Swimming five hundred yards in 13 minutes

[samurai4287]

What is my best way to get to this point? I am going to be going into the Navy, Special Ops forces, SWCC....I can swim good, but my endurance when it comes to swimming is not that great, I have a few months, so what is my best bet?

 

[samurai4287]

btw, that is the minimum time allowed

 

[BudMan]

the minimum time allowed....so you have to swim it in 13 minutes and not less?? well anyways 500 yards in 13 mins is not difficult at all, you could probably do that with breaststroke...start out swimming freestyle 10 50s on 2 mins ( if you can work it down to 1:30) once you are comfortable with that move on to sets of 5 100s on 3 minutes ( if you are ready) when you are ready to move on do 3 200s on 5 minutes each (you should be able to decrease this interval) next start timing your self for the 500. try to set intervals for yourself while you are swimming (this can be done by setting a watch or looking at the clock, intervals can be for the 50 or 100 set them with what your comfortable)....well hope that helps...are you currently in the navy?

 

[Ian Coe]

What is my best way to get to this point? I am going to be going into the Navy, Special Ops forces, SWCC....I can swim good, but my endurance when it comes to swimming is not that great, I have a few months, so what is my best bet?

I don't know how it is in the US but in the UK you have to be in service for 2-3 years before you can apply for the special forces.

Or is this where the comparison breaks down. UK special forces = 30-40, US = like 2000 lol.

You have a few months to swim 541 m?
Boots, gear...sea...what are the conditions of the test?

I would suggest the above and getting some normal 25-30 min swims in as well.

30s for a 25 m swim (22.5 yards) is pretty easy at a leisurely pace

 

[rEdShawks]

the thing with swimming is , unlike running, biking and other activities , building a base of mileage or doing speed sessions is less beneficial. Being a good swimmer has a lot to do with practicing stroke and swimming technique, and will help u alot more if u spend ure time taking some swimming class, then swimming as fast as u can every day

 

[scubavanja]

I am not sure how good or bad at swimming you are, but that seems like a really easy swim. At my job we do a physical every 2 months and we have to do a 400 yard swim in 9 minutes. I do it somewhere in between 6 and 7 minutes and I don't consider myself a great swimmer.

I just recently started swimming for cardio and what I think has really helped are the swimming paddles my friend gave me. You put them on your hands and they basically get you to use your upper body more. I really like them and I feel like I get a better workout this way.

But like someone else said, technique is very important. Make sure you are kicking all the time and also work on your breathing. I found it that once I got my breathing pattern down, I could keep going forever. I now swim 2K when I workout, without a break. And only a few months before, I would struggle with 400 yards.

Its all breathing, focusing on your technique. I also do a few sprints at the end of each workout.....sprint 50 yards, then go breast stroke back and catch my breath and then do it again. It really, really gives you a burn at the end of your workout. Try it sometime.

 

[doormouse]

swimming fast is almost all technique. carve the water in an S from the top of the stroke, pulling with fingers together first in, then out, then again in to the hip before pulling back and repeating. And yes, use the feet/legs and efficiently flutter kick. anyone that says you don't need a serious base has never swam seriously. full swim practices are more brutal than any other sport practice i've ever been a part of, and a stron cardio-respiratory system is vital.

 

[Josh1537]

check out military.com, they have a lot of info on there for training and requirements

i was training to go into the AF pararescue which is essentially a navy seal that is a paramedic, but decided to go back to school get my degree and go in as an officer

breathing is crucial to endurance, once i figured this out i doubled my distances.

with each stroke let out a small amount of air, for freestyle it should be Right stroke Left stroke Right stoke breathe Left, Left stroke Right stroke Left stroke breathe right with each stroke exhale so that by the time you get to your last stroke you should be expelling the last of your air so you are ready to take a full breath when you breathe. takes a little practice, but after a few times you wont even think about it.

work on building your leg muscles, do some running and bike riding to change it up a little bit, if you have a pair of fins get in the pool and swim up against a wall, just put your hands out and try and "push" the wall, the fins will add a lot more resistance and really work your legs.

proper form is probably the single most important thing, im not an expert so i cant really explain exactly how, but ive been in the ocean all my life and tried swimming in high school so i know a little, take a class, read a book, get a video, do something so you know exactly how to optimize each stroke, this will be the biggest and most important part of training.

talk to as many people as you can about it get as much info so you have a good idea what you are getting into.....not sure how but i would try and prepare for "Hell week" since thats when most people drop out, the physical side is only a small part of it. everyone ive talked to said its a big mental game too. you have to REALLY want it

good luck man

 

[Blazin_Dakine]

Breathing excercises should be a core part of your training as well. As it was taught to me, after you've done your normal work out as stated by the number three post, do a 3-5-7-9 stroke breathing excercise. Meaning take a breath every third, then fifth, then seventh, and so forth stroke. Start over at nine of course. You should reach the other side of the pool by 7 or 9. It increases your anaerobic stamina. Another thing you can do is sprint one length of the pool then hold your breath under water for the entire length back, take about a 1 minute break, then do it again. That'll def smoke you if you do that a few times.

13 minutes is more than enough time for 500 yards. This must be just an entry level test. Average swimmers do a hundred yards in 2 minutes, so there shouldn't be any reason why you couldn't do 500 yrds in 13 minutes or less. Once you get in though it'll def get more difficult so you might as well start smoking yourself now. If I were you however I wouldn't concentrate so much on speed but more on technique. It's no good if you can swim for miles but doing it all wrong. Swimming is not like running, you don't get better by swimming harder or farther. You do on the other hand get better, and swim faster, the more you perfect your technique.

To respond to Ian Coe, the US military used to make you wait a minimum of two years in and you had to have a spotless record before you could try out for Spec Ops. Nowadays however, because of the shortage of military personel, they're taking joes off the street.

 

[KazenoYojimbo]

Actually the seals have taken newbies directly for a long time now, it used to be that the other special operations groups required experience, Blazin may be much more up to date on that than I.

As far as swimming 500 yards in 13 minutes, find a routine online, stick to it. Everyone is right about form, that's key, also focus on pullups and anaerobic conditioning through hypoxics in the water.

 

[pescimove]

Hey there, if you're looking to go SWCC check out the following resources, as a matter of fact go read/buy/use them NOW:
1.Total Immersion: Learn to swim smarter. Guys in BUD/S (and I'm assuming SWCC guys too) are taught to swim using these methods.

2. NavySEALs.com Crossfit: Workout program that you can start today and search thru to get an idea of what you should be doing. This is put together by trainers with exposure to the community that are getting tadpoles ready for BUD/S. It's a mixture of Crossfit workouts and cals, swims and runs.

3. The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness: The book that started it all. Used to by a lot of people to get ready for BUD/S and SWCC. Complete 12 week program included.

Hope this helps.

 

[vern_Fonk]

btw for the TS:

the test is done only with the combat swimmer stroke or the breast stroke. so that time has to be done with only those 2 strokes. the CSS is a relatively low intensity stroke and it's used for longer distances than something like the breast stroke. so before you start training, i recommend u master the side stroke basics and breast stroke. once you get the technique down, i'm sure you will more than break that time.

 

[tri4ben]

TS- have you actually ever tried to swom 500 yards in 13 minutes?

Most people who exercise at least twice a week and some sort of comfort in the water can do this.

13 minutes is a minimum standard. If you can't do this, you not only shouldn't be a navy seal, but shoudn't do much of anything.

All of this changes if you have to do the swimming in clothes / boots etc.

 

[MontrealMauler]

swimming fast is almost all technique. carve the water in an S from the top of the stroke, pulling with fingers together first in, then out, then again in to the hip before pulling back and repeating. And yes, use the feet/legs and efficiently flutter kick. anyone that says you don't need a serious base has never swam seriously. full swim practices are more brutal than any other sport practice i've ever been a part of, and a stron cardio-respiratory system is vital.

I was a high end competitive swimmer and this is the best advice.....improving your stroke is the best way to shave minutes and seconds off your time. You have to work smarter not harder.

Best thing you can do is take swimming lessons. Swimming lessons isn't just for kids.....even "retired" swimmers that used to swim at a high level will get a trainer/coach/teacher to retune their strokes.

You can't just take their advice one time and think you will do it on your own. People have bad habits that they quickly revert to because the correct technique is always harder than you are currently doing until it becomes engrained in your stroke. You need to work with a coach at least a few times a week and after a month or two you will see dramatic improvement if the coach is good. Get someone with a competitive swimming background.

They will also make you do a bunch of drills that will improve your technique and strength/endurance in the water. To get better you need to do this stuff. Don't think you can train Muay Thai or running for example and that endurance will directly translate to swimming.

 

[nomilkforsanta]

I coached Jr National swimming for 5 years, until I got sick of the traveling. I got some questions for you before i can give you advice first.

What kind of pool do you have access too, long course or short course?

How good is your technique? (you should spend between 1/4 to 1/2 of your workout doing technique work when your advanced, more if you are not good)

Is there a Clock?

Do you understand how interval training works for swimming?

What strokes will you using, freestyle, speed breast, or distance breast.....

What equipment do you have (fins, paddles, buoys, kick boards, snorkel...)

Are you going to be tested on just long distance, or will there be underwater swimming, open water swimming, and sprinting?

nathan

 

[DevilEyes]

What is my best way to get to this point? I am going to be going into the Navy, Special Ops forces, SWCC....I can swim good, but my endurance when it comes to swimming is not that great, I have a few months, so what is my best bet?

The best advice I can give you is that if you are truly setting your sights on BUD/S or SWCC, you need to be able to do it in a lot less than 13mins with very little effort. The evolutions at NSWTC start with 800m pool swims and end with 1/2 mile ocean swims, so you are going to want to be prepared for that. Also (along with the good advice already posted by the swimmers here), you need to focus on being able to control your breathing. I would highly recommend being prepared for the final evolution quals prior to entering.



SWCC PHYSICAL EVOLUTION - STANDARDS and RECOMMENDED

WEEKS 7-9

Pull-ups - 11 15-20
Push-ups - 70 80-100
Sit-ups - 75 80-100
Swim 1/2 mile (ocean) without fins (sidestroke) - 30:00 20:00
Swim 1 mile (ocean) with fins (sidestroke) - 50:00 40:00
Swim 400 meters (pool) without fins - 10:30 9:00
Run 10 kilometers (sand) with boots and pants - 60:00 50-55:00
Water entry from height of 1 meter Completion
25 meter underwater swim (ocean) Completion
Drownproofing (ocean) Completion
Basic Lifesaving (ocean) Completion
Swim 200 meters (ocean) in full uniform Completion

 

[rEdShawks]

The best advice I can give you is that if you are truly setting your sights on BUD/S or SWCC, you need to be able to do it in a lot less than 13mins with very little effort. The evolutions at NSWTC start with 800m pool swims and end with 1/2 mile ocean swims, so you are going to want to be prepared for that. Also (along with the good advice already posted by the swimmers here), you need to focus on being able to control your breathing. I would highly recommend being prepared for the final evolution quals prior to entering.



SWCC PHYSICAL EVOLUTION - STANDARDS and RECOMMENDED

WEEKS 7-9

Pull-ups - 11 15-20
Push-ups - 70 80-100
Sit-ups - 75 80-100
Swim 1/2 mile (ocean) without fins (sidestroke) - 30:00 20:00
Swim 1 mile (ocean) with fins (sidestroke) - 50:00 40:00
Swim 400 meters (pool) without fins - 10:30 9:00
Run 10 kilometers (sand) with boots and pants - 60:00 50-55:00
Water entry from height of 1 meter Completion
25 meter underwater swim (ocean) Completion
Drownproofing (ocean) Completion
Basic Lifesaving (ocean) Completion
Swim 200 meters (ocean) in full uniform Completion

do u know how long u have to do the pushups? and if u can take a break in between?

 

[DevilEyes]

do u know how long u have to do the pushups? and if u can take a break in between?

If I recall correctly, you are allowed 2 minutes to complete the push-ups (same with the sit-ups). The pull-ups, however, are not timed. You are allowed a rest period of about 2 mins after each exercise (with a 10 minute "cooldown" rest period after the runs and swims).

 

[rbastid]

While Lifegaurding we had to start each day of training with a 20X25 swim, I when I first started that muscle cramping and the sort was worse then getting gassed, by the 15th or so lap my legs would be fuckin dead. After a year, the 2nd yearly test (By the company not the state) was 100 times easier, within that year I had learned how to correctly swim, as opposed to the way I'd always just swam for fun.

If you can find a stationary tub (not sure the real name) where you just swim against the current then you can get your form better, Once I was able to pass the pressure coming at me I figured I was better off.

I'm sure if you've been training for your time in the army you should have the cardio and muscle endurance for this, just do like everyone said and learn the perfect stroke for your body shape.