The Ins and Outs of Tapering
A swim taper is an essential part of the approach to championship level meets. From a swimmer’s perspective, it can often feel like a mystical and magical time period where time drops become imminent. In actuality, it is a closely monitored and detailed plan of increased rest during the leadup to a big meet. During this time, consistent attendance becomes absolutely necessary to achieve the desired result. Below, you will find a few details about what a traditional taper can look like:
A taper is only as good as the previous 10 weeks of training. It only works if the effort, attendance, and focus were consistent throughout the leadup period.
Tapering is totally subjective to each individual swimmer.
Taper usually involves a slow decay of training volume (yards swum per day), while also adding a corresponding increase in intensity. For instance, during the regular season, a swimmer may train at top intensity for 10-20% of practice. During the final days of taper, that percentage increases significantly.
Taper only works if a swimmer is getting adequate rest outside of the pool.
Race performance becomes the primary focus during a period of taper. This can include technical skills, broken swims, and a meet warm up.
Higher muscle density typically requires a longer taper. As a result, sprinters can taper for up to 3 weeks, while distance swimmers typically taper for a shorter period of time.
Each taper is a learning experience for the swimmer and coach. It is not an exact science and needs to be tailored to each individual swimmer. With every taper, the Coach becomes more in tune with what a specific swimmer needs.
Age Group swimmers do not typically participate in a taper in the same way as older swimmers.
