Testing the Waters: Swimming Tests Part One

Most swimmers want to know the answer to four basic questions:

1. Am I getting fitter?
2. Am I getting faster?
3. Is my technique improving?
4. Will I be able to race well at my next competition?

The best way to answer all these questions is, of course, by “racing”!

Competition results and meet performances give you valuable information on how your program is going and how much you are improving.

However, coaches and sports scientists often use testing to determine the answers to these questions in training.

The Golden Rules of Testing

There are Three Golden Rules in Testing:

1. Consistency
If you test on a Monday morning this time after having the weekend off you have to repeat the test on a Monday morning after having the weekend off next time. If you test in a long course pool this time – it’s long course next time. If you dive this time – you dive next time. Everything – equipment, pre test warm up etc needs to be standardized as much as possible.

2. Common Sense
The test you use needs to make sense. If testing for endurance – 2 x 25 metres is not the right test to use. If measuring speed, a one hour swim is not the right choice. Decide what you are testing, then select a test which makes sense.

3. Record everything

• Time of day / date
• Warm up used
• Dive start or push start
• Test set details (i.e. repeat distances, number of repeats, stroke, time cycle)
• Time
• Splits
• Stroke count (the number of strokes taken – usually expressed as strokes per lap)
• Heart rate if applicable
• RPE – Rating of Perceived Exertion (a subjective measure out of ten to indicate how hard you found the test.)

A basic test recording sheet may look something like this:

Like any test, it you want to do well, you have to study.

In this case study means you need to learn how to do the test.

This is especially the case in endurance testing when errors in pacing can lead to poor test results which are not really indicative of the subjects actual endurance ability.

A good way to overcome this problem is to include some shorter swimming in the warm up at the target speed of the first repeat to be included in the test.

For example:

If a swimmer was aiming to complete a test of 10 x 100 freestyle on two minutes where the target speed of the first 100 metres of the test was at 1:20 pace, you might include a set like 6 x 50 freestyle on 1 minute holding 40 seconds, i.e. half distance at the same pace, in the warm up.

This gets the swimmer prepared to perform the test as required rather than starting out too fast and being too fatigued to complete the rest of the test correctly.

Example:

John Smith has decided he needs to assess his swimming fitness mid season. He decides that the right test for him is 6 x 200 metres freestyle on 5 minutes.

In of this article, we will look at specific tests for speed, speed endurance, technique efficiency and endurance.

Wayne Goldsmith