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Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
TIMESTAMPS
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20141121044855/http://www.swimmingscience.net:80/2011_06_01_archive.html
From numerous injury screens and sessions with swimmers I am confident to say the posterior chain (glutes, scapular stabilizers) are the weakest area in swimmers. Dryland exercises need to target these areas to improve performance and prevent injuries.
Tad Sayce discussed the importance of reverse sled drags in his "a look at land exercises for swim kicking" post. I'm not going to reiterate what he posted, because it's a must read for all swimmers. Reverse sled drags are a great posterior chain exercise, unfortunately sleds can be expensive. Luckily, swimming facilities have the tools to create a cheap option. Every club has been through their fair share of lane lines. What team doesn't have a "young Wilbur was sitting on the lane line, then it snapped" story. These broken lane lines can be transformed into their own sled.
Take a wire cutter and cut your broken lane line from approximately the flags in (blue area) on the side with a hook (not the crank).
Next tie the end with the wire to prevent the wire from cutting anyone.
That's it! Now you have a cheap device which can be used for reverse sled drags. If the resistance is not adequate you could add weights to the end with a tie or include a rope around the participants waist.
Resistance training is an essential component of fast swimming. However, parameters, exercises and philosophy are constantly questioned. Many programs are stressing functionality and sport specific movements. Functionality is essential, but improving an athlete's power and strength are just as important, but are now being left out of many dryland programs. Speed and endurance are mostly developed in the pool, but power and strength can be generated in dryland with traditional strengthening exercises which are sport specific for swimming.
When deciding which exercise to mimic a sport specific movement, it is crucial to understand which sport specific move you are trying to improve, understand the correct movement pattern, and the biomechanics. Understanding those will help you pick a lift or exercise. For example, lets look at the backstroke start.
Backstroke Start
Proper backstroke start biomechanics require the athlete to maintain a relatively straight spine, broad chest, large amounts of hip, knee and ankle flexion. I consider the squat a near exact copy of this position which requires a relatively straight spine, broad chest, large amounts of hip, knee and ankle flexion. The main difference is the swimmer will not have their heels on the ground for the backstroke start, but will for a squat; a small difference in my eyes. Moreover, when a squat is performed at full depth (past parallel) the glutues maximus is more active (nearly 8% more than during a parallel squat, Caterisano 2002) which can help the "assless" swimmer syndrome.
The back squat is sport specific, but the position to hold the bar on the shoulder places high stress on the anterior shoulder. This area of the shoulder is already excessively stressed front the demands of the shoulder during training. Therefore, give the shoulders a rest it is not worth the risk of increasing anterior laxity and the injury risk.
The front squat has two different handling positions, the closed arm grip (pictured to the right) or clean grip (pictured above). I strongly urge you to use the crossed arm grip, since the clean grip puts high stress on the ulnar nerve. The only problem with the crossed arm grip is direct pressure, but this can be improved with a towel, another padded surface or improved tolerance.
Short and sweet list of articles since I'm out of town. Enjoy!
Is pickle juice the best choice to stop cramping in athletes?
What protein biomarkers are associated with age declines? Best damn push-up article by friend of the website Bret Contreras.
Can you stress your athletes different each workout if you stress different energy systems? Front Squats, every swimmer should perform this exercise. Especially backstroke, stay tuned this week for my reasoning.
Need a motivational video for your swimmers, check this out.
Today is a delayed Friday interview with world renowned strength coach Bret Contreras. He has be declared the "glute guy" and has written a highly popular e-book on the subject.
Please introduce yourself to the readers. Include how you got started in the profession, education, credentials, experience, etc.
I started lifting at age 15 and began reading up on strength training. First I was all about bodybuilding, but over time I became more interested in powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman. Now I've settled on studying athletic improvement, but I'm still interested in everything related to fitness. I have a master's degree from ASU and a CSCS from the NSCA. I've been a personal trainer for 14 years and a strength coach for 9 years. I had my own facility for a couple of years but am now focused on my writing and obtaining my PhD.
How do you implement resistance training in an athlete's off season?
Off-season is great because it gives you a chance to dedicate much more attention toward raising fitness and work capacity. Since you have less pain and fatigue to work around you have an excellent environment for increasing maximal strength, which builds an excellent base upon which most training qualities rely. I like 3-4 full body workouts per week that work the entire body in its primary movement patterns and vectors. This means squats, deadlifts, lunges, hip thrusts, bench press, rows, woodchops, etc. The more frequent you train, the greater variety you can introduce, such as barbell and dumbbell work, bilateral and unilateral work, full ranges of motion and partial ranges of motion, and various stances and grip widths. In-season you have to pick a few lifts that you really want to maintain (or even build upon) as you don’t have as many training days to dedicate full attention to strength.
What differences in resistance training do you utilize for a distance vs. sprinter?
While studies show that endurance athletes can indeed benefit from heavy strength work and plyometrics as they improve force transmission and movement economy, the research in this area is not well-developed. I have ideas as to how much heavy lifting and plyos should be implemented into the routines of endurance athletes but there’s a fine line between doing enough to spark adaptation and overdoing it as doing too much could be detrimental in terms of excessive fatigue, soreness, fiber shifting, hormonal drain, etc. And since most of the training that endurance athletes do should consist of their specific event, you don’t have as much time and energy stores to spend on heavy lifting especially if you’re already doing some circuit training and high rep/high density training for local muscular endurance. The solution is to throw in a couple of brief sessions of heavy lifting and plyos per week and most importantly to make sure that their fundamental movement patterns are solid. Many endurance athletes have weak glutes, poor stability at the spine and hips, and poor posture in general. Often you need to start off with the basics and gradually progress from there.
What about for a female vs. male?
Recent research suggests that women recover quicker from heavy strength training than men. Since they typically have around 2/3rds the strength levels of males, they don’t tax their muscular or nervous systems to the extent of males and can therefore recover faster. You can therefore train heavy more frequently. Furthermore, research suggests that women fatigue less than men and that their type I fibers are larger in comparison to their type II fibers than men. For this reason higher rep ranges are an important consideration for female training.
How much do you time do you spend on corrective exercises compared to strength? Does this vary between anaerobic vs. aerobic athletes?
It all depends on the athlete. I’ve had women with great mobility who do no corrective work whatsoever since their weakness is strength-related not flexibility-related. I’ve had men with such poor mobility that they spend around twenty minutes of an hour long session performing various mobility, PNF, and stability/activation drills. However, I’m always cognizant of the movement patterns and ranges of motion that I implement into their routines and I make sure that their ankles, hips, shoulders, and thoracic spine always receive proper active-flexibility stimuli during the course of the strength session.
Do you delve with agility and plyometric training?
Yes I do. I like to think in terms of directional vectors and try to implement various drills from all directions. This means axial movements for the jumping vector, anteropopsterior movements for the acceleration vector, lateral and posteroanterior movements for the agility/COD vector, and torsional movements for the rotational vector. How much of each vector gets prescribed depends on the athlete and/or goals of the client.
In the fitness industry you're the entitled "the glute guy", many swimmers suffer from "assless syndrome", what tips can you recommend for these suffers?
Many strength & conditioning coaches believe that all athletes should train the same way. They feel that general training covers the bases. I believe that this is a huge mistake as there is much research to support specific training methods. While general strength training in the form of squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, rows, military press, and chins will always be extremely important, it’s important to analyze vectors and accentuated regions of force development in athletic actions. For this reason certain movements may be of value for swimmers, such as pullovers, flies, front raises, lumbar flexion and extension movements, and especially open and closed chain anteroposterior glute strengthening exercises such as barbell glute bridges, single leg hip thrusts, and reverse hypers. Most coaches shy away from these movements but there is a way to implement them safely and effectively if you understand proper form and biomechanics as well as tissue recovery rates and program design variables. I don’t recommend that novice strength coaches go this route, as they just aren’t knowledgeable enough about form or program design to pull it off effectively. But like all fields, top-notch strength coaches have greater leeway on account of their superior knowledge and experience.
What projects are you working on now or we should anticipate in the future?
I’m working on a bunch of great stuff right now. In the very near future I’m going to introduce an educational series. Being that I’m a former teacher, I take the role of educating personal trainers, coaches, and athletes very seriously. The first two parts of the series will be released shortly and will cover core stability training and glute training. The presentations are top-notch and in my mind the wave of the future in regards to fitness education. As you can tell I’m extremely excited about these products. I’m also working on a glute training program for women and a couple of other projects for down the road.
Is it true you swam to New Zealand for your Ph.D. position?
Haha! Definitely not true. I train heavy and explosively. Two minutes into the swim I’d be drained and simply trying to stay afloat.
Thanks for your time.
Thank you for your time Dr. Mullen! I appreciate it. If your readers would like more information about me they can visit www.BretContreras.com and access my blogposts, links to various articles I’ve written, and links to my Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube pages.
The thoracic spine (T-spine or mid back) is one of most important yet sometimes neglected regions of the musculoskeletal system. The T-spine connects directly to four major joint systems: glenohumeral (shoulder), scapulae (shoulder blades), lumbar (low back) spine, and cervical spine (neck). Muscles of respiration, trunk extension and flexion, rotation, stroke propulsion, and stabilization are all affected by thoracic spine function. It is the major source of trunk mobility in all planes with a greater inherent range of motion than the lumbar spine.
Virtually every important task in the water flows through the thoracic spine. As such, if the thoracic spine does not function properly, other areas must compensate. Although thoracic limitations can have widespread negative effects in the shoulders, neck, and low back, corrections can have an equally significant positive impact. The shoulders receive most of the attention in swimming, but modern inquiry has led to a greater appreciation of the thoracic spine's role in shoulder safety and performance.
Potholes: A myriad of stroke flaws can result from thoracic spine limitations. Whether the limitation is a direct or indirect cause of the flaw will vary on an individual basis, but if someone has an underlying restriction, efficient and safe technique will be more difficult to achieve. SOMETHING is causing these flaws and it behooves us to explore the possible causes rather than relying on cosmetic solutions alone.
-Streamlines - Does the streamline resemble a referee signaling a safety, or worse, a field goal? While this point is not to excuse swimmers who allow streamlines to deteriorate at the end of a long set, there are swimmers for whom a single good streamline is extraordinarily difficult based on their underlying physical characteristics. Cheating with compensations in the neck or low back is not desirable even if it makes the streamline visually acceptable.
-Backstroke start too flat - A swimmer lacking thoracic extension will have more difficulty bending backward. This hinders arching, impeding the swimmer's ability to slice through the water to optimize entry.
-Wide arm recovery and Crossing-over – These are separate flaws but both are common compensations by the arms to in response to a thoracic restriction. If the surrounding muscles are too tight then crossing over or poor distance per stroke can result.
-Hula-hooping: Hula hooping is frequently an indication of a poorly moving thoracic spine. Insufficient rotation and poor timing are both forms of thoracic spine movement deficits. If either deficit occurs, the body will seek alternate movement sources, often through excess lateral action. When the brain says “Go!” the body can only use the resources available to carry out the command. Even though rotation is more efficient than hula-hooping, the hips will frequently hula-hoop if a thoracic spine has a rotation deficit.
-Sway back - Sway back often results as part of lower crossed syndrome in which a rounded upper spine is tied to an excessively arched lower spine. Once again, the body going the path of least resistance and if the thoracic spine is too tight.
-Frankenstein upper body in short axis. Poor upper body muscle length and timing can lead to powerful, but graceless movements. This can increase water resistance and impair swimming velocity.
-Dropped elbows underwater. Keeping the elbow high is the role of the scapular retractors and the ability to internally rotate the shoulder. When surrounding muscles are tight, these muscles can be inhibited (weakened) (pseudoparalysis via Janda, search it if you want more information).
-Lifting head to breathe. If the T-spine is immobile, the neck may compensate by lifting and possibly side bending in freestyle.
Landmines - Injuries are less common in the thoracic spine as compared to its neighbors the cervical spine, lumbar spine, and shoulders. However, limitations in the thoracic spine are often linked to injuries elsewhere. Below are several thoracic spine conditions that can develop through improper posture and movement both in the water and on land.
-Upper crossed posture – A postural syndrome in which certain muscles become overactive and others inhibited. What may appear as weakness on first glance may be inhibition. Know that overactive muscles must “calm down” before the inhibited ones can express their full strength. (Is poor posture slowing you down?)
-Fixed kyphosis, go to a pool and see all the swimmers with a hunchback. It is an epidemic! See poor posture
-Disc herniations, this landmine can occur for numerous reasons, but fixed kyphosis may lead to increased pressure in one area of the thoracic spine.
-Soft tissue restrictions (both painful and non-painful), a few well selected tennis ball spots can find sore spots a swimmer never knew about.
-Shoulder problems - Shoulder injuries are an enormous topic unto themselves and I won’t spend too much time in this post, but know that throacic spine dysfunction puts the shoulder at risk. Develop a functional T-spine to protect the shoulders!
-Cervical and lumbar problems - If the T-spine ain't doin' its job, the cervical spine and lumbar spine try to pick up the slack in capacities for which they were not designed.
Assessment - Assessment is a tool to unlock physical limitations in each swimmer’s body. The purpose of assessment is not only to identify possible sources of stroke flaws and injury predisposition but also rule out possible sources. Assessing the T-spine also informs us where we can take our athletes with loaded shoulder work. Trying to find the best lift is often less important than determining whether a certain lift is appropriate for that particular swimmer at that particular time.
While many swimmers with poor T-spine function are at high risk of injury any time they put a weight overhead, there are many other swimmers with great T-spine function that are wasting their time with unnecessary remedial rotator cuff exercises. Further, some swimmers have too MUCH mobility. Objective assessment can place swimmers into the right categories.
Below are three of my favorite assessments that are easy to administer in a group setting.
-Upper quarter rotation. There are two parts to the upper quarter rotation. In both steps, take a seat and place the toes in a forty-five degree angle, which is easily created by bisecting a ninety degree corner or creating one with athletic tape. Sit tall, place a rod across the chest, keep the knees stable, and turn to one side. If the rod passes forty-five degrees, the test is a pass. Part two is the same as part one but instead we place the bar across the back, which prevents the athlete from “cheating” rotation with the shoulder blades. Again, forty-five degrees is the benchmark. For an added challenge, have the swimmer take a deep breath from the belly at their maximum range and observe any changes.
-Lat length – Athletes may have poor posture but demonstrate more than sufficient T-spine mobility. In those cases, shortened lats are often a factor behind poor posture, poor distance per stroke, thumb entry during free and/or fly and crossing over. In the lat length test, lean against a wall with the back and head against the wall. Keep this position throughout the test…no back arching or neck protrusion. Lift the arms and try to touch the wall with the thumbs. Keep the arms straight (no field goals!). You can also perform this assessment one arm at a time. As with the upper quarter rotation, cue a deep breath at maximum range to see if they retain full mobility. There are three possible outcomes on the lat length test.
1)Touches wall = Optimal
2)Arm passes nose in profile view = Within normal range but room for improvement
3)Arm does not pass nose in profile view = Needs improvement
-Pectoralis minor length – A shortened pec minor on one or both sides is often linked to a rounded T-spine. Whether the shortened muscle causes the posture or whether the posture causes the shortness will vary by individual. One way to assess pec length is to look at the back of the shoulders while the swimmer is lying down. From the view in the picture below, the back of the shoulders should rest comfortably on the ground. If one or both shoulders is protruded upward, the swimmer may have shortened pectorals, which will make quality T-spine movement difficult.
To assess the pec minor in movement, here is a video that expands on the concept above.
-General flexion and extension – Coaches can also gain a general sense of flexion and extension ability as part of a global movement pattern. How the swimmer moves during other dryland activities and even while walking on deck can yield valuable clues about how they control their posture.
We can also formally assess flexion and extension through the toe touch and backbend. These assessments are not sensitive enough for quantitative analysis, but are extremely valuable to identify those swimmers particularly lacking in these areas.
Toe touch – Have the swimmer stand with feet together. When we cue the swimmer to touch the toes, one thing to observe is for the upper back to round forward, which is flexion. Although we don’t want swimmers to live in a flexed posture, we do need to check if they can actively flex that segment of spine to ensure they aren’t locked, which is particularly important during turns. Note the toe touch can be used for numerous purposes, but for this post we’ll only focus on the upper back.
Back bend – The corollary to the toe touch is the back bend. To perform the back bend, have the swimmer stand with feet together and cue them to lean backward. A spotter should stand behind to ensure no one falls. The back bend should resemble a backstroke start with a gentle curve from the base of the spine to the top the head. As with the toe touch, there are many things the back bend can tell us, but for now the main focus is to look for curvature in the upper back.
Correction:
Correction should follow a systematic approach based upon your assessment.
1.Soft tissue quality (foam rolling, tennis balls, manual therapy). Removing tissue restrictions makes our exercises more effective. Don’t neglect the chest muscles, particularly the pec minor, when performing self massage. (See above)
2.Corrective exercises. If you visit this site frequently, you’re sure to notice a steady diet of excellent drills for thoracic mobility. As such, I won’t repeat them here in this post. However, if you follow the assessment protocol above or develop your own protocol, you’ll be better positioned to identify which swimmers will benefit from which exercise.
3.Integration. We build a foundation of general physical readiness so the body and stroke achieve maximum compatibility. Once in the water, it’s important to recognize that some swimmers have never swum with an unrestricted thoracic spine. Certainly with a healthy senior level swimmer we’ll be cautious about making any changes, but forging the link between dryland corrections and stroke improvements can change the career trajectory of a junior swimmer and can be a key to take others off the injury carousel. When a thoracic restriction is present, it is advisable to first address rotation in long axis and undulation in short axis before making arm corrections. Arm flaws are often the result of spinal restrictions. Assignment of drills focusing on the arms should be predicated on the swimmer having sufficient control of their spinal movements.
4.Re-check. Rechecking is critical to ensure the body does not default back to old habits. Changes are not always perceptible while standing on deck. Racecars go through extensive mechanical evaluation when not on the track…our own racing machines (our bodies) should be no different
Other points on correction….
Never forget non-swimming lifestyle factors as part of a corrective approach: You can have the greatest dryland routine in the world, but if the person goes back to crappy posture at work, school, at home, and in the car, all our efforts go to waste. Poolside bleachers don’t help matters either!
To what extent should we correct asymmetries? The upper quarter rotation assessment is a helpful guide to evaluate left to right symmetry. If a swimmer can’t hit forty-five degrees to either side, correction is usually needed. Forty-five degrees is a range most general population individuals should have for basic health. It’s a definite red flag if a swimmer can’t achieve this range. In fact, some coaches may choose a more demanding standard for their own squads if they deem necessary.
If a swimmer passes forty-five degrees on both sides but is asymmetrical, evaluate the need for correction on a case-by-case basis. There are times when underlying asymmetry is best left untouched if it is a critical part of their freestyle. If a swimmer breathes only to one side (or heavily favors one side), it is important that the underlying left-to-right symmetry reflect this habit. A more demanding standard of thoracic mobility on a swimmer’s favored breathing side can protect the vulnerable tissues in the shoulder and neck. Although many swimmers will naturally breathe toward the side with greatest mobility, this does not occur universally. As such, it is important that coaches gain a full understanding of any limitations or imbalances
Summary
T-spine limitations both in and out of the water are often the root of symptoms elsewhere in the body. The shoulders, neck, and core all directly interact with the T-spine. Additionally, every breath we take (shout out to P. Diddy and Sting) directly affects the T-spine. As such, any limitations can be magnified when breathing is stressed. Because the possible stroke flaws and injuries related to the T-spine are well known, a prophylactic approach to assess the T-spine is critical. As with any assessment, consider overall factors for each individual swimmer.
Guest Post by Allan Phillips. Allan and his wife Katherine are heavily involved in the strength and conditioning community and more about them can be found at pikeathletics.com
Hope this short and sweet article finds everyone well. It has been a busy weekend with the International Meet (Santa Clara Grand Prix) in town, luckily some fast swimming accompanied the meet. A lot of athletes are swimming fast, but Taekwon Park is a step ahead of the field. He has won the 100, 200 and 400 free with ease. One more day, good luck to all the athletes. For results of the meet.
1) Please introduce yourself to the readers (how you started in the profession, education, credentials, experience, etc.).
I competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and a USC graduate. In 2000, I won a bronze in the 800 freestyle, was 4th in the 400 IM and 6th in 200 butterfly. In 2004, I won a gold medal in the 800 freestyle relay (also a world record), silver in the 400 IM (AR), and bronze in the 400 freestyle. I was also 4th in the 200 butterfly. After I retired in 2008, I started working at Think Physical Therapy as an athlete performance consultant specializing in private stroke analysis, mentoring and strength and conditioning/ injury prevention programs. It simply came about from swimmers asking if I would work with them privately and parents asking if I could mentor their swimmers. I had gone to Think since my first injury in 1999 and my last in 2009, so over the years I had established a great relationship with the staff at Think. We used to joke that one day I would work there because I was there so much over the years, and now I do.
2) I know you're working at the Think Tank in Tustin, CA helping swimmers improve their biomechanics. How do you analyze a swimmer's stroke? Do you have a checklist, look for particular items, etc.?
Filming the swimmer underwater opens up a whole new world for stroke improvements. Everything that makes you go happens underwater. By just standing on the pool deck you are very limited in what you can see. With our unique set up I am able to film underwater and play back the swimmers video on a large tv screen immediately. I watch their stroke numerous times and or in slow motion. From there I just start at the entry and go element by element. How's the body alignment? How are they catching? What's happening when they breath? How's the kick? Etc I literally dissect each part of the stroke. Since the swimmer gets to see their video, the learning curve is so great since they are essentially just visually learning. I am obviously talking them through it but they get to actually see it as I am. I also have videos of myself or other national team members they can watch which is so beneficial and sometimes all the swimmer needs in order to make the corrections. I can also split the screen where their video is on one side while mine is on the other so they can see the differences simultaneously. The visual aspect is huge.
3) What is the most common flaw you identify with your underwater viewing system in each of the four strokes?
Oh wow, let's see....
For freestyle, I would say not getting into the catch soon enough. Backstroke, either not enough rotation or trying to catch with a straight arm. Butterfly, I call it the breaststroke-butterfly. It's looks similar to the beginning of a breaststroke pull but then develops late into a fly catch. And for breaststroke, too wide of kick
4) How do you go about fixing these flaws?
It's all about repetition. These are usually "flaws" that the swimmer has had for awhile so it takes some time to break them and form new ones. There are obviously drills we do and we also have learning tools from Finis we work with but in general its trial and error.
5) How do you know when the athlete is unable to perform the stroke secondary to habit/conditioning or if they have a physical limitation (tight pectorals, etc.)?
That's when it's so beneficial working at physical therapy clinic. I work closely with the head therapists so they lend me their professional insight.
6) What do you do for athletes with shoulder injuries? When do you have them do their exercises and for what volume of repetitions? Again, that's all in the hands of the physical therapist. I am not educated or licensed in that area. I obviously have good knowledge in that area from my own experiences and working here but leave that to the professionals. We have such a great set up in that sense.
7) What are your plans for the future and do you have any projects in the near future? Is it true you're applying for physical therapy school?
Ha no, not true. No PT school for me. I have a project in mind that caters to other passions in my life but will keep it under wraps until I feel it is at a stage where I can talk about them, but I am really excited about it! The Think Tank is still new and the word is starting to really spread so that's where most of my time and energy is right now!
Core and resistance training are variables swim coaches introduce as the swimmer matures. Typically these programs initiate as general strengthening, progressing to more specific and dynamic movements. However, different training groups are uncommon, but necessary for swimming and dryland. One way to differentiate core training is by, isolating long axis (free and back) and short axis (breast and fly) core groups.
Long axis strokes include require axial rotation while short axes require more flexion and extension. Most core programs use thousands of crunches, some planks and leg lifts which target some short axis movements, but I feel these typically lack the eccentric (muscle lengthening) and core isolation necessary. The most common form of cheating during a crunch is overuse of the hip flexors or to use momentum and hinge from the lower back. Both of the methods of cheating can lead to low back pain which is a problem with swimmers as well as the developed world. The plank is a good exercise to improve isometric contraction, but remember swimming is not a static motion. Therefore, the core program needs to utilize dynamic movements with maximal abdominal contraction to help stabilize the lumbar spine which is the primary role of these muscles. Prior to these exercises, a swimmer should be assessed if they are appropriate for core training. If the athlete has poor muscle length, they may not be able to properly contract their abdominals and these exercises will perpetuate compensations and can lead to pain, there is your disclaimer use it wisely!
Rest ratios commonly involve minimal forethought. 10x100 @10:00 or 10x50@3:00 are common test sets with specific intervals. A recent study showed in a running race of 10x50 meter dash (approximately 7 seconds) at 70 seconds rest (a 1:10 work to rest interval) was insufficient for optimal recovery (Abt 2011). Most research suggest 1:10 or 1:12 work to rest ratios to allow muscular recovery, but impairments may be halted by neural recovery. This was discussed during power training and rest.
Swimming program design requires planning of the season focusing on goals of the season and individual practices and subsequent sets. If the main goal of 10x50 sprint is to optimize lactate tolerance, then an interval which doesn't provide full recovery is essential. However, I see far too often programs that are asking swimmers to perform maximal efforts to improve neural function, but provide swimmers suboptimal recovery times. As stated earlier, the literature varies greatly for optimal recovery times, this suggest different athletes have different work capacities and lactate tolerance, but it is simple to determine the volume of rest needed for each swimmer. Next test set, utilize variable intervals (I suggest variable intervals) to determine when a swimmer fatigues and deteriorates. For this to work optimally, a few things must be done, 1) the swimmers must provide maximal effort, 2) you must track their times, 3) you must be willing to individualize the test sets at next workout. This individualization will lead to different rest intervals for different swimmers, and at first the swimmers may complain, since Raul is doing 10x100@3:00 and Raulete is on 10x100@20:00, but if you're truly allowing maximal recovery specific differences are necessary.
A 50 free (approximately 30 seconds) on 3:00 is a 1:6 work to rest interval. This is fine to dictate, but understand you will unlikely achieve optimal efforts, but can achieve lactate tolerance. What are you trying to improve? Lactate tolerance? Sprint ability? This must be known prior to making the set.
Hello everyone! Just wrapping up a great week in Santa Clara. The National group is in the middle of their general strength dryland program. They may be sore, but some of these elite athletes have new to lifting and soreness is expected. Despite the soreness they went to Arizona to compete and are swimming adequately for this time of season for swimming and dryland.
Next week is going to be crazy! We are hosting the Santa Clara Grand Prix International meet (20 something countries are being represented). If you're on Twitter, #SCSCInternationalMeet. At the meet I'll be doing physical therapy with the athletes, coaching and leading a parade at the opening ceremonies! Anyway, if you're at the meet, stop by and say hello! Here is the weekly warp-up
Want to add some pull-ups into your strength and conditioning program, see some pull-up challenges here.
Looking for some chest exercises other than pull-ups? Nick Tumminello discusses some great bench press alternatives.
Paul Yetter is back on his blog, hopefully he can post more regularly! Here he talks about the importance of conquering all four strokes if you're striving for IM domination. He also proposes a formula to predict 200 IM and 400 IM times, I used the formula on one of our swimmers Russ Payne (http://russellpayne.org/) and the formula worked, let em know if it works on your swimmers!
1) Please introduce yourself to the readers (how you started in swimming,education, experience, etc.).
My name is Nicholas Brunelli and I am currently training for a spot on the USA Olympic Team in 2012. I grew up in Mansfield MA and started swimming when I was 8 years old at my local YMCA. Through high school I also played other sports. I really enjoyed played baseball and soccer until my Sophomore year in high school where I decided to devote my full time to swimming. I ended up attending Arizona State University and got a degree in recreation and tourism. I stayed out in Arizona after school to train for 2008 under my coach Mike Chasson and made multiple USA teams including Pan Americans, Short course and Long Course World Championships, and also Dual in the Pool. In the 2008 Olympic trials I placed 7th in the 100 Freestyle just missing an Olympic Birth. Since 2008 I moved to the Charlotte NC area with my wife Jennifer in pursuit of a full time job and an opportunity to continue swimming if it fit into my schedule. I ended up getting a position with Merck & Co. with a schedule that allows me to swim also. Currently I am now swimming full time to now make a strong push for 2012!
2) What is your current training schedule?
Monday Am dryland/swim 7 to 10
Monday PM Swim 6:30 to 7:15
Tuesday AM dryland/swim 7 to 10
Tuesday PM Weights & light Swim 4:15 to 6:30
Wednesday PM Weights/Swim 3pm to 7:30
Thursday AM Swim 7 to 9
Friday Weights/Swim 3pm to 7:30
Saturday AM Dryland/Swim 7:30 to 11
Sunday Off
3) How do you incorporate mobility and stretching into your training?
We are working with a company Called a.X.i.s. which is incorporating mobility and Core Strength to our dryland training that connects directly to swimming. Core strength and being flexible are the top 2 areas swimmers don't do a good enough job with. I have been working very hard to make adjustments in this part of my training.
4)What is the weirdest training you've done throughout your career?
Rope Climbs in the middle of the pool with pull ups at the top of the rope.
5) What aspect of your freestyle are you currently working on? What are you doing to improve this aspect?
I tend to work on many parts of my freestyle depending on the day. It's always changing due to the change in my body fitness and capabilities, but over all I am working on an open armpit recovery to create an over the top stroke. This allows for better execution of the hand entry and and then pull for optimizing top speed. I am trying to also keep a high elbow on my catch and pull which has been the biggest challenge while at all out speeds. I have also be working on keeping my head dead still and locking it from moving side to side within each stroke. This will help minimize unnecessary frontal resistance.
6) Over the past few years, what is the biggest change you've made with your training?
Over the last few years the biggest change has been less yardage and more focus on each and every stroke I take. I feel like I have taken that to the extreme. Today each stroke is now considered an opportunity to get better and not thought of as one less stroke until practice is over. I am now looking to minimize the creation of bad habits when training. I have also made a commitment in becoming more rounded in my life not allowing swimming to control everything I do. This allows me to be mentally fresh and make sure I have the focus needed to execute each stroke the way I want to take it. I have found this to be the most difference in my training overall.
7) What projects are you working on in and outside the pool?
Right now I work full time with Merck & Co. at their Shared Business Service location in Charlotte NC. I really enjoy my time there and look forward to the long term career there. I also write a blog on WordPress. The link is: NickBrunelli.WordPress.com. I am updating the blog as much as I can with the little free time I do have between working full time and swimming also. if you want a more detailed idea what I am doing check it out.
Sports nutrition is a complex and hotly debated subject. However, every elite athlete utilizes a diet. At every Olympics the same countries are at the top, don't be fooled and believe it is secondary to talent. There is no coincidence the top countries have the top services to provide the athletes. One of these services is a nutritionist to individualize and specialize diets.
Despite this, typical sports diets are extremely complex and can cause unnecessary headaches. I like to break down nutrition into a top ten list. Athletes of every level can follow ten steps and I guarantee it will improve performance based of Nick Tumminello's list.
1. Eat every 3-4 hours. Having smaller meals allows the bodies metabolism to continuous pump, lowering the amount of energy highs and lows. This holds true for long workouts, make sure you have enough energy for the task required.
2. Each meal should contain protein, fibrous carbohydrate and fat. The largest component should be the protein and carbohydrate. If fat loss is a priority, consider reducing carbohydrates except pre and post workouts.
3. If you're not hungry after 3 hours, you're eating too big of meals. If you're starving at 3 hours you're eating too small of meals. Regulate your intake and adjust properly.
4. Emphasize low fructose fruits. The only time I recommend high fructose is prior to or during training, but which must be accompanied with protein (see #6).
5. Consume starches relative to your activity level. Eat more starchy carbs on high activity days and less to no starches on low to no training (rest) days.
6. Never consume a fruit or starch by itself, always eat these with a protein.
7. Drink lots of water…shoot for at least 1 gallon per day.
8. Always drink a Pre workout shake and a Post-workout shake.
-Pre and post workout shakes need to have a fast acting carbohydrate and protein. I recommend Isometric it is a carbohydrate and protein drink which comes in a simple, pre-made and easy to store container. Plus they have many flavors for the picky athlete, I suggest the Apple Pie or Orange Cream (taste like orange push-ups!). Right now there products are 15% off! They also offer various protein supplements which could be used as an easy, available protein.
9. Consume little to No processed products, Alcohol, Sweets, Diary products and/or Breads (except during a cheat day.
10. Plan ONE cheat day per week, this is improve compliance to the diet and increase metabolism.
There you have it, a simple list of 10 things to remember for nutrition. There is plenty more stuff, but if you perform all these things you're doing better than 90% of the athlete's your competing against for nutrition!
Often times I discuss the importance of looking at physical limitations outside the pool to help flaws in the swimming pool. Well, I'll be the first to admit, limitations inside the pool and outside the pool don't always add up. Sometimes a swimmer has tight lats and pecs causing them to cross over. Sometimes they cross over which leads to tight pecs and lats. Sometimes the swimmer crosses over because that is how they've been swimming 1.8 million strokes annually for the past decade. Swimmers perform a high volume of yards at a young age which results in habits. Some of these habits are good...some of these habits are bad...Most of the bad habits pertain to stroke flaws (skip below for a cheap tip to improve feel and hand speed).
Unfortunately, many age group coaches lack the biomechanical knowledge to help swimmers understand and perform optimal swimming technique or the coach knows the biomechanics, but has 100 kids to babysit. This is a cause for concern on multiple levels. I don't blame the age group coaches for the lack of biomechanical knowledge, I question the efficacy of the ASCA coaches training and the lack of mentoring in the sport. How can an age group coach expect to be able to spot and correct a youth swimmer with a hand entry across midline with their thumb first when they don't have the proper training? Some coaches do not know this entry impedes velocity and is repeatedly impinging the shoulder rotator cuff muscles. I feel ASCA level one training involves stroke by stroke biomechanics and anatomy. I know ASCA level one training involves "biomechanics" questions like this (3rd edition of the test):
Important biomechanical tools that a coach needs include:
A. complicated computers and lab assistants
B. a stopwatch and the ability to count
C. an indoor 50 meter pool
D. None of the above
Really? How about stroke by stroke biomechanics and phase differentiations or how about some head coaches take a hour a week out of their time to talk to young coaches about their teaching philosophy on stroke biomechanics and training. In my opinion it is too easy to become a coach which is one reason the sport has fallen into many controversies recently. Most current programs have unqualified youth coaches working with youth swimmers, then when these swimmers come to the National group the head coaches have to completely repair faulty stroke mechanics (this is with programs where the head coach is competent). Unfortunately, by this time a lot of damage and habits have been ingrained, if proper coaches training, mentorship and continuing education were available for swim coaches then our sport wouldn't have an estimated shoulder pain rate of 81% of swimming!
Level II ASCA coaches are required to take the "stroke school" test which provides stroke breakdowns and biomechanics, but once again these questions fall short of thought provoking (stroke school test):
In backstroke, the majority of world class athletes are using a __________________kick technique off the start and each wall. (I could have passed this when I was 7 and my brain didn't mature until 20...)
(Continuation of cheap swimming tip, rant over) Watch any elite swimmer and their hands slices the water accelerating effortlessly through the various phases. Swimmers as accomplished as National qualifiers can have "sloppy" hands. This means as the swimmer glides forward in freestyle, but their hand deviates from a streamlined reach. This often occurs during the breath as swimmers will perform an outsweep to balance their poor breathing habits. This deviation will impair the athlete's catch and increase their risk for shoulder impingement. Another common problem is athlete's having difficulty accelerating their hands through "sticking points" in the stroke. These points include the insweep on breaststroke and the catch phases of the three other strokes.
Having the athlete swim wiffle balls in each hand (holes away from the palm) is one cheap swimming tip to try to correct this habit. The wiffle ball increases water resistance and adds resistance in the water, this forces an increase in shoulder stability and will increase feedback to the swimmer of slow of stopped points in their stroke. This option cost $15 for a pack of 12 and can help a swimmer feel their hand position.
Different strokes for different folks, different starts for different folks. However, certain similarities and distinctions are clear. Nearly every elite swimmer uses a track start, pulls with their arms, is stable/comfortable on the block, and pushes through both legs. Unfortunately, many swimmers are aquatic, awkward creatures on the block. Therefore, dryland activities should be utilized to teach these principles and improve stability/comfort levels on a block. Next practice and determine which swimmers look like if the big bad wolf blew them on the block (clean minds swim coaches), they'd flaw over. These swimmers desperately need help, use these tools to help them reach their optimal swimming potential.
The first plyometric activity is the "arm start" and works on reaction time, stability in the starting stance and the ability to drive forward with the arms. I recommend mimicking the athlete's starting condition as much as possible. If they use their left foot as their forward foot, do the same in these exercises. Emphasize pulling back with their arms utilizing their lats to drive forward, as many poor starters grab the block and pull up.
Progressing from the "arm start" is the "split stance start". This is performed by having the athlete's back foot on a bench. In this position, the athlete can leap forward, pushing through both legs or perform repeated jumps to gain comfort in this position. The last progression from this stance utilizes both the repeated jumping followed by a forward leap. This emphasizes pushing through both legs, improving comfort in the split stance position and jumping forward instead of up. The distance of the jump can be tracked to allow the swimmer to trial different jumping styles.
The last progression puts the "arm start" and "split stance start" together. It is the most technically advanced of the three exercises as the swimmer must pull with the arms and push through both legs to achieve maximal distance on the jump. It is highly similar to the start and will force the swimmer to be an explosive creature, instead of the typical "uncoordinated swimmer".
I realize the jump and initial conditions on the start are not the only components of a start (entry, break down, underwater kicking, etc. are all important, if not more essential), but realizing all the other phases are influenced by the position on the block and jump. Give your swimmer the tools to optimally perform on the block in dryland which will translate to the pool. Remember the start is nearly 20% of a 50 meter race, imagine improving the 50 meter free by 10%! Lastly, everyone does a start, so remember this shouldn't be exclusive to sprinters.
What dryland tools do you use to improve your swimmers starts?
Over the past week I've been getting in touch with multiple elite athletes for interviews regarding training, stroke biomechanics, etc. So be prepared for consecutive swimmer Friday Interviews. Vladimir Morozov is an elite up and coming sprinter currently at USC. Prior to USC, he set the National High School record in the 50 free at 19.43. At USC, he set team records in the 50 free (19.06) and 100 free (41.88). Anyway, enough with the compliments, I'll let him take it from here.
Please introduce yourself to the readers (how you started in swimming, education, experience, etc.).
I’ve done different sports before getting into swimming. When I was 9 years old I was looking for something new, so my friend and I joined a small swimming team. I was trained as a distance freestyler and 200-backstroker for 5 years with the same coach, a Russian Olympian Igor Demin. The last couple of years a single workout consisted of 8-10k meters. At the age of 14 I moved to the United States and that is when I started training as a sprinter. Graduated from Torrance High School in Southern California and now I am a sophomore at the University of Southern California.
What is your current training schedule?
Currently, I am training for the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai. I will be representing the Russian 4x100 Freestyle relay. At the Trojan Swim Club I am training twice a day, every day except for Saturday and Sunday. I have two 2-hour workouts during the day M-F and one session on Saturdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have an hour-long core strength workout after the afternoon swimming workout. M,W,F afternoon workouts are substituted by an hour of dry land and an hour of lifting.
Since swimming with USC, what change has made the biggest impact?
I have never lifted weights before coming to USC. After just one season of consistent weightlifting training I feel completely different in the water whether it is training or racing. It is definitely much harder to train in the water while breaking down your muscle in the weight room; but as hard as it is, it pays off very well after a good taper.
How do you incorporate mobility and stretching into your training?
After having one season of weightlifting training I realized how inflexible I have gotten and how much harder it is for me to swim longer distances. Just recently I started stretching for about half an hour after morning and afternoon workouts. It helps to recover in between workouts and takes some muscle pain away.
What aspect of your freestyle are you currently working on? What are you doing to improve this aspect?
Currently I am working on the dive entry, underwater, breakout, and the turn. After competing at the Russian Nationals last month, I have realized that those are the parts of the race where I get beat on; while I was only catching up on the actual swimming part. I’ve been working with my USC coaches on my body position during the entry off of the dive and my body position off of the turn. I am also working with mono fin to improve the technique of my underwater kick (generating it from the abs and lower back). The Russian coach Victor Avdienko also gave me some tips on the technique of my turn so I am trying to perfect it.
Over the past few years, what is the biggest change you've made with your training?
Over the last year I’ve been working on my mental preparation before workouts and the way I think about training. It is easy to get burn out having constant workouts under coaches’ pressure and your own expectations of your performance. Training will always be the same but you can always change the way how you think about it, creating a better experience out of it.
