick muscles.

*STATIONARY SWIMMING: AKA "Torture Cables!!" This is a drill we use on occasion where stretch cords are attached to the end of the pool, with the other end attached to the waist of the swimmer. The swimmer begins, and once the cord is stretched out to a certain distance, the resistance on the cord will cause the forward progress of the swimmer to come to a complete stop, and may even reverse at times. This is considered a very high intensity resistance drill, and is only possible for short durations. Stationary swimming is excellent for working on weak technique areas and form breaks, provided a proper technique can be maintained while swimming in a stationary position (very difficult to do). Needless to say, this is an exercise that will definitely KICK YOUR BUTT!

*NEGATIVE SPLIT: During a swim of a set distance, swimming the 2nd portion of the swim faster than the 1st portion is called negative splitting. This can be done in a number of different ways, but basically it means to do a swim at 2 speeds, with the 2nd part being faster than the 1st. A build-up swim is an example of a set that consists of repeating negative splits.

*SPRINT: I'll leave this one to your own interpretation. However, in order to get the most benefit out of your swim, sprints are done at maximum effort. Of course effort is a relative term, and varies throughout the workout, so the idea is to swim as hard as possible at that particular time.

Refer to this listing from time-to-time for lingo additions and updates.