Development of special endurance by the means of selective direction on land in the annual preparation cycle of highly qualified medium distance swimmers

Physical preparedness of a swimmer, aimed at the development of all physical qualities, is usually practiced during classes on land and in water. One of the leading physical qualities of a swimmer is special endurance, the level and nature of the manifestation of which is determined by the distance and specialization of an athlete. In this case, the orientation of training influences should be selective. Some of them can be developed with the help of exercises in a gym. At the same time, combination of means of developing special endurance on land and in water in different cycles of the training process and with the consideration of specialization requires appropriate study and development of a training program for swimmers in a gym. The purpose of this research was to study the development possibilities of special endurance of swimmers, specializing in medium distances, selective exercises on land. The study involved 20 swimmers of Candidate Master of Sports qualification, specializing in 200 m freestyle, divided into 2 groups of 10 people. Trainings in the control group (CG) have been conducted according to the generally accepted method. In the experimental group (EG) the training process included an experimental methodology for the improvement of special endurance. To assess the level of special endurance, 4x50 m tests with the interval of 10 seconds and the index of special endurance have been used (ISE). During the entire study period, 3 tests have been conducted: at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the annual training cycle. The results of the study showed that inclusion in the training process of highly qualified swimmers of the author's exercise complexes in the gym helped to improve special endurance, which is confirmed by a significant improvement in the test speed and special endurance index. In such a way, the inclusion of exercises, selectively aimed at the development of special endurance in the training process of highly qualified swimmers, have been followed by the increase in the results of 4x50 m tests and ISE and provided the improvement of the competitive result.