IN AUSTRALIA – May-June 2003

CONTENTS ASCTA, PO Box 824, Lavington Mailing Address New Steps for the Betterment of our Sport ...... 1 NSW 2641 ASI Update...... 4 Email [email protected] FINA Aquatics World ...... 5 Swimming is a Simple Sport (W. Goldsmith)...... 9 Web Site www.ascta.com STATES’ SWIMMING SNIPPETS ...... 10 Membership Phone: 02 6041 6077 Strength & Conditioning (S&C) Introduction Enquiries Fax: 02 6041 4282 (S. Widmer)...... 10 S&C Safety Precautions & Basic Gym Safety ASCTA Insurance 1300 300 511 (S. Widmer)...... 11 Brokers S&C Dry Land Strength & Conditioning (S. Widmer)12 S&C Dry Land Strength & Conditioning –

Developmental Phase (S. Widmer) ...... 13 SWIMMING in AUSTRALIA is published six times annually. Gym Tips for Safety & Form ...... 16 Level 1 Coach Accreditation Courses, Queensland Copy Deadline 15th Swimming 2003 ...... 16 January-February January March-April 15th March 2003 Australian Short Course Championships, May-June 15th May Hobart ...... 17 th July-August 15 July Go Swim Program to boost numbers of young September-October 15th September swimmers ...... 17 th November-December 15 November ASI Member Protection Policy...... 17

The New Race (E. Page) ...... 18

Swimming Coach’s Self-Evaluation & Study Advertising Rates (inc. GST) Questions Mental Skills Training 1 Issue 3 Issues 6 Issues (W. Sweetenham)...... 20 $ $ $ Unfair Enhancement of Performance? (F. Carlile)21 Full Page 600 1,300 1,850 LEARN TO SWIM...... 22 ¾ Page 500 1,100 1,500 Basic Biomechanics ...... 22 ½ Page 300 750 1,200 Teaching ...... 25 ¼ Page 200 500 900 Teaching Butterfly...... 30 Banner 4cm x 1col 55 How to help your child become a Confident Swimmer (K. Mummery)...... 33 Letters to the Editor ...... 35 NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Training Megan Quann (R. Benner)...... 36 Drag Forces alone are ineffective for Propulsion All copy is subject to acceptance by the publisher. All (J. Waring)...... 40 advertisers must ensure that their advertisements Novice Competitive Swimming – How to get comply strictly with the requirements of all Federal them started (P. Hogan) ...... 42 Legislation. The publisher reserves the right to reject Australian Swim Camp 2002 (L. Wallace) ...... 50 copy without giving any reason or explanation. WSCA Newsletter...... 51 Grow the Pie (J. Leonard)...... 51 It’s what’s INSIDE the Swimmer (C. Yourd) ...... 52 COPYRIGHT ISSUE FROM THE PUBLISHER World’s oldest Olympic Gold Medallist Dies (C. Colwin)...... 53 As more and more articles with invaluable technical Why you should Warm Up and Cool Down (Ed and research data have and will be published Nessel) ...... 56 through our Magazine for our Members to read and Distance Freestyle (C. Riggs)...... 57 use, it is timely to mention Copyright infringements. Powering Muscles No. 2 – Muscle Recovery...... 63 INSULIN: The Master Recovery Hormone ...... 66 The ASCTA Magazine (SWIMMING in AUSTRALIA) Bounce Back Fast after Workouts & Meets...... 67 Publisher strongly advises all concerned that any Training (B. McAllister) ...... 67 attempts to reprint articles or excerpts from contents Teaching D.I.P.S. (A. Dodson) ...... 75 is prohibited without the written permission of the POWER UP with PROTEIN (R. Curl) ...... 83 publisher and author. Any infringements of copyright Overcoming Injury with the help of Top-Notch will be dealt with accordingly. Professionals (B. Bennett, P. Banks, J. Noel, S. Rodeo) ...... 84 Views expressed in articles are those of the Being Overweight in America today (E. Nessel).88 authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The use of Vibrations for Enhanced the Editor or the Board of ASCTA. Performance (G. Sokolovas)...... 92

SWIMMING IN AUSTRALIA – May-June 2003

member constitutions should not be in conflict with that of ASI. NEW STEPS

4. Core Understanding • The State bodies will deliver Club/Beginner level Swimming Coaching Courses.

• Utilising the available technology (iMIS database) and operating within the guidelines established by ASI, ASCTA will FOR THE undertake the administration of the NCAS BETTERMENT OF Coach Accreditation. • All ASCTA Members abide by the ASCTA/ASI OUR SPORT Code of Conduct and become Members of ASI in order to retain their Coach AIM Accreditation status. To formalise an agreement between • All ASI Coaches will become Members of Australian Swimming Inc and ASCTA ASCTA in order to retain their Coach recognising the roles and responsibilities, Accreditation status. obligations and commitments of each party in • All resources developed by ASCTA and ASI developing the sport of Swimming. will be jointly owned by ASCTA and ASI. All revenue generated from such resources will DEFINITIONS go towards further developing coaching MOU Memorandum of Understanding resources. ASI Australian Swimming Inc • ASI/ASCTA will manage the Coach ASCTA Australian Swimming Coaches and Education Resource Development Fund as Teachers Association per the Policy Guidelines for this fund. • ASCTA will send all coaches ASCTA/ASI 1. Period of Memo of Understanding Membership Renewal Forms and ASCTA will The period of this Memorandum of pay ASI the ASI Affiliation Fee for each Understanding shall be from 01 October 2002 Member and issue an ASCTA/ASI to 30 June 2005. (To be reviewed July 2003) Membership Card. • This card will show their Accreditation Level 2. Vision and any other ASI relevant data …e.g. Swimming will be Australia’s leading sport, Referee Level 1, 2, 3, SWD Coach, AustSwim, demonstrated through excellent international etc). Coaches then need not be Members of performance, high participation levels, and the State body. administration leadership to the satisfaction of stakeholders. 5. Aims of ASI & ASCTA ASI Aims 3. Constitutional Environment • Promote and encourage participation in The Constitution of ASI as established by the national swimming activities. Member Associations provides for national • Promote unity among Australian swimming management of identified programs by ASI. organisations. These National Programs are set out in • Make Australia the leader in world Appendix 1 and are key components of this swimming. MOU which seeks to formalise a cooperative • Promote swimming as a spectator sport. environment through which these National • Ensure that the sport is kept free of Programs will be developed, implemented and performance-enhancing drugs. reviewed. The National Programs cover these areas… • Administer the sport for the benefit of all participants. • Administration and Management • Affiliate with FINA. • Coach Development • Act in any matter of an Australian nature • Athlete Development respecting swimming. • Personnel Development • To apply the income of ASI solely for the • Regional Development promotion of the objects of ASI. • Event Organisation • To ensure that the highest quality of coach This MOU is linked directly to the education occurs across Australia, Constitution of Australian Swimming Inc. and

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particularly to those in rural and remote throughout Australia (including regions. implementation of an appropriate governance • To establish with ASCTA, swimming coach structure, establishment of coordinated education as a model of quality coach meeting structures, development of a education practices in Australia. National Member Protection Policy and ASCTA Aims Membership Services, and increased • Support the State and Territory Associations communication and transparency between in their development and promotion of the stakeholders and ASI) within a federated sport of swimming. structure. • To become the operational arm for the • Provide checklist for Best Practice Principles Coach/Teacher Education component of in Administration and Management specific Australian Swimming Inc., specifically to to swimming (based on Active Australia administer NCAS Accreditation and checklist). Certification of coaches in swimming. • Provide support for ASCTA as necessary. • To provide efficient administration of the • Provide leadership role with strategic focus. Swimming Coaches/Teachers Education and • Liaise with ASCTA to provide policy direction Development. for all coaches’ education. • To teach and promote the art of swimming. ASCTA • To promote and encourage participation at • Administer, implement and manage all all levels of swimming as a healthy and Programs, Policies and Procedures relating to enjoyable activity. Coaches/Teachers Education and • To formulate, publish, develop and enforce Development. rules for the control and regulation of • Grow the sport, within a federated structure. swimming coaches. • Ensure that administration and management • To support ASI and States in promoting is in line with Best Practice Principles swimming competitions. (including implementation of an appropriate • To raise the standard of Coach/Teacher governance structure and increased Education and Professional Development of communication and transparency between Coaches/Teachers. ASCTA and ASI). • To administer the professional development • All developed resources and course literature of Coaches and Teachers in swimming. and correspondence should have the logo of • To improve the technical standards of both ASCTA and ASI. Swimming Coaching and Teaching across all levels. 6.2 Coach, Athlete & Technical Officials • To create partnerships with eligible Development organisations that can help foster and ASI promote swimming in the State/Territory. • Liaise with National organisations to ensure • To actively seek out to utilise water space for the best interests of Australian Swimming the development of swimming. Coaches, athletes and technical officials are • To assist State and Territory Associations in maintained. the promotion and encouragement of Learn- • Ensure quality control of education and to-Swim and swimming activities for development, including the National Coach. competitive and recreational purposes within • Liaise with ASCTA to ensure that high primary, secondary and tertiary educational quality standards in the delivery and institutions. assessment of education courses are • To apply the income of the Association solely maintained and developed by the deliverers for the promotion of the objects of the of education. Association. • Maintain the intellectual property of the • To establish Swimming Coach Education as swimming component of the NCAS. a model of quality coach education practices • Work with ASCTA to ensure the provision of in Australia. development pathways and opportunities for coaches. 6. Obligations & Commitments of ASI & • Liaise with ASCTA to provide Policy ASCTA Guidelines for the implementation of 6.1 Administration & Management education courses. ASI • Ensure elite athlete development. • Formulate Policy and establish Best Practice • Develop a National Membership Strategy. Principles ensuring consistent standards

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• Develop a strategy to protect pool space for States future growth of swimming in Australia. • Develop joint strategies with ASCTA, Swim • Ensure delivery of Level 1 and 2 Coaching Australia, AUSSI Masters, AustSwim and Courses, as required by ASI/ASCTA and other industry bodies. other Coach Education or development • Maintain consistent standards and quality initiatives developed by ASI/ASCTA and the control through the ASI Technical States. Committee. • Collaborate with ASI and ASCTA in • Ensure appropriate pathways exist for developing all coaches (e.g. coach mentoring). technical officials (shared with States). • Develop coaches through Camps and • Liaise with States to develop and refine Regional Programs (could be in conjunction programs for professional development of with ASI High Performance Programs). Technical Officials and Swimmers. • Provide input to the development of policies • Liaise with States and ASCTA to develop and for Coach Education to ASCTA/ASI refine programs for Professional Development of Coaches. Supporting Role • Clarify and review the National Officiating Accreditation Scheme (NOAS). • Australian Institute of Sport, State • Develop programs that will enhance the role Academies and Institutes. of officials and provide recognition for their • Swimmers Association. contribution. 7. Communication ASCTA The establishment of sound communication • Provide ongoing education and development practices between ASI and ASCTA is critical to opportunities for all coaches and teachers the successful delivery of National Programs (e.g. preparation of resources, programs and and the development of the sport generally. ASI courses). and ASCTA have an ongoing responsibility to • Identify and target areas where there are ensure that effective two-way communication significant gaps in Coach Education and exists. Development. • Work closely with ASI in providing policy and To support this, ASI will… development opportunities for ASI Coaches. • ASCTA to support the development of • Provide regular communication nationally increased professional standards in each through the ASCTA Executive Director. State. • Fund and conduct two (2) meetings each • Conduct Coach Education Courses as year of State Coaching Directors and/or required. Development Officers to discuss National • Conduct all courses within the quality Program Strategy, plans and review control standards developed by ASI/ASCTA. outcomes of the previous period. At each of • Continue to work with ASI to develop the these meetings, ASI, ASCTA and the States most appropriate link between VET sector may jointly agree to invite other designated and the NCAS Education Programs. coaches to assist. • Promote the development of targeted groups, • Fund and conduct regular meeting of specifically the role of female coaches in member associations’ Executive Directors. performance-based programs. To support this, ASCTA will… • Link Coach Education, Assessment and • Provide regular communication nationally via Development opportunities to the regular meetings with ASI to jointly plan development of swimmers through targeted future directions. Training Camps. • Provide due recognition to the role of all 8. Reviews

Technical Officials. This MOU will be reviewed annually and • Provide assistance and support to Technical ASCTA will provide ASI with regular reports on Officials when appropriate. each of the objectives, and ASI will provide • Ensure quality operation of Coach Education ASCTA with regular reports from a national and Development. perspective.

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and ensuring the future growth of grassroots and junior sport. Launching the Year of the Official at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Senator Kemp said the campaign was about reducing abuse of ASI sports officials such as umpires, referees and judges, recognising their invaluable

UPDATE contribution, and increasing their participation rate. “One of the biggest challenges facing

Reproduced from Issue No.11, 24th March 2003 grassroots sport is recruiting and, most NORTHERN TERRITORY especially, retaining officials. Despite Below is a record from President of Northern undertaking successful recruitment campaigns, Territory Swimming, Paul Carter. nearly all sports say they are only just managing The indigenous sporting program has to maintain their overall number of officials. achieved some exciting success at the Northern Research clearly indicates the most common Territory Open and Age Swimming reasons why officials quit is the high level of Championships in Darwin over last weekend. abuse they receive and a lack of respect for their Tennant Creek Swimming Club member, Zoe role in sport”, Senator Kemp said. Foster, won one gold and two silver medals at Australian Sports Commission figures the championships. Zoe comes from the demonstrate that 95% of this abuse is verbal – Warrego community. Warrego is situated on the with 22% coming from coaches – 37% from edge of the Tanami Desert – some 50 kilometres athletes – 19% from spectators – and 17% from west of Tennant Creek. Because Warrego does parents. not have a pool, Zoe and her teammates travel During 2003, the ASC – along with State to Tennant Creek and back three times a week Departments of Sport & Recreation and national to train. To compete at these championships the sporting organisations – will undertake a social three Warrego team members, who attended, education and awareness program to begin had to undertake a 2,000 kilometre drive round changing community attitudes towards officials. trip. Further details are available on the As young shy aboriginal girls, the Warrego Year of the Official Web Site at team were overwhelmed by the numbers at the www.ausport.gov.au/yearoftheofficial championships and the attention focussed on (from ASC Media Release). the swimmers competing. Zoe’s drive and OUR SPORTING FUTURE ambition to succeed helped her overcome her Feedback from the inaugural Our Sporting inhibitions and she was able to win three Future Forum has been very positive. A large medals. proportion of delegates have requested access to There are 14 children at Warrego, including the presentations particularly given the face Zoe, who are brought in from outlying areas to that multiple presentations were held at the attend the school. The school curriculum at same time and delegates could not attend all Warrego is based around horse riding and the sessions they wanted to. Therefore, swimming and all 14 children are members of presentations will shortly be available on the the Tennant Creek Swimming Club. To quote ASC Web Site at www.ausport.gov.au for you to Zoe’s teacher – “swimming makes a big view and download. difference to these children … they would not be able to be involved without the Indigenous Sporting Program. ASI should be proud of this STOP WATCH found at initiative and the results it is achieving”. ATHENS 2004 – 500 DAYS TO GO Australian Age With just 500 days to go to the Athens 2004 Championships in , find out more about the events, schedules and ticketing at Brisbane. Please ring www.athens2004.gr. YEAR OF THE OFFICIAL ASCTA on (02) 6041 6077 The Federal Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, recently launched the Year with detailed description. of the Official – a national campaign aimed at arresting the decline in volunteer participation

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honour to organise one leg, thus symbolising the new ways of development followed by FINA and implemented by its National Federations. Moreover, Asia will have another city of reference – South Korea is about to receive the best swimmers of the world in Daejeon. After all

Reproduced from February 2003 No.2 these years, the World Cup will touch the five continents! Thanks to the organisers for their vision of future. FINA SWIMMING WORLD CUP 2002-2003 By Camillo Cametti Mustapha Larfaoui Chairman of the FIN A Press Commission President of the Fédération The FINA Swimming World Cup 2002-2003 Internationale de Natation had a glorious conclusion in Berlin, on January (FINA) 27th, with two world records plus three more World Cup records. This competition has been held yearly since 1988-89. The last one was the 14th edition. EVOLUTION OF THE FINA SWIMMING Appropriate modifications of some rules have WORLD CUP prompted the World Cup to gain momentum. Since its creation in 1979, the FINA Many top swimmers are now taking part in Swimming World Cup is aimed to allow the various meets; therefore the quality of each international elite athletes to perform in a high- meet has gradually increased. The many quality 25m FINA competition during a period excellent performances recorded through the usually not privileged, the winter season in the series allow the World Cup now to play an north hemisphere. important role in the promotion of swimming From this experience, we now know that the over the globe. The circuit started in mid- swimmers have the potential and capacity to November in Rio de Janeiro. It developed over remain at the top level the majority of the year four continents, and seven meets: Rio de and, on the other hand, that this competition Janeiro and East Meadows, New York completes in a suitable way the long and hard (Americas), Shanghai (Asia), Melbourne training periods. The results are clear … by (Oceania), Paris, and Berlin judging last year’s performances; the victories in (Europe). Overall seven world records (also December or January do not prevent those of World Cup records) were established – five April, July or September. among the women, two among the men – plus From one single event in 1979, we have 11 more World Cup records – of which eight in progressed since 1988 to a series of meets the women’s section and three among men. organised in some of the cities already a was the highest world record reference in swimming. The evolution was also setter with three: in New York the 20-year old huge in terms of the ranking methods. As the American swimmer crowned her fabulous general goal was to find a fair and clear system, season by winning five races and by setting new understandable by the media and the general world marks in the 100 metre Butterfly, public, in 1991 the organisers and National and Individual Medley. Among the Federations decided to adopt a ranking based in woman the other world records were set by the categories (Sprint Freestyle, Distance Freestyle, 17-year-old Chinese Hui Qi in the 200m Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Breaststroke in Shanghai and by Lindsay Medley). After a short return to the event Benko, 26, of the United States, in the 400m classification, FINA decided to establish, from Freestyle in Berlin. Among the men, the most the 2001/2002 edition, a final ranking based on and only world record setter was ’s performances. From a FINA points table, each Thomas Rupprath. He bettered the world performance has its equivalent in points. This records in the 100m Backstroke in Melbourne method has numerous advantages – clarity, (in the preliminaries) and in the 100m concision and valorisation of the best times. Individual Medley in Berlin. The most World With the occasion of the last leg of the Cup record setters were Coughlin, Rupprath 2002/2003 edition in Berlin, the World Cup and Britain’s . The latter Council decided to propose to the FINA Bureau accomplished her feat in the 50m Freestyle. nine meets for the years to come. And for the EUROPEAN AFFAIR? first time in its history, the World Cup will stop The winners were Thomas Rupprath (GER) in Africa: Durban, in South Africa, will have the and Alison Sheppard (GBR) respectively among

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men and women. They scored the highest points season or should we consider Ukraine’s (in finals) – respectively 1016 and 1014 – among swimming icon , the most event the swimmers who, in compliance with the winner among the women? We believe that the rules, took part in at least one meet in each of three world records set by Natalie Coughlin in the three zones. They both cashed USA dollars New York speak for themselves. On that 50,000 in prize money associated to their wins. occasion the 20-year-old student – who swims In second place came Roman Sloudnov (RUS) for the club of the California University of and Emma Igelström (SWE); prize money: USA Berkeley under the coaching of Terry McKeever dollars 30,000; Pieter van den Hoogenband and with Haley Cope as a challenging teammate (NED) and (USA) placed third; – also set a national record, in the 50m prize money: USA dollars 20,000. However, the Backstroke. There is no doubt that when absolute top scorer was Natalie Coughlin who wrapping up this edition of the World Cup participated only in New York. Her time of 56.71 Coughlin deserves to be on the front cover. in the 100m Backstroke was worth a staggering Curiously Coughlin jumped to the attention of score of 1040 points! the world’s swimming community a year earlier Among men the top scorer was : in the same circumstances – World Cup meet in his 400m Freestyle winning time in Stockholm, New York – when she set two world records, in 3:34.63 (just 0.05 sec. off the world record held the 100 and 200m Backstroke. Like Rupprath by his compatriot ), was worth now Coughlin holds four short course world 1030 points. Nine of the top ten places in the records: the 100 and 200m Backstroke, the Final Overall Scoring Table, both men and 100m Butterfly and the 100m IM. She is also an women, are occupied by European swimmers. outstanding example of versatility among The only non-Europeans are , 8th women. In fact, in short course swimming, among men, and Lindsay Benko, 3rd among Coughlin and Rupprath may be considered women, both of the United States. homologues, as they excel in the same strokes Ukraine filed an impressive record: with just and almost the same events. two swimmers, Oleg Lisogor and Yana MOST EVENT WINNERS IN A MEET Klochkova, this Eastern European country Coughlin with five wins in New York (50, 100 collected as many as 23 wins, ranking 4th and 200 Backstroke, 100 Butterfly and 100 IM) among the countries, behind Great Britain (46 and Rupprath with four wins in Melbourne (50 wins, 10 swimmers), the USA (30, 12) and and 100 Backstroke, 100 IM and 200 Butterfly) China (30, 17). Lisogor was the most winner confirmed their supremacy also from this overall – he bagged 12 gold medals – while perspective. In second place among the women Klochkova won most among the women and comes Klochkova with four wins in Rio de was second overall with 11 victories. Janeiro (800 Freestyle, 200 Butterfly, 200 and THE “KING” 400 IM); among the men Lisogor places behind Among the men the 25-year old swimmer Rupprath with three wins in both New York and from Wupperthal emerged as the absolute Paris (50 and 100 Breaststroke, 100 IM). With number one in the 2002-2003 World Cup as three wins in Melbourne (50, 100, 200 well as, for the second consecutive year, as the Breaststroke) Igelstr6m ranks third among world’s greatest short course male swimmer. In women. Berlin – the final stage of the series – Rupprath In terms of most wins in one meet in a single stole the scene to (who stroke, among the women three swimmers was not up to her fame and could not make the could make three wins: Coughlin in New York final in the 100m Butterfly) and grabbed both (50, 100, 200 Backstroke), Igelstr6m in the attention and the favour of the home crowd Melbourne (50, 100 and 200 Breaststroke), Elka when he set his second world record in this Graham, from Australia, also in Melbourne World Cup in the 100m Individual Medley, with (100, 200, 400 Freestyle). Men stopped at two 52.58. In Melbourne he had established the wins. 100m Backstroke world record in the VERSATILITY preliminaries with the time of 50.58. Rupprath Versatility seems indeed to be the new now holds four short course world records in keyword, opposed to the keyword three different strokes: the 50 and 100m specialisation which inspired the beliefs and Backstroke, the 100m Butterfly and the 100m the work of many coaches in the past. Besides IM, an outstanding example of versatility. Rupprath and Coughlin, Klochkova and THE “QUEEN” Slovakia’s Martina Moravcova are also among Should we crown Britain’s Alison Sheppard the elite club of versatile swimmers. who, at the age of 30, imposed herself as the A newcomer in this club may be considered fastest short course female swimmer this even Ian Thorpe. Under the guidance of his new

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coach, Tracey Menzies, the 20-year-old 1:54.90, a national and World Cup record, and Australian phenomenon is extending the range won the 200m Butterfly in an Asian record time of events in which he likes to measure himself of 2:04.90. This feat made Yu the second in competition. Thorpedo took part in the last woman to crack the 2:05.00 barrier, behind the four meets of the series and swam seven races. world record holder, the Australian “Madame In Melbourne he debuted in the 50m Butterfly” Susie O’Nei11. In Melbourne the 12- Freestyle placing fifth. In Paris he came fifth in year-old Tianyi Zhang caused outcry. This girl, the 100m Freestyle and won the 200m born in 1990, impressed for being able to collect Freestyle, one of his favourite events, in the two golds and two silvers. She won time of 1:41.86, very close to his world record of authoritatively both the 200 and the 400m IM, 1:41.10, ahead of his arch-rival Pieter van den with great times for her age, 2:10.78 and Hoogenband (VDH), from the Netherlands. In 4:35.69, ahead of swimmers of the calibre of Stockholm, Thorpe not only swam an and Jennifer Reilly, both from outstanding 3:34.63 in the 400m Freestyle, his Australia. Zhang came in second place in both other stronghold, just five hundredths off the the 50m Backstroke (28.19), behind Giaan world record of 3:34.58 held by his compatriot Rooney but ahead of (!), and the Grant Hackett, but also surprised everybody 100m IM behind Hanson. In Rio de Janeiro, 15- when he won the 200m Individual Medley in year-old boy Peng Wu – who in October had won 1:56.00, the best World Cup time this season three titles at the Asian Games (L.C.) – won two and the second fastest time this year. Only Finn events, the 200m Butterfly (1:56.65) and the veteran Jani Sievinen, a Medley specialist, has 400m Individual Medley (4:12.72). done better with 1:55.47, his winning time at BERLIN, THE BEST MEET the European championships in Riesa, Fifty per cent of the best World Cup Germany, last December. Thorpe out-duelled performances this season were set in Berlin. In VDH in the 200m Freestyle in Berlin, too. He fact, out of a program of 34 events, on the touched in 1:41.69, faster and closer to his Berlin’s stage best performances were world record than in Stockholm. He trailed VDH celebrated in 17 events: 11 among the men, six to the European record, with 1:42.45. In the among the women. Men: Foster (GBR) 50 German capital the Australian also placed Freestyle and 50 Butterfly, Thorpe (AUS) 200 fourth in the 100m Freestyle. Freestyle, Yuri Prilukov (RUS) 1500 Freestyle, CHINA: TOWARDS BEIJING 2008 Rupprath (GER) 100 Backstroke and 100 IM., Chinese swimmers have performed well in Alechine (RUS) 200 Backstroke, Lisogor (UKR) this World Cup. Their new breed of young 50 Breaststroke, Sloudnov (RUS) 100 swimmers looks very talented. There are signs Breaststroke, Kitajma (JPN) 200 Breaststroke, that they are well on pace on building up a Kent (NZL) 400 IM. Women: Sheppard (GBR) 50 strong Olympic team for the year 2008, when Freestyle, Yu (CHN) 200 Freestyle and 200 the Games will be staged in Beijing. During the Butterfly, Price (GBR) 200 Backstroke, series the Chinese swimmers provided many Klochkova (UKR) 200 IM and Benko (USA) 400 highlights, the major of which was offered in Freestyle. Shanghai by Hui Qi, who has dubbed her long In Berlin, on day one, January 26th, in front course 200m Breaststroke world record of of a frenzied sell-out crowd of 2,500 that 2:22.99 with the short course world record in cheered her to a sensational final 100 metres, the same event, with 2:18.86. Qi, who has the 26-year old American Lindsay Benko (who turned 18 on January 13, achieved this feat – won the world title last April in Moscow) became she is the first woman to crack the 2:19.00 the first woman to crack the four-minute barrier barrier – in front of a home crowd: in fact, for the 400m Freestyle, with the time of 3:59.53, although she was born in Fujan she lives in a half second from ’s previous world Shanghai and trains with the Shanghai Swim record. Team. In the same meet Qi claimed two more In Berlin two continental records were victories: in the 100m Breaststroke (1:06.14) established in the men’s 200m Breaststroke and the 200m IM; in a World Cup record of final. Kosuke Kitajima, the winner, set an Asian 2:08.77. This time was subsequently bettered record with 2:06.32; thus, the Japanese became by Klochkova in Berlin, with 2:08.44. In the the world’s second fastest all-time performer same meet the 17-year-old Yu Yang also won behind the USA’s Ed Moses. Austria’s Maxim three events: the 200m Freestyle (1:58.07), the Podoprigora finished second with a European 400m Freestyle (4:06.19) and the 200m record of 2:06.95. Butterfly (2:08.35). Yu confirmed her progresses The second fastest meet was New York, with in Berlin where she defeated the 200m Freestyle six best performances, all among women: world record holder Lindsay Benko, with Coughlin’s three world records and her 50

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Backstroke national record; Jennifer Thompson Sarah Price just missed breaking Coughlin’s (USA) 100 Freestyle; (SUI) 800 world record in the 200m Backstroke. Price Freestyle. swam under world record pace for 150 metres; Stockholm and Melbourne came third with however she failed to match Coughlin’s four bests. In Stockholm: Thorpe 200 and 400 blistering final 50 and had to settle for a time of Freestyle; Igelstrom (SWE) 50 Breaststroke, 2:04.50, just 0.06 seconds slower than her Kammerling (SWE) 50 Butterfly. Commonwealth record. Russia’s Yuri Prilukov, In Melbourne: van den Hoogenband (NED) 18, and Austria’s Mirna Jukic, 16, enhanced 100 Freestyle, Rupprath (GER) 50 Backstroke their reputation as some of the most promising and 100 Butterfly; Igelstrom 100 Breaststroke. teenagers from Europe when they won Paris witnessed two bests: Hickman (GBR) 200 respectively the 1500m Freestyle, with a time of Butterfly; Klochkova 400 IM. Shanghai had one 14:38.72, and the 200m Breaststroke in best, Hui Qi 200 Breaststroke; Rio none. 2:20.28, just 0.40 seconds off Emma Igelstrom INDIVIDUAL TOP PERFORMERS European record. Rupprath with four (50 Backstroke, 100 BARCELONA 2003 Backstroke, 100 IM, 200 Butterfly), Thorpe with In total, 62 events will be battled out during the 15 three (200 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle, 200 IM) and days of competition Foster with two (50 Freestyle, 50 Butterfly) were the three top performers among men. Coughlin Barcelona03 will have the most extensive with four (50 Backstroke, 100 Backstroke, 100 program in the history of the World Butterfly, 100 IM) was the top performer among Championships women. In second place, with two each came FINA and the Barcelona03 Organising three swimmers: Igelstrom (50 and 100 Committee have approved the final timetable for Breaststroke), Klochkova (200 and 400 IM) and the 10th FINA Swimming Championships. The Yu (200 Freestyle, 200 Butterfly). program sets out the exact number of events, Among the men Lisogor and Hickman and timetables the distribution of qualifying collected five wins, respectively in the 50m rounds, semi-finals and finals. Breaststroke and the 200m Butterfly. Lisogor In total, 62 events will take place over 15 collected four wins in the 100m IM and three in days, 40 of which will be swimming, while the the 100m Breaststroke, too. Hickman pocketed rest will be divided between diving (10) water three golds also in the 200m IM. Jose Martin polo (2), synchronised swimming (4) and open Meolans – the gigantic sprinter from Argentina, water swimming (6). The Barcelona whose fame in his country now almost matches Championships will have more events than any that of Diego Maradona in his golden days – previously disputed as a new competition has collected three wins in the 100m Freestyle; been added to the program since Fukuoka ‘01: Dean Kent, from New Zealand, a newcomer in the free routine combination in synchronised the world’s elite, also bagged three golds in the swimming. 400m Individual Medley. Since the retirement of The diving, synchronised swimming and , Kent is the first swimmer from open water events will take place during the his country to climb on the highest step of the first week (from 13th to 19th July) giving them podium. more prominence than ever before in the Among the women it was Klochkova to win Championships. The swimming will begin on one single event most times: she counted five the 20th and will go on until the final day. The golds in the 400m IM (plus three in the 200m only sport that will last throughout the games is IM); behind her Sheppard and Moravcova tied at water polo, which will begin on the 13th and end four, respectively in the 50m Freestyle and the on the 26th with the men’s final in the Palau 100m IM. With three wins followed four Sant Jordi. swimmers: Igelstrom 50 Breaststroke, Price 100 MORE ENTERTAINMENT & IMPROVED and 200 Backstroke, Benko 400 Freestyle and SPORTING PERFORMANCE Yu 200 Butterfly. FINA and the organising committee have Also in Berlin, Russia’s Evgueni Alechine, 23, worked together in planning the timetable with managed a clear-cut victory over USA’s Lenny two main objectives in mind… Krayzelburg, 27, in the 200m Backstroke, in • To try to optimise entertainment value and 1:52.80, a national record time. Meolans’ star accessibility to the public. Finals will take shined bright when he won an outstanding place in the evenings to ease the access to match up against van den Hoogenband in the fans and some of the “star” events e.g. 400m 100m Freestyle (VDH) was the favourite but he freestyle (Ian Thorpe’s speciality) the 5 Km lost to the wall by a mere fraction of a second: and 25 Km open water events and 47.37 to 47.32. synchronised diving will all be held at

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weekends so as to encourage higher possible with lots of effort, but without much attendance as well as more television speed. They grit their teeth, tighten their arms, viewers. hold their breath and generally fight the water. • As well as the entertainment factor, the They make lots of splash … but not much dash! timetable has also been designed with There is a difference between effort and sporting performance in mind. Special speed. thought has gone into recuperation times for Great swimmers often report that when they athletes, particularly those involved in open experience REAL SPEED, it seems to come with water events. If a swimmer so desires, they little EFFORT. may enter the three open water events The great South African Breaststroke because they will have two days to rest swimmer, Penny Heyns, recently broke the between each competition. world records for 100 and 200 metres. She The first events will take place on the 13th commented … “When I touched the wall I July. However, the opening ceremony has been thought, maybe a 2:30, and this felt too easy for brought forward to the night of the 12th. At first, that. I really don’t know what happened.” the ceremony had been planned for the 13th in Australia’s own Grant Hackett interviewed the evening, although finally it was decided to after his amazing world record effort over 200 open Barcelona03 with a sensational show in metres Freestyle, said, “I certainly hadn’t the Palau Sant Jordi. prepared to break the world record – I was The timetable for the World Championships having pillow fights with Ky Hurst and the rest of has been presented in public on January 30, the team before the race.” 2003 by various members of the Spanish teams And it goes on. participating in Barcelona03, including David “The swim itself just happened, just like Meca (), Gemma Mengual Gennadi (coach) said it would, without really (synchronised swimming), Dani Ballart (water forcing it.” ’s comments after his polo), Lola Saez de Ibarra (diving), as well as the World Record 100 Butterfly swim. FINA Executive Director, Cornel Marculescu. When it all comes together, and swimmers feel real speed, it seems to come with little effort. Swimming is a Simple Sport On other occasions, swimmers have reported By Wayne Goldsmith feeling heavy, slow and sluggish, busting their Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine guts and giving 100% effort – but have swum 2002/Issue 5 slow times. Swimming is a simple sport. What is the difference between EFFORT and Jump in at one end and get to the other end before SPEED? Speed and relaxation appear to be anyone else. somehow linked. It seems weird, but in many In the most basic analysis, it’s a game of sports where excellence is measured in terms of speed. Speed is the most crucial element in the how fast an athlete can move, the champions sport. It’s fundamental. The swimmer who consistently say that their best performances swims fastest, wins the race. have come when they were at their most But is it really that simple? We know from relaxed. biomechanical analysis of champions at major The question then is … can your learn to swimming competitions that the fastest relax when trying to go fast? swimmer doesn’t always win. Sometimes the 1. Long, easy, even paced, even tempo fastest swimmer (i.e. the person with the swimming helps develop a sense of rhythm. highest swimming speed) loses the race because Being in a swim rhythm is a comfortable of inferior skills, turns, starts and finishes. We feeling that helps develop relaxation. When know sometimes the fastest swimmer doesn’t arm stroke, kick and breathing are in a win because they weren’t mentally focussed in coordinated rhythm, real relaxation in the on the task. water is possible. From there, it is possible In the end however, skills, fitness, mental over time to learn to stay relaxed at faster attitude, flexibility and all the other elements of speeds. Learning to relax at slow speeds the sport come down to one question … how first is the crucial step. fast can you swim? 2. Swim techniques and drills have been What is swimming speed? Technically, it is developed to decrease the resistance your the velocity that your body moves through the body experiences when swimming. water. Developing technical excellence means you If you ask a little kid to swim as fast as they move through the water with less effort. can, they throw their arms and legs as fast as

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3. Work on M.D.S. or D.P.S. (Maximum during TAPER – that period of time when you Distance per Stroke or Distance per Stroke) are freshening up and resting in preparation for skills as a priority. The best swimmers in a competition. Swimmers will often say that the world are able to maintain long strokes during a taper they feel “light”, that training at top speed, when tired and under efforts “felt easy” that they feel like they are pressure. It all starts with learning to swim swimming “on top of the water”. with less strokes in training. In warm up, This feeling, where speed comes with little try counting stokes on the first lap. Then effort, is an indication that you are ready to race aim to take one stroke less on the next lap – and that your taper has worked well. and so on. It also comes from listening to your coach 4. Try the MINI-MAX workout (MINIMUM and working with him or her in your fast work. STROKES, MAXIMUM SPEED) used to great If your coach uses the expression, “maximum effect by Bill Sweetenham. Count your effort”, your swimming response should be … “I strokes on your first 50 metres. Accurately will do this at maximum speed, while staying note your time. Next, add the number of relaxed and loose, with minimum strokes, great strokes to your time. For example, if you skills and technical excellence”. take 50 strokes and swim 45 seconds for the IF IT’S SPEED YOU NEED, YOU NEED SPEED lap, your lap score is 95. Aim to swim a lap INDEED, AND YOU NEED SOME DASH, score of 94 on the second lap, which means WITHOUT SPLASH OR TRASH, JUST KEEP you need to either swim a little faster, or YOUR COOL, IN THE SWIMMING POOL, STAY stroke a little longer. Continue the process RELAXED AND LOOSE, AND YOU’LL MAKE six times. Fewer strokes is good. Faster THE NEWS. speed is great. Fewer strokes and faster speed is best. 5. Work on keeping strokes long and strong at training. In every effort ask yourself “Could I do this with fewer strokes?” When doing skills work like drills aim for technical QUEENSLAND perfection, then technical perfection with the minimum number of strokes and finally, SWIMMING technical perfection with a minimum The following articles have been reproduced from number of strokes at maximum speed. “The Fast Lane”, 2003 Issues 1 & 2 6. Develop real speed by thinking about STRENGTH & CONDITIONING (S&C) swimming FAST rather than trying too hard INTRODUCTION and increasing effort during your speed. By Stephan Widmer, Coach, Queensland Train fast to Race fast. State Swimming Centre 7. Every turn in training is a race turn … every In conjunction with Queensland Swimming dive is a race dive. Every finish should be Association (QSA), the Queensland Academy of completed on the wall with power and Sport (QAS) offers a new service to Queensland controlled aggression. Train as you would swimming coaches. The purpose of this project like to race. is to offer a free service in Strength & 8. Drills should be completed with precision Conditioning to coaches and/or their and with 100% concentration. Think swimmers. The goal is to provide coaches with technique first at all times. exposure to latest techniques, training methods 9. Challenge yourself to swim fast when tired. and strength and conditioning programming. In training, challenge yourself to jump up at The essentials of S&C Training are to help the end of the session and swim fast. When athletes achieve their maximal physical racing, challenge yourself to swim fast when performance potential without incurring tired, to swim fast heats in the morning injuries. I would like to assist you in developing then faster finals at night, to swim as fast such programs. Modern S&C has several on the last day of the meet as you did on the functions… first day, etc. • Resistance Training (Strength & Power

10. Learn to enjoy pressure situations. Being Training nervous is a sign that something great is • Injury Prevention of muscle and joint about to happen. Your body is getting ready • Rehabilitation and Reconditioning after to do something brilliant. Learn to enjoy the injury/operation pressure of competition. WHY IS STRENGTH TRAINING IMPORTANT? Part of the process of understanding the Properly improved strength and power will difference between effort and speed comes lead to increased performance of motor skills,

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more flexibility and agility, and better joint Be sure to always integrate warm-ups, stabilisation. By strengthening the muscle stretching and cooling-down into your groups important to swimming, athletes are program ... this will reduce a risk of injury. capable of performing their swimming event Teaching your swimmers to use the proper faster and more efficiently. For example, greater lifting form is important – not only to work strength and stability in the shoulder and better your muscles correctly – but also to prevent strength in the trunk in an aquatic-specific injury. streamlined position will improve the pull power SEQUENCING IN STRENGTH TRAINING and efficiency of a swimmer. When beginning a new weightlifting program Another role of S&C is injury prevention. – or any time they try a new exercise – always Strength training properly done can reduce the start out using light weights. Instruct them to risk of muscle and joint injury. It also helps to do the exercises through a full range of motion increase joint stability. When tendons and in a slow, controlled manner while perfecting ligaments that surround a joint are stronger, the correct lifting technique. Going to total they are more capable of withstanding the muscle fatigue with a challenging weight is not physical stress that training and competition a useful objective in your first few weeks. When will place on them. This is particularly trying a new lift or starting a new routine, the important for the shoulders of a swimmer. The objective is to practice and perfect the skills that are required in swimming will often technique. lead to certain muscle groups being overused. START WITH MOVE TO For example, the abductors are important in a Simple Complex Static Dynamic Breaststroke kick. If these muscles become too Slow Fast strong – compared to the agonistic muscle Endurance Speed function – there is an inherent risk of an Double support Single support overuse injury and a posture deviation. Lying – sitting – kneeling – standing – double These postural problems can affect an support – single support – moving DO NOT RISK TECHNIQUE FOR EXTRA LOADING OR REPS!!! individual’s performance. It is important to train Proper breathing is essential in the opposing muscle groups to create a weightlifting. Do not let them hold their breath balanced musculature. Using the above while lifting a weight. The athletes should try to example, the abductors need to be exhale during the positive or main exertion strengthened. This will reduce the chance of phase – and inhale during the negative phase. groin problems. Do not accept a messy gymnasium … that I strongly believe that appropriate and they leave equipment lying around the weight individualised S&C will make the important room where someone could trip over it. Be sure little difference to a swimmer’s performance. they keep their hands away from the chains, If you would like to contact me to discuss a cams, pulleys and weight plates of exercise S&C subject or problem, please feel free to machines when they are in use. Teach your contact me… swimmers to push the pin in all the way when Mobile: 0413 619 656 selecting the weight for a machine exercise. Fax: (QAS) (07 3404 3205 Consider setting up a buddy system Email: [email protected] amongst your group. Having a workout partner S&C SAFETY PRECAUTIONS & BASIC GYM = spotter is important – not only for safety SAFETY reasons, but also for performance By Stephan Widmer, Queensland State enhancement. The swimmers will have a Swimming Centre workout partner who demands proper technique and full effort on every exercise set This article’s main purpose is to assure the and repetition as you do. swimmer’s safety in the gym – avoiding injuries An effective spotter gives encouragement, – and the coach’s liability in the future and/or technique, feedback and just enough assistance other complications. to permit completion of that final, difficult Obtain a complete physiotherapist repetition. No matter what the goal reps are, screening for swimmers of your athletes before each set should end with the last repetition starting them with strength training. Your being challenging … they should try to go to physiotherapist may modify the exercise for the muscle fatigue. Given this goal, there is always benefits of the individuals. The reason to modify the chance that when trying for a final the gym program may be … muscle or joint repetition, they just cannot do it all on their problems … previous injuries … or any other own. This is where a spotter comes in … helping physical condition with potential for danger. them just barely finish that last rep – and assuring them of their safety.

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It is also important that they know how to BENEFITS OF STRENGTH & CONDITIONING correctly spot someone to assure their safety. The following provides a brief overview of the When spotting someone, always be prepared to areas where strength and conditioning can have give a little assistance when they cannot a significant impact on swim performance… complete the rep on their own. They should give • Reduces the incidence of injury caused by just enough assistance so that their partner can unstable joints and repetitive joint and complete the set – but it is still challenging for muscular actions. them. Also, only provide assistance on the • Improves joint range of motion and the positive phase (the part that requires the length at which strength is produced. pushing or pulling motion). Still have your • Can lead to improvements in swimming hands ready to help but do not help with the technique by… negative phase (the part where you resist the • Improving body awareness weight’s force). The lifter should try to slowly resist the force of the weight all on his/her own. • Having the strength and mobility to get The essentials of S&C Training are to help into the required positions athletes achieve their maximal physical • Being strong and stable to hold the performance potential without incurring aquatic specific positions injuries. Strength Training provides many • Improving such targeted aspects as block- important benefits that cannot be achieved by start force production and turning speed. any other exercise or activity. However, when • Improving swimmer endurance… enjoying this great form of exercise, be sure to • Higher strength levels result in either less stick to these precautions so that your program maximal force being used during sub- is not only effective … but safe as well. maximal efforts or higher force levels maintained at sub-maximal efforts, thus S&C DRY LAND STRENGTH & ensuring body maintenance and faster CONDITIONING swimming performances By Stephan Widmer, Head Coach, Queensland WHERE TO BEGIN? State Swimming Centre – and, This is one of the major issues that confronts Anthony Giorgi PhD, QAS/Precision Movements a Swim Coach introducing a dry land S&C program. With all the information out there, The following strength and conditioning what is done here can have a long-term effect guideline has been developed to provide a on future swim performances. structured framework for the development of As a Coach, we do not just send a swimmer functional strength in swimmers. The use of “up and down the pool” – we want them to focus strength training in swimming can draw on correct technique in the water. numerous comments from swim programs – As such, the same attention to detail should some of which can be extremely negative. occur in the dry land S&C so that functional Comments such as… technique and range of motion is utilised to “Weights put on too much muscle” enhance – not hinder – performance. Working “Distance swimmers do not need strength” through dozens of exercises at a frantic pace “Changes in my body type will affect drag” does not encourage proper technique nor does it “How strong does a swimmer really need to be?” convey to the swimmer the key aspects and … can be stumbling blocks that need to be importance of each exercise being performed. considered when assessing the benefits an Strength training should not be seen as a time effective program can provide. to be working the aerobic energy system … APPROPRIATE SUPERVISION there is plenty of time for this in the pool. As an initial starting point, the individual WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? responsible for the strength and conditioning in Do not jump head-first into specific your program should be suitably qualified to swimming resisted movements without work with swimmers. They will need to developing an all-round athletic strength base. understand the demands of the sport … the Too often, programs show an impulsive desire to science behind the sport … and the loading on move straight into the specific performance the swimmers in the pool. It will be important exercises before one has established general they realise the strength and conditioning strength levels in the muscle groups of focus. component is not a stand-alone aspect … it Narrowing your focus too early can compromise needs to be integrated in with the swimming the potential performance transfer benefits. One training to maximise the swimmer’s potential cannot mould specific strength if the general swimming performance. strength is not there. In fact, you may find that it requires a number of preparations over a few

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years before you move into the more functional never progress developmental athletes to a and complex exercises. By following a higher stage if technique is compromised. progressive plan, you will ensure that the latter TRANSITIONAL PHASE more functional and speed-strength exercises 15-17 years can be performed technically proficient to The focal point of dry land strength and maximise transference and to reduce the conditioning during the transitional phase is incidence of injuries. the introduction of external loading to maximise STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT PHASES strength. At this point, body awareness The following is an attempt to provide a (postural) skills and flexibility ranges suggested overall plan that a swimming established during the developmental phase program can follow and implement in their need to be maintained. current programs to cater for the development Compromising at this stage on ranges and of strength, body awareness and essential body awareness will reduce the effectiveness of flexibility. Although age brackets have been additional strength loading. During this stage, listed next to the three phases, it is important to the emphasis moves from body weight and light never assume that a high-performance resistance exercises to more complex multi-joint swimmer is subsequently elite in the gym. There resisted exercises. Some of the more traditional are numerous examples of elite athletes who exercises can be slightly modified to suit the would fit into the developmental strength phase needs of swimming. Typically, phases will last of this program. Subsequently, you may have between 6-8 weeks. 16, 17 and even 18-year-old swimmers who HIGH PERFORMANCE PHASE may fit into the developmental phase of this 18 years + suggested progression. Always keep in mind At this point, one one’s dry land strength and that swimmers come in different shapes, sizes stability development, the swimmer should have and abilities. Their adaptation rates vary and in place a solid strength base, which is thus programs need to reflect this. It is maintained and maximised at different phases essential to remember that strength and of the season, depending on the competition. conditioning for swimmers encompasses a It is here that the program may wish to number of areas. Professional swimming individualise focusing more specifically on programs will not sacrifice the quality of their individual weaknesses. A greater emphasis is dry land strength and conditioning program for also placed on power development and more volume. specific swimming-perceived movements, DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE including unilateral exercises. Remember, an 13-14 years excellent strength base needs to be in place The focal point of dry land strength and before more specific movements and greater conditioning during the developmental stage is intensity power exercises can be introduced and an emphasis on body positions, flexibility, thus maximised. mobility and body weight strength. The In general, the core exercises should remain swimmers need to realise that the development the same. Flexibility and body awareness of mobility and stability – along with essential exercises are included for maintenance. At this body awareness (postures) – will be essential for point, micro-cycles should be kept to 3-4 weeks their technical development. as adaptation occurs rapidly and thus variation In order to emphasise the importance of body will be the key to prevent a plateau and to awareness and flexibility, each strength and/or maintain a stimulus. The cycles can also be stability exercise should be preceded by a body- short and quite intense! awareness exercise (implemented in a compare S&C DRY LAND STRENGTH & and contrast method) and then followed by a CONDITIONING – DEVELOPMENTAL PHASE flexibility exercise. Two sessions a week should By Stephan Widmer, Head Coach, Queensland be sufficient for swimmers at this stage of their State Swimming Centre – and, development. However, an additional session Anthony Giorgi PhD, QAS/Precision Movements concentrating purely on body awareness INTRODUCTION (posture) exercises, torso exercises, and The focal point of the Dry Land Strength & flexibility can be conducted. Conditioning (S&C) during the Developmental Due to individual growth rates, swimmers Phase is an emphasis on body positions, will progress through the stages at different flexibility, mobility and body weight strength. rates. There will be differences based on sex, The coach and swimmer need to realise that the biological development, technique development, development of mobility and stability – along and overall athletic ability. It is important to with essential body awareness (postures) – will be essential for their technical development.

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SWIMMING SPECIFIC MUSCULO-SKELETAL flow of water. By successfully improving SCREENING (SSMSS) balance, the swimmer can avoid inefficient The purpose of the SSMSS is to pinpoint aquatic body positions. potential physical characteristics that may The body position in each of the four hinder the development of the perfect swimming swimming strokes must be maintained in a machine (Blanch 1997). This information is streamlined position – horizontal with minimal necessary for the coach and/or strength disruption to the flow of water around the body. specialist to design an effective S&C program. A streamlined dive start entry and a All swimmers should have a physiotherapy streamlined positioning coming off the wall screening prior to beginning a Swimming during each of the turns is critical. Strength Training Program. The screen will Performing the awareness exercises on land provide information regarding… enables the coach to remove uneconomical • Overall flexibility positions seen in the water (quality control). • Swimming specific mobility For a detailed description of the body • Appropriate joint stability awareness exercises, refer to the spinal • Muscular imbalances awakening articles “Spinal Awakening, Exercise The above information may be used in the Series I and Series II” written by Bill Boomer following manner… and Milton Nelms. This can be found at the • If the swimmer’s flexibility is less than following… suggested Web Site www.parametrix-inc.com Refer to Parametrix Library • A comprehensive flexibility program can Visit the folder Swimming Technique be prescribed Download files Spinal Awakening, Exercise Series I • If flexibility is greater than the indicated Spinal Awakening, Exercise Series II ranges, strengthening and stability Use Password boomerang exercises should be emphasised Furthermore, we are presently designing a DESIGNING THE PROGRAM body awareness video as a coaching reference. In order to emphasise the importance of body We will advise the Fast-Lane readers when the awareness and flexibility, each strength and/or video is available for purchase. stability exercise should be preceded by a body PART 2 – GENERAL MOBILITY/FLEXIBILITY awareness exercise (implemented in a compare- DEVELOPMENT and-contrast method) and then followed by a Flexibility is often just done as a passing flexibility exercise. Two sessions a week should exercise. However, it can be a large contributor be sufficient for swimmers at this stage of their to swimming performance. Individuals with development. However, an additional session – tight shoulder complexes and lats may find that concentrating purely on body awareness their stroke length and ability can be (posture) exercises, torso exercises, and compromised. It is amazing how many athletes flexibility – can be conducted. Due to individual will do all their pool work, all their gym work, growth rates, swimmers will progress through and then skimp on their flexibility. Flexibility the stages at different rates. There will be can produce excellent improvements for very differences based on sex, biological little effort. Do not sell yourself short by development, technique development and compromising this aspect. If flexibility is worked overall athletic ability. It is important to never on and maintained during development, then progress developmental athletes to a higher swimmers will find it easier to remain flexible as stage if technique is compromised. they develop more lean body mass around their PART 1 – BODY SHAPING THROUGH BODY joints. Be aware that certain swimmers AWARENESS EXERCISES (especially females with low muscular levels) These exercises will assist the swimmers will be extremely compliant around certain develop overall body awareness and – more joints so flexibility training should focus on importantly – functional aquatic awareness. maintenance while improving joint strength and Overall body awareness will be important for all stability. aspects of swimming, including both dry land PART 3 – BODY WEIGHT STRENGTH, and water specific training. Specific functional STABILITY & FORM DEVELOPMENT body shaping through body awareness targets Swimming is a unique sport that requires positions and movements designed to improve strength and stability for various aspects swimming efficiency (frontal resistance). including technique development and force The shape of a swimmer is important for maintenance. The initial focus should be on streamlining and therefore swimming efficiency. developing all-round body weight strength Poor alignment causes unwanted resistance by capabilities and appropriate exercise technique presenting additional frontal resistance to the to maximise long-term results. It is important to

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remember that, due to various genetic aspects, Flexibility (partner) – 10 minutes strength and lean body mass development rates Note: Awareness for the aquatic position can be developed through the Spinal Awakening Exercises by Bill Boomer and Milton can vary significantly. This occurs not only Nelms. within the same sex, but also between the The program provides a balance between… sexes. • Developing the strength and awareness in The Developmental Phase is the point where the muscles required for functional you need to expose the swimmers to propulsion – and… fundamental exercises that will target the • Developing the range of movement and required muscle groups in a general aspect. stability required to achieve a more Multi-joint large exercises are both time efficient technique. effective and target muscle groups in a more Following is an example of a SSMSS Form. comprehensive fashion. SWIMMING MUSCULO-SKELETAL SCREENING The exercises utilised should provide The Queensland Academy of Sport Network learning opportunities for your swimmers. Do Physiotherapists has designed the following Swimming not expect your swimmers to improve if no Specific Musculo-Skeletal Screen (SSMSS). All swimmers training is done in that particular area. should undertake a screening prior to beginning a Strength Training Program. Sequence your training to improve the 12-Point Screen for competitive swimmers… swimmer’s abilities. Structure these learning 1. Wall Streamline opportunities on a seasonal or weekly basis. 2. Combined Elevation Working through dozens of exercises at a frantic 3. GH Internal Rotation pace does not encourage good technique, nor 4. Abduction with Internal Rotation does it convey to the swimmer the key aspects 5. Hip Extension and importance of each exercise being 6. Quad performed. Strength Training should not be 7. Hip Internal Rotation 8. Tibia External Rotation seen as a time to be working the aerobic energy 9. Hip Internal and Tibia External Rotation system … there is plenty of time for this in the 10. Hip Flexion pool. 11. Thoracic Rotation Following, is a suggested program for 12. Dorsiflexion development swimmers. Coaches inexperienced 13. Ankle Plantar Flexion with any of these exercises should seek expert 14. Straight Leg Raise advice. Please include your individual results for the 12 points STAGE 1 – SESSIONS 1 & 2: WARM UP screen in the boxes provided below. Listed next to each Skipping/Jogging on spot; Star Jumps measurement is an acceptable range for competitive High Knees on the spot; Flexibility; Wall Angel swimmers as a reference for the physiotherapist and MAIN SESSION EXERCISES MAIN FOCUS OF EXERCISE coach. Awareness for the aquatic Spinal Shrinking and Growing 1 Flat against wall position 2 5-15 Modified Chin-ups or Lat Pull- Strengthening of propulsive 3 40-50 downs muscles 4 150+ Improvement or maintenance of Hang Stretch flexibility 5 10+ Awareness for the aquatic 6 R1 120 Spinal Awakening position 7 45 Body Weight Squat Strengthening 8 45 (Technique) 9 90 Improvement or maintenance of Gluteus Stretch 10 R1 100 flexibility Strengthening of the abdominal 11 70+ Front Bridge area 12 R1 90 Push-ups (or modified Strengthening of propulsive 13 160+ alternative) muscles 14 R1 70 Improvement or maintenance of Pectoral Stretch Comments by Physiotherapist: flexibility Awareness for the aquatic Wall Angel position 20m BWT Stability Lunge Walk Strengthening and stabilising (LW) Improvement or maintenance of Hamstring Stretch flexibility TORSO STABILITY & MOBILITY 10-20s Abdominal bridge (4-point/forearms) Side Bridges and Sag 10-15s Oblique Bridge (2-point) 10s Back Extension (Streamline – Isometric) Back Banana 15-20 Crunches

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SPEED GYM TIPS Speed lifting with explosiveness is for trained FOR athletes peaking for competition and not for beginners. SAFETY & LEARNING PHASE Going to total muscle fatigue with a FORM challenging weight is not a useful objective in your first few weeks. When trying a new lift or WARM UP starting a new routine, the objective is to Be sure to always integrate warm-ups, practice and perfect your technique, and to stretching, and cooling-down into your learn how to concentrate on the muscle you are program. Always start with a 50% of your exercising. maximum weight set before each exercise to SPOTTERS allow a specific warm-up. This will reduce your Consider having a spotter. Having a spotter risk of injury by increasing your blood flow and is important not only for safety reasons but also prepping your muscles for the work they are for performance enhancement. A knowledgeable about to do. spotter or workout partner who demands proper CLOTHING technique and full effort on every exercise set Clothing should be loose and comfortable but and repetition. An affective spotter gives not so baggy that it gets in your way. ALWAYS encourage, technique, feedback, and just wear supportive shoes that are laced tight. Keep enough assistance to permit completion of that your muscles covered and warm – especially final, difficult repetition. when it is cool. HAVE FUN GETTING STRONGER FORM LEVEL 1 COACH ACCREDITATION COURSES Protect yourself by using proper lifting QUEENSLAND SWIMMING 2003 techniques. Good form, body position, and sensible lifting prevent back problems and/or Aimed at Preparing the Coach to work with injuries. Make sure to use legs when racking children in making the transition from a weights because just lifting the plates or bars Learn-to-Swim environment to Club level can hurt your back if you are out of position. (Club Nights/School Swim Meets) Always do your exercises through a full range of Competition”. motion. General Information LIFTING POSITION Course cost: $225 inc GST. Make sure you are positioned right for the Pre-requisites exercise. Centre your body under the bar or Nil. weights when possible. If you are lifting weight Fee Includes plates, make sure you are using your legs and • Presenter Fees directly facing the weights before you grab • Morning/Afternoon Tea them. • Course Text Book STANCE • Candidate Assessment Workbook Basic rule is shoulder width stance or more – • QSA Book of Readings this gives you a wider base of support and • All Coach Registration Fees makes it harder to lose your balance and fall. Requirements to being awarded a Level 1 FREE WEIGHTS Coaching Certificate Can be better for you because you use more • Full attendance at all Lectures postural muscles – however, it is a good idea to • Completion of 20 hours of Practical Coaching work with a partner or spotter in case you need under a Level 2 Performance Coach help completing your last rep. • Be deemed competent by a Level 2 BREATHING Performance Coach Do not hold your breath when you lift • Have attained an age of 16½ years because it can cause inter-abdominal pressure Topics Covered that can lead to a hernia – OUCH! Breathe out • as you exert yourself and breathe in as you Communication relax and let the weight back down. • Role of the Coach QUANTITY OF REPS • Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, Whatever the last rep is, it should be the last Butterfly (both theoretical and practical) one you can do safely WITHOUT breaking form • Planning and Presenting Training Sessions and endangering your health. • Coaching Specific Groups • The Structure of Swimming

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• Starts, Turns and Finishes for the Beginning Incorporated (ASI) and commercial partner Swimmer Uncle Tobys. Course Timetable “Go Swim will enable children to dip into • Saturday: 8.15am to 5.00pm swimming in a fun, safe and organised • Sunday: 8.30am to 4.30pm environment”, Senator Kemp said. “It’s a great Venues & Dates initiative which will help build on the depth and Course 6: Townsville 12-13 July 2003 breadth of what is one of Australia’s most Course 7: Brisbane Grammar School 26-27 popular and successful sports. The program will July 2003 provide valuable coaching to help improve the Course 8: The Southport School (Gold Coast) skill and technique of young swimmers and 16-17 August 2003 create a pathway for children learning to swim to Course 9: The Glennie School (Toowoomba) 6-7 progress through to competition if they wish.” September 2003 Senator Kemp said that through Go Swim, Course 10: Emerald Olympic Pool 13-14 ASI would forge closer links between State September 2003 swimming associations, clubs, Learn-to-Swim Course 11: Level 1 Update Course, Brisbane Schools, pool operators and owners, the Grammar School [*] 20 September 2003 Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Course 12: Brisbane Grammar School 29-30 Association and its affiliate, Swim Australia. November 2003 ASI MEMBER PROTECTION POLICY * A Level 1 Update Course is for all Currently PROHIBITED EMPLOYMENT DECLARATION Accredited Level 1 Coaches. 2003 AUSTRALIAN SHORT COURSE The Australian Inc Member Protection Policy CHAMPIONSHIPS, HOBART makes it a breach of the policy for a Prohibited 2-5 August 2003 Person (defined as a person who has been convicted of a Serious Sex Offence) to work or Queensland Swimming Association received week work in the following roles… the following advice from Australian Swimming • Coaches who are appointed or seeking Inc., re the 2003 Australian Short Course appointment (whether employed, contracted Championships, to be held from 2-5 August or otherwise) for reward 2003 in Hobart. • Volunteer personnel appointed or seeking All 2003 World Championship Team appointment, who will or are likely to travel Members will fly directly from Barcelona to away with teams of competitors under 18 Hobart for the Australian Short Course years of age Championships. Australian Swimming will • Persons appointed or seeking appointment to organise the flights for all World Championship a role in which that person is likely to have Team Members to and from Hobart. These Team individual and unsupervised contact with Members will arrive in Hobart on 31st July competitors under 18 years of age – for 2003. ASI will accommodate these Team example, a Team Manager or Physiotherapist Members for the night of 31st July only. The Australian Swimming Inc Member From 1st August 2003, all Team Members Protection Policy also makes it a breach of the will become the responsibility of their Club policy to appoint, or continue to appoint, a and/or Institute. person to a role set out above… All enquiries, please contact Roxanne • Without first obtaining this Declaration, or… Pickering, National Team Coordinator, ASI, on • Where this Declaration reveals the person is (02) 6256 9651. a Prohibited Person GO SWIM PROGRAM TO BOOST NUMBERS The Australian Swimming Inc Member OF YOUNG SWIMMERS Protection Policy defines a Serious Sex Offence to mean an offence involving sexual activity or The Federal Minister for the Arts and Sport, acts of indecency including but not limited to… Senator Rod Kemp, announced a three-year, • Rape $700,000 commitment by the Federal • Indecent assault Government to boost children’s participation in • Sexual assault swimming. • Assault with intent to have sexual Senator Kemp joined Olympians Giaan intercourse Rooney and Grant Hackett at the North • Incest Pool to introduce Go Swim, a program involving • Sexual penetration of child under the age of a three-way partnership between the Australian 16 Sports Commission, Australian Swimming • Indecent act with child under the age of 16

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• Sexual relationship with child under the age of 16 THE NEW RACE • Sexual offences against people with impaired Genetic screening is shaping our sporting future and, mental functioning at the Australian Institute of Sport, the scientists are on • Abduction and detention their marks. By Ewan Page • Procuring sexual penetration by threats or Reproduced from Bulletin with Newsweek – fraud Tuesday, 26.11.2002 • Procuring sexual penetration of child under

the age of 16 A single drop of your blood will soon tell a • Bestiality sports scientist as much about your athletic • Soliciting acts of sexual penetration or potential as your time over 100 metres does indecent acts now. Your DNA will reveal whether you could, • Promoting or engaging in acts of child with the right training and attitude, become an prostitution Olympian. Whether power and speed events – or • Obtaining benefits from child prostitution grinding endurance activities – would be your • Possession of child pornography forte. And whether, for you, a career in boxing • Publishing child pornography and indecent carries an unacceptably high risk of brain articles damage. All this, from just one claret-coloured Declaration blob on a glass slide. I am aware that I am ineligible to work or seek It is this type of research that keeps 110 work in the roles set out above if I have been scientists busy at the Australian Institute of convicted of a Serious Sex Offence, as defined in the Sport in Canberra. It is also the reason why the Australian Swimming Inc Member Protection Policy. word sport is too charmingly old-world to be I have read and understood the above information used in connection with this place. So, call it in relation to the Australian Swimming Inc Member what it is … a laboratory. A place where athletes Protection Policy and understand my responsibilities come to be analysed, enhanced and prepared and obligations under it. for competition. Where the nation spends $28m I declare that I am not a person prohibited under per year seeking the unfair advantage. the Australian Swimming Inc Member Protection “The bottom line is that I don’t think we can Policy from working or seeking work in the roles set get anyone to be a great athlete in less than out above. seven years,” says Professor Peter Fricker, AIS I acknowledge that I am required to advise the Assistance Director (Technical). “If you look CEO or most senior manager of the organisation around at what we get out of the institute across appointing me, immediately upon becoming a 35 sports, you really are looking at seven years Prohibited Person. of investment in every athlete out there

representing Australia.” Name Fricker, 52, has an interesting job. His boss,

AIS Director Michael Scott, handles the Signature politicians, the Senate Estimate Committee reviews and wrangling over funding between 65 Date coaches. Fricker is responsible for ensuring value for the tax dollar. He does that by driving Note: Seek legal advice if you are unsure of your a focused, cooperative approach from each of status. the 13 departments in the Athlete and Coach Services Division. Parent/Guardian Consent (in respect of person Run your finger down the list and you under the age of 18 years). quickly realise that sports science is, in fact, science sport. There’s Clinical Services, I have read and understood the Declaration provided Medicine, Physical Therapy, Strength & by my child. I confirm and warrant that the contents Conditioning, Sport Psychology, Sport Science, of the Declaration provided by my child are true and Nutrition, Biomechanics, Performance Analysis, correct in every particular. Physiology, Skill Acquisition, AIS Athlete Career

& Education and Residence Welfare. Name______Popular perception has the AIS as some sort

of talent factory, churning out gold medallists Signature______like a diamond-grade cookie cutter. That was

Date______the dream when Malcolm Fraser opened the place in 1981, but a lot has changed in 21

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years. Five states have since established their gene and, if they’ve got it, should we exclude own sports academies, each with sports science them?” and medicine programs. Of the 700 AIS While excited by such world-leading scholarship holders, just 300 are in residence at research, Fricker acknowledges where it is the AIS. Today, the capital cities, rather than heading: genetic manipulation. He believes the the nation’s capital, are where the majority of technology is out there now for super-athletes, hot young prospects are training. powering to victory on manipulated DNA. It’s

“The first 10 years, I would agree there was a highly probably a GMA — Genetically Modified lack of performance but I’d disagree with the last Athlete — is in training right now. This is a new 10 years,” says , dual Olympic challenge for sport’s drug-busters but Fricker gold medallist and now AIS Board member. believes a simple test will determine whether “You have to remember that the AIS isn’t getting DNA has been altered. The World Anti-Doping the absolute cream of the crop. Usually the Agency is working on it, he says. athletes who enter a residential program are The AIS’s push for more sophisticated doing so because they can’t get that sort of selection techniques is driven by Australia’s support at a regional facility. Everybody focuses small population. While our sporting structures on elite athletes and their results but you have to lead the world for athlete development, we’re at look at coach education and training, and the a disadvantage for choice. “We have 2.4 million sports science and medicine. That knowledge kids aged between 10 and 19”, says Jason base has allowed coaches in State programs to Gulbin, AIS national talent search coordinator. flourish. A lot of the science used in swimming in “Say 10% are suitable for high performance the last five to 10 years was developed by the sport, you’ve got just 240,000 kids to fill up all of AIS”. Australia’s sports. Compare that with the United This unheralded shift in philosophy is, in States, where they have 40 million in the age fact, a driver for Australian sporting success. group.” Increasingly, the AIS is a research-based To stay competitive, Australia will need to organisation, developing techniques and tools find its budding elite athletes quickly. Hence the for coaches and athletes across the country. rush to genetics. Both Fricker and Bulbin deny This is where the really interesting stuff is it will usher in the era of the cardboard cut-out happening. athlete, pointing to the importance of That scenario with the DNA test for athletic psychology and nurture. Still, a coach will ability? The AIS is already some way down the always prefer to start with an athletic beast, as track in a joint program with the University of Bulbin puts it, then sort the rest out later. Sydney. In 1998, the AIS sent some rowers’ Injury prevention is an important area of DNA to be analysed; since 2000 it has been research. Fricker believes the AIS and the growing a databank of elite athletes’ DNA to University of Newcastle are close to a determine the common genetic factors among breakthrough on over-training. It’s a major high achievers. issue because athletes often have no warning “Were looking at genes that identify how you they’re overdoing it. Studies show that athletes respond to endurance training, the muscles’ with above-average rates of minor illness slide ability to adapt,” says Fricker. “There’s one gene quickly down the international rankings. “We that predisposes to heart muscle development; expect a group of athletes as adults to get three- you can have adaptations of the heart that will and-a-half colds per year,” says Fricker. “But promote endurance activity. You’ve now got a 15% of athletes get seven or eight infections per gene that recognises adaptation of the skeletal year. We can measure one of the immune muscle — the muscles around the arms and legs. proteins in your saliva: Immuno Globulin A. The Again, they respond to endurance.” harder and more often you train; you seem to Genetics opens up possibilities for more than produce less of this salivary IGA, which you performance enhancement. There’s injury need as one of your defenders against inhaled prevention, too. “There is another gene that pathogens.” actually predicts risk of permanent head injuries The AIS test being developed measures IGA from boxing,” says Fricker. “It’s linked with the depletion simply by analysing a swab of saliva. gene for Alzheimer’s disease. What is it about The coach can then tell when the athlete is some boxers who fight through their careers and pushing towards breakdown. Rehabilitating end up with brain damage but other boxers tendons is another big issue, and Fricker don’t? They’re pretty sure there’s this one gene, believes the AIS is close to achieving a fast that if you get whacked around the head often acting rehab regime. It involves injecting the enough, you will get brain damage. It’s an ethical athlete’s own blood directly into the tendon, to issue: should we be screening all boxers for this trigger a growth response from the tendon, to

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trigger a growth response from the tendon questions you may want to seek additional tissue. By training in a more scientific way, to references or conduct independent research; I sculpt the tendon’s shape to suit a particular would encourage you to follow-up on any/all of activity, Fricker believes athletes can reduce these questions. tendon injuries in the first place. One of the Australian Sports Commission’s 1. Do you plan a mental skills training aims is to use AIS research to benefit the wider program in the same way you plan population. Improving public health – and physical training? If so, identify how your reducing childhood obesity – are important side seasonal program is organised. goals for the AIS. “We are not just about elite 2. Do you (and your athletes) document athletes – we are trying to give kids physical mental training by making entries in your activity”, says Perkins. “From sport they learn logbook? teamwork, motivation, goal-setting and being 3. Do you use positive sayings regularly determined to reach those goals. You can’t teach during your training sessions? Do you that in a classroom – you can only learn that display positive or inspirational sayings through personal experience. What we were around the pool or in the gym? using 10 years ago to get kids involved with 4. How do you communicate the goals of sports does not work anymore. You have to look individual training sessions? at how most families are dual-income and they (a) Verbally to the squad in the pre- do not have the time to ferry kids around.” training review of the planned work. Perkins points to how the rate of children’s (b) Written on the whiteboard with the participation in sport has remained static for training plan. the past five years, while population has (c) As each training set commences I increased. Attracting adult volunteers to coach tell them what to focus on. children is another headache – particularly in (d) As part of weekly or monthly view of the growing popularity of masters training reviews with the team or events. squad. There is, of course, another motivation. If the (e) All of the above/None of the above, I participation rate of children drops, then (describe what you do) organisations such as the AIS will have slimmer 5. During the days prior to a competition I pickings in the future. In the bigger picture, it like to have my swimmers… seems, the inexpert athlete is just as important (a) Keyed up and ready to go to the AIS as the world record holder. For the (b) As relaxed as possible (try not to tax payer, that just has to be comforting. think too much about the competition) (c) It’s an individual matter (if this is your strategy, when/how have you Swimming Coach’s identified what techniques to use?) Self-Evaluation & Study 6. Confidence in one's ability is linked to self-esteem; identify three behaviours or Questions Mental Skills strategies you use to improve the self- esteem of your swimmers. Training By Bill Sweetenham 7. How do you recognise or reward positive Reproduced from ASCA Newsletter, Vol.2002-12 behaviours by the swimmers in your program? Becoming a more effective coach means that 8. How often do you work one-on-one with… self improvement must come from a number of (a) The least talented swimmer in the different sources; specifically, improvements in squad theoretical knowledge must be linked to (b) Average swimmers in the squad coaching practice. Listed below are a number of (c) The most talented swimmer in the thought starters which will ask you to squad challenge your present thinking. These What is the content of your one-on-one questions are not a test, but they will help you sessions (i.e. extra training, technique to evaluate whether you have a well-grounded work, communication or discussion, etc.)? knowledge base for the coaching practices you 9. In a pre-competition environment use. The application of sport psychology swimmers stimulate themselves principles is often a matter of understanding (physically) by splashing water in their the needs of your swimmers and being able to faces, jumping up and down or moving communicate effectively. After answering these around behind the blocks. What do you

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tell your swimmers to do mentally to in order to decrease total resistance. One prepare themselves during the last few hastens to add that no criticism of Thorpe, seconds before a race? Hackett or other top swimmers is intended for 10. Following a race, what plans do you have their acting, (and from profiting) from the green in place to provide immediate feedback light FINA has shown the manufacturers, some and evaluation to the swimmer? Do you of whom are said to have spent hundreds of have a procedure or strategy that your thousands of dollars on development, research swimmers follow? and promotion. 11. What are some of the techniques you To date, there is no scientific proof of teach your swimmers which help them to performance gain from wearing any of the focus their concentration or attention on a supposedly fast but IF the acme of specific task? suits specially designed for the individual DO 12. In your own words explain the following provide an advantage, these prototypes are quotation … “Swimmers should focus on certainly not freely available to all – of course the process rather than the outcome.” not until records are made in them by the 13. How often do you change your program to manufacturer’s selected individuals! reduce boredom or mental fatigue? The FINA costume rules address the 14. Age Group swimmers react differently to requirements that new designs have to be situations than senior swimmers; identify approved by FINA and that suits must be at least three signs of psychological readily available to all. These rules, on the maturity (i.e. what are they?). recommendation of the Bureau, were rushed 15. How do you teach your swimmers to through and passed without discussion at the handle the unexpected without panic or Year 2000 FINA Congress. They are being breaking their concentration? regularly violated by a number of show-horse 16. Do you have key words or cues that you competitors. use to trigger a set response among your Top swimming competition is the battle swimmers; what are the cues and what ground for a dozen swim-suit manufacturers, are the intended responses? some of which we have been informed have won 17. How do you separate criticism of the approval of FINA. What are the rules behaviours from criticism of the governing acceptance of new swim suit designs? swimmer him/herself? Does a professional scientific committee 18. What strategy or methods do you employ examine suits and report to FINA? What are the to develop leadership qualities among criteria of FINA for the acceptance of swim suit your swimmers? designs? The present fairness rule of FINA regarding swim suits (which have, incredibly, been ruled as not having to comply with the equipment UNFAIR ENHANCEMENT rule) is perfectly clear. It plainly reads “freely available”. OF PERFORMANCE? This basic requirement of ready availability By Forbes Carlile, Sydney, NSW to all is not being honoured. How many [email protected] specially designed and fitted “Thorpe” or “Hackett” suits have been used by their less There are no convincing published studies prominent rivals? How many have been offered but only pseudo-scientific and often spurious the chance to purchase them? At what cost claims made by the manufacturers to prove that would this be? various types of hydro-dynamically designed But it gets worse, swim suits result in a performance gain other Skin/suit/water resistance is known to be than would be provided at a far less cost and the least of the impeding forces in swimming so trouble by a tight fitting standard suit and a super textiles can be expected to make little – if smooth skin surface. any – difference … except to swimmers’ and An AUDI Company Testing Lab experiment, parents’ pockets. pictured in a recent newspaper photograph has There are other factors to be considered. shown Ian Thorpe in what is described as “a FINA must face up to whether the modified version of the neck- to- knee suit”. The manufacturers are permitted to market “FINA wind tunnel experiments referred to .have a approved” suits where there are changes made, clear objective with the structure of the swim beyond modifications of cut or fabric, likely or suit, to help control the flow of water around even possibly enhancing performance. the body of a swimmer and reduce drag forces

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Form drag is a very significant force impeding the swimmer in a medium 1000 times denser than air. Are variations in the thickness of the material in parts of individual garments designed to affect water flow around the body acceptable? Or even a little strategically placed padding to vary contours? The following articles have been reproduced from Are differences permitted in the elastic the Queensland Swimming Association Clinic for properties of various fabrics built into the suit, Teachers in the Learn-to-Swim phase. on an individual basis for the purpose of modifying the body shape? Such possible aids to performance must BASIC BIOMECHANICS surely be identified, not by the Bureau or the Biomechanics examines internal and FINA Executive but by a scientific committee external forces that act on the human body and unconcerned with the commercial aspects of the the effects which those forces produce. sport. Possible enhancement factors should be Biomechanical principles should be adhered to spelt out as being unacceptable as legal in developing the most efficient techniques for modifications to swimwear. recreational, survival or competitive aquatic There are parallels in cycling and rowing swimming activities. where there are strict rules governing the An understanding of Biomechanics allows structure of bicycles and boats in order to the teacher to utilise methods which can assist maintain an even playing field. with technique development and form a basis The FINA Bureau, despite protests in a for quality performance. It also allows the sustained act of pure expediency, doubtless to teacher to detect faults when analysing a bring more money into the sport – we were told performance and make corrections to faulty to “add to the spectacle and appeal of swimming mechanics. competition” – championed the use of the new FACTORS AFFECTING A SWIMMER IN suits and, rightly, or wrongly, won the day. But WATER has this decision by Swimming’s leaders caused Buoyancy, resistance and propulsion are the FINA to lose something of its integrity when the major factors affecting a swimmer in water and swimwear rather than the man or woman in it are governed by several laws of physics relating may be the deciding factor in victory? to motion. Buoyancy FINA should act quickly and call a halt to Buoyancy or the upward supportive force of proceeding in obvious directions in the offing of water counteracts the downward force of development in competitive swimming, even if it gravity. The greater the proportion of a person will not now go so far as to take a backward immersed in water, the greater the volume of step by recommending a competitive water displaced. Consequently there will be an requirement to wear standard suits which do increase in the force of buoyancy and a not cost hundreds of dollars and are freely decrease in the effect of gravity. available to all. This behaviour is described by Archimedes’ Principle which states that … “a body “Too late now to alter the march of progress” submerged in a fluid is buoyed up by a force … this is what was argued before the Sydney equal to the weight of the fluid displaced”. Olympic Games. As far as the FINA Bureau was The force of buoyancy is determined by the concerned, after their easy victory at the Sydney density of the water. Adding salt to water Conference, the use of these spectacular fast increases its density and. provides more suits has been set in stone. buoyancy. In accordance with Archimedes’ Principle, It has been a marketing triumph. Swimmers the measure of an object’s expected buoyancy will kill to compete in these esoteric, at times can be given in terms of its weight as compared garish suits which extensive marketing have led to the weight of an equal volume of water. This them to believe augment their talents. is called an object’s specific density. The specific density of pure water is 1.0. If an object’s However, it is never too late to prevent the specific density is less than 1.0 it will float in strong possibility of further departures from the pure water and be said to display positive principle of fair play in our sport. buoyancy. If it is greater than 1.0 it will sink and so display negative buoyancy. Where an object has exactly the same specific gravity as

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water, it will display almost neutral buoyancy who finds it difficult to float motionlessly can and float just under the surface of the water. usually float more easily with a little help from The Specific Density of Humans sculling actions, fins or buoyancy aids. Human bone represents about 20% of body Centre of Gravity, Centre of Buoyancy mass; muscle about 43%; fat averages 14% of In humans, the centre of gravity pushing male body mass and 18-25% of female body downwards is located in the hip area, whilst the mass. Normally the combined specific densities centre of buoyancy pushing upwards is found a of all the body parts average out to be about little nearer the lungs because of the effect of 0.95%; that is just less than 1, and so the body the very low specific density of air. Some human will float. shapes can float horizontally because the centre The specific densities of various body of gravity and buoyancy are aligned (Fig. 1.12a). components differ widely … e.g. bone 1.50, muscle 1.08, fatty tissue 0.85. Therefore, the distribution and proportions of tissue which sinks (muscle and bone) and that which floats (fat) will determine whether one will float or sink. One can decrease specific density by breathing in deeply and increase specific density by breathing out. If one floats in the water and rapidly exhales air, the body will move downwards in the water. Because air is so light and its specific gravity so low, the person with a large lungful of air will float higher in the water. The lungs contain air (specific density = 0.0012) which is like air in a balloon, and helps the body float. Because the legs have bone and muscle they will frequently sink and this is especially so if the head (which weighs approximately 4kg in a schoolchild) is lifted out Fig. 1.12 Floatability The body will rotate in water until the of the water. Lifting the head out of the water centres of buoyancy and gravity are vertically will make the legs sink even faster. aligned because opposite forces attract each Individuals with a high fat content tend to be other. Tall and slim females often tend to float better floaters than those who are heavily-boned in a midway position (Fig. 1.12b) and muscular and well muscled. For this reason, women males often float only in a vertical position usually float better than men. Age also plays a (Fig. 1.12c) because of the large body rotation part as the relative proportions of major body required to align the centres of gravity and tissues change. The nearer an individual is to buoyancy. the extremes of age, the greater are the chances RESISTANCE of being able to float naturally. Resistance is the force exerted by the water Floating and Swimming Ability against a swimmer when moving through that Whether a person can float naturally or not medium (Fig. 1.13). There are three major will have little long-term significance on resistances to be overcome. swimming ability. A learner with superior flotation may more easily: make initial progress in swimming lessons, perhaps because of the greater fat insulation against the cold or perhaps because the added buoyancy provides early confidence. However, another learner who Fig. 1.13 Resistances in Swimming has very little fat and who may shiver easily Surface Drag or Friction during early lessons may later become the more Friction results when any two surfaces rub successful swimmer in the group because of together. Clothing dramatically increases the greater muscular strength and endurance. surface area of a swimmer, and the texture and Teachers should not pre-judge the potential of folding of materials can greatly increase surface learners by whether or not they show a natural friction. As part of safety awareness, swimmers tendency to float, and learners should not be should experience the increased resistance forced to succeed with a motionless float before encountered by wearing loose fitting clothing in being taught further swimming skills. A water. Competitive swimmers go to extreme swimmer is rarely motionless in water, and one lengths to minimise surface friction by wearing

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two-way stretch swimming costumes which occurs in front of, along the surface of, and minimise folding and wrinkling, and hence behind the swimmer’s body (Fig. 1.14b). present a smooth surface to the water. Some It is sometimes necessary to increase frontal competitive swimmers even shave head and/or resistance as in the Breaststroke kick recovery body hair before major finals although research when the knees are dropped. However, one does evidence has been unable to detect measurable not do this to excess by drawing the knees all gains in speed as a result of this practice. the way up the chest; rather, the knees are Form Drag & Frontal Resistance dropped a little more than half way to the Form Drag is the resistance caused as a vertical position and the heel lift is emphasised. consequence of the swimmer’s form or shape in Streamlining the water. It is influenced by the size, shape The principles to be learned from the effects and speed of the swimmer, and is greatest of drag or resistance caused by the human where the body directly blocks the flow of water shape are that a horizontal, tapered body against it. This area is known as the frontal position is preferred. resistance, as it forms the front that the body Learners can appreciate the importance of shows to the water. In Fig. 1.14(a) the swimmer streamlining and the effects of drag by pushing with the feet in the lower position (A2) will off from the side of the pool in a fully extended create more frontal resistance than the more position with hands clasped overhead and toes horizontal swimmer (A1). Fig. 1.14(b) pointed. Then while gliding at speed, the toes demonstrates how greater frontal (lateral) are dropped by pointing towards the bottom of resistance can be caused by moving from side to the pool … i.e. dorsi-flex the feet. On other side while swimming. occasions one can separately bend the knees half way to the vertical, spread the elbows to the side or raise the head. A definite slowing down of forward progress will be experienced. As learners set out to swim their first few lengths of a pool they should combat increasing tiredness with deliberate, even pace to develop smoothly coordinated stroke cycles in as streamlined a position as possible. The process of maximising propulsive forces and minimising resistances is the key to successful swimming. PROPULSION The straight arm pull down the line of gravity under the body was considered the most Fig. 1.14 Frontal Resistance effective form of propulsion for a long time. It Eddy Resistance assumed the use of the hands as paddles but When the irregular shaped human body when a caterpillar type paddle (Fig. 1.15a) was moves through water, many surfaces block the placed on a boat it turned out to be much less smooth flow of water past it and much effective than the more conventional, circular disturbance is created around the swimmer paddle wheel (Fig. 1.15b). Invention of screw (Fig. 1.13). When swimming in moving water, propellers for boats greatly increased the speed the effects of frontal resistance will be reduced which was possible. when swimming with the current and greatly increased when trying to swim against the current. Thus, swimming in moving water is different from swimming in still water and both should be experienced where possible. In places where water is moving against the swimmer … e.g. when trying to cross a rip current … resistance will combine the speed of the swimmer and the speed of the water, just as in a car crash the speeds of both cars involved gives the measure of the force of impact. When swimming with the current, it is similar to walking up an escalator where the actual speed is the speed of the escalator plus the walking speed of the person. If the swimmer is snaking from side to side through the water, a wider Fig. 1.15 Two types of Paddle Wheels frontal pathway is created and increased drag

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Underwater filming has demonstrated that a paddle acting only under drag forces then… champion swimmers do not use a straight line • The hand would be placed at 90° to the pull (Fig. 1.16) and it has been shown that the direction of motion to give the greatest hand is used, partially at least, as a type of paddle area and across the path of propeller. It is now fairly well accepted that in greatest resistance (Fig. 1.18) highly-skilled swimming the hands have a • The hand would move backwards through combined paddle (drag forces) and propeller the water (hydrodynamic lift) function. While the specifics • There would be turbulence and a wake of these movements may not need to be behind the paddle understood in great detail for the teaching of learners, some understanding is valuable. It provides the reason for including drills which encourage learners to seek out still water, pitch their hands at different angles to the water, learn sculling, practise curving pull patterns by drawing Coca-Cola bottles, inverted 8 or other more imaginative shapes to enhance their Fig. 1.18 Drag Forces feel of exerting an even pressure against the Studies have shown that the hands of water (Fig. 1.16a and b). superior swimmers seek out still water to gain maximum forward propulsion. Patterns of hand movements from different views demonstrate the curve that the hands of top swimmers prescribe (Fig. 1.16a and b). The hands are pitched at an angle of 30-45° to the direction of travel. They move forward during propulsion and there is little if any turbulence behind the hand. It is now considered that these swimmers are utilising the propulsive force of hydrodynamic lift (Fig. 1.19).

Fig. 1.16 Elite swimmers Pull Patterns The Bernoulli Principle says that, in moving or flowing water an area of comparatively high velocity is an area of comparatively low pressure, and an area of comparatively low velocity is an area of comparatively high pressure (Fig. 1.17). Fig. 1.19 Lift Forces across the hand Water can be made to travel faster over the curved back of the hand and forearm than water taking the short cut across the palm of the hand; thus there is a high pressure zone on the palm side of the hand and a low pressure zone above the back of the hand. This creates

Fig. 1.17 Bernoulli Principle hydrodynamic lift in a forward direction. When this is combined with another law of TEACHING BREASTSTROKE physics, namely that liquid under high pressure A basic pull and kick is taught with the will naturally move towards an area of low following drills, either of which can later be pressure, some guidelines for travel through adjusted, according to the individual swimmer’s water emerge. If an object has an area of high developing flexibility, strength and build. Some water pressure behind it and low pressure in care is needed in teaching this stroke if the front of it, it will move in the direction of the low most efficient timing of stroke and kick is to be pressure if no other forces overcome it. This achieved. effect is hydrodynamic lift. Stroke and kick are mastered separately, but Such an area of differing pressures can be taught concurrently. Dry land practice in the created in still water by moving an object early stages is very useful. Most children will through it. have to work through a phase of gross motor If the best propulsive task for swimming was movements, as they adjust from long

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alternating strokes (Freestyle and Backstroke), • Any successful member of the group can be a to a double arm, circular type movement. demonstrator Pause frequently to reinforce key points. • Some learners need to have their feet Draw learner’s attention to visual and tactile adjusted for them by the instructor before aspects when teaching this complicated but they can master this drill versatile stroke. Remember that Breaststroke is • Learners practising this drill are learning to a survival stroke as well as a competitive stroke. prepare their feet as propellers in readiness Try to introduce the stroke with a to catch the water, when driven by the legs demonstration by a skilled Breaststroker. • Drill 3 is introduced when learners can PROGRESSIONS FOR TEACHING manage Drill 2 without rolling or sinking, BREASTSTROKE KICK the feet turning out as practiced Drill 1 • The drill prepares the feet and legs correctly • On dry land, have learners lie on their for a strong symmetrical kick tummies with arms and legs extended, Drill 3 knees, ankles and feet relaxed and close • Position swimmers on dry land again as for together Drill 1 • Without stiffening the legs, have the learners • “Heels up-toes out - feet open” pull their heels up gently and slowly, as • The heels are drawn up and the ankles though trying to touch the back of the head rotated as in Drill 1 … the knees do not spread • Keeping the ankle rotation, the feet are • Check that feet and muscles at the back of allowed to drop out and down beside the hips the leg (hamstrings) have not been tensed • From behind, the learners’ legs will form a W • The feet are gently lowered back to the start • The position is held for a few moments before • Repeat a few times to ensure learners returning the feet gently to the ground understand the relaxed recovery of the feet. • Instructors will need to check individuals for • On “heels up-toes out” … learners lift the feet problems mentioned in Drills 1 and 2 as before, place the heels together and rotate • In addition, some learners need to be shown the ankles so that the soles of the feet are to keep the heels as close to the hips as is parallel to the ground natural and not to let them drop backwards • Knees do not spread and muscles do not to knee level tense in the back of the leg • Repeat until the drill is clear to learners, • Return the feet gently to the start before practicing in the water • Repeat, and check each individual for Drill 4 maximum rotation, parallel soles and relaxed • Practice 3 in the water, floating with a muscles kickboard as in Drill 2 Drill 2 • In the W shape, the heels will be almost at • Once learners can manage Drill 1, practice in the surface at hip level, the knees not the water with a kickboard, in a depth they opening wider than the hips can stand in, if possible • Check that ankles are rotating out • A deep breath is taken and a face-in float • The feet-out position is held until a breath is (eyes open) is adopted, with legs and arms needed extended as in Drill 1 • Repeat until performed smoothly, slowly and • “Heels up-toes out” is practiced … the soles without rolling or sinking of the feet being just at, and parallel to the • Learners are usually keen to do the push water’s surface part of the kick from this drill, however, care • That position is held until a breath is must be taken to ensure that legs and feet needed, when the individual stands are being correctly angled before learners are • Repeat allowed to proceed to Drill 5 • In the water the knees will open slightly … as Drill 5 long as the toes are turned out evenly and • Introduce the next phase on dry land the soles are parallel to and close to the • “Heels up-toes out … feet open and push” surface, the opening of the knees will be in • On dry land learners can be made aware of accordance to each individual’s physique the water’s pressure against the insteps and • If learners sink or roll around, check that the soles of the feet, as the legs drive them back face down position is being maintained (ears and together under), that the heels were pulled gently and • Many children do not know how to use their slowly up, and that tensing of back leg upper leg muscle groups in lateral muscles and knees has not altered the movements natural balance and buoyancy

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• Others are unable to produce a correct When three to four kicks can be successfully movement until they understand the feeling repeated, swimmers can learn to bubble-out of pressure is more on the feet than on the then raise their chins to breathe as the feet legs come together and the body glides, the face • As learners practice Drill 3, the instructor being returned to the water as the heels recover shows each individual how to push gently for another kick. Continue to insist on steady, back with the feet, until they are extended smooth pressure, rather than hard, fast, jerky and together in the starting position movements. • The instructor places the hands at right Drill 7 angles to the learner’s insteps, fingers across • “Feet up and out … push back” the soles and wrists are bent down • On dry land this final drill converts the kick • The learner’s feet push the instructor’s into a smooth two-part movement, once hands gently back, as they circle out slightly swimmers can consistently move feet and and then in, until the feet touch on the legs correctly ground with the legs extended • Lying on the front as in previous drills, each • Encourage a smooth gentle pressure through swimmer is shown to lift the heels straight this movement up to the W position (Drill 3) whilst rotating • A large circle is not made in dry land the ankles out … i.e. the “heels together, toes practice out” phase is dropped • Repeat a few times to ensure the movement • Practice in water over small distances at is understood first, without breathing Drill 6 • Once swimmers have mastered this • Drill 5 is practiced in the water, floating as movement, they can breathe on every second for Drill 4 kick • Each of the four movements is performed • Gradual phasing in of head-up kicking is consecutively, smoothly and slowly recommended, as novice Breaststrokers tend • Even when practiced gently, a correct kick to forget to extend the feet and legs to glide can be felt by the learner, as the body glides after every kick, if allowed to practice with forward their faces up before the kick is properly • Have learners hold the glide a few seconds learned before standing PROGRESSIONS FOR TEACHING • Discourage attempts to kick hard as many BREASTSTROKE PULL swimmers drop at least one foot if not Drill 1 watched carefully • If possible, work where learners can stand • Immediate feedback on the success of the • Begin by having learners float face in, arms movement is vital for each individual extended and holding a between The preceding drills seem long winded, but the thigh … i.e. the whole body is over the years have proved invaluable in streamlined and relaxed teaching all swimmers (and adults) and for the • Have them practice three to four double arm correction of existing problems. Alternating pulls in the water before standing for a practice between dry land and the water is breath important. Dry land practice is particularly • Most will make a pull out and back to the useful in the cooler parts of the season. hips, recovering the hands under the tummy, All learners will benefit if Drill 5 is practiced then proceed immediately into the next in the water to experience the surge forward stroke created for the swimmer by pressing back on • Learners can begin to learn the pull by the instructor’s hands, with the feet correctly pausing two to three seconds in the placed. As the knees open to approximately hip streamlined position, before repeating each width during the exercise, the feet will describe pulling movement … e.g. “pull, rest – pull, a larger circle for the push. rest” As skill increases, swimmers will be able to • Encourage learners to touch the side consistently make an effective single kick. simultaneously with two hands at every Gradually increase the number of kicks on one practice breath … e.g. two kicks then stand to breathe, Drill 2 then three. Insist on the pause or glide when • Most beginner Breaststrokers will have the legs are extended and together after each already learned Freestyle and some circle, as many novice Breaststrokers are Backstroke, so will experience difficulty in inclined to immediately pull up their heels after adjusting to the double-arm movement circling, instead of gliding.

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• Dry land practice will be of benefit • Keeping the elbows up at first, the spoons throughout the development of the stroke circle out to the side, then slightly down • “Hands pull out – hands pull in – stretch out without moving past the shoulders and stop” • The hands, wrists and forearm rotate from • Beginners circle the hands out and slightly the shoulders down (without letting their elbows drop), so • The hands, wrists and forearm rotate, from they are outside the elbows facing out and down, inwards, so that the • In a continuous movement the hands are thumbs are up pulled inside the elbows and under the face, • Without stopping, the hands squeeze to return to the beginning to pause, before towards the centreline of the body another stroke as in Drill 1 • Before the hands actually touch the palms • Learners can practice this while leaning turn up (little fingers almost touch), and forward from the hips without pausing, the hands and arms • Eyes watch the hands without moving the recover, returning to the thumbs down V head • The body remains in the glide position as • If the pool edge is close to the water’s practiced in previous drills, before another surface, the learners can lie on their stroke is attempted tummies, armpits level with the pool edge, to • Remember immediate feedback on the practice success of the stroke is important Drill 3 • It is most important that the arms NOT be • With a pull buoy as in Drill 1, learners allowed to collapse onto the ribcage before practice Drill 2 for three to four cycles, before the hands have moved inside the elbows standing for a breath • This will lead to a jerky, inefficient stroke • Immediate verbal feedback must be given … and poor overall timing of kick and pull e.g. “make a smaller circle with your hands”, Drill 5 “good, keep the circle small like that” • During dry land exercises and in Drill 5, • Pulling movements need to be practiced have learners continue to practice with chin gently pointing forward and the surface of water on • Many learners try to pull too hard and too their hairline fast • Without moving the head, the swimmers can • As the size of the stroke decreases to the keep their hands where they can see them desired shape, have the learners hold their throughout the stroke faces slightly up, the water level on the • This gives swimmers the ability to self-check hairline, rather than looking directly down their movements, for the pull is too big if the • This is the usual head position for this hands go out of sight stroke and becoming used to it will help • Drill 4 is practiced in the water with pull learners get the feel of the double-arm pull buoys • When the hands are being pulled outside the • Some may need help to maintain flat hands shoulders and elbows and in approximately and wrists under the face or upper chest, Drill 4 helps • Continue with smooth gentle movements, so to develop correct hand pitch for efficient learners can feel water pressing against propulsion palms and wrists throughout the “pull out – Drill 4 pull in” phase • Most learners allow their wrists and fingers • Check the elbows are not locked, but are to bend, causing the elbows to lead following the hands throughout the stroke • Alternating dry land and water practice will • The hands can provide little propulsion and be needed until three pulls can be managed have to make a movement, if a efficiently breath is to be taken • Breathing every third stroke can then be • Leaning or lying as in Drill 2, learners introduced practice Drill 2, keeping fingers together and Drill 6 hands and wrists straight ad firm like • “Pull, wait – pull, wait and bubble – pull and spoons breathe – wait” • “Hands pull out – hands pull in – stretch out • With a pull buoy, the swimmer practices Drill and stop” 5, exhaling at the pause after the second • Learners begin the stroke with arms fully stroke extended, hands and wrists flat (but not • The head and shoulders begin to lift as the stiff), the hands forming a wide V at the hands begin their pull out thumbs

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• The head lifts only to clear the chin of the • The glide between each pull and kick allows water, when a breath is taken, and is learners time to practice each movement returned smoothly and gently to the water, separately but in sequence as the arms recover for the glide • Should difficulty be experienced with stroke • Learners can attempt one or two breaths or kick, a return to earlier drills will be before standing, depending on coordination needed • Taking a breath teaches swimmers the • When swimmers can manage one importance of holding or pitching their stroke/kick cycle without losing technique, hands efficiently have them practice two, then eventually • Done correctly, stroke and breath will be three cycles on one breath smooth and controlled, with little • Many will rush the glide or miss it out, disturbance to body position resulting in failure of technique and poor • As skill increases, work gradually longer timing, so instructors will need to emphasise distances, then change to breathing every the importance of stopping or waiting after second stroke every pull and every kick. Encourage steady, • Swimmers can become aware of every stroke smooth stroking and kicking movements feeling like a breathing stroke, even though Drill 9 the head does not lift • When Drill 8 can be managed without losing Drill 7 technique, a breath on every second stroke • To develop feel for the stroke further and to can be introduced with Drill 9 prepare for coordination with the kick, Drill 6 • “Pull and breathe, wait – kick, wait” is can be practiced without the pull buoy followed by a non-breathing cycle, the • Breaststroke pull, breathing every second swimmer continuing to alternate breathing stroke is performed as usual with the legs and non-breathing over short distances floating, relaxed and together • As skill and strength develop the number of • As the hands scull in, the knees are allowed cycles can be gradually increased as long as to flex (feet float up) and then straighten as smooth, correct technique can be maintained the arms recover • It is better for a novice to swim properly over • This is a form of dolphin kick, however NO a short distance, than to struggle longer emphasis is made on this except to remind distances with poor technique swimmers to relax the legs and keep the feet Drill 10 together • When the three basic movements can be kept • The legs merely counterbalance the stroke in sequence over approximately 20-25 • Swimmers must not hold their legs straight, metres, as in Drill 9, the final stage can be the knees need to bend introduced TEACHING COORDINATION OF PULL & KICK • A demonstration by a skilled swimmer to • When swimmers can pull and kick show how the feet begin to recover as the approximately 20 metres each, with smooth hands scull in under the nose is most helpful balanced technique, Drill 8 introduces the • Drill 7 can be practiced to draw swimmer’s coordination simply, so that technique is not attention to how the feet float up on the scull lost in and push down, as the arms return to the • No breath is taken and only one cycle is glide position, to streamline the body practiced, before standing for a breath and • Once the dolphin-like movement can be instructor’s feedback on whatever success combined with a smooth pull, the complete was achieved Breaststroke kick can be added to the stroke Drill 8 At this stage, swimmers have learned all the • “Pull, wait – kick, wait” major movements of good Breaststroke. • Swimmers push off in a streamlined shape, Repetition of drills is important for further with the water on the hairline and the eyes development of skill and strength. Instructors looking forward and slightly down may choose to add breathing on every stroke as • When the push off glide has slowed, a stroke part of the learning sequence. Others may wait is performed, the arms recovered and until the swimmer begins competitive training another glide follows, before the heels are squads. lifted and a kick performed When swimmers can Breaststroke 25 metres • The body, in the streamlined position, glides without losing technique or timing, they are once more after the kick, before the swimmer usually capable of learning the underwater stops push off. Once again dry land practice and demonstrations will help simplify the learning of this skill.

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The preceding stroke and kick drills have • Although they feel they are going fast, they proved valuable for correction of faults in more will be moving up and down rather than killed swimmers, whose experience and undulating forward, and become exhausted motivation make the instructor’s task simpler. • Drill 1 is used to help change any Remember that the younger the swimmer, the preconceived ideas they have, check their simpler the instructions must be, the longer it body position and to ready them for Drill 2 will take, and the more frequent the pauses for • The following drills are introduced with feedback, demonstrations and individual swimmers using a small pull buoy or flippers attention will be. to support their bodies in the correct In advanced groups, stroking Drill 7 can be position, after arm recovery practiced with flippers. Even though no kick is • Although the knees should flex a little, performed, the flippers prevent the legs from swimmers must not kick, otherwise incorrect dropping down during the stroke, and help to timing of stroke and kick will result promote the glide as the arms recover. Arm • Learners will master the stroke quickly with strength will develop provided correct pitch of support of their hips and legs and will the hands is maintained. Learners enjoy flipper develop good technique and timing work for the variety and sense of speed they Drill 2 ... Floating Butterfly Pull feel. • “Pull under your tummy, thumbs in gently, and wait” TEACHING BUTTERFLY • Learners are shown how to keep hands and The stroke and kick components of Butterfly wrists flat and strong or like spoons are taught separately, but concurrently, until • Beginning as in Drill 1, learners start by well accomplished. One-arm drills are next making a long underwater stroke by pulling combined with the double dolphin kick, to their hands under their chests and tummies, develop correct timing. As timing develops, both bringing them out at pocket level, without arms combined with the double dolphin kick, pausing, and returning them to the and as this skill and strength develop, a breath beginning, by placing the hands, thumbs in every second stroke is practiced. first, in the water without a splash A demonstration by a skilled swimmer before • The swimmer pauses for a couple of seconds, beginning the stroke is most desirable, so that before repeating the movement the learner’s attention can be drawn to the • Learners can practice 3 or 4 strokes before undulating, horizontal body position, the length stopping for a breath of the stroke and the dolphin kick. Beginners • This drill is very basic need frequent stops, regular demonstrations of • The learner is required to work only on drills by their peers, and as many strong hands at the beginning of the demonstrations by more advanced swimmers as movement, and flyers tend to pause at thigh can be arranged, for them to form models on level, so a continuous, smooth slow pull and which to base their own attempts. gentle recovery of the hands should be DRILLS mastered before any refinements are Drill 1 introduced • Learners push off in a streamlined position, • It is difficult at times to convince learners to upper arms lightly touching the ears, elbows make the pause or glide after each straight, the hands turned slightly out so movement, however, this is vital for good that the little fingers are just at the surface timing – just as it is in Breaststroke and the thumbs are angled down (about 45 • Instructors need not use the words used by degrees) the writer, but care must be taken in the • The legs are extended and the body, knees, choice of words used ankles and toes relaxed, with the limbs close • Next, learner’s attention is drawn to together watching their hands, to check that they are • The float is held until a breath is needed, not pulling outside the line of the body when the learner stands (elbows must bend), OR that the hands are • Repeat the float until arms, head and legs not touching under centreline of the body have been checked • Check that wrists and fingers are straight, • Many learners try to fight their way through and that elbows are allowed to bend out from the water, the arms crashing into the water the body, not back onto the ribs in front of them, without stretching for a long • This is usually not a problem if swimmers catch, the feet managing one kick per cycle are reminded to feel the water pushing on • They will breathe on every stroke losing their palms streamlining and momentum

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• As this is mastered, swimmers can be shown than trying to lift the head during recovery of that the underwater phase is a pull until the the arms, a common problem with hands are under the face and shoulders, and developing Butterflyers then a push as the elbows straighten, • Others will need to be reminded to place causing the thumbs to quickly brush past their heavy heads back where the water can the pockets hold it, as may tend to keep the chin up after • The recovery is initiated by pulling the the breath thumbs of the pockets … i.e. the elbows bend • This inhibits arm movement back to the front slightly before the hands are lifted out and and makes the legs and hips drop down too around to the thumbs in gently position far for good technique • Learners are still making slow, gentle pulling • Drills 1, 2 and 3 are ideal for working across movements, even though they are practicing the pool, or over a distance of 10-12 metres the pull-push action so that learners can concentrate on what • When learners can perform this drill without their hands are doing, without becoming too struggling, making the “pull, push and fatigued thumbs in gently – wait”, a smooth • It is better for learners to do a few strokes movement, without stopping the hands at well, than to struggle whole laps, losing the thighs or trying to k move the hips or technique, timing and confidence trying to pull hard, they are ready to learn to • When your learners can keep their elbows up breathe for the beginning of the pull, push the hands Drill 3 ... Floating Butterfly Pull with under the body without touching, recover the Breathing arms over water, elbows first (thumbs out of • Learners, using their natural buoyancy and pock returning the hands thumbs in gently the support of the chosen aid, can manage a to the water, then pausing before the next breath on every third stroke quite well stroke, they are ready to try longer distances • Breathing every third stroke allows them to • Alternating a length of Drill 3 with flipper watch their underwater hand movements for kicking on the side or back will develop two strokes before the head is lifted during strength and flexibility, helps limit fatigue the third stroke and gives learners the thrill of going fast for • As they are not puffing hard and are using the kicking phase their buoyancy, energy requirements are still • Check that ankles are relaxed and that the low enough to accommodate this breathing toes are driving the flippers pattern • Should pull buoys be used, Backstroke • Asthmatics should have not difficulty kicking would be most useful • “Pull, push, thumbs in wait – pull, push, • No mention of keyhole pull is made thumbs in, wait – BUBBLE, pull and • Provided correct hand entry and a high elbow breathe, thumbs in, wait” catch is developed, Butterfly learners will • Learners respond to word cues relating to form the outward, downward and inward what is being practiced, and when called by movement that suits their individual the instructor, help develop rhythm strength and physical shape • Find word cues (the above is an example) • Instructors need to remember that videos that help you get your message to your and photographs in books are of fully, learners as simply as possible developed, physically very strong, elite • Short and simple phrases are usually best Butterfly swimmers • Practice as in Drill 2 • Trying to model any pre-pubescent child on • When the hands have recovered after the elite stroke patterns can develop quite second stroke, the swimmer exhales strongly, inefficient stroke and incorrect timing then begins to lift the chin as the hands • As young swimmer’s limbs and strength commence the pull phase develop through natural growth, continued • The hands continue the pull and push, with attention to technique and gradually alteration, the breath is taken and the face intensified training will modify their stroke returned to the water before the hands are patterns to individual needs recovered • While the preceding stroke drills are being • The usual pause or glide is made before the developed, learners can practice Drills 4, 5 next 3-stroke cycle is started and 6 separately or alternated with stroke • Teaching points already covered are stressed drills so that the dolphin kick is well-learned • Emphasis on exhaling hard before the stroke before combining these two quite demanding begins is important, so the swimmer feels the movements. need to breathe at the correct time, rather

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INTRODUCING DOLPHIN KICK dolphin kick, as beginners tend to bend their If a skilled Butterfly swimmer is available, a knees insufficiently to develop undulation of demonstration of how the feet, ankles and the hips and strong punching of the toes knees are loosely held together and how the feet • Drills 4 and 5 will develop strength and. good move down and up at the same level, gives timing learners a good visual model on which to • As breathing is unrestricted in Drill 5, develop their own kick. A strong kick distances can be gradually increased and counterbalances the rising of head and can be alternated with other stroke drills shoulders as the arm stroke, and when a breath Drill 6 ... Dolphin Kick is taken. • After a streamlined push off, the swimmer Drill 4 … Man from Atlantis kicks hard and fast with the soles of the feet • Young swimmers enjoy this drill, and it is boiling the water’s surface ideal for introducing the strong down and up • The hands are pulled back to the hips as for thrust of the toes, the keep knees bent and Drills 4 and 5 undulating hip movement • The swimmer stands for a breath • This drill is ideal for working across the pool, • Teaching points are as for the preceding or at the shallow end, as swimmers will go drills only as far as one breath will take them, and • All of these kicking drills help to develop then stand to breathe strong fast kicking • Swimmers push off in a streamlined position • Young swimmers need lots of encouragement … i.e. one hand on top of the other, elbows to get them into the habit of starting a fast behind the ears, and legs and feet together, kick as soon as they push off, rather than close to the pool bottom floating to the surface • The toes punch down and up on the water, • A fast, hard kick is vital when stroking is by bending and straightening the legs, the added hands are pulled hard to the thighs in a • When learners can manage 20-25 metres of Butterfly movement, and the swimmer Drill 3 without crashing the hands into the continues underwater until a breath is water from the recovery, pausing before the needed next pull, keeping the hands pulling close to • Doing the drill with hands by the sides the body line, and not stopping the hands at allows the hips to move freely the thighs, they should have sufficient skill • Most learners try to kick from the knee down and strength to move on to the Butterfly pull at first, so no undulation can be developed Drill 7 ... Butterfly Pull – Breathing every • Teachers need to encourage fast, hard Second Stroke pushes with the front and back of the toes • This drill is practiced without aids, so (the flipper part of the foot), and have introduce it over widths or shorter distances swimmers exaggerate the movement which at first begins at the toes, continues through the • Swimmers practice Drill 3, but as they are knees and hips to the chest, they can not supported by pull buoy or flippers, more alternate widths with Drill 5 frequent breathing, every second stroke is • This allows them to get their breath needed to meet the increased energy • Drill 3 can also be used as the alternative requirement width • Learners are encouraged to breathe on every Drill 5 … Dolphin Kick on Back second stroke so good body position is • Swimmers streamline to push off on their maintained, a strong two-beat dolphin kick is backs developed, and a quick return of the face to • The kick is started, then the hands are the water is learned for good stroke timing pulled hard to the thighs • Check that the legs remain relaxed, so that • Knees and toes must not come out of the knees can flex naturally to counterbalance water the stroke • The boiling action is made by having the • A downward movement of feet and legs swimmers pull the water down to the pool should be visible, as the hands return to the bottom with the ticklish part of the foot, then water, and as they push back towards the kicking the water away from them thighs • Bubbles not splashes gives learners a good • As swimmers develop proficiency and description of what they are attempting strength, gradually increase the distance • Many will try to kick by pulling their knees covered towards their chests at first • Less emphasis will be needed on the pause • Flippers are NOT recommended for teaching after the hands re-enter the water, and the

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stroke will begin to flow on naturally takes one breath at own discretion • Check that swimmers are catching the water (b) Dive start, 20 metres, take two breaths, with hands and wrists held flat and strong walk back and that the elbows are bending out from the (c) Dive start, 20 metres… body for the pulling phase of the stroke breathe every 4th stroke, walk back • Many young children will pull with the breathe every 3rd stroke, walk back elbows leading and tucking onto the ribs, so breathe every 2nd stroke, walk back some dry land stroke practice will be needed • Impress on learners the importance of not on a bench to help them get the right shape breathing as soon as they surface, but to and feel concentrate on gaining momentum through • This is also a strength problem, but is not the kick and pull necessarily remedied by making them • Some flipper work over 25 metres, practice over long distances incorporating (c) will give swimmers • Once again correct stroking over shorter confidence and support to persevere with the distances will be needed as well harder breathing patterns, but the kick must • When Drills 5 and 7 can be managed without not be allowed to fall away to just flicking struggling or stopping, your swimmers the flippers should be ready to begin co-ordinating kick • Care must be taken not to overuse flippers at and. stroke, using the following exercises. this stage Drill 8 ... One Arm Butterfly – One Arm Drills 2, 3, 6 and 7 should make up about Extended 75% of Butterfly practice so that technique and • The purpose of this drill is to further develop strength continue to be developed. As swimmers co-ordination of stroke and kick, and to build get stronger, flipper work can be decreased, strength, as the removal of the stabilising provided skills are good. arm creates a sensation more closely There are many variations in kick and stroke resembling Butterfly drills possible for Butterfly. The preceding drills • After pushing off as for Drill 8 the swimmer are recommended for teaching the stroke pulls the non-stroking hand back to the through to the stage when the swimmer can thigh and leaves it there hold the stroke and breathe without struggling, • All other teaching points apply for approximately 25 metres. The drills will • Once again, when swimmers demonstrate develop good technique without being too the ability to maintain timing and technique, complicated for the 6-10 year age group. they are ready to put the whole stroke with HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD the kick Drill 9 ... Butterfly Pull with Double Dolphin BECOME A CONFIDENT SWIMMER Kick By Kevin Mummery • Swimmers start with a hard streamlined Reproduced from ASCA Newsletter Vol.2002-10 push off or from a dive • Emphasise starting immediately with a fast This article deals with a particularly hard underwater kick so the body explodes important aspect of r psychological development to the surface in sport, the development in sport, the • Fast hard kicking is important for good development of self-confidence. It is aimed at stroke rhythm the parents of 8-12 year old age group • Swimmers maintain streamlining until the swimmers, children who are in the critical body is almost at the surface (3-4 kicks), the periods of psychological development. Here are hands begin a vigorous pull to coincide with my views of how parents can help contribute to the kick, and continue to butterfly until a the success of their children in swimming. breath is needed 1. HELP YOUR CHILD FOCUS ON PROCESS • Instructors need to encourage kicking to the GOALS surface rather than drifting or gliding The idea of goal-setting in sport is hardly • This is tiring for young swimmers at first, so new. Most often goals are set only in outcome they benefit from getting out of the water and terms. “I want to win the 50,” or “I’m going to get walking back, rather than trying to go a 1:09 for my 100 free,” are a common type of further goal statement focused on outcome. You should • At this stage, quality of stroke is more encourage your child to set goals which will important than quantity focus on the process, rather than the product, • The following progressions are introduced as of their performance. Learning is the process, swimmers get the feel for Drill 9 performance is the product. By establishing (a) Push start, across the pool, swimmer their intention to learn a new turn, or improve

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their kick, your child will begin to understand 4. LET YOUR CHILD EXPERIENCE FAILURE the link between preparation and performance. A little failure goes a long way. Don’t be This link may seem intuitively obvious to afraid to let your child experience a little failure. you, but young children often do not Do avoid placing your child in a situation where understand the relationship between they are experiencing constant and repeated preparation and performance. To improve failure. Swimming is sure to provide your child themselves and their ability will, in the future, with more than his or her share of failure lead to more successful performances. In the experience. That is not necessarily a bad thing. meantime remember the old adage, “those who Confronting failure and learning to overcome fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” problems are crucial steps in the development 2. HAVE YOUR CHILD MAKE A of confidence. Failure can be a great instructor. COMMITMENT Teach your child to learn from it. Once your One of the keys to the development of child has learned not to fear failure, but to confidence is the establishment of competence. increase their efforts and use effective coping In order to become a competent swimmer, your mechanisms, they have taken a giant stride child must commit to a learning process that toward being a truly confident swimmer. Always may at times seem long and tedious. Sit them seek situations and set challenges that allow down at the beginning of the season and make your child to experience a balance between it clear to them what they are committing to. success and failure. (WAVES Note: Agree on a certain number of 5. AVOID CONSTANT COMPARISON WITH practices per week, and attend at least that OTHERS amount – or more – every week. Make up “If Jimmy can do it, you can too.” A confident missed practices due to illness or school swimmer will be able to successfully make these obligations.) Do not allow them the option of comparative deductions themselves. You don’t withdrawing mid-season. They don’t have to need to remind them of how they are doing. If commit to a life-long career as a competitive you spend too much time using such swimmer, but you can make it clear to them comparisons, your child will become fixated on early that the decision to participate, or to the outcome and will concern themselves more withdraw, is only made once a year – in August. with comparative rankings than with personal By enduring the learning process through an improvement. The obvious result of this entire season, a more accurate self-comparison orientation is that when given the choice, your of their developed competence can be made. By child will select a less than challenging comparing their personal, technical, and situation in order to gain a favourable performance gains from August through August comparison rating. Your child will feel they will likely feel more confident with their threatened by anyone of higher skill, ability or developing abilities in the sport. experience and will seek a smaller pond for 3. MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD EXPERIENCES them to become the big fish. In the process of SUCCESS doing so they will have lost considerable A little success goes a long way. It is opportunity for personal improvement. One of important for your child to experience success the toughest tasks faced by parents is the in swimming and develop the belief that they balancing of achievement of siblings involved in are good at it. The trick here is to carefully sport. Try to motivate your children by frame the success experience to allow your child constantly comparing their performances with that feeling. As a parent you must understand each other and you will find yourself driving one that it is easy for your child to forget just how child to the pool and the other to the gym. good they have become. Measuring each child on his or her own merits As a sport swimming allows for little will lead to a happier coexistence ... and reflective satisfaction. Your child is always perhaps less wear on your car. trying to get a little bit better, and is rarely 6. REWARD THEIR EFFORTS AS WELL AS happy with where they are. Every practice they THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS work to swim better, yet believe their stroke is Go out of your way to reward your child’s never quite good enough. Every meet they press efforts in swimming. Don’t restrict yourself to to swim faster, yet never believe they are fast rewarding only their accomplishments. What enough. Whether it is butterfly, breaststroke, you wish to establish is a focus on the process kicking, turns, or reading the clock, every child of improvement -diligent work, a positive will have something they are good at. Talk to attitude, an enthusiastic approach to the your team coach and find out what it is, and challenges the sport provides. then let your child bask in the glory of their Remember, these are character traits you ability. probably wished to develop when you placed

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your child in swimming to begin with. Make boundaries of decision making and try to widen sure the rewards are dependent upon their the range of effective self-control as your child efforts. Don’t reward them for a job well done grows within the sport. when it really wasn’t. Children are quick to pick 9. ENSURE THAT YOUR CHILD ACCEPTS up on non-contingent rewards and their effect is RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DECISIONS quickly lost. At the same time make sure that Assuming your child understands that they your affection and attention are not contingent have your love and support in their ventures, on their behaviour – the unconditional love of a make sure they realise that when the mud hits parent is a solid foundation of a child’s self- the wall, the back splash hits the one who esteem. And don’t be afraid to reward the little threw it. In the development of personal things, or you may end up waiting a whole empowerment your child is struggling to career for the ultimate expression of excellence. become competent and confident in their own 7. KEEP REWARDING THEIR abilities. The decision-making process is an ACCOMPLISHMENTS important step toward confident self-sufficiency, Rewards are great if they provide your child but it cannot occur in a vacuum. If your child with information regarding their ability, and if elects to miss swim training for a coinciding you keep their use and intent in perspective. It school activity, it is important for them to gives your child some tangible evidence that consider, understand and accept the possible they have produced a worthwhile effort or consequences of their decision. Little will be result. But... rewards can be destructive if you gained if you are constantly making things use them to bribe or control your child, or if the right for your child. size of the accomplishment doesn’t justify the 10. ABOVE ALL BE CONSISTENT AND HAVE value of the reward. While it’s fine to take the FUN family out for dinner to acknowledge a great Be consistent. You are your child’s primary week of training, problems may arise if you offer role model during this age span. Make sure you to buy them a new CD when they go to an extra are consistent in your behaviour and a great practice, or achieve a time standard. Children deal of emotional stability will trickle down to lose sight of the inherent value of participation your child. if they become interested in swimming for the Above all have fun! The sport of swimming is material rewards which they obtain as a result meant to be a pleasurable activity. After your of their performances. Trying to bribe your child child’s athletic career is over the things they will to perform or participate almost invariably remember the most are the friendships they produces results contrary to your initial intent. made and the experiences they gained. If you You must remember that swimming can be are having fun, your child will have fun. Fun is inherently challenging and rewarding, and a great contributor to confidence. It helps strive to clarify that point in your child’s mind. reduce stress and reduces the fear of failure. 8. ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO MAKE Fun is the internal motivator, which will INDEPENDENT DECISIONS continually draw your child back to lifelong Swimming is a great laboratory of life, one involvement with athletics and a healthy life. which allows your child to develop into an PRACTICE LIKE A CHAMPION independent, freestanding individual. Confident swimmers are those who believe in their own abilities, not individuals who are dependent on others to produce desired results. A good Letters to measure of this confidence comes from making correct decisions, thus allowing your child some the Editor measure of self-control. Empower your child with the opportunity to evaluate situations and From: Al Dodson make decisions. Start out small in the decision- Connecticut Splash, USA making process, allowing them to work through [email protected] the antecedents and consequences of each To: [email protected] decision. Don’t give them free rein in all Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 decision making until they have matured and Subject: SWIMMING TRIAD ARTICLE earned it. Your ten year old may have sufficient Michael, information at their disposal to make an Cheryl Harvey deserves special recognition informed decision on what type of goggles they for her article labelled The Swimming Triad need to purchase, but may lack the ability to (Swimming in Australia, March-April 2003 make a quality decision about the amount of issue). It was one of the most outstanding training they need this week. Define the articles that I have read on the subject.

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I particularly enjoyed the table that Breaststroke, after speaking with her at length separated swimmer, parent and coaches’ roles we decide to train to the future and hold off on … however, I found myself totally agreeing with doubles until she was a little older in deference each and every section. to career success. I have written on this subject myself, but this And I think that consistency played a large article exceeds – by far – anything that I have role in the success of our program. We always published. offered regular and consistent practice ... Rather than being concerned that she put mornings, nights weekends, holidays, 364 days her “head on the line” … she should MOVE TO (every day but Christmas); after all we were THE HEAD OF THE LINE. asking for regular and consistent attendance at those practices ... and the times were always 8th May 2003 the same ... if an athlete left for college they From: Lisa Woolf could come back and know when practice was To: Swim Australia ... it eliminated the excuse! CONFERENCE THANK YOU 4. Commitment Ross, Given the opportunity, the athlete rises to I wish to thank you, Alan Thompson, Swim the challenge ... especially a kid like Megan. Australia and ASCTA for the organisation of Megan is probably one of the most focused and another fantastic conference. As with the first determined individuals I have ever met, despite time I came, I have gathered many ideas that I her age! More often than not I had a hard time am going to implement into our program and keeping up with her. Through 2000 everything hopefully develop our swimmers even further. It she did revolved around Sydney. She made a was also the first time I have heard Brian conscious choice to put off driving and dating, Sullivan talk and was, like everyone else in the until after her quest for GOLD! She never room, WOWed! missed practice and when she was sick I had to Thanks again for all your ongoing work in physically remove her from the pool. providing Swim Australia Swim Schools with so I still remember a conversation she had with many great opportunities. her Dad prior to her first National Title where Cheers, she emphatically told him that she was going to Lisa Woolf, Manager, Carey Sports Complex go a 1:09 ... “Megan that’s a four second drop ... 169 Bulleen Road, Bulleen Vic 3105 shouldn’t your goals be more reasonable?” “I Phone: 03 9852 0536 – Fax: 03 9852 0757 don’t have to be reasonable, I’m just gonna Email: [email protected] race!” She was right! 5. Training Water Work ... steady progression, based on TRAINING MEGAN QUANN age, experience and ability, Megan came By Rick Benner, Senior Coach through the program ... generally increased Lake Highland Preparatory School duration and then frequency of practice. Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine Training cycles ... dependent on group, 2002/Issue 5 though the Age Group program focuses 1. Introduction primarily on endurance and skill development, My name is Rick Benner and I had the understanding that physical characteristics and honour and privilege to coach Megan Quann development are directly proportional to an through the 2000 Olympics. athlete’s ability to perform the required 2. Convenience mechanics of any given stroke. Megan started swimming at 9½ for Eight Levels to our Program something to do in the summer ... the pool was Novice 3x week 30 minutes literally just around the corner ... she and her Developmental 3x week 45 minutes Pre-Age Group 5x week 45 minutes brother rode their bikes to the pool. There Age Group 6x week 1½ hours weren’t any grand plans of Olympic Gold, just Pre-Senior 8x week 2 hours (2 doubles) something to get the kids out of the house for Senior 9x week 2-3 hours (3 doubles) National 11x week 1½-3 hours (5 doubles) the summer. Olympic 14x week 2-3 hours (2 triples) 3. Consistency In 1998 when Megan won her first National From 1994-2001 Megan had one coach. Title in the 100 Breaststroke at Spring Allowed for consistency and vision in her Nationals with a 1:09.48Lcm (from a previous training, through the course of her career ... at best of 1:13.65Lcm), the focus of her training the age of 12 Megan wanted to start doing was aerobic over-distance training averaging doubles and train towards setting a new between 3,000 and 4,000 yards an hour for National Age Group Record in the 50 approximately 19 hours of training a week in

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the National Group for approximately 65,000 the issue seemed to be conditioning. We yards a week. addressed those issues in our training regime After our success at Spring Nationals we by fatiguing her and then focusing on speed as consciously chose to pursue more stroke a function of the stroke length and integrity ... specific training inclusive of the introduction of specifically we would periodically do a set of some anaerobic work and in retrospect 35’s scy Breaststroke fast starting with long rest although we swam a little faster at Summer ... and continually decrease the rest interval Nationals, Megan was third behind until either the speed (measured over the course and Ashley Roby, it was a disappointing or measured in velocity taken in regular summer. We looked hard at some of the choices intervals over the course) or the stroke we had made with respect to our training (measured in dpc) falters ... and then add rest regime and concluded that to go faster meant to get back to the speed and stroke parameters training harder ... and we identified several we were training and finally decrease the rest variables that produced that. First, pool time interval again until the point of failure. The set was difficult to come by let alone afford. Second, ranged depending on performance from 15 to 31 we had been going hard at every given workout 25’s ... for the 200 we did similar sets LC with and these kids just weren’t recovering between 50’s measuring velocity at 7.5m, 15m, 25m, workouts. In fact we were so broken down we 35m, and 42.5m. were starting to both qualitatively and STRENGTH TRAINING quantitatively get less and less. To get these We started with a basic strength training kids to that next level we needed more time in program (weights, body resistance, cords, etc.) the water and we needed some mechanism to and found that because of a general lack of gauge and assist them in recovering between athleticism that includes coordination, that workouts. By commuting both North and South overall, the program was ineffective and of Puyallup (some 20 miles one way) we were bordered on detrimental ... risk of injury, able to secure pool time. By cutting my salary develop muscle imbalances or promote the we were able to afford that time. And lastly, in same. securing the services of various professionals We sought out an athletic trainer who also we modified our training regime to reflect the happened to be working on his Master’s Degree need for planned recovery ... active recovery in physical therapy, to design a program that sessions over a three week cycle, two weeks would address general strength but dynamic intense training and then a week of easy (whole body) and not muscle specific, as well as swimming as well as supplementing our diets to coordination and athleticisms. He introduced us provide the caloric intake, as well as the to the half-rounded foam roll and the idea of vitamins and minerals required to sustain the using balance in conjunction with strength training load. training. Megan carried hers around the world In the fall of ‘98 we returned to a literally and figuratively to train as well as predominately aerobic regime of training, at stretch. I’ve given you a copy of the original least in the pool, and introduced in conjunction progression for the foam roll that we used ... with a local gym, a general strength training we’ve taken that and applied it to everything we program. Megan moved into our National Group do ... stretching, lifting, abdominals, and over the course of the subsequent year was callisthenics, etc. training between 80,000 to 90,000 yards a There were a couple of specific things we week, over 11 workouts or some 22 hours of wanted to do for Megan and her Breaststroke. pool time each week. Relative to her kick, Megan progressed from the In the fall of ‘99 both Megan and Jamie Reid old hurdler’s stretch where she would sit with were able to arrange their High School her legs turned out like Breaststroke to schedules to take only core courses and free up squatting in that position with weight. For the additional training time ... we made use of the dynamic of her stroke, she would lie on a physio additional time by adding an afternoon workout ball, specifically on her hips, with her feet up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or 14 a bench, unanchored, and in that position we workouts a week and some 27 hours in the would roll her a medicine ball that she would pool. Training intensity increased and yardage catch in the upsweep phase of the stroke, and totals approached 110,000 to 120,000 yards. fire it back as part of her lunge. For the TRAINING SPECIFICS upsweep and scull of the stroke, we used a Megan had always had a lot of upfront speed, livestock feed tub that’s about 2½ feet wide by 5 but had a tendency at the end of her races to feet long and 3 feet deep and filled it with rice. spin ... maintain her tempo at the expense of Megan lays over it and sweeps through her stroke length, especially in the 100. In the 200, stroke. She’s gotten to the point where she can

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perform her stroke, while holding a walnut in effects including fatigue and illness). She was her open hand, through the race. comfortable at home with family and friends ... 6. Competition and training hard! In the last year before trials, Megan qualified for her first Nationals in actually the last 16 months, we decided to split March of 1997 at our Regional/JO the season into two eight month cycles focusing Championship, just five months after making on the US Open in December and then trials her first Junior Cut. As a consequence she and the Olympics in August and September skipped Juniors and went to her first Nationals respectfully.. that summer in Nashville. We had a policy that 7. Stroke Mechanics and Technique if the goal for the season was to make the cut, Megan’s body type and style (approximately 5 we didn’t go to the meet that same season, we feet 5 inches and 130 pounds) wasn’t conducive trained the next season to go to the meet and to the kick dominant Breaststroke style of the swim fast. Megan was a National Champion in 90’s. As a consequence we looked at various her second appearance at Nationals (with ways to generate more power from the pull “Performance of the Meet” recognition, one year phase of her stroke. We found that by after making the cut and Jamie Reid went to ‘97 maintaining the integrity of her body posture, Summer Juniors in California, won the 100 straight and rigid from her shoulders to her Backstroke in a West Record and turned knees, with what has become her trademark around and won at Seniors in the subsequent low head position (actually her head is in a Spring, garnering the “Rookie of the Meet” neutral position, in line with her body, but far award. lower than the characteristic Breaststroke) as Our standard in competition was to always she sets her hands on the outsweep of her pull, race, never use the excuse that we were in the she can anchor her body through her core and peak of training, or any other excuse to limit generate additional force using her body ... and competitive success. To accurately assess our then with the same posture she is able on the training we had to step up and race ... through upsweep, palms turned up, hands overlapped, ‘98 we were looking in season to race no more thumbs forward, to generate a forward surge than every two weeks and no less than once through lift, using her body much like the wing every month. of an airplane. To train the upsweep we’ve In December ‘98, three days after a partnered athletes up, one in the pool one Shoulberges que “24-Hour Swim” sitting in the gutter holding the swimmer’s (approximately 13 hours of training covering ankles, and work the arms from perpendicular, some 50,000 yards or about 3850 yards/hour elbows up, thumbs in, little finger out, rotating or 1:33/100 pace) Megan set three American the hand from the forearm, 90 degrees, to Records SCM at the US Open in the 50,100,and thumb forward, elbow still up, and sweep in a 200 Breaststroke. I knew that Megan would hugging like motion up under the head and benefit from some international experience chest, allowing the hands to overlap, with the and we made a conscious choice that we needed elbow following the hand keeping the body to gain that experience over the course of the straight and rigid (being conscious not to let the ‘98 and ‘99 season. As such, Megan swam in body flex especially around the lower back, and the ‘98 Goodwill Games in New York and dissipate or absorb the energy the upsweep because of the timing I think we sacrificed some creates); at the top rotate the hand to lead out at the subsequent Nationals where Megan just down and back with the little finger, back to missed making the Pan Pac team. With her perpendicular to start all over again. On this typical youthful enthusiasm she assured me drill, if you were holding Megan’s feet, she could she’d make the team at next Summer’s Trials ... literally pull you into the pool. boastful but true to her words she broke the 8. Details meet record in the 100Lcm and qualified to go We always spent a lot of time trying to polish onto the Pan Pacs in Australia and ultimately everything we did. When we travelled we always place second with “Rookie of the Meet” honours. spent the preceding weeks acclimating to the Additionally she and team mate Jamie Reid time change. Megan would set her clock ahead were able to participate in the European leg of an hour every couple of days and start living to the World Cup and I believe those experiences the time until she was on time. We would proved invaluable for Megan. In fact, we were videotape a couple of times a week to just tweak able to spend the last year before trials at home, the dynamic of her stroke. racing predominately LC in Canada, and 9. Extras training without distraction ... and I think that Sports Science ... put together a team of gave Megan a huge psychological and physical professionals … ours included a couple of boost (we limited travel and the adverse side sports medicine physicians, Dr. Stephen

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Anderson in Seattle and Dr. Michael Welch 3rd and we talked about her tempo and stroke whose daughter Jaclyn swam on the team, a rate trying to get her to accelerate into the wall nutritionist Eleanor Barranger, a physical instead of decelerating. We talked technically therapist who was also a certified athletic all the right things and went to bed pretty trainer, Tim Newton, a medical technologist, my confident we were on the right track. The next wife Greta, and a licensed massage therapist, morning I got up and took my 10-year-old son Megan’s mom Erin Quann. Other suggestions to hockey practice, and sitting up in the stands would be to find a podiatrist or foot/ankle drinking my coffee reading the paper, like all clinic, touch therapist and homeopathic good youth sports parents are supposed to physician. Tim’s wife helped us out. while their kids are practicing, I saw a picture of Visualisation ... Megan has an uncanny Megan’s semi-final race where literally she was ability to almost induce what can only be gone off the blocks before the rest of the field described as out of the body experience. She reacted to the start and all of the sudden I can literally close her eyes and swim a race ... realised that her strength and forte, what she and standing there you can watch her, literally did best was race. So I called her “Hey Megan, and figuratively. Now the race she visualises it’s Rick. Remember all that stuff we talked isn’t anyone she’s already swum ... it’s her about last night?” And, dutifully, she started to perfect race. We’ve used that ability to train and recount everything we had talked about. “Well make stroke corrections to her stroke ... in fact forget it!” And I told her about the picture and she can time her swim and do repeats ... and what I saw and what I knew about her. And told her body responds, breathing and heart rates her to, “just step up and do what you do best ... increase, muscles relax and contract. and that’s RACE!” You could almost feel the 10. Coaching relief and the excitement … that was something Think outside the box ... challenge she could do … and the rest would take care of convention ... hard work can be fun! Use itself ... and she did! science as well as intuition ... keep it interesting PAC Dry Land and challenging ... it’s really not about winning Level 1 Foam Roll… progress as able to do well without as much as it is the challenge! Examples – Head compensations for 60 seconds continuous (suck bellybutton to spine, NO POOCHING!) starts ... Handicapping. Winning without the Supine: On back (feet flat on floor, knee bent, ankles and challenge ... the idea behind “It’s not whether knees together) … Neutral – Marching – 3-way arms – Dry you win or lose but how you play the game!” Bug In the last 15 or so years we’ve only done the Prone: On stomach (chin held tucked and off of roll, spine same workout once and only because we didn’t straight, in neutral, shoulders back and down … Alternative get it done right that morning. arms - Alternative legs – Alternative opposite arm and leg 11. Insights Standing Foam Roll… for 60 seconds continuous The goal simply stated is to be the one who Tripod Balance; Single leg balance and reach (forward, to. side); Squats (keep tripod, knee over second toe, hips in slows down least, goes the fastest, or applying neutral, reach back with butt) the idea of conservation of momentum, All Fours… for 60 seconds continuous (suck bellybutton to maintains as much initial speed over the course spine, NO POOCHING!) … Alternate arms - Alternate legs (dive or turn) as possible. In looking at Megan’s – Alternate opposite arm and leg … Prone bridges (elbows graph of her 200 Breaststroke at the ‘99 Pan and knees): for 30 seconds (suck bellybutton to spine, NO Pac’s from the Australian Institute of Sport ... POOCHING! NO SAGGING!! Stay in neutral.) where the field decelerated geometrically, Drinking Bird… for 60 seconds continuous (keep hips in neutral; keep body straight – no twisting) Megan’s deceleration was linear and 3-Way Shoulder Exercise… (keep shoulders down and significantly less pronounced ... from that we back, chest raised – spatula posture at all times, neutral took that the door was open. hips) … Up forward - Up sideways – Horizontal We always trained for adversity ... as our Supine: (on back) floor arm slides w/alternating leg pool situation worsened we were touring reaches: slide, hold, alternate reaching with each leg, Washington for pool time spending three hours repeat 10-20 times) (stay in neutral at all times, suck a day in an old 15-passenger FORD van ... bellybutton to spine, NO POOCHING!) literally looking for water. Level II Stretches… hold for 30 seconds, then slowly repeat 10 times – stretch, relax, hold for 2-4 seconds) 12. Conclusion Foam Roll Heel Cord Stretch… (step across mid-line) … Recipe … there’s no trick, no magic per se ... Knee straight – Knee bent success, in this case, was garnered through Kneeling Hip Stretch… (one leg back, one forward, turn hard work. What I will say is with all the hips/shoulders to front leg – push buttocks back to floor) information available to us, that it’s easy to get Upright Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch… (keep hips in lost and not be able to find the forest through neutral, body straight and tall, push hips to floor) the trees. After her semi-final race in Sydney, Kneeling Hamstring… (back of leg) Stretch… (toe/knee point up, hips in neutral, BEND AT Megan was going into the final in Lane 6 seeded HIPS, chest to knee, not nose)

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Partner Shoulder Stretch… (hold ribs down, keep elbow the technology to numerous gold medals and several world and up to ceiling (no arm rotation), go STRAIGHT back over Olympic records. head next to ear) Currently, Waring is the head swim coach at Carleton University Exercises… foam Roll Heel Raises: (reach w/other knee where he is enrolled as a PhD student in aerospace engineering. The thesis will be in the fluid mechanics of swimmer propulsion. In across midline – SLOWLY DOWN) addition, John Waring continues to practice as a professional Single Leg Sideways Wall Slides… (stay in neutral, stay engineer. on tripod, press inside leg to wall, keep outside leg close to There has been considerable debate recently wall) over the use of lift and drag forces in swimming Wall Sit Marching… (keep hips in neutral, stay on tripod) Foam Roll… Progress as able to do well without propulsion. In particular, this debate has compensations for 60 seconds continuous (suck centred on the Freestyle arm stroke. A number bellybutton to spine, NO POOCHING!) Supine: On back of researchers are currently advocating a pure (feet flat on floor, knee bent, ankles and knees together) … drag propulsion. That is, the swimmer is Neutral – Marching – 3-way arms – Dying Bug. Rotation: advised to pull straight back in order to Knees and Arms to opposite sides (keep neutral – no back maximise drag forces and eliminate any lift arching) Prone: On stomach (chin held tucked and off of contribution to propulsion. Such a stroke would roll, spine straight, in neutral, shoulders back and down) … be considerably less efficient than a stroke Alternate arms - Alternate legs – Alternate opposite arm and leg which optimized all available forces. Standing Foam Roll… for 60 seconds continuous; Tripod Recently, Dr. Rushall introduced the Balance; Single leg balance and reach (forward, to side, “Coanda effect” as an indispensable prerequisite rotation and reach); Squats with arm reaches (keep tripod, for generating lift with the hand. He argues the knee over second toe, hips in neutral, reach back with butt) shape of the hand is not conducive to producing Foam Roll Pike/Push up… keep neutral at all times, heels this effect. Thus, he concludes, the hand is to ground then pike, back level – no shoulder humps – then incapable of generating substantial lift forces. pushup) All Fours… for 60 seconds continuous (suck bellybutton to The Coanda effect is not a prerequisite for lift spine, NO POOCHING!) … Alternate arms – Alternate legs and is not applicable to swimming propulsion. – Alternate opposite arm and leg; Prone bridges (elbows Firstly, it would be helpful to explain what this and knees) for 30 seconds (suck bellybutton to spine, NO mysterious Coanda effect is and where it is POOCHING! NO SAGGING!! Stay in neutral.) used. Simply put, when high speed fluid is Drinking Bird… for 60 seconds continuous (keep hips in injected along a surface, it will tend to follow neutral, keep body straight – no twisting) any curve that surface might take. The effect 3-Way Shoulder Exercise… for 20 seconds continuous (keep shoulders down and back, chest raised – spatula can be demonstrated if you place a spoon under posture – at all times, neutral hips) … Up forward – Up running water. The water flows along the sideways – Horizontal surface of the spoon and changes direction as a Single Arm Wall Pushups… (keep shoulders back and result. This in turn results in a lift force which down, stay in neutral spine) draws the spoon into the water flow. Two Arm Wall Pushups… (keep shoulders back and Airliners use the effect to keep air flowing down, stay neutral in spine); Supine: (on back) floor arm smoothly over the flaps when they are extended. slides w/alternating leg reaches; slide, hold, alternate This allows a lower, safer speed when taking off reaching with each leg, repeat 10-20 times) (stay in neutral at all times, suck bellybutton to spine, NO POOCHING!) and landing. BLOWN FLAP USING COANDA EFFECT However, the Airliner does not use the DRAG FORCES ALONE ARE Coanda effect when the flaps are retracted INEFFECTIVE FOR PROPULSION which is the majority of the flight. Many By John Waring P.Eng., M.Eng. aircraft, particularly smaller ones, have no such system yet they are perfectly airworthy. John Waring has been involved in competitive swimming since Consequently, the Coanda effect is clearly not 1976. After swimming Age Group in London, Ontario, and an indispensable requirement for lift. Columbia, South Carolina, Waring enrolled in mechanical The human hand, while not an ideal lifting engineering at the University of Toronto. In 1983, Waring was named to the All-Canadian Universities Team in the 100 Freestyle, surface, is perfectly adequate for swimming as well as the Canadian National Team in the 100m Butterfly. propulsion. In reality, just about any generally After graduation, Waring took a commission in the Canadian Air flat object will generate lift. A Frisbee does not Force as an aerospace engineering officer. Later, as a civilian, he have a super-critical high efficiency airfoil cross worked in jet engine R&D with Hawker Siddeley and the National Research Council. During this time, Waring continued to train and section, but it flies nonetheless. Facetiously, I compete in Masters Swimming. recall a coach who, less than enthused at my In 1994, Waring began applying aerospace engineering principles 400 repeat times, flew a standard kickboard a to swimming. In particular, he realised that drag could be considerable distance with surprising accuracy. reduced using vortex generators. The concept was tested and developed as part of Waring’s aerospace engineering master’s GENERAL FLOW OVER A THROWN KICKBOARD thesis. The technology proved a practical success at the 1996 and Obviously, a hand is generally flat during 2000 Olympics, the 1998 World Championships and the 1999 Pan swimming. Consequently, it can, and should, be Pacific Games. In these competitions, American swimmers wore used as a lifting surface. This last statement

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begs the question Why is lift any better than dominated stroke requires significantly more drag? Theoretically, they could both produce power. the required thrust to move a Freestyler at over One explanation for the above, the one I two metres per second. The difference is favour, is that champion swimmers maximise efficiency. lift in their stroke. Any real stroke has the hand All swimmers have a limited amount of following a curved path through the water. Even energy that they can expend in a given amount if a swimmer were to use a straight-line drag of time. This is something understood by every pull, their hand would have to follow a swimmer and coach. Indeed, one of the primary transverse (up-down or side to side) path at the aims of training is to increase the energy a beginning and end of the stroke. This is swimmer can expend in a given amount of time. necessitated by the fact that the hand cannot Consequently, the fraction of this energy that pass through the body. gets converted into actual thrust is critical. This Frequently, the path of the hand during a is another focus of training – improving stroke Freestyle arm pull is shown from the swimmer’s mechanics. In essence, a better stroke standpoint. This is the view from a camera transmits more of the swimmer’s energy as which moves with the swimmer. In this view the useful work. hand appears to follow a very elongated curve. In recent years, some researchers have Unfortunately, this view is useless and highly dismissed lift as a preferred means of misleading for evaluating propulsive fluid propulsion. Analysing lift in a stroke is difficult. mechanics. The continuously changing hand and arm The camera must be fixed to the side of the position, velocity and orientation relative to the pool and not allowed to rotate. In this way one water must be known. The unsteady nature of can see the true path of the hand through the the flow around the hands and arms further water. This view shown below clearly indicates complicates the issue. Consequently, different how little of the hand motion is directly yet equally well intentioned researchers can backward. The hand does so only momentarily reach vastly disparate conclusions about the at the bottom of the stroke. This brief dead spot fluid mechanics of the same stroke. However, is where the hand changes its direction of the most efficient possible pure drag stroke is motion from predominantly down to up. In this relatively simple to analyse. zone, where drag and transition effects This imaginary stroke would have the dominate, propulsion is least efficient. swimmer’s hand follow a straight line path SIDE VIEW OF TRUE HAND PATH backward. This path would have no curvature (COUNSILMAN) either when viewed from below or from the side. If the stroke were indeed drag dominated, In order to achieve competitive forward speed, one would expect to see a much longer the swimmer would have to turn over at very transition zone. This would result from the high high velocity. That is to say the swimmer would rearward slippage velocity fundamentally not appear to be climbing a rope … i.e. the sort required by drag propulsion. of analogy generally associated with champion The energy cost of using pure drag swimmers. Instead the swimmer would appear propulsion is prohibitive. This wasteful energy to be flailing or spinning their wheel … terms expenditure would manifest itself as an associated with a novice. excessively high turnover. The optimal stroke In quantitative terms, a six foot swimmer would increase the total thrust by incorporating would have to turn over at above 2.7 strokes per lift. second to pull 50m in 30.0. At that rate the ANNEX – CALCULATION OF STROKE swimmer would require around 76 strokes to FREQUENCY AND DISTANCE PER STROKE FOR complete the length assuming he or she got 5m THE BEST POSSIBLE PURE DRAG PROPULSION from the push-off before taking the first stroke. The following are approximate parameters for These are not the sort of numbers generally a typical six foot male swimmer… seen in world class swimmers. In addition, since A hand = 0.019 m2, the plan form area of the hand in this is an idealised example, the best one could metres squared hope for in reality would be worse than this. A swimmer = 0.08 m2, the maximum cross-sectional area of the swimmer Such a stroke, as one might imagine, has a CDhand = 1.17, the coefficient of drag for the hand when it very high energy cost associated with it. In is used as a pure drag paddle with zero lift engineering terms power equals force times CDswimmer = 0.6, the coefficient of drag of a submerged velocity. Approximately the same thrust force is swimmer in the streamlined position (the true number for a required to go a given velocity using either a lift swimmer on the surface will likely be higher due to wave or drag dominated stroke. However, the much drag. The number itself is typical but on the low side of higher rearward hand velocity of a drag numbers determined by several researchers.)

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Lstroke = 1.45m, the maximum stroke length relative to the propulsion and cannot be held over the head to swimmer reduce drag. These effects are lessened Vswimmer = 1.67m/sec, the swimmer’s speed in metres somewhat due to reduced form and skin friction per second (equivalent to 1:00 100m pace) drag. This results from parts of the body being Also, above water. However, the high speeds achieved Awater = 995 kg/m3, the density of water in kilograms per cubic metre underwater by elite swimmers using only their Firstly, we need to calculate the drag force on legs suggests that the drag forces on the surface the swimmer as a whole. This will be equal and are, on the whole, higher. Consequently, the opposite to the thrust force being developed by drag approximation used in this example would the swimmer. The drag force is given have resulted in an under estimation of the approximately by… strokes per length. Dswimmer = CDswimmer 0.5 Aswimmer water Vswimmer2 The swimmer in this example was pulling. = (0.6)(0.5)(0.08)(995)(1.67)2 Obviously, kicking would generate thrust and = 66.6N (force in Newtons equivalent to 15.0 pounds) reduce the number of strokes required per Again, the true value is likely higher than length. However, this would be true for any kind this due to wave drag. of arm stroke. Since the swimmer is using drag forces alone The analysis did not take into account any on the hand, the hand must be moved thrust contribution from the forearm. The backward fast enough to generate 15 pounds of forearm does have a large surface area in force. The equation governing the thrust force comparison with the hand. However, its drag is… coefficient is considerably lower than that of the Fhand = CDswimmer 0.5 Ahand Awater Vhand2 hand (~0.5vs.~1.2). Also, its velocity backward However, in this case the force is known and relative to the water would, on average, be lower the hand velocity backward is the unknown than the hand. This would further reduce its quantity. Rearranging the above equation we useful contribution to thrust. The upper arm, have… which contributes only drag against the Vhand = (Fhand / (CDhand * 0.5 * Ahand * Awater)) swimmer, would offset any thrust contribution Vhand = (66.6 / ((1.17)(0.5)(0.019)(995))) from the forearm. Vhand = 2.45 m/sec The various values of drag coefficients, cross This is the speed of the hand backwards sectional areas, etc., were typical. Nonetheless, relative to the water. Since the swimmer is these values would be different for every moving forwards at 1.67 m/s, this must be swimmer which would vary the results either added to the above velocity to compensate. way depending on the body type of the Consequently the hand speed relative to the swimmer. swimmer is… Vhand = 2.45 m/sec + 1.67 m/sec = 4.12 m/sec The stroke frequency can now be determined Novice Competitive Swimming from this velocity and the maximum stroke length relative to the swimmer. This is… How to get them started fstroke = Vhand / Lstroke By Pat Hogan – 1980 Dallas fstroke = 4.12 / 1.45 Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine fstroke = 2.84 strokes/sec 2002/Issue 5 The distance per stroke is… DPS = Vswimmer / fstroke This workshop is entitled Novice DPS = 1.67 / 2.84 Competitive Swimming: How to Get Them DPS = 0.588m Started. Very simply, I am going to talk to you If the swimmer in our example swims 50m about recruiting new participants to competitive minus a 5m push-off, the number of strokes swimming. I will discuss ways you can market required for the length is… your program. I will give you specific ideas you Nstrokes = Distance / Distance-per-stroke can use to attract new swimmers. I will outline Nstrokes = (50 / 5)/0.588 some things that we have found very helpful in Nstrokes = 76.5 strokes/length keeping new swimmers and their parents This is a simplified analysis with a number of involved in our program. approximations and underlying assumptions. When I talk about a novice swimmer, I am Some of the major ones are as follows… referring to a youngster who is interested in The analysis assumed that the drag on the competitive swimming and who is not currently swimmer on the surface was the same as that a member of another year-round swimming while submerged in the streamlined position. team. I want to make it very clear that we do The drag on the surface is likely higher due to not condone raiding swimmers from other wave drag. Also, the body position is less clubs. My primary objective is to give you ideas efficient since the arms are being used for to recruit new swimmers to our sport, not

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encourage youngsters to change programs. swimmers, but it can also be a very valuable Many of you are probably already aware that when it comes time to do some fundraising. over the last four years the number of registered The first step in marketing your program is swimmers in our country has dropped developing a team logo. A logo is a trademark drastically. In 1979, our registrations peaked at that can assist you immeasurably in 151,000 swimmers in the AAU program. In establishing an identity within the community. 1980, that figure dropped to 147,000; in 1981 it This trademark should be one that people learn dropped again to 139,000; and as of August 31st to recognize readily and associate with your of this year, we have 120,000 athletes registered team. Think of the vast number of consumer in the USS program. products and national companies that you A number of reasons have been suggested to recognize instantly by their logo. A perfect explain this decline in registrations. First of all, example is the “Golden Arches” of McDonalds I think we suffer because of competition from the national sponsor for our Age Group other sports and activities. Obviously, swimming program. Everyone knows and swimming is not a glamour sport like football, associates that logo with the McDonalds basketball, or baseball. Swimming does not Corporation. A logo has a variety of uses and enjoy the same media exposure on television applications. It can be used on a letterhead, and in newspapers. promotional literature, posters, bumper We also fight the recent and rapid rise of stickers, team uniform and uniform accessories, youth soccer. There are literally thousands of swim meet awards, etc. It should be used in any young people who participate in youth soccer manner that will help establish your program’s programs during both the fall and spring identity and enhance its image. months. These programs, typically, do not Let me give you a couple of ideas we have require as much financing as swimming, nor do used successfully to obtain logos inexpensively. they require the time commitment characteristic Most swimming teams do not have the money of most of our age group swimming programs. necessary to hire a professional firm to perform In addition, competitive swimming is such a service. When I coached in Fort Worth, considered a country club sport. It is relatively Texas, we approached the corporate art expensive in comparison to other activities that professor at Texas Christian University and young people can take part in. Given today’s asked for his help in developing a logo for our economy, I believe that it is absolutely club. He very graciously made our logo a project imperative that we make a real effort to sell the for his corporate art class the next semester. We value of our program versus its cost. had a very difficult time selecting the logo we Finally, our sport has developed a work liked best from the six very professional and ethic image that is positive in most respects, attractive possibilities that they presented to us. but hurts us when it comes to attracting new Our only expense was the cost of producing swimmers. People have developed some print-ready copies. amazing misconceptions about what is actually The Dynamo Swim Club logo was created for expected of nine-year-old Johnny. They think us by an advertising firm in return for free that he will have to practice in the morning advertising in our swim meet programs. This is before school and attend 11 practices a week. another very inexpensive means of obtaining a We spend so much time bragging about how logo or trademark. hard we work and how much we demand from I strongly recommend that your second step our athletes, that most people do not realise in marketing the team should be developing that this level of commitment is expected of only some type of printed information describing a small percentage of our team members and is your program. This can take any form and will certainly not required of someone just beginning vary in cost. You can have a one-page flyer, in the sport. similar to the Dynamo brochure, or you can For reasons such as these, we firmly believe have a very attractive booklet such as many that a well-organised recruiting program has college teams use to promote their programs. become a necessity if club tea ms are to attract There is some basic information which should the quality athletes they need in the sport of be included in any type of promotional competitive swimming. Let us now discuss how literature. to lay the foundation for such a recruiting First of all, people will be interested in your program. team structure. They will want to know how the In order to recruit novice swimmers to your team is organised and what the objectives of program, you must first make people in your each group are. Secondly, they will want to community aware that you exist. This know the practice schedule. When mothers are awareness is achieved by marketing your planning their children’s activities for the program. Learn to take advantage of any means coming year, they need to know what time swim available to put your club’s name before the practice will be and how often it will be offered. public. This effort can have a dual benefit. Not Parents also want to know the team fees and only will it prove beneficial in attracting new other costs involved with swimming.

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In addition, I would suggest that you make these thoughts will help stimulate ideas of your sure your phone number is displayed own which you can adapt to your particular prominently on the information and list the situation. hours when you can be contacted. You can One of the best means of creating interest in spend much time and money to make people your program is a well-organised effort to aware that you exist, but if they cannot get in publicise your team’s achievements. This effort touch with you, your efforts have been to no will also get some much-deserved recognition avail. for your swimmers. There are some very obvious Other information in the brochure can be … media possibilities. Everyone is familiar with the Team accomplishments, team objectives, major newspapers, television and radio stations. attendance requirements, a description of your All of us have tried, to some extent, to obtain facility and its location, the procedure for some attention from these media sources for registering to join; biographical sketches of your special activities involving our programs. coaching staff; the team’s history and Oftentimes less obvious possibilities are more competition program or meet schedule for the accessible than the major media. coming year. In Atlanta we are forced to compete with Let’s discuss the various distribution points professional sports, college athletics and the where you can disseminate this literature. In myriad of athletic events that take place in a our area, neighbourhood summer clubs are the metropolitan area as large as ours. We have number one target. In addition to the numerous found it very difficult to stir up much interest city and county recreational swimming centres, from the major newspapers and television we are fortunate to have a tremendous number stations. However, we have been very successful of private summer swim clubs throughout the in getting articles in the various weekly neighbourhood areas of metro Atlanta. Most of neighbourhood newspapers that circulate these clubs have teams that compete in throughout the different communities of metro summer swim leagues. Atlanta. The sports editors of these publications You can distribute brochures at schools, are always looking for interesting information particularly elementary schools near your about the activities and achievements of people facility. Ask the principals for permission to who live in their particular community. distribute your literature to the 3rd, 4th and 5th We have also been successful in getting Grades, the eight, nine and ten-year-olds. articles in publications such as corporate Doctors’ offices offer another excellent newsletters. Most of the giant corporations in distribution point. Paediatricians and your area probably publish some type of orthodontists, specialists who work primarily newsletter for their employees and customers. with young people, provide the most access to Interested in promoting the company’s family potential age-group swimmers. image, these publications are usually very Another thing we have done is disseminate willing to feature the achievements of people our brochures to real estate agencies who live in their particular community. throughout the Atlanta area. We have tried to Another media source that we have is feature make the real estate agents in our city aware of programs such as “PM Magazine.” This is a our program so they can direct their clients to nationwide program that produces feature us. We often get telephone calls from agents stories of local interest. We were able to entice requesting more information on our program or them into doing a story on our organisation asking us to mail information to people shortly after we built our facility. One possibility planning a move to our community. that perhaps is not as obvious but makes a lot You may also want to take advantage of the of sense is school newspapers. We always talk excellent distribution points that shopping about how difficult it is for our swimmers to get centres and malls offer. You may even want to recognition from their peers at school. What consider distributing flyers or brochures on the better way to solve this problem than to contact windshields of every car parked at the local the editor of a school newspaper and try to shopping mall. This idea could be carried out by interest them in doing a feature on one of your your swimmers on a Saturday afternoon early swimmers who attends that school. in the season. You may only attract a handful of There are probably other media sources that new swimmers, but it is an excellent way of exist. I encourage you to search out these making people in your community aware that possibilities and take advantage of the you exist. Establishing an identity will come opportunity they provide to further publicize back to help you many times over. your program and put your team’s name before You should obviously make your promotional the public. literature available at the facility where you Two years ago, shortly after opening our new train. Should a potential swimmer come by at a facility, we hosted a medial press luncheon at time when you are not present, that information our Swim Centre. We invited specific individuals will help answer at least some of the questions from every newspaper, television station, and they may have about your program. I hope radio station in Atlanta. The mothers prepared

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a covered-dish dinner and we put on a Company. This film is very appropriate for swimming exhibition. We tried to teach those in orientation meetings the first week of practice or attendance a little about competitive swimming. can even be shown to summer league swimmers In general, newspaper reporters and TV interested in swimming year-round. Films such personalities know and understand very little as this are available and provide another means about our sport. It is very difficult to create of promoting your team and our sport in your interest in something people know little about. community. The major problem that professional soccer With regard to marketing, there is one last faces in this country is that most people our age subject I want to discuss, advertising and know very little about the sport. Consequently, public relations. I would strongly recommend we have very little interest in soccer. The same including a line item for advertising in your situation is true of competitive swimming. It is team’s annual operating budget. This money difficult to create interest without first can be well spent to develop promotional educating. We found that the medial press literature, advertise in local newspapers or for luncheon proved very successful in creating any opportunity which will allow you to better some interest in swimming and served to help market your program. us establish contacts we have been able to take Most large communities have a welcome advantage of ever since. service that you might want to take advantage It would be possible to have an entire of. Here in the Dallas area, there is a Welcome workshop devoted to the topic of organising a Newcomer Service that a person new to this publicity program. I do want to make you aware area can contact for information. These services that Randy Hart, the Media Services Director for usually send someone to the newcomer’s home United States Swimming, had put together a with a packet of information about their new Medial promotion guide that should be received community. This packet includes information by every organization which joins United States on how to register to vote, where to buy license Swimming. In this guide is some basic plates, the location and phone numbers of information about how to put together news hospitals, banks, area schools, etc. Usually the releases, make calls and other advice on packet will also have brochures of local publicising your team and its activities. If you businesses and activities that choose to have not seen this guide, contact the USS office advertise in this fashion. You might explore this in Colorado Springs and request a copy. possibility in your community. Delegating responsibility for publicity to a A very obvious but often overlooked source of parent or committee of parents is an excellent advertising is the local Yellow Pages. We think way of getting a publicity program started. As our Yellow Pages advertisement is one of the swimming coaches, most of us do not have the most valuable and effective things we do to time it takes to contact newspapers or TV market our program. We spend about $35 per stations to stir up interest. This activity can be month for a ½ inch ad that we believe makes delegated to a parent who has time, who may our program more accessible to the general have some training in this area and who is public. You might feel that $35 per month is willing to help. However, it is very important very expensive, but the ad will pay for itself if that the coach, the professional involved, take you can pick up only one new swimmer each an active personal interest and be willing to month. make the necessary contacts to initiate and There are also low cost or no cost means of facilitate that publicity. The time you spend on marketing your program. One of the things we such matters is time wisely spent. like to do each year with our team is attend A project which we are currently working on public events as a group. We will contact the is the development of an audio-visual group sales office of the Atlanta Hawks or the presentation we can use not only to promote Atlanta Braves and set up a team night at a our team and recruit new swimmers but also to basketball or baseball game. We encourage that help with fund raising. We found a corporate as many swimmers as possible attend and ask sponsor who is willing to bear the expense of them to wear team T-shirts, warm- up jackets, producing a 15-20 minute program describing etc. Usually, in those situations, the announcer our team, its objective, its accomplishments, will acknowledge the groups in attendance. This etc. We plan to show this program to PTA group is a great way to get your team’s name before foundations, fraternal organisations like the the public, and, equally as valuable, the Rotary Club and at local recreation centres, swimmers have a great time. summer clubs and schools. You can also get involved in certain well- I would also encourage you to take publicised community activities. I am aware of advantage of the various films which are teams which participate in 4th of July Parades, available such as the Agree film, “A Winner is operate booths at Oktoberfest, or even take part Waiting.” This is an excellent piece on in a fund raising activity for a special cause like competitive swimming you can borrow at no muscular dystrophy or leukaemia. Activities cost thanks to the Johnson and Johnson such as these are usually well publicised in the

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local media and, if your team gets involved as a meets two or three nights a week to scout group, you can take advantage of this publicity. potential talent, distribute brochures and talk One other idea I will mention briefly is the to swimmers and parents about joining our Nashville Aquatic Club’s relationship with team. We believe this person-to-person contact Colonial Bread. Not only does Colonial sponsor has played a crucial role in the success we have a meet for them each year, but in every loaf of enjoyed in attracting new swimmers to our bread produced in the city of Nashville they program. include either a pass to the Nashville Aquatic We have found that people have many Center or a decal of the team. This is a novel misconceptions about what is involved in year- idea, but again, it represents an excellent way of round swimming. It is not unusual for us to taking advantage of a community resource to approach the parents of an eight-year-old who get your team’s name before the public. have no intention of allowing their child to swim These ideas represent some of the many in our program because of what they have ways you can lay the foundation for attracting heard about early morning practices and new swimmers to your team. All of these marathon meets. We talk to them, explain our marketing techniques help create an image in program, outline our philosophy and objectives, the community and establish your program’s explain what is involved and how much it costs. identity. Once you have accomplished that you Two weeks later at another meet, these same are then ready to begin recruiting novice parents will approach us to find out how to sign swimmers. Let us now consider some ideas for up. The turnaround you can create by person- recruiting swimmers. to-person contact is absolutely amazing. In our area the summer league programs are One other thing we do to take advantage of the number one source for new swimmers. We the summer situation is encourage our parents are very fortunate to have over 9,000 metro who are certified officials to participate in Atlanta youngsters involved in summer league officiating both dual and championship meets. swimming. Oftentimes I think coaches fight a The leagues in our area welcome our parents to situation like this rather than take advantage of work as starter or stroke judge. We ask our it. Once you get swimmers from the summer parents to wear Dynamo shirts and donate the program the tendency is to try to hang onto officials’ fee to our club. Thus, we not only keep them and never let them go back. I did this a high profile, we also have a nice little fund early in my coaching career and I have come to raiser. This past summer we raised about $700 realise it was one of the biggest mistakes I have for our program this way. It might also be made in coaching. possible for your senior swimmers to perform There are a number of ways you can take this service if it fits your practice schedule. One advantage of the summer league situation in additional benefit offered by summer league your community, but the most important way is officiating is providing our newly certified to encourage your swimmers to participate in parents some valuable experience working in a the summer league program. Why? Because low-pressure situation. they are the very best selling point you have. We If you are not fortunate enough to already recommend that all our age-group team have a summer league program in your members also swim with their summer league community, I strongly recommend that you teams. It would be difficult to attract other organise one. In preparation for this talk, I summer league swimmers if they knew we did spoke with a number of people around the not encourage and support the summer country and one of the interesting facts I leagues. There are some youngsters who will get discovered was that , who was so turned on by competitive swimming they recently named the Women’s Coach at SMU, would come to your program anyway. But most organised a summer league in San Antonio to summer leaguers quickly develop a loyalty to feed his Alamo Area Aquatics Association. When their summer club because that is their first John first went to San Antonio five years ago experience in swimming. They would not be as there was no summer league program in that anxious to join a USS program if they knew they area. He had just come from Virginia where could not go back to their summer club team. summer programs flourish. He had the wisdom Our swimmers are the best selling point we and foresight to organise and administrate a have. People are always impressed, after a league in San Antonio. Today that league has youngster has swum on our team all winter, over 2,000 swimmers and serves as the primary with the tremendous improvement they have source of new swimmers for Alamo Area made. When they go to summer league meets Aquatics. It may take three or four years for a we ask them to wear their Dynamo warm-ups, league to grow large enough to help, but there is team cap, team suit, etc., to help our team keep no better feeder system for year-round a high profile in the summer league community. swimming. In addition to encouraging our swimmers to In many communities the city or county participate in the summer league program, we recreation departments provide some type of ask our coaches to visit summer league dual competitive swimming program during the

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summer months. If you are not already taking dress up our pool to excite people about year- advantage of the opportunity these programs round swimming and demonstrate how much provide, I encourage you to try to do so. fun it can be. This is not a talk on fund raising A second idea we have found to be very additional funds for your team. successful in attracting new swimmers, In Memphis, Dick Fadgen’s team conducts particularly in conjunction with the summer this kind of meet each summer and invites the leagues, is to hold stroke clinics or swim camps top three finishers in each event to swim on for non-USS swimmers in our area. Such clinics their team free of charge for two weeks. Again, or camps can be offered to swimmers of any age just another way of encouraging new swimmers or experience level. They not only provide access to join their team. to new swimmers and an opportunity to attract At our facility, the Dynamo Community Swim them to your facility, but clinics are tremendous Center, we offer a progressive lesson program fund raisers. Last year we conducted two stroke that, once established, we hope will prove to be clinics, one in the fall and one during the a feeder program for our team. Although we spring, which grossed nearly $10,000 for our offer a Red Cross curriculum, we try to gear it a program. Each time we host these clinics we little bit toward competitive swimming and try will attract between 150-180 youngsters at a to educate our instructors to work on creating charge of $30 each. an interest in our team. It is also possible to Stroke clinics may also be offered free of offer a pre-competitive course on a regular basis charge if you are in a situation where that idea throughout the year as a stepping-stone to the would be more acceptable. You can conduct a team. three or four-day clinic at no cost in order to Another recruiting device used by John Ryan attract potential swimmers, get them in your in San Antonio was to offer beginning swim facility and create an opportunity for them to lessons to every 3rd Grade student in the city’s meet and work with your coaching staff. Northeast School District. They would conduct In past years we have given T-shirts with our these classes as a part of the school system’s team logo to all participants in our stroke physical education program, starting a new clinics. This not only serves as an incentive to class every two weeks. At the conclusion of each participate, but it also advertises the stroke session, they would identify people they thought clinic and gets our name before the summer had talent and send them an invitation to join league community. the team. An idea that is also an offshoot of the Other recruiting ideas include … Bring-a- summer league program is a coaches’ clinic for Friend-to-Practice Day; Membership Drives, in summer league coaches. It is very important which you offer a dues rebate for every new that you develop a rapport with the area swimmer a family brings in, and Water Shows summer club coaches. These people can have or Exhibitions that serve as another means of tremendous influence on their swimmers and attracting people to your pool. can play an important role in influencing these The job of selling your team does not end youngsters to swim year-round. Summer league when the novice swimmer and parents actually coaches often have very little background in join the program. Let’s talk about things that competitive swimming and coaches’ clinics you can do to keep them once you get them provide an excellent opportunity for you to help involved. In my opinion the key is them and at the same time sell the benefits of communication. For new swimmers and their your program. It behoves the summer coach to parents, competitive swimming is a very get his swimmers involved in your program complicated and difficult sport to understand. because they are much improved when they We coaches take a lot of things for granted that return nine months later and, consequently, so new swimmers have never heard of and do not is the summer team. understand. In our program, we do a number of The next idea is not original. I know it has things that we think help in introducing the been used successfully in many areas around new swimmer and his parents to the sport. the country. I suggest you consider hosting a These things not only communicate our summer league invitational or all-comers swim intentions and what is going on in the program, meet. You can charge a nominal entry fee if any but they also facilitate their understanding of at all, run 25 yard or 50 yard distances of each competitive swimming. stroke, offer attractive awards and design the This year we will start our program on meet for non-USS swimmers. October 4th. On the following Tuesday and Such meets are another excellent way of Wednesday, in the evenings during practice, we attracting swimmers to your facility. We try to are going to offer orientation meetings for new take advantage of this by using all the bulletin parents in the program. In those orientation boards and extra wall space to post newspaper meetings, we discuss and outline practice clippings of our swimmers’ achievements, schedules and attendance requirements, meet pictures of our swimmers at the Nationals and schedules and what we expect of them in terms Junior Nationals, etc. Very simply we try to of attending meets. We try to explain the

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classified age group program, the difference team level designed specifically for novice between “A” meets and “A-B” meets, “B” meets swimmers. This group should emphasise and “B-C” meets, etc. We explain meet entries fundamentals and teach kids to love the sport and entry fees, USS registration and the and to have a good time. When you first attract insurance involved. We explain their role and a seven or eight-year-old swimmer to the sport, responsibilities as parents in our program and it is not important to their future success to we outline major team policies. train a certain amount of yardage every single As a follow-up for the new parents and also day. I think it is more important to develop the for current members, each fall we publish a fundamentals. They need to learn the Parents’ Handbook, which is distributed to fundamentals, the rules and stroke techniques every family on the team. The Parents’ in order to move on to the higher levels of the Handbook is 45-50 pages long and we feel that sport ... it’s just like 1st Grade. You have to every question a new parent or swimmer might learn to read and write and learn arithmetic have concerning our program or competitive before you can move on in school. There needs swimming is answered in the book. to be a group in every program of every team in I think one of the most effective things we do this country that is designed to teach the in our program is put out a weekly newsletter. youngsters in that fashion. Once they get If you don’t have the time or funds to publish a involved a little bit and get hooked, add more weekly newsletter, you should consider a semi- and more training and work. monthly or monthly newsletter. It’s a great way I also encourage you to take a very careful to keep the membership well-informed on look at the practice attendance requirements everything that is going on currently in the that you place on your youngsters. I think one program. Following this article is a list of 15 of the biggest mistakes we in swimming make is items we use in our newsletters on a regular to require nine, 10, 11 and even 12-year-old basis. The more informed the swimmers and swimmers to come to practice five or six times a parents are, the happier they are going to be. week. If you look at the variety of activities they Another idea I have used in the past is a can participate in and consider the time period Parent-Partner Program. We assign a current those activities take place in, there is no other member of the program to each new family each activity, except perhaps ballet or gymnastics year to help ease their introduction to the team that expects the same total dedication at that and USS. They can answer questions, offer age that our sport does. I assure you there are a rides to meetings and encourage greater number of great athletes who might otherwise involvement of the new member. They can even get involved in swimming who never consider it help them through their first meet. In our because they want to play basketball, football, particular situation, we often take 100 new soccer, belong to the Scouts, take piano swimmers to the very first meet of the year. It’s lessons, etc. Often if they swim in our programs very difficult for our coaches to take care of all we don’t give them an opportunity to participate of the new people and make sure they know in those other things. I think this is a terrible how to get to the ready bench, etc. mistake. Another idea we have used is the Dumb In our program, we ask seven and eight-year- Question Lady. As corny as that may sound, olds to come to practice at least twice a week at we have two or three ladies in our program we the novice level. I think this makes a big call the “Dumb Question Lady” whose sole difference in helping people make the decision purpose is to serve as a sounding board or to join our program. Prospective parents hear answering service for people in our program stories about how often the seniors have to who have dumb questions and are afraid to call practice, before and after school, and they think the coaches and waste their time. We publish their eight-year-olds will have to do the same. It their phone numbers in our team roster and in is very important, in selling your program, that the newsletter on a regular basis. prospective parents understand that new Finally, the idea of a parent-coach conference swimmers do not have to attend practice every or that of a parent-coach-swimmer conference single day and that you encourage their is very effective. It is a chance to get to know the children to participate in other activities. parents and swimmer on a different level than I suggest that you take a very active interest you do in day-to-day contact on the deck, a in programs conducted by the USS local chance to offer a progress report and explain swimming committee (LSC).You should make training and diet requirements. It is also a sure that your meet schedule or your perfect opportunity to emphasise the parents’ competition program is attractive to new role in helping their youngster make progress in swimmers. One of the biggest advantages sports the sport. like soccer and football have over swimming is I feel the program structure is very important that youngsters usually attend practice three or to the success of retaining new swimmers in the four, maybe five times a week at the very most. sport. How you organise your program can They can go to a competition for two or three make a big difference. I recommend you have a hours on a Saturday afternoon and that is it.

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We ask our people to go meets Saturday and or older Age Group swimmers with two or three Sunday, in some cases all day. It is not novice swimmers and on a regular basis in the attractive to someone who doesn’t understand early part of the season, the older swimmers our sport. work with their novice swimmers on stroke Let’s talk about the idea of motivation. Your technique, starts or turns, etc. The novice ability to excite new swimmers and their swimmer has someone to look up to and to help parents and to make them feel at home is them into the world of competitive swimming. important if you hope to retain them in the The more you can do to include the novice program. One of our successful ideas is the swimmers as a part of your program and make Dynamo Incentive Award. This can be them feel at home, the better chance you have compared favourably with a high school letter of retaining them in the program. award. Every youngster in our program who meets the minimum practice attendance QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS requirements throughout the year receives, at our team banquet every fall, an award in Q: What do you do in your club in regard to the recognition of their participation in our parent-coach- swimmer conference? program. This award is usually some type of A: To be very honest, we don’t have an team apparel, a visor, bag, sweater, etc. This is organised program. We do not try to meet with a chance for that little nine-year-old “C” every swimmer and parent in our program. We swimmer, who never got a ribbon in a meet or do try to foresee situations, such as a swimmer was never recognised for anything he did in not receiving enough support at home. We competition, to receive some tangible might set up a conference with the parents of recognition for his participation in our sport. We that youngster to discuss on a very positive found this award system to be a very valuable basis things they can do to help support their motivator. youngster. One of the things I always do when I I encourage you to take advantage of the move a swimmer to my senior program is meet ASCA patch program. Talk to your youngsters with the swimmer and his parents and outline about time standards and about the classified specifically what I will expect of them in our age group program. Use the time standards as senior program. We treat our senior program motivating factors in your swimmers’ day-to-day quite a bit differently than we do our age group experiences in swimming. If they achieve a new program and we want to make sure they level in the sport by making a “B” time or an “A” understand what is involved. time for the first time, these ASCA “Achievement Awards” patches give them some immediate Q: Do you have a minimum standard that recognition, even though they may not pick up youngsters have to attain in order to join your a medal or a ribbon at the meet. program? It’s also very important to develop team spirit A: Yes, we have a minimum standard because and pride. This can be done in any number of of the summer league program which exists in ways. I know of a number of programs that give our area. We expect swimmers who come to our a youngster a team t-shirt when he joins the program for the very first time to be able to team. I think that is a great gift idea. As a part swim all four strokes for at least one length of of our team banquet every fall, we have a little the pool. They may not be able to do those initiation ceremony for every new member of strokes very well but we expect them to be able our team. This is a very simple thing, but it’s a to swim all four strokes in some form. We might way to involve them in an activity in which they make an exception in the case of a very young would not otherwise be participating. As part of and small seven or eight-year-old who can do the ceremony, we give them a club lapel pin and two or three of the strokes well but cannot do mention the pride and tradition of our Butterfly at all. organisation. Team activities are an excellent way of Q: How do you go about actually organising or developing a feeling of belonging and some starting your own summer league program? camaraderie with the older swimmers on the A: Talk to somebody who is familiar enough team. This can take the form of games at with your community to know the number and practice or special outings or a softball game on availability of neighbourhood pools in your area. Saturday. These are all things which allow the In Atlanta, most of the newer subdivisions swimmers a chance to interact in a different include a neighbourhood pool which the way than they do on a day-to- day basis in the contractor builds as one of the incentives for pool and allow them to get to know each other people to move into that subdivision. When and feel that they are more a part of the people move in, they pay an annual fee to program. belong to this club which is like a private club An idea I know has been used successfully in in their own neighbourhood. the past is the Big Brother, Big Sister If these subdivision type of pools do not exist to program. This is a program which pairs senior the extent that you need to start a summer

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league program, I would encourage you to go to the city or county recreation department to find AUSTRALIAN SWIM CAMP out the availability of public facilities. You could work with the city or county organisation to 2002 initiate some kind of summer league program if Toowoomba, Queensland one does not already exist. We do not really By Leslee Wallace have much control over the summer leagues Head Coach but by having members of your club involved in Waikerie Swim Coach, Waikerie, SA the administration of the summer league program, you can do a lot in terms of organising that league in a direction that will benefit your Unable to take up my Scholarship in 2002, program. due to the fall of Ansett, disappointment turned to excitement when I was asked to attend the Q: Do you have conflicts with summer league AusSwim Camp at Fairholme Girls College coaches concerning which practices and meets 2002. I was soon to discover that this Camp the kids attend? was worth waiting for. A: We do not have any conflict over meets because most of the summer league meets are Swimmers aged between 6 to 16 came from normally held on week nights. There is a league all States of Australia, plus a charming lad on Monday nights, a league on Tuesday nights, (Champ became his nickname) from Srilanka. two leagues on Wednesday nights and a league on Thursday nights. We allow our age group Days were packed from dawn to dusk with swimmers to miss our evening practices to activities and information. Over the duration of attend these league meets. In terms of public the Camp nothing was omitted. relations, it would be foolish for us not to cooperate. Missing that one practice every week is worth more than gaining the enmity of the Strokes for each swimmer were videoed and summer leagues. viewed, strength work, nutrition, Guest Coaches We encourage our swimmers to practice with imparting their knowledge every day … while our team and compete with the summer league the evenings were filled with fun activities. team. In most cases the summer league coaches are willing for them to do that because they Games … Getting to Know You … Skits usually have more kids than they can handle Video with Pizza. anyway. Some of the summer league coaches have regulations that they have to come to their Morning sessions were often when swim practices once or twice a week and we usually strokes were pulled apart and analysed – then cooperate with that. Let’s face it, with 10-and- drills were devised to correct and put the stroke under kids it does not really make that much together. But, for all this, fun was the order of difference if they swim in those league practices. the day. This is not going to affect their development as swimmers, it may affect how fast they swim as a On Pool Deck the Scholarship Coaches were 10-year-old but I happen to think that is not really important. full of enthusiasm as we all had the opportunity to work alongside the Guest Coaches who had Q: Do you send information about coaches’ elite swimmers. clinic to the coaches or to the people who run the pools? The knowledge I was able to gain and bring A: It is very difficult to communicate with back to my Club has been invaluable and I have summer leagues because they usually change used several of these in our Club Camp. presidents every year. Normally we send information about our stroke clinics and I would like to thank Shaun for his coaches’ clinics, or whatever, to the past enthusiasm and organisation ... Kevin and his president of the league and ask them to forward wife Anna for their patience and generosity in it. transporting us to and from the airport … and ASCTA for making the Scholarship available. Q: How do you get new parents involved? Do you require them to do certain things when they I would recommend the AusSwim Camp to join or do you ask them to do certain things? A: We are very fortunate to have one of the all swimmers and coaches as there is a wealth finest parents clubs in the country. I of knowledge to be gained. communicate our needs with the parents’ organisation and they handle getting the parents organised and involved.

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WSCA NEWSLETTER

WORLD SWIMMING COACHES ASSOCIATION

1st Floor, 461 Olive Street, Albury NSW 2640 Phone: (02) 6041 6077 – Fax: (02) 6041 4282 Email: [email protected] Reproduced from ASCA Newsletter, Vol.2002-09 GROW the PIE An editorial by John Leonard – July 9, 2002 There is a very interesting, and, for the coaching profession, sad, article in today’s Wall Street Journal, written by Kevin Helliker “On Sports,” titled “Taking Like a Fish to Water.” Want to swim and study at It begins with an introduction to Terry Laughlin’s Total Immersion Clinics. an elite level? It proceeds to the questioning writer asking himself “Am I learning the right way to swim in Monash University Swimming Program is taking this weekend clinic?” applications for 2nd semester 2003 and 1st This question leads the writer to another semester 2004. Bursary packages coach by the name of Doug Stern. Mr. Stern commensurate with swimming and academic proceeds to rip the Total Immersion Clinic. Flip ability are available for a limited number of back to Mr. Laughlin, who returns fire by ripping Mr. Stern. athletes. The intelligent author decides he would be well served by asking the opinion of an Packages may include financial assistance with independent expert without a Clinic to sell. He educational expenses, accommodation, training selects a well-known swimmer by the name of fees, travel to competition, athlete and personal Janet Evans. Janet proceeds to say “Baloney, it development. is all about different strokes for different folks.” The author proceeds to another expert, Tom For further information on the Swimming Jager. Tom says that swimming isn’t that Program contact… complicated, it’s simple and you don’t need to think much about it. “A simple thing you can Vince Raleigh, Head Coach make complicated.” High Performance Swimming Program In between, a Total Immersion Instructor P.O. Box 1, Monash University, Vic. 3800 (unnamed) is quoted by Mr. Helliker as saying that Janet Evans is an “aerobic freak who would Telephone: (03) 9905 4325 have done better if she’d just taken a few Total Facsimile: (03) 9905 4104 Immersion courses.” Talk about shooting Mobile: 0417 617 517 yourself in the foot. E-mail: [email protected] In between, Mr. Helliker finds the always Website: www.monash.edu/sra/aquatic amusing Mr. Ed Reese at the University of Texas, who tells us, (tongue in cheek) that since his team won the NCAA’s, he just must be “the smartest coach at this second in time.” As usual, Ed is right on. If you believe in secrets to success, and shortcuts, you are pretty easy prey

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to those with a momentary angle to pursue. person to take from you the phone numbers of Thankfully, Mr. Reese, along with most of our other area programs, so they can compare, other top coaches, never fall for this sort of false listen and judge for themselves where they self-admiration. They not only question would be happiest and best served. I am sure everyone else’s ideas they question their own, that both Mr. Laughlin and Mr. Stern have a just as Doc Counsilman recommended decades great deal to offer to adult swimmers, and most ago. likely they have different strengths to offer. With Now what has happened? Two coaches are in better cooperation, the author might have the Wall Street Journal looking like they are chosen to take BOTH clinics, enriched both mercenary charlatans who will sell any idea as coaches, and left with two sets of good ideas long as it is theirs and as long as it earns a and a good feeling he could share with others, buck. (Let me be clear that I know Terry maybe even in his WALL STREET JOURNAL Laughlin and this most definitely is not the column, and brought both coaches and maybe case, but the net result of the article makes this even some others more business. Instead, he case strongly, sadly for Terry.) left with cynicism and scepticism of all coaching And the public (represented by the writer) is in our sport. left to turn to independent experts who are ... When we knock each other, we drive people Swimmers! to other sports. And the pie shrinks. It is hard to see this as anything but totally When we praise and support each other, we damaging to the profession. bring people to swimming. And the pie grows. And sadly, those two gentlemen wound up Concentrate on growing the sport. with a very uncomplimentary portrait in the Make the pie bigger. Wall Street Journal, and they are not the only Reproduced from ASCA Newsletter, Vol. 2002-12 ones involved in this sort of behaviour. We hear almost daily of coaches in a locale IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THE SWIMMER who speak poorly about their local competitors By: Charles Yourd and fellow professional coaches ... who run WAVES Swimmers and Parents… down their achievements, their knowledge, their Last night one of our “swim princesses” made a comment to me about the BHS pool. Sounded to me as though any training facility experience. less than the Sydney Olympic pool was not up to her high What is the net result of all this? The person standards. Below is an interesting letter from Gary Kinkead, Head listening turns away, and looks for the nearest Coach at the University of Indianapolis. He is describing his own coach, Hall of Fame Member Glen Hummer, and the program and soccer field or gym. No one wants to be involved facilities at the Huntington, Indiana YMCA, which produced in a youth or adult sport where the national record holders, national champions, and Olympians, from professionals are at each others’ throats. a “3½ lane” 20-yard basement pool, and a gravel pit. Gary Kinkead What should we say as professional went on to become NCAA Champion in the 400 IM at the University of Michigan. I like Huntington Y’s Saturday morning set. Coaches? Let’s start with a simple question. It’s not about the facility the swimmer trains in … it’s Have you ever been deliberately lied to, or what’s inside the swimmer. misled, by one of your fellow coaches when you Glen “Butch” Hummer – Butch was my asked them a question? I daresay that very few coach after moving from Indianapolis to of you have. We have the best group of Huntington. My father had been offered a professionals in the world when it comes to management position for Combined Insurance sharing our ideas, knowledge and experience. Co., and the centre of the territory was really Ft. Any coach I know will help any other coach who Wayne, but Huntington YMCA swimming had a asks for it. great program at the time and a great coach as If their ideas do not match with yours, what well. I swam for the Huntington YMCA program does that mean? It means that the experiences from 1963-66 when I left to go to the University they have learned from are different from yours. of Michigan to finish my swimming career. So they have different ideas. Are they less valid Butch also is in the International Swimming than your own? I would say not. They are just Hall of Fame and coached National Record different ... another tool to put in our toolbox Holders and Champions, National YMCA Record that we can use on those oh-so-rare occasions Holders and Champions and a few Olympians, when our own brilliance is insufficient to solve a Gary Dilley being one of them. Butch was a problem in front of us. stern coach with a quiet voice; I can never So what can you, should you, say about your remember him raising his voice. He was a local competitors and fellow coaches? I would biology teacher at Huntington High School for venture that you should say that they offer many years, never was married and lived in a something different than you do, and perhaps very small, neatly kept house just north of run a program differently. Explain your Huntington. I remember many of the swimmers program in detail, and cordially invite the going to Butch’s house during the summer to

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help take care of his yard, planting flowers, behind. Did we produce? YOU BET! We were trees, cutting the grass and just generally YMCA National Champions several years and helping around the house with whatever he many of our swimmers went on to wonderful needed done. collegiate careers. Butch spoke to each and every one of his WORLD’S OLDEST OLYMPIC swimmers before and after every race and always gave strategic advice on how to swim GOLD MEDALLIST DIES their event. He said it privately to each of us By: Cecil Colwin and no one knew what he had said to any of the “THE COACH WORE SPATS” other swimmers, his advice was specific to each ’s Historical Memoirs The following was written in the fall of 1992 and is reprinted here individual swimmer to draw the best out of each by courtesy of “Swimnews” Magazine. (Extracts from articles by of us. I have always said that if I could Cecil Colwin, Swimming Coach/Historian and Author of remember each and every thing that he told me “Breakthrough Swimming” and “Swimming Dynamics”, and by Dr before and after each race that I would be the Linda J. Borish, in a telephone interview with Aileen Riggin in June 1995, Department of History, Western Michigan University. This second best coach in Indiana, with Butch being research project was supported by the Western Michigan the best, of course. Talk about pools? Well, in University Research and Development Program.) the winter time we had the typical YMCA 3½ Aileen Riggin Soule, the world’s oldest lane, flush deck pool (it had four lanes marked Olympic gold medallist, died in Hawaii last off, but you just couldn’t put lane markers in to night at the age of 96, after several years of make it four lanes. It was one of the 20-yard declining health. pools in the basement of the old Huntington Aileen Riggin first competed in the Olympics YMCA and didn’t have any ventilation system to in 1920 at the age of 14 in Antwerp where she empty the heavily chlorinated air. I remember won the gold medal in springboard diving, In the terrible coughing bouts that made us sick to Paris, 1924, she became the only woman in our stomachs. We didn’t have a pace clock, we Olympic history to win medals in both diving just began our next rep when Butch clapped his and swimming; in springboard diving she won hands. That’s right … no whistle, no beep from the silver medal, and she finished 3rd in the a pace clock or no “on the top” send off. Did we 100m Backstroke. know what our intervals were? NO! Did we Among her many accomplishments were know what our repeat times were? Again, outdoor and indoor national springboard titles, NEGATIVE! Did we know when we were and national relay titles in swimming. Aileen slacking? YOU BET! Butch would, in no Riggin toured the world as a professional, uncertain terms, let each individual know when starring in Hollywood movies and swimming they just weren’t putting out the way he felt we spectaculars. Her articles appeared in Good could. Butch ALWAYS drew the best out of each Housekeeping and Colliers, among others. swimmer. Aileen Riggin Soule swam in Masters Our summer pool – Lake Claire, is an old Competitions with great success for many gravel pit just east of Huntington. Again no pace years. She was invited to the 2000 Olympics in clock, no lane markers, not even any black lines Sydney, Australia to be honoured as the oldest to mark the bottom of the “pool”. Butch did, living gold medallist, but declined to make the however, have a few “courses”; from the willow trip. tree to the white sands was our 220 course; Aileen Riggin was inducted into the Hawaii from the willow tree to the big oak tree was our Sports Hall of Fame as well as the International 440 course; along the line that marked the Swimming Hall of Fame, based in Fort recreational swimming area was our 50-yard Lauderdale, Florida. She was a founding board course and every Saturday we would do member of the Hawaii Senior Olympics. 10x880’s. (WAVES NOTE: GREAT SET!) Our Aileen Riggin Soule said, “The first time I met 880 course was the length of the gravel pit; Mr Handley was in a small steaming swimming Butch would get in his little row boat and tag pool in the basement of a hotel in Brooklyn alongside of us to make sure we were doing our Heights, New York. This was about 1917, required workload. It was an incredibly during the war years. Mr Handley was a very competitive group; as I said there was no pace courteous gentleman and welcomed me to the clock, so how did we know when to begin our Women’s Swimming Association (W.S.A.) of New next 220 or 440? Well, you would try to be the York. I had just missed becoming a charter first one over and you would rest until the next member of this newly formed club by about two guy came in and you would take off again. If weeks. Mr Handley volunteered to coach the you weren’t the first one over, you would rest women who belonged to this club. He was even less because you would get there and take interested in promoting his theories of off with the first guy so you didn’t get too far swimming and was very willing to help us. He

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wanted to experiment with his new concepts of congratulated us when we did something well. the American crawl stroke. He was sorry when we lost out on some event. My first impression of him was that he was He always encouraged us in every way. The rest very polite, a perfect gentleman; and that was of the team were all very good sports. the impression that remained for the rest of my “NO PRIMA DONNAS” life. He was looked up to by all of the young If any new member got a little conceited or women in the swimming club. We respected him did something that we did not think was and we all tried our very best to please him by sportsmanlike, the older members of the team swimming well. We all thought Mr Handley was informed them of this mistake and told them quite handsome. He was fair and had that fine they had better correct it. We were all in this to build, not too muscular, a swimmer’s build- help each other and to get points for our club which was his sport. He played water polo for later on in competition. The club came first and the United States in the Olympic Games in we were very willing and anxious to do our best 1904, which were held in St. Louis at the to promote our team. There were no prima Exposition. He also competed for the New York donnas in the dub. Athletic Club. Sports were his hobby. He did We had barely enough money in the club and sports for fun-yachting, sailing, raising dogs, it was hard to keep up. Mr Handley donated his bicycling, and competing in various different services and several of the other older women athletic activities. volunteered and donated their help. In this way “HANDLEY WAS A GREAT BELIEVER IN we were able to continue although financially AMATEUR SPORTS” strapped. He was a rather tweedy type, more of an We started collecting national championships English country gentleman, I would say, than in our club and people became interested in an American swim coach. He always used to girls’ swimming. This was something new at wear tweeds. Sometimes in the winter he would that time. We got great publicity because, over wear spats. For you young people out there, time, our girls seemed to be breaking national spats are pieces of felt worn over a man’s shoes, or world records because of our stroke. We also supposedly for warmth and also for a dressy were competing at the same time as women appearance. When I ask my friends now what were wearing one-piece bathing suits for the they remember of Mr Handley, no one forgets first time – in the United States at least. This those spats. He was always very well dressed coincided with the improvement of our and put up a very good appearance. swimming. Mr Handley was such a quiet person that no Perhaps wearing less cumbersome uniforms one knew a great deal about him and his private to swim in helped us with our speed. I am sure life. He was born in Rome of American parent: it did. Up to that time, women wore the gay 90’s so he was an American citizen. As a young man type of bathing suits with the large bloomers he was in the importing business. His business and heavy serge material. I do not know how suffered greatly during the two World Wars. He they kept from drowning in those clothes. We recovered from his first loss, I believe, but never had great coverage in the newspapers and quite had the success he formerly had. magazines before television, radio, and all the He was one of the best educated persons that other media. We dominated the news because I have known. He spoke four or five languages. this was a new sport. People were realising that He was raised in Europe and could converse in women swimmers were really good athletes. And at least all of the romance languages. He could they became proud as well because American represent U.S. in meetings with foreign coaches girls were making world records. and the committees who made the rules for the Our team, coached by Mr Handley, was Olympics and other sports events. To have invited everywhere along the east coast and as someone who could speak up for us was a very far west as California and Honolulu, and did valuable contribution to the sport. very well everywhere we went. Any girls who Mr Handley was a great believer in amateur cared to come join our club could so. It was by sports and we were a 100% amateur team. We no means a closed club. The yearly dues were also had to be good sports. I know it sounds like $3 for team members. The others paid more Horatio Alger, “For God, for Country, and for because they were taking lessons and such, but Yale,” but it was not this way. We had a motto those who were actually on the team had a very for our club, which was “Good sportsmanship low rate. is greater than victory!” We had to live up to a FIRST OFFICIAL OLYMPIC WOMEN’S certain standard. Mr Handley did this by his SWIMMING COACH example. He always spoke in low cultured We were really true amateurs in those days. tones: never any ranting or screaming. He Girls would come to us from many places in the

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United States and even from Panama. They while we were competing. I used to like tennis, would come for the coaching. They were played a little golf, rode horseback some, ice welcomed to free coaching by Mr Handley. They skated, but he asked us not to do that while we did not have to represent our club. He was were actually competing. We could do it later, interested in good sportsmanship and on our own time. He thought that swimming transferring his ability to others. It pleased him was a natural exercise and sufficient for our if they were successful. Some of them were very development. It appeared to be. We were all true successful. We had not only , amateurs in the true sense of the word. We who at the time became the most famous never expected to turn professional or earn any woman swimmer, we had ; money from the sport we loved. And we really who won at the Olympics; did love it. Sometimes during laps, in the winter , my rival; Charlotte Boyle; time in a cold pool, it can be boring, dull and Helen Meany who was really a diver but was a miserable but altogether we really liked it and member of the club; Agnes Geraghty who won a stuck with it. It was stimulating when we tremendous number of Breaststroke races. started breaking records. I myself was a diver. I , later on, the Backstroke did swim in the Olympics, Backstroke, and swimmer, was a member of our club. National Relay Team, Freestyle. They did not Mr Handley did not go on many trips with have Medleys in those days. I was the slowest us. He preferred to stay in New York City and one in the relays but it was good enough for a attend to business. He did go to Paris for the gold medal in the nationals. Olympic Games in 1924. He was the official With all the victories that our girls had, Mr women’s swimming coach and this was a first. Handley’s name spread as well the name of the The previous Olympic Games in 1920, which W.S.A. club, but he remained the same was the first one in which American girls dedicated amateur coach. He was delighted with competed, did not have a women’s coach. He our success, and with the proof of his theories was a great help to us in Paris because of his that his stroke was the best stroke at that time. linguistic abilities. Just his presence helped us “A SECRET WINTER SWIMMER” greatly. He inspired confidence. Of course we He was an all around athlete. Mr Handley were very naive swimmers. We never heard of competed in so many different sports. He held dope in my day – in those days I should say. We the world’s record in something called the were all raised that good sportsmanship is medley race. That consisted of continuous greater than victory. We also felt that one- quarter miles of walking, running, horseback upmanship was to give your opponent the riding, rowing and swimming. In that order. His advantage and then beat him or her. That we time was 16:27.45, which sounds pretty fast to did sometimes, especially in handicap races. me. Our coach and assistants all felt that handicap Another of Mr Handley’s hobbies was to be races were a great influence and helped in an all year round swimmer. In New York the developing speed. It gave an advantage to the winter gets very cold, as we all know. He would up-and-coming swimmers. The champions go down to Manhattan Beach which is near would have to catch up with them. They were Brighton Beach. A group he knew would gather given a few seconds advance start. It worked there. They would lie in the sun and then go for pretty well. They felt this was a good method. I a swim in the ice cold water. He felt that this do not know if they do that any more – I doubt kept him in good shape. He never told us about it. this. I had heard much later that he kept up his Mr Handley had us swim about a mile every swimming all year round. Although I never day. Every time we got in the pool we swam actually saw him swim, I am sure he did the approximately a mile. Nobody knew in those old-fashioned Australian crawl with the scissors days how far we should go, how to train, or kick. No one ever caught him at it to my what we should do when we did get in the pool. knowledge. Sometimes in the indoor pool, which Mr Handley tried to keep us on a simple was very hot and overheated, he would wear a regimen as far as food was concerned. He did bathing suit, the old-fashioned kind, which was not recommend anything. We were not all we knew in those days, the one-piece man’s supposed to have lots of candy or ice cream and suit. They never wore trunks without a shirt as chocolates and things like that. He was against they do now. sodas. We used to dream about them. After After the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, the some big National or Olympic Games, we would American girl swim team was invited to give go out and fill up on French pastry – “pig out” exhibitions in England. One day while there, we as they say nowadays. went to visit Mr Handley’s cousins, nieces and He did not want us to play any other sports nephews at their beautiful country home

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outside London. It was a typical British motions. Swimming will be faster and smoother, afternoon party with tennis, croquet and and more injury-free. swimming, followed by High Tea. We enjoyed Mr A second reason to warm up is the most Handley’s charming family and the chance to important. Especially as we age, the break through and get a glimpse into his private cardiovascular systems must be protected and world. gently but progressively stressed to bring heart- I never realised how strong Mr Handley’s rate and blood pressure up to the demands of influence had been until I started swimming in competition or vigorous workouts. There is no the Masters Program in 1988. When I went for set distance to be covered during the warm-up, my first swim at the University of Hawaii in but experience teaches that as we age, and/or Honolulu, I found two women from New York the more muscle we have, the more time we who were younger than I, but had been coached need to ease into the main set of a workout or by Mr Handley. They were still competing and competition. If racing, the final element needed they still had the W.S.A. 6-beat-double- to condition the body for intense activity is a crawl stroke. One of them is 55 years old; the short bout of faster swims – builds, if you will, other is 65 years old. She placed third in the that will leave a memory of speed for the Neuro World’s Master Championship this past fall in musculature. At least 20 minutes should be Australia, while I competed in the 80-85 group. allowed before your first race to allow for They are going this summer to Europe to removal of any accumulated lactic acid. compete in the World’s Masters Championship. This building into speed is important for I thought what a marvellous tribute to the man another reason. There is a small but growing who spread the cult of American crawl segment of the swimming world that would swimming throughout the United States and benefit greatly from a certain type of warm-up. eventually the world – the stroke with some The exercise-induced asthmatic needs to lessen slight modifications now as it was then. I certain irritating chemicals released into the wonder how many more of his pupils still swim bronchiole tree with vigorous activity. Balancing and compete, 70 years later. short, fast swims with plenty of rest allows for P.S. I forgot to say that Mr. Handley has been an the secreting of these chemicals and their honouree of the International Swimming Hall of depletion over time. Some chest discomfort and Fame since 1967. coughing are typical signs of the chemicals at work; eventually the symptoms dissipate. This MEDICALLY ritual, though not pleasant, could make a big difference in the ensuing swims. If inhaled medication is needed and correctly taken at Why you should least 15-30 minutes BEFORE getting in the water for warm-up, one should have peace of and mind knowing that in about 1 hour the By Ed Nessel maximum effect will take place and everything R.Ph., M.S., M.P.H. Pres., Jersey Masters was done to level the field against more Swimming NJLMSC Health & Fitness Chair fortunate swimmers. Warming up and cooling down are vital Cool-downs can be passive, gently active, or components of vigorous workouts and moderately active. Passive is least efficient and competition. If you do not partake of these effective; just resting will eventually get your air rituals, you are at risk for injury and illness, back, but you will still be under the influence of and you will simply not swim as fast. The body the negative effects of vigorous exercise must be prepared, conditioned if you will, to (elevated blood pressure and muscle and blood summon its energies for intense physical lactate) Moderate activity can provide for good activity, and allowed to safely come back after recovery. A co-oriented breathing in-and-out same. with bobbing up and down (heart above and Of major importance is the allowance of the below the water line) is a potent recovery ritual; musculature’s full range of motion for the air is rather quickly restored and blood different strokes. To stretch the muscle when pressure lowered. Though lactate is not rapidly cold is just asking for trouble. The muscle removed, at least controlled respiration allows fibres are the ones we want to elongate. The for a somewhat quicker return for the next connective tissue attaching the muscles to bone exercise bout. is much less pliable and forgiving. Warmth is Moderately active recovery is the most caused by blood rushing to the muscles with complete and allows for the best return to the easy swimming or by the addition of stretching base-line. Allowing an easy few laps after the throughout the full range of stroke-specific bobbing up-and-down ritual brings the body

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back down more completely for the next your program is a quality one, which means exercise bout. A cool-down pool is the ideal. swimming at race pace on a daily basis. After getting your air back some moderate I feel that it is possible to swim distance swims utilising the stroke just swum at about events by swimming fast in practice on a 60% effort has been proven to be ideal. At this regular basis. The Riverside Distance Program level, lactic acid is actually utilised as fuel. Any is based on the concept of distance through faster, and lactate will accumulate again. Too Quality not Quantity. slow, and recovery from lactate is incomplete I am not the first person to promote this type and prolonged. This may not be known until the of program and I would like to acknowledge next swim or the next day when you feel tight some people who helped me formulate the and stiff – all the result of insufficient removal Riverside program … Ron Ballatore, Tony of lactic acid. Turner, Dick Jochums and Don Swartz. I have Cooling down after a workout, combined with borrowed many ideas from these coaches and I stretching, lessens the tendency for muscle would like to say “Thanks”. It would be a stiffness. A few hundred yards is all that is mistake for you to listen to what I have to say, needed to aid in recovery for the next session. then go home and try to do exactly what we do. USMS has legislated that space cool-downs is You have to develop your own program. You mandatory at ALL meets; at least one lane being have to be comfortable with what you are doing. dedicated to full-time use for recovery. Don’t copy others – take their ideas and make Remember, the older you are, the more them fit into your own creation. warm-up/cool-down you need. It is not just for Following is one of our distance workout comfort; the general health and wellbeing are days during Christmas vacation in the 76-77 being attended to. Logic would dictate that season. The swimmers were given only 2 hours prevention of illness and injury is a major factor 45 minutes to complete the workout. This was a in cutting down on needless suffering and lost lot of yardage which they kept up for two weeks. training time, not to mention medical costs. The rest of the season was geared to a little less yardage – 20,000 per day or so. DISTANCE FREESTYLE Sample Long Course Workout – April 25, 1978 Warm up: 800 swim-pull; 16x50 descend to 4, 8 pull on 1:00, 8 By Chuck Riggs swim on :45; 200 kick; 5x100 descend to 5 on 2:00 base. Riverside Aquatics, Riverside, California, 1978 Distance & Chicago Middle Sprint Breast Fly - Back What you are going to hear today is a big Distance 5x150-50 part of my life … The Riverside Aquatics descend to 5 on Training Program. I’m very proud of my program 3:15 base 800 and all of my swimmers – as each of you are of HP – Pull breathing 3-5-7- yours. Throughout the talk I will use Sippy 9 8x10 P des. 12x100 des Woodhead in my examples, because that’s what to 4 on a 1:30 to 4 on 2:00 8x100 Prog. by most of you want to hear about. You want to base Prog. by 25’s 400 wrist 25’s on 2:00 hear how Sippy Woodhead trains. I will attempt 300 Easy 8x100 P-K-G 10x50 on des. to 4, 1-4 5- to give you her training program for this past 200 Easy 1:00 8 at 200 pace 4-Pull 4 - Swim season, but I would like to point out that what 3x300 on 4:00 5 - build 200 Easy 200 Easy 4x200 Prog. on you hear is history and it will not be the same 200 Easy 5 - descend 20x50 on 1 :00 for her in this coming year, because we will try 3:30 500 Easy 10x50 des. to 5 5-Br. 5 Fr. Pull 200 Easy to improve our program and make it even Pull better. 5 on :45 100 for Time 200 Easy 16x50 on :50 What does it take to have a good Distance 5 on :40 100 Easy 3x200 des. to 3 8-last 25 SP Freestyle Training Program? Can you have a #3 - 100-50-50 distance program without going 20,000 yards or 100 Easy 50 for Time at race pace 8 des. to 4 100 Easy 200 Easy 200 Easy metres per day? I asked myself this very 10x100 L-25 question a year ago. The previous year (1976- max. stroke on

77) we went 20,000 a day with a maximum of 1:30 base des. 24,000-25,000 a day during Christmas to 5-5 H 200 Easy vacation. We even tried to go 30,000 one day. 7000 Total 5050 Total 6200 Total 6700 Total Notice that I said, “tried”. I think that this is a For the rest of the talk I would like to focus very important question for all of us to ask. Do on the concept that by swimming quality you have to go that massive yardage in order to workouts you can have a distance program have an effective distance swimming program? without massive yardage. Distance through My answer to this question is that you do not if Speed! The things that I will talk about today are true. Our program changed a great deal in

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the 77-78 season from the previous one. We Mondays – so do the kids. We just did not get went from very high mileage to a lower mileage, anything out of it. higher quality program. Since we were not going on Monday The main reason we made the big change is mornings we decided to go the other 11 that I do not think swimmers can handle the workouts that much harder. I put them on a massive yardage physically and mentally year published schedule so that each time they came after year. My swimmers could not have done it to workout they knew what type of workout they again. I think that it was more mental than were going to do. I felt this was important for physical. Physically, I think that I could have the following reasons … (1) I wanted them to beaten them through it again, but their minds train for more than one event; (2) I wanted to would not have been ready for it. make sure they could swim many events well; Following is a very normal workout for the (3) By training for different events on a regular 77-78 season. I did not have an IM workout on basis, they kept from getting bored because this particular day, but this illustrates how I they got a break, a change of pace; (4) They broke the team up into groups. We usually did a were able to swim every workout at race pace long warm-up together with a lot of hard because of the variety. I believe swimmers have kicking before we went into groups. Most of the to swim fast in workout if they want to swim workout is pretty well explained except for the fast in a meet. I reinforce this concept on a daily term progressive. This means that on the first basis. one they go ¾ of it Freestyle and in the last ¼ in I felt that my swimmers could swim fast all stroke, then increase the distance swum in the time and this is what I expected of them stroke on each swim, until the whole distance is everyday. They were capable of coming to done in stroke. We also do this in the Freestyle workout and doing a job on the sets. A lot of it sets, but there progressive refers to how much had to do with the fact that they were excited you swim at race pace. This type of set gives the because they got a chance to do different swimmer a chance to think about the different workouts. They were not labelled into a parts of his race and to swim at the race pace particular group each workout. I know that this he wants to swim in the meet. A lot of quality helped Sippy tremendously. She can swim just swimming. about any event in the nationals. This variety This year’s program was basically quality not enabled her to give a hundred percent all of the quantity. We changed because I felt that my time. This type of program enabled all of the kids were getting stale mentally and physically. kids to give a 100% effort all of the time. You The following illustrates the basic plan that we have to swim fast in practice if you expect to followed for this past season… swim fast in the meets. Sample Distance Workout Program – Dec 23, 1976 Each workout was broken up into groups AM Long Course after the 2,000-3,000 warm-up. Our warm-up 1,000 Swim – Pull 600 Hand-paddle Pull with a donut was designed to get them fired up, and ready to 12x100 Hp -P-D on a 1:45 base go. We would swim fast, short sets to get them 1200 Hp-P-D Breathing 1-2-3-4 stroke cycles by 50’s going. The warm-up was always done with all 10x100 Quickie on 1:40 base descend to 5. Quickies are swim the groups swimming together. Then we would down-kick back. 200 Easy swim break up into the various workout groups for 10x400 15 sec. rest descend to 5 that session. Remember, that each swimmer 10x100 Swim on a 1:15 base or 10 sec. rest. Descend to 5-5 Hard was on a rotating schedule to give plenty of 400 Easy Pull 8x150 on 2:30 base: last 50 stroke descend to 4 variety. The Breaststrokers were the only ones 200 Easy who did not alternate, because Breaststrokers 12,000 Total swim breast-stroke most of the time. They would swim at least seven of the 11 possible PM 33 1/3 yard pool 800 Swim – Pull workouts Breaststroke which they really didn’t 20x66 2/3 on 1: 00 descend to 4 mind. 400 Easy Swim At the bottom of the General Plan chart is 10x200 on a 2:30 base descend to a 5. 5 Swim, 5 Pull Sippy’s weekly schedule. This is basically what 200 Easy 300x100 on 1:15 base descend I to 5 11-20 Last lap fly she did for most of the year. As you can see, she 300 Easy swam a great deal of variety in her training 3,000 Leap-Frog program. She trained for all of the different 400 Easy 20x33 1/3 on a 30 sec. events that she might swim in the Nationals. We 12,000 Total trained with the idea she would make the finals Each swimmer was on a rotating schedule. in all of these events. Five out of 11 of her We do not workout on Monday mornings during workouts were Middle-Distance. On the other the school year because I hate to get up on six she went distance once, sprint twice, IM

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once and two Butterfly workouts each week. was a cold Tuesday morning workout with an Once in a while she would swim a Breaststroke air temperature of about 40ºF. She then went workout. In each workout she was expected to an easy 200. Then, I asked her to do 5x100 on a swim fast and most of the time she did. I believe 1:00 base. She was really swimming well and that if a swimmer swims fast (quality) in was ready for anything. I asked her to descend practice on a regular basis, they can swim any the 100’s and they went like this … #1-58.0, #2- event or distance without doing massive 57.2, #3-56.6, #4-55.4, and #5-54.5. This was yardage. We never went over 15,000 in any one with only a 200 easy after the 1,000. If you have day this year; Sippy probably averaged 13,000 a done your addition, you would know that she day. The times she swam in practice were very has gone 1,500 of all quality, race pace fast. She gave almost every workout a 100% swimming and that there is only a 150 left to effort. complete a 1,650. She then went 3x50 on a All season long there was a lot of variety in 30sec base. She went 26.0, 25.8, and 26.6. She the workouts. We did a lot of broken swims, got a little tired on the last one. Her 1,650 at descending sets, negative splits, and we tried to Austin had the same basic splits that she swam never repeat a workout. I try to make every in the workout that morning. Both Sippy and workout a challenge and a creation. My goal swam great races that were was to challenge them to do their best each and planned ahead of time. This reinforces some of every day. I don’t think you will ever get the concepts that we try to do all year long. We swimmers to stop complaining about their try to swim the races in practice, as close to our workouts, even if they have never done the race pace as possible. March 9, 1978 was the same workout twice. You have to convince the last time that I said a word to Sippy about the kids that there is only one way to be great … 1,650. We talked about it after the workout that that is to work hard. Once you get them to morning and nothing else was said because she believe that it does not make any difference had already swum the race in practice. what you do in workout as long as you are Another example of how Sippy swims in giving it a 100% effort, then, you will have workout would be on that same evening, March swimmers swimming at Race Pace on a daily 9, 1978. The whole team swam an “Animal” set, basis, which is really the key to our program. which is something that we do for quality What this really means is that the swimmers swimming at race pace … 4x200 on a four- swim as close as possible to the optimum speed minute base, going all out on all four of them. in practice that they want to swim in their For every second they were over their best, they actual race. They try to do this on every set. received an animal point. The swimmers with If the set is a descending set of four, then the fewest number of animal points got a No.4 should be as close to their race pace as banana split. Sippy went 1:51, 1:50, 1:49.5, possible. A descending set of four does not and 1:49.1, but did not win the “Animal” set. mean three easy and one hard, it means We had a couple of younger kids who went four starting at a particular speed then dropping lifetime best times. These are the types of things your time one or two seconds in a controlled that we did in our workouts. fashion. The swimmer decides how much he Maybe these examples will help you wants to drop his time on each swim before the understand what I mean by swimming at race set begins. I will often give them a goal to go for pace in workout. What they do on their swims on the descending sets. This will challenge them in practice has to have a direct relation to the and also let them know what is expected of way they want to swim in their races in meets. them. Man will do only what is expected of him, The sets I have told you about were swum the very seldom will he exceed what is expected of way we want to swim them in meets. When we him. An example might be … a set of 5x200 on do a descending set in practice, the last one is a 2:30 base: #1-2:10, #2-2:08, #3-2:06, #4- swum exactly the way we intend doing it in the 2:04, and #5-2:02, thus, they have descended meet. It may not be the time they are going to the set in a controlled fashion. do in the meet, but it is as close as they can To illustrate swimming at Race Pace, I possible get. We try to reinforce the concept: would like to give you two examples of how You can swim fast all the time in practice and Sippy swam in practice. On March 9, 1978, you should swim as close to race pace as during the last phase of our hard training possible. Even if your time is not as fast as you period before the Nationals, she did a 1,000 for swim in meets, at least you have split the same time. I asked her to go five minutes flat on the way you will in the meet. However, each split first 500, then go as fast as possible on the might be a little slower. You swim in meets the second 500. She went 5:00 flat on the first 500 way you swim in workout. and 4:44 on the second 500 of the 1,000. This We often do descending sets which try to get

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the swimmer to descend down to the actual action) as fast as possible and then let it down pace they would like to swim for the second and slowly. We are training our swimmers to be fast, third 100’s of their 400m race. This makes the not slow and sluggish. Thus, they have to lift as kids think about their races at all times and much weight as possible, as fast as they can, also gives some purpose to the sets that they for the length of time required of them. We do are doing that day. Thus, the swimmers have the best we can with what we have. We have rehearsed their races time and time again. The achieved some success with our weight program meets are a cinch after all this rehearsing! Our and facilities. swimmers can go to meets and know what to We do weights for 45 minutes, three days per expect, because they have swum the race so week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We many times in practice – they know how to go various time based circuits for the entire 45 swim their races. They have no worries when minutes with no break between the sets. We the meet comes around; they just let the race consider the weights a very important part of FLOW! The above has been a very basic outline that day’s workout and they are expected to give of my philosophy of swimming. 100%. They work very hard in the weight room Our program involves more than just and get hot and sweaty. There are five swimming in the pool. We have a very crude stretching stations in the weight circuit which weight program because we do not have any are stationed around the circuit. The mini-gyms fancy weight equipment. However, we do work and the free weights are spaced so they very hard with what we have. I have always alternate from one to another. Remember, our been a very strong believer in weights for circuit is set up in a very small room. I swimming. There is only one way that a emphasize that they do the weights correctly or swimmer can achieve true potential as a they don’t do them at all. There is nothing swimmer and that is to be as strong as possible. worse than seeing a kid doing the bench-press The stronger you are, per pound of body weight, and coming down only six inches then popping the faster you can swim. It really doesn’t matter the weight right back up. I will do whatever it what kind of weights your team uses. A takes to get the kids to do the weights correctly. swimmer will gain strength with whatever you The only way swimmers are going to do the have available, which is the only limiting factor weights correctly is for the coach to stand on for any of us. top of them and closely supervise. Do not ever A BRIEF OUTLINE OF OUR WEIGHT leave the weight room, if you want to make sure PROGRAM everything stays in one piece. 1. We use a circuit with 30 stations. The concept of negative lifting is important to 2. Equipment: (a) Mini-gym, (b) Free Weight, our program for two reasons … first, it helps (c) Universal (Marcy) (d) Stretch-cords, (e) keep the kids from getting injured while doing Sleds. the weights. When you use a light weight and 3. Weights are done on Tuesday, Thursday do very fast repetitions, it is easy to snap or and Saturday for 45 minutes. strain something in the shoulder and elbow 4. They are asked to do the weights correctly area; Second, I feel that you gain more strength (lift through a full range of motion) or they by negative lifting. Every sixth weight workout are asked to occupy space somewhere we would do a set where they would take the else. greatest amount of weight they could lift for 10 5. All weights are lifted with the negative lift seconds on three lifts. They would lift the weight concept. in a positive motion as fast and explosively as Our weight room is a small 20ft x 20ft room they could, then let it down very slowly on the right off the pool. It has very little ventilation count of five. This gives them more resistance to and sometimes becomes a smelly affair. You overcome and thus, they gain more strength. have to learn to make what you have work for We do this heavy weight set only every sixth you and your team. We have a circuit set-up weight workout. I am not trying to build big and we rotate around the 30 stations. Our bulging muscles, so most of our weight training entire program is based on negative lifting. No is done with a lighter weight and fast matter what the exercise, you have to let the repetitions. weight down slower than you pushed it up. If it Our weight program is set up to make each took you two seconds to lift the weight, then it kid as strong as possible, per pound of body should take you at least four seconds to let the weight. We have a contest once a month that weight down. We try to make our weight gives us a measure of this. There are four lifts program apply as much as possible to what we and sit-ups. They try to see how many want to happen in the pool. We try to always repetitions they can do with the greatest have them explode the weight up (positive amount of weight possible for 30 seconds. They

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multiply the weight times the number of The “Donut” helps the swimmer develop repetitions and then divide it by their body strength in a symmetrical fashion because the weight. This gives us a ratio that tells us how “Donut” keeps the legs straight and helps keep strong they are per pound. Sippy has the the stroke smooth. The resistance created by highest ratio for the girls; pound for pound she the “Donut” builds strength throughout the is stronger than anyone else on the team, swimming muscles of the upper body. except for one boy. Hopefully, you’ll hear about I would suggest that you use the “Donut” him in a year or two. This sums up our weight only three days per week, not everyday. 3,000 program. Much of the success our swimmers per day seems to be a good amount for most have had this year is partially credited to our swimmers. I demand that swimmers have long weight program. I have always believed in the perfect strokes at all times while they are using value of weight training and I am constantly the “Donut.” If they shorten their strokes, they looking for ways to improve our program. are not going to get resistance throughout the GENERAL PLAN FOR THE SEASON entire stroke and consequently will not gain as Off (in the much strength. Also, when swimmers shorten summer their stroke and attempt to go fast with the we went groups “Donut,” they often hurt or strain their Off on shoulders. We don’t try to swim fast with the AM Groups Dist. Groups Groups Groups Sunday) “Donut,” we try to swim strong and feel the Off (11 Groups Groups Groups workouts water, with long perfect strokes. We might do PM Wts. Groups Wts. Sprint Groups per week 100’s on 1:45 and they usually go somewhere Groups: Middle Distance: 7,500 Weights: 45 min. session between 1:20 and 1:30. We also usually do IM: 6,500-7,000 hypoxic training with the “Donut.” The real Fly & Back: 5,000-6,000 Winter: AM – 5:30 to 7:30 value of the “Donut” is that it builds swimming Breast: 5,000-6,000 PM – 3:30 to 6:00 Sprint: 4,500-6,000 strength; it is much harder than pulling with a Distance: 8,000-10,000 Summer: AM – 7:00 to 9:30 tube. We stop using the “Donut” six weeks PM – 5:00 to 7:00 before the big meet. I want the kids rested when Sippy’s Weekly Schedule: AM/PM Off-Mon./M-D, Tues. Fly/IM, Wed., Dist./M-D, Thurs., SP/Fly, Fri., the more important meets come around. M-D/SP, Sat., M-D/Fly, and if we had a Sunday practice, it was Another thing we do at Riverside Aquatics is choice. to count strokes. I count their strokes for a 200 The “Donut” is a very important part of our or a 50 while they are swimming in practice and program. There are a lot of misconceptions in their races. Basically it makes them aware of about how to use the “Donut.” This is my fault their pace and their feel for the water. It also because I have been too busy to publish shows them how much stronger they are getting anything on how to use it. The” Donut” could when they are able to go faster times during the hurt your swimmer if it isn’t used properly taper with fewer strokes. I have also found that because of the tremendous drag it creates. it helps in detecting failing adaptation. An When you first start using the “Donut,” you example of this might be when they are taking should start with very little yardage and add a more strokes than usual and going much slower little each time so that the swimmer can adapt but their stroke is not slipping water. Counting to this added stress. The first day we use the strokes helps them keep their stroke efficient “Donut” we will go only 400 with it. The next and many of them use it to judge their pace. It time we will go 500, then a 600 and so on in a has been a helpful aid for Sippy and has very gradual build-up in yardage. We always brought her stroke rate per 50m down from 75, use hand paddles and a pull-buoy with the in the ‘76 Trials, to a smooth 56 strokes in the “Donut.” The higher up on the legs you wear the 200 this summer. She is pulling a great deal pull-buoy, the harder it is. The “Donut” is based more water; one of the reasons is that she is on the concept that as the swimmer goes aware of her stroke rate at all times. through the water, the water flows down the The next thing I want to share with you is body and through the “Donut” very slowly, leap-frog. This is a game we play in workout, which creates drag. With the pull-buoy lower it not more than once every two weeks. We forces some of this water flow around and not usually make it a 3,000 straight swim but you through the “Donut,” thus not as much drag can make it any distance you want. We put and not nearly as hard on the swimmer. That is several swimmers who are close in ability into why I would suggest that you have your one lane, with an open lane to the left which is swimmers wear their pull-buoys at their knees the passing lane. Your slowest swimmer is the when they first start using the “Donut.” The first leader and the fastest of the group is the “Donut” also keeps the swimmers’ legs from zig- last swimmer in the line. Then you put them in zagging as they do when they are using a tube. order of fastest to slowest, so that the second

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slowest person in the group is the last swimmer maximum of each swimmer. They won’t strive in the line. They take off one right after the for any more than is expected of them. If you other and the first person leads for a 400, but expect him to go a 2:05 he will very seldom at the end of the 350 the last person in the line exceed that expectation. The coach has to flips into the passing lane, sprints and catches- challenge each swimmer to be the “very best up with the leader as soon as possible. When he possible for him” in every workout. Not only the catches and passes the leader, he flips back very best possible swimmer, but also the “very into the main lane at one of the turns, or goes best possible human being.” Swimmers have to under the lane line in the middle of the pool, swim fast in workout if they expect to swim fast and takes the lead with the other six swimmers in a meet. Very few swimmers can loaf every behind him. The new leader now sets the pace workout and still swim fast in the meets – I for the rest of the 400, or until the last swimmer haven’t had any. overtakes him and becomes the leader. As each The sets you swim in practice have to have new leader takes the lead, he sets a little faster direct application to the way you want your pace because it is not easy to slow down after swimmers to swim their races. They have to you have sprinted so hard to jump past swim at Race Pace in practice. They have to everyone. hurt from the hard work because there is no Leap-Frog!! other way for a swimmer to achieve his or her 1. 3,000 2. Each swimmer leads for a 400. potential. There is no substitute for hard work! 3. 7 swimmers seem to work best. There are no magic wands, no easy way. 4. The last swimmer in the line turns into Swimmers have to think about what and how the passing lane and sprints until he has passed all of the swimmers in the line they are doing their swims in each and every and can flip back into their lane and take practice. Every stroke, every turn, and every the lead for the rest of his 400. start done in practice should be perfect. Thus, 5. The pace gets faster as you go. 6. You need 7 swimmers of about the you are working on stroke at all times and not same ability. just at the end of the season. Why practice 7. The last 200 is all out! This is any man something all year long that you are not going for himself and they use both lanes to sprint this. to do in your big meet? The coach and the As I said, this is a game and the kids love it swimmers have to be positive about what they even though it is a 3,000 straight with an all- are doing if they want to get the most out of out 200m sprint at the end of it. The fun part their efforts. These are just some of the main comes when someone is trying to pass and the things that I try to apply to my coaching. I hope leader look over at him and smiles and says, that they gave you some further insights into “No, not today,” then picks up the pace and the Riverside distance program… Distance won’t let him pass. Think how exciting it would swimming through swimming at race pace be on the deck watching this, yelling at the kids quality. to go faster, and this kid is in the passing lane QUESTIONS & ANSWERS sprinting for his life to take the lead. The kids Q. What do you do in your weight workouts? love it and develop a lot of pride from it because A. We do circuits, 15 seconds on, 15 seconds they never give up in trying to take the lead. It off. The first set is a warm-up with light is their only purpose in life for that moment. weights, then the second set, 30 on and 30 off. When they achieve it they feel a tremendous We keep it moving and I change it around so relief and satisfaction. When they get the lead, that it doesn’t get boring. I like to end the they can keep going and someone else takes the weight work with 10 seconds on and 10 seconds pressure off when they take the lead. The 2800 off. That means that they have 10 seconds to straight really goes by fast because you don’t get to their next station. It is as much lead the whole thing - you’re dragging off the cardiovascular as weight training. Their heart guy in front of you. It’s a lot easier when you rate does go up in our weight sets. drag, but it’s fun. However, the last 200 isn’t Q. How often will someone break down on your fun – it’s everyone for himself, an all-out sprint quality program? using both lanes. This is usually a very fast A. You are on top of it all the time. They are swim for my swimmers; Sippy has gone a 2:04. expected to swim fast. Some days they just can’t The reason they were able to go so fast is do it. There will be days when the kids are dead because they were playing a game and having from that quality, but that’s the name of the fun! This is the best distance set that we have game. I’m not afraid to back off. I’m not afraid and it has worked well for us. I hope some of to say, “Hey, take it easy tonight.” I feel that if you can use it in your program. Finally, I would we go hard all the time and the kid is giving like to share with you the main points of my 100% and I believe in that kid, I’ll let him take a coaching philosophy. You have to expect the night off or I’ll switch him to a different

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workout. it. We wore the pull buoy above the knees all Q. How many people can you handle in your the time. I tried the suggestion of wearing it quality program? below the knees and it was easier. This might A. I don’t take more than 30 kids in the group, be a possible way to start the kids out on the but 20 is probably the most I can really stay on “Donut.” top of. Since I have five to eight different Q. How many people can you handle in the workouts every night, I make up the workout so weight room and how many stations? that during the different sets I am able to stand A. We have 30 stations and I run 30 people; it is over each lane. I try to hit every workout group body to body, wall to wall. I have been in weight every night to be really on top of them. That’s rooms with 40-60 kids at one time. If you are why I said that each workout is a creation. organised you can do it, but unless you are Q. In the last 200 of the leap-frog, how can organised and the program is well supervised, seven swimmers swim all-out for 200 in two forget it. lanes? A. It is everyone for himself. Our pool has 9 foot POWERING MUSCLES No.2 lanes and they can feasibly swim straight side MUSCLE RECOVERY by side. It never works out that way – quite Only within the last decade has the issue of often you will have someone get run over. Our muscle recovery received focused attention in rule is that if you get in the way, you get run the athletic community. Previously, swimmers, over. They are going for their best time, which is coaches, and sports scientists were more a gut swim. Leap-frog teaches mental interested in refining training methods. But by toughness! You have to be tough to pass and the 1990’s, training methods had been refined then you have to show some guts on the last to their limit. Consequently, people became 200 at the end of the 3,000. increasingly interested in finding out what Q. In your weight circuit, explain the 30 swimmers could do between workouts that seconds on, the 15 seconds off? might enhance their performance. A. The 30 seconds on is when I say, “Ready, The subject of post-exercise nutrition drew hup,” the weight has to be up and in a ready special scrutiny. The result was a revolution in position. When I say, “Hup,” they are lifting. I the science and practice of muscle recovery. It don’t really have much time for “ding dongs” in was discovered that not only the selection of the weight room, because it is such a small nutrients but also the timing of nutritional room and it is too easy to get hurt. I feel that intake has a major impact on muscle recovery, they have to do it right or it is not worth doing. I for better or worse. It was even found that throw them out of the weight room if they don’t nutrition during exercise could enhance muscle want to work. They’re wasting my time – and recovery afterwards. theirs! Unfortunately, however, many swimmers Q. Could Sippy have had such a successful have not taken advantage of this new season in the quality type program without information. Some have not been educated having done the distance base of 20,000 to about the profound effect that smart post- 25,000 the year before? exercise nutrition can have on performance. A. Obviously, the 20,000 did not hurt her. Others have a general idea that they should pay Physically, she was capable of doing it. attention to muscle recovery, but they have not Mentally, I could not have gotten her to do it been shown the proper methods. again this year for love or money. I won’t really This instalment of Powering Muscles will know the answer to that question until some of present a complete discussion of muscle the new kids, who started the program this recovery. We will talk about four components of year, are a couple of years into it. But I really muscle recovery: restoring fluid and feel that you can do a distance program with electrolytes, replenishing glycogen, reducing quality! The concept is to put stress on the muscle and immune stress, and rebuilding body. If the body is stressed to the maximum, muscle protein. We will also talk about the role what more can you do to it? Sippy did have a nutrition plays with respect to each component strong distance base background before the and specific guidelines for post-exercise fact. I don’t know the answer. We won’t know nutrition intake. for a while – we’ll know next year. WHY MUSCLE RECOVERY IS IMPORTANT Q. Where do you recommend the kids wear the Imagine a swimmer warming up for a 400 IM buoy when using the “Donut?” by swimming a 400 IM at maximum intensity. A. We have never worn a buoy any place but Clearly, this would be foolish. Why? Because, in above the knees. Our kids are pretty strong order to achieve maximum competitive from the weights and their shoulders can take performance, a swimmer must be rested. In

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other words, he or she needs to have fully dehydrated. recovered from previous training. Consuming a sports drink containing water The same rule holds for workouts. While and electrolytes during exercise is an effective swimmers cannot often be as well rested for way to counteract the effects of sweating. But each hard workout as they are for competition, it’s also necessary to continue drinking after they should make every effort to be as fully completing exercise. Water will only do half the recovered as they can be without under- job. Sports drinks are a better choice because training. A swimmer who is fresh and ready to they are formulated to replace water and go will perform better in a hard training session electrolytes in approximately the same ratio in and thereby derive a more pronounced training which they are lost in sweat. effect from the workout than one who begins a After water and electrolytes have been fully hard training session still reeling from the last restored, swimmers can switch to water for their one. This is one reason why muscle recovery is everyday hydration needs. They can obtain important. minerals through food sources. A second reason why muscle recovery is REPLENISHING GLYCOGEN important is that recovery is the springboard to The primary fuel sources for moderate- to improved fitness. In fact, it’s fair to say that high-intensity exercise are glycogen stored in improved fitness is nothing more than recovery the muscles and liver and glucose carried to taken one step further. For example, a single working muscles through the blood. Both workout depletes a swimmer’s muscles of glycogen and glucose are products of glycogen, the main fuel for moderate- to high- carbohydrate breakdown, and for this reason intensity exercise. So, a part of the swimmer’s they are often referred to collectively as recovery process involves replenishing muscle carbohydrate fuel. glycogen stores by eating and drinking Blood glucose is available in much more carbohydrate. But over time, when workouts are limited amounts than muscle and liver consistent, progressive, and separated by glycogen, but it can be replenished much more adequate rest periods, the swimmer’s muscles rapidly. It takes many hours to replenish become gradually able to store more glycogen, glycogen through carbohydrate consumption, making it harder to deplete the supply. while it takes only about 20 minutes for the Depletion of muscle and liver glycogen is one sugars consumed in a sports drink to pass of four ways in which training creates a need for through the stomach and become broken down recovery and an opportunity for positive into glucose in the bloodstream. adaptations. We’ll say more about this in a Consuming carbohydrate during exercise is moment. But let’s first talk about the most essential for prolonging endurance. While a obvious component of recovery: restoring fluid swimmer cannot consume enough carbohydrate and electrolytes lost during exercise. to completely halt the use of glycogen for RESTORING FLUID & ELECTROLYTES energy, he or she can consume enough to slow During exercise, water and certain minerals its depletion significantly. Research has shown called electrolytes are expelled from the body that most swimmers can ingest carbohydrate at through perspiration. The function of a maximum rate of 80 grams per hour without perspiration is to prevent body temperature suffering gastro-intestinal distress. But from rising during exercise, which is important, swimmers can burn glycogen at more than but it comes at a cost, because water and three times this rate while exercising at or near electrolytes serve important functions within anaerobic threshold intensity. Hence, the longer the body. The more water the body loses the a swimmer trains, the more glycogen-depleted less effective the cooling system of perspiration he or she will be afterwards despite efforts to becomes. Meanwhile, the electrolyte minerals consume as much carbohydrate as possible sodium, magnesium, and potassium are needed during the workout or competition. for a variety of processes ranging from nutrient After exercise, the sooner the swimmer transport to nerve transmission. begins to replenish muscle glycogen by Research has shown that the loss of even consuming carbohydrate, the better. This is just 1-2% of body fluids can have a negative because, following exercise, the muscle cells are impact on athletic performance. While much more receptive to insulin, the hormone swimmers definitely tend to lose less fluid responsible for transporting glucose through the during exercise than athletes in other sports, a bloodstream to the liver and muscles, where it 2% loss of body fluids during a long, outdoor can be stored as glycogen. The body can workout in summer is within the realm of synthesise glycogen two to three times faster possibility. And for that matter, many during the first two hours after exercise than it swimmers unknowingly begin workouts 1-2% can at other times.

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HOW MUCH CARBOHYDRATE IS NEEDED? oxidative stress, also known as free radical As a general guideline, swimmers should try damage. Free radicals are highly reactive to consume about one gram of carbohydrate per chemicals that damage body tissues by pilfering pound of bodyweight during the first two hours electrons in order to improve their own stability. following exercise. Most or all of this Oxygen is a potent free radical. During intense carbohydrate should be high-glycemic, because exercise, a swimmer’s rate of oxygen high-glycemic carbohydrates stimulate greater consumption increases dramatically. Many of insulin release and are therefore delivered to the the individual oxygen molecules consumed muscles and liver more quickly than their low- during exercise regain stability by pilfering an glycemic counterparts. Examples of high- electron from a muscle cell membrane, thereby glycemic carbohydrate food sources are bagels, damaging the muscle cell. baked potatoes, bread, Cornflakes, and raisins. The hormone cortisol has also been linked to To stimulate even greater insulin release, muscle cell damage. Cortisol is a hormone swimmers should consume about one gram of released by the adrenal glands in response to all protein for every four grams of carbohydrate forms of stress. Its main function is to release they consume in the two hours following amino acids from muscle proteins and transport exercise. For example, a 160-pound swimmer them to the liver for use as an energy source. would want to consume approximately 80 The release of cortisol tends to occur in the grams of carbohydrate and 20 grams of protein latter portion of long workouts, when the in the first hour after exercise. Eating more preferred glycogen energy source has been than this amount of protein will have the depleted. opposite effect, impeding glycogen In addition to damaging muscle cells, cortisol replenishment by slowing gastric emptying, as suppresses immune system function by will eating more than a very small amount of fat decreasing production of Lymphocytes and or fibre. antibodies. Several studies have shown a Most swimmers are not particularly hungry temporary decrease in immune system function right after a workout or competition. For this in swimmers following hard exercise, and reason, the most practical way to kick-start cortisol is thought to be the primary culprit. glycogen replenishment following exercise is by How can sports nutrition fight these negative drinking a sports drink containing carbohydrate effects of exercise? The best way to limit the and protein in a 4-to-1 ratio. Recent studies release of cortisol is by consuming carbohydrate show that a recovery drink featuring this 4-to-1 during and immediately following exercise. By ratio increased insulin levels in swimmers 70% doing so, swimmers maintain higher levels of more after a workout than a conventional sports blood glucose, which slows the use of muscle drink that contained no protein. It also glycogen and delays the need for the use of increased endurance by 55% in the next protein as an energy source. Again, consuming workout. carbohydrate with protein in a 4-to-1 ratio can REDUCING MUSCLE & IMMUNE SYSTEM yield even more pronounced benefits by acceler- STRESS ating the delivery of glucose to the muscles. In a In the long term, swim training strengthens second study, a 4-to-1 sports drink reduced muscles and the immune system. However, post-exercise muscle damage 36% more than a individual workouts damage muscles and can conventional sports drink containing no protein. temporarily suppress immune system function. Swimmers can reduce oxidative stress by Fortunately, proper sports nutrition can consuming a diet high in antioxidant vitamins minimise these effects and accelerate recovery and minerals such as vitamins A, C, and E, from them. Every competitive swimmer has beta-carotene, and selenium. Several studies experienced muscle soreness after training and, have shown that vitamin C supplementation especially, competing. There are no fewer than reduces post exercise muscle soreness in three known causes of post-exercise muscle athletes and that Vitamin E supplementation soreness. The primary cause is mechanical has a similar effect on indicators of post stress, which is an accumulation of microscopic exercise muscle damage. One way swimmers tears to muscle fibre membranes and protein can get extra antioxidants in their diet is by filaments that happen as a consequence of using a sports drink that contains them in repetitive, intense muscle contractions. The sufficient amounts. body’s efforts to repair such damage entail REBUILDING MUSCLE PROTEIN increased blood flow to the area, and with Although not a preferred fuel source, protein increased blood flow comes inflammation, and is used to produce energy during prolonged with inflammation comes soreness. A second exercise when muscle glycogen runs low. This cause of post-exercise muscle soreness is process of protein degradation is known as

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catabolism. Furthermore, the high blood concentration of cortisol that is associated with INSULIN: catabolism also obstructs the rebuilding of The Master Recovery Hormone muscle protein by diverting its amino acid Insulin has gotten a bad rap. Most of us building blocks to the liver. Because protein is know little about it, and what we do know is an important structural element of muscles, negative. When the topic of insulin comes up, catabolism leaves the muscles in a weakened it’s almost always in connection with weight state afterward. In order to properly recover gain and diabetes. from and adapt to this particular training We are taught that eating high-glycemic stress, swimmers must act quickly to rebuild carbohydrates (such as refined sugars and muscle protein after exercise. processed grains) results in a rush of blood Earlier we discussed a physiological window sugar into the bloodstream, followed by a rush of opportunity for glycogen replenishment in the of insulin, whose job is to clear out the sugars two-hour period immediately following exercise. for use as energy fuel. The resulting sudden A very similar window exists for protein drop in blood sugar triggers hunger, which in rebuilding, and for the same reason. Insulin is turn causes overeating. Over time, a repeated responsible for delivering both glucose and pattern of such insulin spikes can lead to protein to muscle cells. After exercise, the obesity and insulin resistance-that is, Type 2 muscle cells are highly receptive to insulin. In a diabetes. Thus, the public is often cautioned to study performed at Vanderbilt University, eat and drink in such a way as to control subjects were fed a protein-carbohydrate insulin release. supplement either immediately after working The way to eat for sustained energy out or three hours later. Members of the early throughout the day is to consume primarily group were found to have synthesised new what are called low-glycemic carbohydrates muscle proteins at a much faster rate than (such as whole grain breads and some fruits, members of the late group. including pears) instead of high-glycemic In a similar study, this one done at the carbohydrates. Low-glycemic carbohydrates are University of Texas, subjects who consumed an digested slowly, cause only mild insulin spikes, amino acid-carbohydrate supplement and thereby provide more lasting energy. immediately before exercise synthesised even All of this is true, as far as it goes. The more new muscle protein than subjects who average couch potato probably needs to hear consumed the same drink immediately after the nothing more about insulin. But for athletes, workout. (Amino acids are the building blocks of it’s only half the story. At regular meals, protein.) The apparent reason for this result athletes should eat for small insulin spikes and was that drinking the amino acid-carbohydrate sustained energy just like couch potatoes. But drink before the workout resulted in higher during and after workouts and competitions, blood insulin levels during the workout. Insulin insulin spikes are highly desirable for athletes. is known to counteract the catabolic effect of Insulin plays a critical role in giving athletes cortisol. With greater amounts of insulin quick energy during exercise and accelerating circulating to neutralise cortisol, the subjects recovery following exercise. In fact, insulin is so who drank before working out were able to get critical to post-exercise muscle recovery that it more amino acids delivered to their muscle cells has been dubbed the Master Recovery to rebuild proteins. Hormone. Here’s why… What this means is that nutritional recovery • The two most important components of measures need to begin before workouts, or at muscle recovery are replenishing muscle least during them, and continue afterward. By glycogen stores and rebuilding muscle consuming a sports drink containing proteins. carbohydrate and protein/amino acids before, • Insulin is a hormone that delivers during, and after workouts, swimmers can carbohydrate into muscle cells and also ensure that their muscle proteins are rebuilt stimulates the synthesis of glycogen within with maximum efficiency. Using a recovery the muscle cell. drink that consists of large amounts of protein • Insulin also promotes muscle protein or amino acids and little or no carbohydrate is rebuilding by transporting amino acids (the not as effective, however, because these drinks building blocks of proteins) into muscle cells. digest more slowly and result in far less insulin • Immediately following exercise, the muscle release than recovery drinks that contain cells have heightened insulin sensitivity, carbohydrate and protein in the ideal 4-to-1 allowing muscle glycogen replenishment and ratio. muscle protein rebuilding to proceed at two to three times the normal rate, as long as

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adequate carbohydrate and protein are workout? You need three things. First, you need supplied. This heightened insulin sensitivity fluids to replace the fluids you lost in your is a very useful evolutionary adaptation that sweat. Your sweat contains water and some helps us bounce back quickly from the stress important minerals called electrolytes. Sports of exertion. drinks also have water and electrolytes, so • A sensible post-workout nutrition strategy is they’re the perfect things to drink after you fin- to consume carbohydrate and protein ish a workout. Drinking just plain water won’t together as soon as possible after completion do the job. of the workout, while exercise-induced The second thing you need is carbohydrate insulin sensitivity remains high. Not only are to put glycogen back in your muscles. And the both carbohydrate and protein needed for third thing you need is protein to rebuild your muscle recovery, but their combination muscles. You need about four times as much results in greater insulin release and carbohydrate as protein after a workout. Most therefore faster glycogen replenishment and sports drinks don’t have any protein. Be sure to protein rebuilding than when either nutrient use a recovery drink that has carbohydrate and is consumed alone. protein in the perfect amounts. By using such a drink after a workout, you get all the nutrition BOUNCE BACK FAST your body needs for recovery: water, after Workouts & Meets electrolytes, carbohydrate, and protein. The point of working out is to get fit for TIMING IS EVERYTHING competition. You can’t get your body ready to When it comes to recovery, you need to pay compete without training hard. But training attention not just to what you eat and drink, hard is not the whole story. A lot of swimmers but when. You need to start putting the right don’t realise that you don’t gain fitness during nutrients back in your system as soon as workouts-you gain fitness between workouts. possible after each workout and competition. If It’s called recovery. Here’s how it works. you wait more than a couple of hours, you will When you work out, your body uses up a lot of have less energy and more muscle soreness the energy. Your muscles’ main energy fuel during next day. A lot of athletes aren’t very hungry workouts is stuff called glycogen, which comes after exercise. This is another reason to use a from carbohydrates that you eat and drink and sports drink for your recovery nutrition. gets stored inside your muscles until it’s Remember to use a protein containing sports needed. Also during workouts, your muscles drink during your workouts, too. By taking in take a beating. Cells get damaged, proteins get water, electrolytes, carbohydrate, and protein broken down, and the leftovers from energy while you exercise, you will last longer and burning get built up. perform better. Also, it will give your body a After a workout, your body goes to work to head start on the recovery process. put fuel back in the muscles and fix all the REMEMBER THIS muscle damage. The good news is this … if you Every swimmer knows that the point of training is to gain give your body enough time to recover, and the fitness. But not every swimmer knows how important right nutrition, it will actually bounce back recovery is in this process. And not every swimmer knows more than 100%. Your body will learn to store how important nutrition is for recovery. Remember these more energy fuel and use it more efficiently. tips… 1. There are four nutrients you need in order to recover Your muscles will get stronger. This is what it properly from Workouts and Meets – water, electrolytes, means to get fit. carbohydrate, and protein. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT (AND DRINK) 2. The best way to get all these nutrients is from a sports Nutrition plays a very big part in the recovery drink that goes down easy and tastes good. process. If you don’t eat or drink after a 3. Start drinking as soon as you finish exercising. If you workout, or if you eat and drink the wrong stuff, wait, you won’t bounce back as fast. your body will not recover as well. This is a 4. Drink at least 12 ounces of sports drink in the first hour after exercise. That’s about the size of a soda can. double problem. First, it’s a problem because recovery and fitness are pretty much the same thing. If you don’t bounce back more than 100%, you aren’t getting in better shape. But TRAINING JANET EVANS it’s also a problem because you won’t do as well By Bud McAllister, 1989 Pittsburgh Bud McAllister is best known as ASCA Coach of the Year in 1987 in your next workout if you haven’t completely and 1988 for his World Record producing work with Janet Evans. recovered from the last one. As a result, you Bud has also coached Julie Martin to a Pan American Gold Medal won’t get as much benefit from your next and Darren Ward to a National High School 200 IM Record. Bud has a degree in Physical Education from Central Michigan workout. University, and a Master of Science degree from the University of What kind of nutrition do you need after a Arizona, with an emphasis in Sports Psychology. Bud has worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona, as an

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assistant at Mission Viejo, and as Head Coach at Coronado Swim I think what it comes down to (and I’m sure Association, Fullerton Aquatics from 1985-1989, and most recently that a lot have followed her career) is that if you as Head Coach at Team Orlando in Florida. Every once in a while, an incredible swimmer have wanted to build the greatest female comes along. I feel there have been several of distance Freestyle swimmer ever, you’d them. These swimmers are champions, and probably build Janet. She’s got everything that they’re very different from the normal swimmer. you could ask for, all the right ingredients. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to work with Everything came together at the right time for someone like that. All I can say is that it was an the 1988 Olympic Games. It’s just about the extreme pleasure and I wish you all can perfect story. experience it. It was absolutely amazing what This overall plan that I had from when I first Janet did and for me to have that opportunity to started coaching her, which was from October work with her. 1985 to the Olympics, was basically pretty If you look at some of the great champions, simple. I knew about Janet before I went to they’re all different in some ways. For Vladimir Fullerton. I saw her swim when she was 10 Salnikov to go 140,000 metres a week for the years old, at a qualifying meet for an All-Star years that he did tells you that he’s a different meet in southern California, and it was breed of animal, and would do whatever he had astonishing. She stood out in my mind, she had to do to be the absolute best. I’ve heard several this killer instinct. She’d go as fast as she stories from about what he did could. She was so much smaller than the rest of that I feel helped him perform to his potential. the swimmers it was an all-out sprint, and In training, he would swim the last 300 of every she’d just try to hang on to the end. It was swim as fast as he could. I’m sure that played a funny, because you’d see this little bitty girl big part in the fact that in the 1976 Olympics, taking 36 strokes for 25 yards. By the time the in the 1500m Freestyle, he split the last 400 in Olympics rolled around, when we did some 3:56, and went from third place to win by a workouts yards, she was down to about 21 body length. He prepared himself mentally for strokes, and that was about what we were the fact that he might be behind and he’d have trying to get down to. A lot of that had to do to sprint that last 300 and he was ready for it. with growth and the training she was on. She Listen to Dick Shoulberg’s talk about Dave DID stick out in my mind. Wharton, another great champion. He does a In the summer of 1984, I was coaching at 16,000 metre IM straight in workout. Normal Mission Viejo, and had a very good female swimmers just don’t do those, but the great Junior National IM’er that I thought had a swimmers ASK for them. chance to win at Juniors and make Seniors. All Janet was the same way. When she saw that of a sudden I look up, in the middle of the race, Dave Wharton was doing that set, she wanted to and some little squirt goes flying by her, and do a similar type of set to challenge her. So she beats her, and that was Janet. I talked to the came up with an idea for a 4000 IM – she went coach later, Martin Craig, and he said Janet 1,000 straight of each stroke – Butterfly, had been doing very little IM training, almost Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle. She none at all, and she went 5:05, so I knew that ASKED to do that. We did that about four times she was unquestionably a force to be reckoned (maybe once a month before the Games) and with in the world of swimming for the years to every time she did it, she went faster. I think come. the last time she did it, I figured out her average The first analysis was quite simple to make. 100 splits, and the aggregate for each 400 IM Within the first week of coaching her, I saw that was about a 5:12, for 4,000 straight. there were obviously two areas where she Janet is no exception. She’s a true needed to improve. First, she needed some champion, and is different in a lot of ways; it’s speed for her 400 and 800 Freestyle. At the more than the physical talent. I’ve seen great time, they were 4:22 and 8:48, which were very swimmers before. A lot of them have never come good, but obviously not anywhere near what close to doing what they can. I’ve also coached a she needed to have to compete internationally. swimmer that I feel has more physical talent There were no 1500s. She was world-ranked in than Janet, but didn’t have the mental attitude the 1500, I think, with a 16:39, but we sort of to be the absolute best in the world. Fortunately put that out of our mind right away when we he’s still swimming and improving, and I hope started training. Secondly, since I’d seen her that he’s going to come around. I’m not swim IM, I looked at all of her strokes, and felt coaching him right now, but he certainly has that she had no weak stroke, but she couldn’t what it takes physically, and hopefully he’ll hold her Butterfly stroke for probably more than come around mentally and be one of the best 25 yards. She had some stroke corrections to swimmers in the world. make, and a lot of that she had with all the

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strokes. (To this day, I think she can be one of done this set probably three times; on an the greatest Backstrokers, and probably will interval of 2:45 per 200 IM (this is long course start to swim a 200 Backstroke.) metres), and on the way back down (the 600- The speed work we concentrated on was 400-200) on 2:35 per 200 metres, which to me basically for the 400 and somewhat for the 800. is one of the most astounding sets she’s ever I felt if she had the speed for the 400 (she had done. natural endurance) the 800 would take care of We did a lot of progressive IM sets also, itself, just by concentrating more on speed emphasising the Butterfly. For example: go 100 work. We did a lot of swims in workout that Butterfly, then a 200 (100 Butterfly-100 were between 150-400 metres, and actually Backstroke), 300 (100 Butterfly-100 tried to stay away from the longer swims of Backstroke-100 Breaststroke), and then a 400 800s and 1500s. IM. Janet would usually go through that three She’d done a lot of that in her previous times, to do as much Butterfly in an IM set as training with Martin Craig, and I felt she needed possible. to go to shorter distances. After the first year As she built up the Butterfly, I gave her as and a half, we did a lot of short, all-out sprints, much as I could. She had very flexible 25s and 75s, when we went short course. shoulders and a lot of strength in her Normally, for time before she’d get out of the shoulders. She didn’t ever really have any pool. (It was a little trick I learned from shoulder problems, so she was one of the few watching Dick Jochums coach at Arizona.) swimmers that I’ve had that I had do a Swim-a- Some swimmers can’t handle it very well. They’d thon Butterfly, 5000 yards, and she did that miss the time by a tenth or so, and end up every year. I think by the third year, for yards, going slower on successive swims. Being as she averaged about 1:12, and beat about half tough as she was mentally, Janet would go a the senior group, which was doing Freestyle. 75, and might miss it by .02 seconds, but I kept Once in a swim meet, I had her swim an her going until she made it, and she’d get faster 800m Butterfly, and she was completely tired. and faster as we went through it, she was so She split 5:01-5:02 for a 10:03 in an 800, and determined. We did the same things with some beat most of the people in that event. She did a 25s, just to get some speed, trying to get her to lot of Butterfly and IM. It’s been my theory as a push a 25 under 11 seconds. It took a while, swimmer and a coach that it can help a but she eventually did get under 11 seconds. Freestyler, for a couple of reasons. First of all, Her IM and her Butterfly work were it’s much more demanding than just swimming approached a little bit differently. We did a lot of Freestyle, especially with her Freestyle, because long IM sets. I wanted to work on her she’s one of the most efficient swimmers that endurance because I wasn’t concentrating on John Troup has ever tested up in Colorado that for her Freestyle training. I felt that her Springs in the flume. I know that Butterfly was Butterfly work needed to be endurance- very hard for her, because it really taxed her oriented, so I gave her some very long sets along cardiovascular system and her muscular with stroke correction. What I basically did with system. I’d never see the pain on her IM, and I the IM’s was keep them long (within the 300- knew that she’d have to go through that 800 range). It was built up over the years, but experience physically to be the best she could, I’d start out with longer IM sets to overload her, so I gave her as much as I could in the IM and especially on her Butterfly, because her the Butterfly. Over the years, I think that it Butterfly at that time was so weak. She’d get helped her develop a better feel for the water. very tired on a 400 IM, and it took her a while She had a good feel for the water, but I know as to recover on the Backstroke. She’d go out in a we did more IM training, I’d see a better feel for 1:10 in the 100 Butterfly when I first had her the water, and she’d start taking fewer strokes swim the IM in a major meet, and she was out per length. of the race already, because most of the top Mother Nature certainly played her part in Butterflyers were going out in the 1:04 range, or this. Janet was very small. She had been tested faster, and she was just too far behind to catch and it was discovered that she was basically two up. We worked on that, and eventually it got years behind in her physical growth of what a down to a 1:04 when she set the American normal female her age would have been. She record. was 17 in the Olympics, but was probably One of the bigger sets we did with her, after a about 15 years physically in her bone couple of years of building up to it, was a 200- development and growth. She had a 400-600-800-600-400-200 ladder, all IM. Over tremendous growth spurt during those three the course of about a year and a half, I years – she grew at least five inches, and for progressively made those intervals faster. She’s someone who’s going from 5 feet to 5 feet 5

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inches, that’s a big jump. She also gained over who were just as tough. I’d love to see a 400 IM 15 pounds. She doesn’t have much fat – most of race with , , and that contributed to the speed she developed. It Janet, all in their prime, to see who would win helped her when we did the speed work so she that race, because when you get swimmers of could get much more speed for going out with that calibre they’re always going to be mentally the leaders. One of her problems was that since tough, and they all hate to lose. She was she didn’t have the speed, she’d have to go all tenacious. She would not give up and it out from the beginning of her races. wouldn’t be just for the race, it would be for as This growth, combined with the intense long as she swam. In 1987, when she went to training, produced spectacular drops and a lot Australia for the Pan-Pacs, it was a good lesson of times, unpredictable drops. I couldn’t predict for her, and she was absolutely furious. She what she was going to do until the end, when was mad about losing, but she didn’t like the she started to level off in her growth spurt. way Lawrie Laurence, the coach down there, There were times when she’d go into a meet and celebrated the win, and she carried that with drop 13-14 seconds in a swim; I knew she was her all the way to the Olympics. She wanted to going to go faster, but I could not have make sure he had nothing to celebrate about predicted she was going to go that fast. Even after her swim. her first world record, when she went an 8:22, I She remembers little things. When she was was guessing probably 8:25-8:26, in that range, first coming up and was so small (probably 12 because I knew she’d been training fast, but I years old, before I even started coaching her), had no idea it was going to be that much of a she tells the story of getting on the block next to drop. The drops were spectacular. Over three and Tiffany looks over and sort of years, in her major events, her 400 IM dropped snickers at her like, “The Age Group meet is next 19 seconds, her 800 Freestyle dropped 31 week, kid, what are you doing here?” She seconds, and her 1500m Freestyle dropped 47 remembers that, and the first time Janet beat seconds. I’ll touch on this later, but she’s her, they asked her in the press room how it felt capable of going faster in the events where she to beat Tiffany Cohen, and she said “Well, it wasn’t pushed. The only event she was actually was important to me because I’ve been trying to pushed in, I would say, was the 400 Freestyle. beat her ever since the first time I swam against The other events she could have gone faster and her and she kind of snickered at me.” She hopefully will before she’s done. remembers those things, it’s very important to There’s nothing missing, other than the her. That makes her so tough that she wants to speed that she’s still working on. She’s got all keep going and won’t give up until she passes the ingredients physically that a coach tends to that person. look for. She has tremendous endurance. She That’s the way she was generally in all her just does not slow down. She’s got a very high events. She had to go all out when she first body position in the water – she rides very high, started swimming distance Freestyle, and just even when she’s going at a slow speed, for her – hang on because she didn’t have the speed. Of she doesn’t really sink in the water. She’s got course, that resulted in some tremendous splits great hip action. Watching the better swimmers, along the way. That first time she broke the I noted that usually there’s a tendency for them world record in the 800, she went out in a :59, to have a very high and pronounced hip action her best time on the way. I think the 200m split in their Freestyle stroke and a lot of times in was 2:02, her best 200, the 4:09 400m split was their Backstroke, too. It leads the way, and it’s her best 400. The only problem with that (we a key to a swimmer’s success. It’s something corrected that later) was that as she got the that is very natural, but it’s something you can speed, she went into oxygen debt and her improve upon, also. splitting wasn’t what it should have been. The She does have a good feel for the water. I first 800 world record was a 4:09-4:13, a think it improved over the years with the IM difference of four seconds. I generally ask my training. Even though she was small and not swimmers to try and keep their splits to within very strong, her strength/body weight ratio was no more than two seconds difference. much the same as what’s important for a Eventually she got down to that point, but she gymnast. She’d be considered very weak in the had to have the speed to get out comfortably, weight room, but for her size and her body and then she had to learn how to hold back and weight she has a good strength/body weight swim a little bit smarter race. ratio, and that helps her in the water. Now I’ll describe her mental traits. She’s very Without a doubt, mentally, she’s the intelligent (she’s going to Stanford), she learns toughest swimmer I’ve ever known. There might quickly, and she remembers what you tell her. be some, like Salnikov and Goodell in his prime, The first time I saw her swim a race, she

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stopped breathing at the flags, put her head think Janet saw her, she’s too far away, and down and sprinted like a maniac, and there was those lane lines are bigger than Janet’s head.” I no one near her. I said, “Who taught you to do didn’t think Janet could see that far. I was sure that?” and she said “Well, the first coach I ever that the girl had gotten ahead of her and Janet had told me to do it, so I’ve done it ever since.” It probably wouldn’t see her. Well, of course I was was as simple as that: The first coach she ever wrong, and Janet passed her on the last 50, had (I don’t know how old she was, 8-9 years quite easily. I asked her later if she had seen old, maybe younger) told her to do it and she’s her, and she said “Of course I did. What do you done it ever since. The only time I have not seen think, I’m stupid?” She knew where everyone her do it is some races where she was very tired was, every race. or there was something wrong at the end and I think that was also obvious when she swam she couldn’t manage to do it, but she’d almost the 400 with Anke Mohring on one side and always have that tremendous finish at the end. on the other side. She has a great awareness. I’d have a said, “I don’t think she sees Heike Friedrich over swimmer in the pool on their first day, and after on the side, she’s only breathing on the other five minutes Janet would come over and say, side looking at Anke Mohring”, and as soon as “Who’s the new girl over there? She’s a he said that, Boom! She looks to the other side, Butterflyer and her best time is about 1:087.” I’d and starts watching Heike Friedrich the rest of go “Yeah, she’s a Butterflyer and her best time is the way. Janet needs to scout every opponent. about a 1:08.” She knew how fast the swimmers It’s important to her that we go over every were going in workout, and she’d come in some swimmer in the finals – every swimmer, every days and go “Jerry’s having a pretty good lane. It would be at least 15-30 minutes before workout, isn’t he? He could be a good IM’er. He every race; we’d have to go over how they were should come over to my lane once in a while.” It swimming. I had to make sure I did my was strange, because I’d be thinking that same homework on them and find out how they were thing just 10 minutes before, that he’s having a training, I’d split them in prelims, I’d try and great IM set. She’s very aware of what’s going watch them do their pace work and try to on. In almost any given workout, she could eavesdrop on their coach (and do my spying) probably tell me what almost every lane was and find out how they were swimming. She doing and who was having a good workout. She wanted to know what their best stroke was, who knew, almost as well as I did, who was working might be coming up on Backstroke or hard, and when it came to meet time, who was Breaststroke, where her competition was at all going to swim fast. She wasn’t just swimming times. She wanted to know so she wasn’t up and down the pool in workout; she was caught off guard. watching what everyone was doing and paying She wanted to know every option, too. She attention to it. wanted to know what she should do if someone She could also notice when everyone was on made a move on Breaststroke, and we’d go the deck. Someone would come on the deck on through every possible plan, A, B, and C to the other side of the pool, and she’d go “Who’s make sure that there were no surprises in her the new guy down there?” or whatever and I’d major races. look up and I could just barely see him, and she She has tremendous focus and could see him while she was swimming. Eddie concentration, even though she’s oftentimes Reese made a funny analogy last summer; he watching other lanes. When it gets down to her said it was like a great white shark that turned race, she’s concentrating just on that. They on its side with one eye up to look and see what have drivers’ education simulators in California, was around. I think that was probably a good and she had the highest score ever recorded at one for her, because it was like a great white her High School. That’s a very good indication shark with its head up, looking around for some that she’s got tremendous concentration. She more prey. can block out all distractions when she has to, That awareness really helped her out. I and really wants to concentrate. remember one 200 Backstroke in particular In the talk that I had yesterday on her where she was swimming and swimming training, I touched upon a lot of what I do and comfortably, and as she was going into the 150 how she trains. I think the training is the key to turn, there was a swimmer on the far side of the her success. Even though she had all the other pool, about four lanes away, one of the top talents, it was still surprising to watch her Backstrokers, who pulled up and was kind of train. We worked a lot on speed, although she surprised by the fact that Janet was swimming still doesn’t have that much speed. I got in the the Backstroke as fast as she was and passed pool one time, and raced her for at least 10-15 Janet at the 150 mark. I went “Jeez, I don’t metres in to the wall, and I wasn’t a great

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swimmer by any stretch of the imagination, and it, and I think that helped them also. She’d get I was as fast as she was. Of course, the main some pretty challenging sets in those Saturday difference is that I slow up considerably, and morning workouts, as tough as I could make she doesn’t. A long time ago at a summer swim them. camp, when I was in high school, a coach told Saturday afternoon was generally a sprint me that the winner of the race isn’t always the workout. We’d go about 4,000-5,000 metres, fastest swimmer; it’s the one that slows up basically just an easy warm-up of 2,000-3,000 least. That’s especially true in her case. Even then we’d go a sprint set. An example of a sprint when we did 25-yard sprints at the end, there set that we might do would be 16x100, every 4th were quite a few female swimmers that were as one as fast as you could go, on an easy interval fast as her or faster, but she did not slow up, of 1:45, the easy swims would be Freestyle, and not at all. I’m sure that was a combination of the fast ones for her, on a set like this, typically the mental toughness and also the efficiency in would be her strokes, Butterfly, Backstroke, her stroke. and Breaststroke. She didn’t do a lot of Her training program is quite simple. We Freestyle 100s (she didn’t like to do them, for went 80,000 metres a week, as a rule. She did whatever reason), and I didn’t feel they were 11 workouts a week. She had Wednesday necessary. morning off during the school year, and all of As for her weight program, we didn’t have Sunday off. During the summer, she still went much of a weight room where the pool is approximately 11 workouts a week, sometimes located. Janet belonged to a health club, and 12, and we did the majority of our training long lifted three times a week. About 30 minutes, course. The last year and a half before the nothing very spectacular, she had a program Games, we went probably 95% of all the already set up, so I went in and looked at it to training long course. Of the 80,000 metres per make sure that it was acceptable. week, she went about 50% Freestyle. Trying to She did medium weights, mainly upper body. work on that middle distance Freestyle (the She had a swim bench at home in her garage, 400-800 range), 30% Individual Medley work and she worked that very hard, probably five (very intense, a lot of endurance, a lot of times a week. Once again, that program was set Butterfly work), 15% pulling (I like to do a lot of up before I got there, and it didn’t make much pulling with paddles, buoy, and a small tube). difference to me what she was doing there Most of that was pretty easy swimming, because she was working hard, and I think that eventually it got to the point where she could improved her shoulder strength a little bit, but pull on a very fast interval, and it was still I’m still not entirely convinced how important basically aerobic work. The other 5% was that type of training is for her. kicking and stroke drills. I didn’t count what we Her training habits were wonderful; the did in stroke drills; I did a lot of that one-on- intensity that she had was outstanding. For the one, outside of workout. She kicked mainly two years that these sets were built up, all I did Breaststroke, since she didn’t have a 6-beat was try to make them as hard as I could, make kick for Freestyle, and usually we’d do that at them longer, make them more challenging, and the end of workout. During the school year in put them on a faster interval. That was a lot of the morning, the workout schedule would fun. I mean, you just go home and think, “What normally be 6,000 metres, almost all Freestyle. can I give her today that is going to challenge We didn’t have much time, so it was usually get her?” Of course, you’ve got to put it within in and do as much as you can in that hour and limits; you didn’t want to take her to failure, a half. If wasn’t quite as fast as the afternoon and just barely let her make the sets. Over the workout would be. The afternoon workout was years, the sets became progressively more 2-2½ hours. We did a lot of IM and stroke work, difficult. She had amazing consistency. It wasn’t and some Freestyle speed work because she like some swimmers who would go one or two was warmed up by that time and we could get a good workouts and the rest of the week they lot more speed out of her. That workout was were just worthless, mentally, or physically, or from 7,000-9,000 metres, but was usually both. She could go back-to-back workouts. The around 8,000 metres, so she was doing first time she had a bad workout it was such a approximately 14,000 metres a day when she shock to me I didn’t know what to do. I got mad went doubles. Saturday morning usually had at her, and then I found out later that it wasn’t the longest set of the week. There was no school her fault, that she was on cold medication, that day and they could go home afterwards which made ME feel really good, but she just and take a nap or rest or whatever they wanted didn’t have a bad workout. As tired as I could to do, so usually that was when I pulled out the get her, she still put effort into it. Usually, after killer set. They knew it, so they were ready for

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a good warm-up, she’d come around and have coach has confidence that they are going to another great workout. swim fast. I think as early as the fall of 1987, Her dedication to being the best was after she set her first two world records, that if I extremely important to her. It got to the point (I did my job, she’d be almost impossible to beat. I think it needs to, when you’re talking about this was very confident going to Seoul, and had a level of swimmer) where she’d have to be slightly tremendous amount of confidence that she was obsessed about being the absolute best in the going to win. I think that helped her attitude world. Almost everything she did in her daily life going in. Some other coaches helped her a great was directed to helping her be the best swimmer deal. came up to her right before she could be, and to beat anyone that could she swam the 400 and told her he’d never seen challenge her. her look any better. We did a lot of Fartlek training sets with her, Fartlek-type workouts are very difficult, and and it was more than just easy/fast, we’d go touch on a lot of different energy systems. She easy/medium/easy/fast/easy/all-out, sort of a was in tremendous condition, everything step progression, and get some very fast times worked out perfect for her: the taper, the five- that way. I think that was real important. We week training camp, everything was perfect. She did a lot of it in her Freestyle, some in the IM, was in tremendous shape. The 800 was actually and more straight sets in her IM, but it was still a cruise for her. She came out smiling and important for whatever we did because there are didn’t hurt at all – she didn’t have to work a lot of things that are developed. anything. She picked up the pace the last 50 First of all, it developed the ability to surge in and if she’d had some competition in that 800 a race, and that was, without a doubt, the most there’s no way of telling what she could have important part of her 400m Freestyle in Seoul. done; possibly as low as 8:13, if she had to. In When she got to the 200m point, and Heike the 1500, when she set the world record, it was Friedrich hit the afterburners and took off, we the last event of the meet. I know she was tired knew it was going to happen. Fortunately, I because she had put so much effort into her knew that Friedrich was going to make her swims. If she’d swum the 1500 there with any move at the 200, and the key to the success of type of competition, she probably would have the race was to make sure that Janet stayed been in the low 15:40’s. ahead from the 200 to the 300 point. I knew The fourth part is, it helps the efficiency to that if Heike got ahead, that would give her a lot do the Fartlek training. She was already a very of confidence, and if she couldn’t get by Janet efficient swimmer, but I think the Fartlek on that second or third 100, that would training helped her. It develops the ability for probably break her back, and that’s exactly the swimmer to relax when they’re going on the what happened, even though it took a little bit easy swims. They’ll go an easy swim, and then a longer than the 100 metres. fast swim, and go back to an easy swim, and Janet was used to that, because she’d had a they’ve got to be able to relax mentally and lot of competition in southern California. At one physically on their stroke. With her, it got to the of the High School meets (I think she was a point where her easy swims, whatever the sophomore), she had two swimmers on either distance was, could go down to as fast as 1:15 side of her like she had with Anke Mohring and per 100 long course and she could make that Heike Friedrich on either side, but this one was comfortably, and still be relaxed. actually a little bit tougher. First, one swimmer I think that was the key to letting her go out made a move and didn’t get past her, and easy. On the first 200 of that 4:03 400, the first waited about a 50 (I think this was a plan; they 200 was a very easy 2:02. She finished that race swam for Ed Spencer and if any of you know Ed and said it didn’t hurt at all. I think possibly if Spencer, you know he’s a great coach, and a Heike Friedrich had pushed the pace a little bit very smart strategist), then the other one made more the first 200, Janet could still have come her move and tried to get past, and couldn’t do back in a 2:01 the second 200, and maybe a it, and then they both waited another 50 or 100 little bit faster. For that reason, I think the 4:04 and then BOTH made their move. She had to she did this summer could have been a 4:02 if have three different surges and she held them she had some competition. off each time. So she was used to that, but that For her IM sets, we did more straight IM sets, was something she gained from doing these working for much more endurance. Also, she switching intervals. The ability to switch gears probably had the most difficult schedule that just whenever you want to is so important. you could put together at Senior Nationals. She Confidence was the second part. Steve had 3900 metres of racing over a five-day meet Bultman emphasised yesterday that it is very and got very tired, and then the last day she important for the swimmer to know that the had the 1500m Freestyle. As much work as we

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did on it, the 400 IM took a great deal out of caught the end of the taper with her first event, her. She was always very sore and stiff after the 400 IM, at Trials and then was completely that. It was great that she had that day off in wiped out after that. Her 400 Freestyle and her the Olympics; it was a good schedule for her. 800 Freestyle were very difficult. Her 800 She had a very difficult schedule, so I tried to Freestyle, from what I saw in her face and what make sure that she was ready for it, and made she told me afterwards was one of the most her workouts as tough as I could. painful swims she ever did because she was Another very challenging IM set was 1x200 extended beyond her taper and went all out IM, 2x400 IM, 3x600 IM, and 4x800 IM. The trying to break the world record. intervals descended so the last 2x800 IM were The last five weeks between the Olympic usually all out. The first time she did it, the last Trials and the Games were very important, and 800 IM was on an interval faster than she had we made sure that didn’t happen for the ever gone before, 10:20, which was 2:35 per 200 Olympics. Right after her last swim, I put her IM, and she didn’t think she could make it. As back in the water and tried to get her yardage with most of my sets, I would tell them, “Well, back up as quickly as possible. Within six days, don’t worry about making it – if you make the she was back up to full yardage, going 14,000 intervals before that just go as fast as you can.” metres a day, and the first week after that we She didn’t make it that day, but before the got her back up to 77,000 metres. So it was Olympics she did make the set. That’s a 6,000m almost back up to her normal 80,000 metre per straight IM set, with the last 1600 going at 2:40 week. It was a gradual build-up. The next two pace per 200 IM or faster. weeks were very, very important. She did full The taper used with Janet throughout the intensity swimming as hard as she could. I tried years was generally the same, about 10-13 to pick out what I thought was the most difficult days. I usually do the same with most of my and the most important sets she had done in female swimmers. I don’t think they need a lot the last year. Fortunately I kept a logbook from of rest. I do a lot of things similar to Steve January or February of 1988 on, so I could look Bultman, keep the yardage up a little bit higher, back and pick out the sets important to her because most of the time the swimmers are confidence and to her success in swimming fast going prelims and finals, swimming a lot of at prior meets. yardage, and frequently they’ll have a tough It was also very good that we had the event towards the end of the meet, so I kept her competition that we had. A lot of times she yardage up pretty high. The first week the swam the workouts by herself, but a couple of swimmers don’t even know that they are on a times a week she’d pair up with or taper with me, and that’s fun because all they with the entire distance group and had some do is complain. About 10-12 days out from most tremendous workouts, swimming very fast. One of her meets, we’d go down about 500 metres a day with Jeff Kostoff, we did a Skip Kenney set, day until four days out, and then they’d be an IM set, and they would race and keep score, going about 9,000-10,000 metres. naturally being as competitive as they were, and I read a long time ago that it takes 72 hours Jeff had a time handicap, they really went at it. for complete recovery of the muscles, and to me It didn’t matter who won the races – Jeff won a that means three days of rest. The fourth day few and Janet won more than her share, but out they’re still working fairly hard; they’ll do they pushed themselves very hard. It was very some medium effort swims and some pace important to get that support and that work, and in the final three days before their competition from the other swimmers. first swim, I’ll basically go warm-up and pace, The fourth week after Trials was about 13 twice a day, and that adds up to about 6,000 days out from the Games when I started the metres for most of the distance swimmers. I taper, but we didn’t cut back that much. It was came up with this formula a few years ago and very gradual; she still went 70,000 metres that it’s worked very well. week. We went down to 500 then to 13,000 all The only time I didn’t do the normal taper the way down until about four days out, about was for Olympic Trials, and it didn’t work very 9,000 metres at that point, and it was medium well. I thought Janet was working so hard intensity for the work she was doing. Then the before the Olympic Trials that she needed a last three days was basically just warm-up and little bit longer taper. So, three weeks out I pace, going about 5,000-6,000 whether she backed off the yardage a little bit, and then we swam an event or not. One thing she did do a started the taper as usual, but the third week little bit better there, was her warm-down; she’s out we cut back a couple thousand and it hurt one of those types of swimmers who likes to get her. Fortunately, she still made the team; it was in and get wet, and do about 200 for warm- a great lesson to learn, at the perfect time. She down, but she realised the importance of warm-

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down. I tried to make sure that she did about very good about that, making sure that when 1,500 warm-down – I think that helped her she did eat some foods that weren’t too good also. nutritionally, she did have the right foods I think it’s pretty obvious by now, after throughout her other meals. I can’t remember hearing some of the stories you’ve heard, that but I don’t think she took any vitamins at all. she was as close to a perfect combination of Her dad was a veterinarian, and he didn’t like to everything you could ask for to be the best give her anything he didn’t think she needed. possible female distance swimmer. I feel, They weren’t very big on supplements at all. without a doubt, that I was very fortunate to Q: (About parental involvement) have been able to coach one of the greatest A: Her parents were very supportive. Their goal, female swimmers ever. Thank you. also, was to make her the greatest swimmer Q&A that she could possibly be. They did everything Q: About Taper. that they could. They went to every meet that A: I do a lot like what Steve Bultman said he they could, and tried to make sure that every did: About three weeks out I try to do more need was taken care of for her. speed work, and that carries through the second week out of the taper, the first part when I am reducing the workload. I don’t go on TEACHING D.I.P.S. a formula, I try to make sure that they are (Distance Improvement Per Stroke) starting to go faster and they’re trying to hit the By Al Dodson pace that I think they need to go to achieve the Head Coach Connecticut Splash, USA times that we’re shooting for. I generally follow INTRODUCTION the same pattern, and I’ve never broken down The importance of Distance Per Stroke in my workouts to figure out how much of an competitive swimming is a generally accepted anaerobic workout I do, or threshold, or principle and has been well documented. aerobic. I go on a feel, and I look how the Maglischo, Sweetenham, Goldsmith, Nelson, swimmers are swimming, and just take it off of and many studies have addressed the benefits that. of stroke length to both speed and efficiency. Q: How much input do you get from Janet when Unfortunately, there has not been an equal designing the workout? amount of effort placed on how to teach A: A very good question! The longer I coached Distance Improvement Per Stroke. This her, the more input she had. I do that with article will address some ways that have been most of my swimmers. I think I try and develop successful in teaching distance improvement a good trusting relationship with them, and per stroke (D.I.P.S.) in swimming Freestyle. It once they get to the point where I can trust will include stroke development drills and them, I’ll have a lot of input from them and I’ll exercises used to teach stroke length, training drills designed specifically to reduce the number listen. She got to the point in the last year, of strokes per length, ways to integrate distance where she could come in and say “I don’t want per stroke technique and drills into training to do a Backstroke set today, I want to do an IM sessions, assessing and testing progress, and set.” I would say “That’s fine”, and design a set the utilization of these principles during for her. I’d make the workout as hard as I could competition, so a lot of times I’d make up three or four sets Teaching D.I.P.S. certainly should begin with and say “Which one do you want to do today?” It Age Group swimmers, but it is just as important didn’t matter if she tried to pick the easiest one, to Senior and Masters Swimmers. Steps should because they were all pretty hard. I knew that I be taken to emphasise, reinforce, and improve was getting it accomplished, and when I did distance per stroke for all ages and levels of write up three sets, I’d always tell her, “Well, if swimmers. you don’t want to do this one today, we’re going GOVERNING PRINCIPLE to do it tomorrow or the next day, so you’re going Ideally, because a swimmer plants his/her to get it anyway.” She did have a lot of input hand and pulls his/her body past it, stroke into it. length should remain constant and the only variable governing speed should be stroke rate. Q: We hear a lot of stories about her dietary This is rarely achieved, but the more habits; did she take a lot of supplements? accomplished the swimmer, the closer he/she A: Her dietary habits are not ideal. I know comes to the goal of equal distance per stroke commented about how he’s going over every distance or speed. to try and improve that up at Stanford. She ate WHY STROKE LENGTH? a lot, several meals during the day. She didn’t • Increased distance per stroke increases always eat terrible food, she had her share, but speed she ate some good food also. Her parents were

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• Increased distance per stroke helps in his/her shoulder over the side of the pool. Then streamlining ask him/her to complete a Freestyle pull – if • Increased distance per stroke increases done correctly, the swimmer’s hand will push stroke efficiency against the side of the pool and pull him/her • Increased distance per stroke leads to less forward until he/she falls into the pool. This energy consumption exercise helps teach the idea of planting a hand • Increased distance per stroke helps to build (or hands) and pulling the body beyond the stroke rhythm hand (hands). • Increased distance per stroke helps to Side-Kicking Drills generate relaxed speed • Face-to-Side – lying on the side with the ear • Increased distance per stroke assists in and rested on the water, the deeper arm fully is essential to proper race pace extended, and the upper arm at the side with If velocity equals stroke rate times distance the hand on the thigh. Emphasis should be per stroke (V = R x DPS ), it only makes sense placed on maintaining the body at 900 to the that if the distance per stroke increases or water’s surface. Emphasise that the remains constant as the rate increases the shoulder, hip, side of knees, and side of result will be faster times. ankles should be pointed directly at the WHAT IS NEEDED? ceiling. Swimmers should also, be coached to • Solid stroke mechanics. Smaller swimmers feel a stretch at the elbow, shoulder, hip, with excellent technique often have better knee, and ankle joint. This drill helps to stroke length than taller swimmers with less teach the up-on-the-side position, body roll, efficient technique. and streamlining. All these components • Development of the proper feel of the water assist in increasing stroke length. • Constant concentration on keeping it long • Face-toward-the-bottom-of the pool – this and decreasing the number of strokes per drill is done the same way as above except length the face is pointed directly at the pool • The ability to relax in the water bottom. Again, this drill assists in teaching a • Swimmer confidence in the concept. At first streamline body position and the up-on-the- swimmers may feel they are going slower side body position, but also helps to teach • Constant assessment and periodic testing rotating the shoulders, trunk, and hips used to evaluate progress, act as a teaching around the body’s central axis while tool and demonstrate the importance to maintaining a stationary head position. This swimmers. rotation is essential to stroke length. STROKE DEVELOPMENT DRILLS RELATED Kick & Roll Drill – this drill is initiated by TO TEACHING DISTANCE IMPROVEMENT assuming the same position as described in the PER STROKE side-kicking drills. The swimmer kicks six kicks The first step in teaching distance per stroke on one side (this number can either be is the use of stroke development drills. There expanded or contracted) and then pulls with the are drills that can be done on-the deck, or in- extended arm and recovers with the upper arm the-the water. The goal of using these drills and the swimmer rotates to the other side, should always be teaching the feel of proper kicks six kicks and repeats the drill. This can be stroke length. Motor memory is essential to done with the face to the side or toward the proper technique and hence increased stroke bottom of the pool. This drill helps to teach length and efficiency. There are literally stroke balance, rotation and the up-on-the side hundreds of drills that assist in stroke position which are essential to stroke length. development, but the ones listed below are Common Sculling Drills – these drills are directly related to teaching D.I.P.S. used to teach the sculling actions that promote On-deck body positioning – lying on a planting the hand and pulling the body past it. bench on the stomach, the swimmer extends • Front Sculling Drills – these drills his/her arm as far forward as he/she can incorporate a pull buoy between the legs. The without touching his/her elbow to the bench. swimmer lies in the water with either the He/she then rolls onto his/her side and extends head up or with the face pointed at the his/her arm as above. Repeat on other side. The bottom of the pool, and the arms extended in purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the front of the shoulders with the hands angled increased length of the reach when an up-on- slightly outward. Without moving the elbow, your-side position is used. An expansion of this rotate the hand so the fingertips face directly exercise may include the use the resistance of a towards the bottom of the pool, then move very light surgical tube to increase kinaesthetic the hand and forearm backward until they awareness. reach the elbow which is held high, rotate On-deck pull into water – wet the pool deck the hand inward and forward until it reaches enough so that swimmers will slide easily, and the starting point. Emphasise pressure have the swimmer lie on the deck in a position against the hands during rotation. This drill so that one arm is fully extended in front of can be done with one hand at a time, two

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hands at a time, and/or alternating hands. until it reaches beyond the extended, stationary The purpose is to teach the initial sculling arm. The extended arm then completes a stroke action of the stroke catch. cycle while the other arm remains extended and • Middle Sculling Drills – these drills also stationary. It is important to emphasise incorporate a pull buoy between the legs. reaching beyond the stationary arm if stroke The swimmer lies on the water with either length is to be improved. the head up or facing the bottom of the pool. Transition Drills – one of the most The elbows are flexed and held high with the important principles to swimming efficiency is a hands under the shoulders with the hands smooth transition from one stroke phase to angled inward, fingertips pointed toward the another. Therefore, transition drills are an bottom of the pool. Scull inward toward the extremely important component. Transition body’s midline (think about sculling toward drills should combine drills emphasising a the opposite hip). Then rotate the hands and smooth efficient transition from one phase to return them to the starting point. This also another. Some examples of some effective can be done with two hands at a time, one transition drills include… arm at a time, or alternating hands. • Combined front and middle sculling drills • Rear Sculling Drills – using a pull buoy • Combined middle and rear sculling drills between the legs. Lie on the stomach with • Combined double rear sculling drills and either the head up or with the face pointed at kick and roll drills the bottom of the pool. The hands should be • One arm drills emphasising the catch and held slightly below chest level with fingertips in-sweep of the pull facing the bottom of the pool and the hand • One arm drills emphasising the in-sweep and rotated slightly outward. The hands are then rear sculling sculled outward and upward past the hips. PRINCIPLES THAT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED And then turned in and returned to the IN USING STROKE DEVELOPMENT DRILLS starting position. Again this drill can be TO TEACH DISTANCE IMPROVEMENT PER completed with two arms simultaneously, STROKE one arm at a time or alternating arms. This • Use only drills that utilise sound stroke phase of the stroke should be emphasised principles because it is the most critical phase of • Avoid drills that may lead to other stroke Freestyle and Butterfly. flaws or possible causes of injury One Arm Drills – one arm drills can be used • Accentuate proper execution of drills – do not to isolate different stroke phases such as allow swimmers to just go through the rotation, long recovery, initial stroke setup or motions – drills can build improper motor catch, different sweeps of the hands and patterns as easily as proper technique. smooth transition between stroke phases. They • Use various drills to build, to refine, or can also be used with a stroke count to reinforce different stroke phases, but measure stroke length. remember drills should be taught as another 2/2/4 Drills – again, 2/2/4 drills can be stroke, drill perfection is required to teach used to isolate and emphasise different stroke perfect technique. phases, but also are an excellent transition • Emphasise the feel of each stroke phase between isolated parts and full stroke. The being taught or improved – teaching aids swimmer completes two strokes with one arm, such as paddles, fins, and surgical tubing then two strokes with the other arm, and then may help to improve sensory input. four full strokes. • Increase swimmer interest and focus by OK Sign Drills – in this drill the index finger inventing new drills, or allowing swimmers and thumb form a circle with the remainder of to invent drills themselves – remember these the fingers extend forward so that an OK sign is drills need to utilise sound stroke principles formed. This hand position helps the swimmer that do not lead to stroke flaws or injuries. feel the water flow throw the O during sculling, • Repeat and refine drills on an ongoing basis and or pulling motions. It can be used during TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING any other drills to enhance the feel of the water. STROKE MECHANICS X Mark Drills – an X is marked on the fat Teaching proper stroke mechanics requires pad of the palm of the hand. The swimmer is precision instruction. then told to feel the pressure of the water The first step is to analyse the skills involved against the X during the sculling and pulling in efficient stroke length. The result of this motions during the stroke. It has been analysis is to break down the stroke into small particularly successful in teaching a smooth steps that when combined will yield an efficient transition between stroke phases and with stroke that contributes to maximum distance novice swimmers. per stroke. Over-Reach Catch-Up Drills – one hand is Next, it is necessary to develop strategies to held stationary in an extended position while teach these small steps and then combine them the other arm completes an entire stroke cycle into complete skills. Often times, attempts to

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teach neuro-muscular skills and motor memory improvement per stroke. The sets or drills listed skip the most elementary teaching steps. This below have proven to be successful. should never happen when teaching proper Stroke Counts during Aerobic Swims – the stroke mechanics. A suggested progression of first step is counting the number of strokes per teaching steps should include… length during easy aerobic swims. The best time Movement of a Body Part through the to initially introduce this step is during warm- Desired Movement – only by precisely ups and warm-downs. Initially encourage manipulating the swimmer through the desired maintaining the same number of strokes per movement can the coach guarantee the precise each length. Later, challenge swimmers to result. This relates to both pieces or entire decrease the number of strokes per length by 1, skills, and can be used in and out of the water. 2, or 3 strokes. These aerobic swims can be Pairing Moving the Body or Body Part used to both teach and reinforce distance per with Language – a verbal description while stroke throughout the season. moving the swimmer through the desired skill 3 x 25 strokes per length sets – This set is will help to present the language that the coach a series of short course 25’s (can be adapted to can use later to present verbal cues. 50 meters, if only a long course pool is Use of a Physical Prompt or Cue – the available) done in the following manner. Each coach uses a tap or very brief physical direction set is a series of 3 x 25. to help the athlete complete the desired • No.1 of each set is done relaxed – count the movement. Often this is an effective method of number of strokes for the 25 correcting faulty mechanics with minimal input, • No.2 of each set is done at 200 pace – count and also can be used in and out of the water. the number of strokes for the 25 and Presenting Resistance to the Desired maintain the same number of strokes for Movement – resisting the proper movement the 25 as No.1 helps to increase sensory input. The first step in • No.3 of each set is an all out sprint – count resistive sensory input is the coach or another the number of strokes for the 25 and team member holding the body or body part maintain the same number of strokes as and resisting any movement. Next, the coach or No.1 and No.2 partner reduces the amount of pressure so the • Begin with take-off times of 1:30 to allow swimmer can complete the desired motion you to get individual counts and to provide against reduced resistance. Later, teaching aids technique suggestions after each repeat. such as stretch cords, surgical tubing, or These suggestions may include … “work on paddles may be used to present resistance and your streamline position” … “use a little more improve sensory input. It is important to realise body roll to increase your stroke length” … this applied resistance is not meant to be used “reach more on your recovery to increase as a strength building exercise but to improve stroke length” … “don’t rush your stroke just the feel of the stroke. Again, pairing language to because you are attempting to go faster” … this strategy will add to success. or “try to take one fewer stroke on this 25”. Demonstration – total skills or small • Later, use take-off times of :45 or 1:00 segments can be shown by the coach or another • When using them as an individual swimmer (in person or on video-tape, etc.). It is technique set, use 3-4 sets of 3 x 25. When important that the demonstration meets or using them between speed sets to reinforce exceeds the performance level being taught. stroke length, use 1 or 2 sets Often on-deck demonstration is superior to in- • As swimmers begin to get the idea of the water performance. drill and keep the stroke count consistent, Verbal Explanation – oral description is the or approach equal stroke counts, introduce most difficult form of teaching a motor skill. time or stroke rate goals, while maintaining When teaching through the use of language, it the same stroke count. Examples of these is best to pair the verbal explanation with expansions/refinements include… assisted movement, resistive movement, • Hit the following times and maintain the physical cues, or demonstration. same stroke count No.1 = :16 The goal of all of these strategies should • No.2 = :14; No.3 = :12 – times should be always be teaching the feel of proper stroke specific to each individual … OR technique. Sensory and motor memory are • Hit the following stroke rates for the 3 x essential to the execution of proper technique. 25 and keep the same stroke count – No.1 TRAINING DRILLS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY = 35 – 40 strokes/min., No.2 = 50 – 55 TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STROKES PER strokes/min., No.3 = 60+ strokes/minute LENGTH AND INCREASE DISTANCE PER • It is obviously easier to use the time STROKE refinement when working with groups, but In addition to utilising stroke development when working with one individual, it is drills, training sets and drills designed to often more successful using stroke rates specifically reduce the number of strokes per combined with stroke counts. length are essential to teaching distance

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Modified Mini-Max or Descending Mini- more experienced swimmers. Some ideas Max Sets – the next step can incorporate a include… series of four descending 50’s utilising the • Set a number of strokes (such as 9 concepts used in Bill Sweetenham’s Mini-Max strokes) for each swimmer to take. Mark sets. Swimmers utilise one or more sets of the distance that each swimmer covers descending 50’s. Swimmers count the number with this number of strokes. Challenge of strokes per 50 and add them to their time. them to go beyond the mark the next This should be done for each descending repeat. time. Contests can be used to see who At first, the goal should be a descending total, goes the farthest or who improves the later the swimmer should maintain the same most, etc. stroke count but descend times and total, and • Handicap races or relays – time swimmers last swimmers should descend times, stroke for a set distance and subtract the counts, and totals. In the beginning, the first number of strokes they took. The repeat should be very easy and the series swimmer with the highest total wins. An descended to an all out sprint. The contrast in example is … if both swimmers do a :16 descending assists in teaching the concept of for a 25, but one swimmer takes 15 increasing speed while maintaining or reducing strokes and one swimmer takes 16 stroke count. As swimmers become more strokes, the person who takes 15 strokes proficient, the initial time of each set can be has a total of 1 and defeats the swimmer faster so there will be less contrast between the who takes 16 strokes and has a total of 0. first and fourth swim of each set. Various This same concept can be used for relays refinements and variations can include time where relay times and total strokes for the and rate goals as mentioned in the drill above entire team are used to determine totals. can be used. Distances can also be varied. Coaches need to insist on swimmers Using Mini-Max 25’s can be used with younger, completing training drills at the prescribed pace less experienced swimmers and to provide more and rate. Swimming slowly with long strokes feedback. 100’s or 200’s can be used to teach may be a starting point but it is essential that maintaining constant stroke length over greater swimmers rehearse swimming at different paces distances. with appropriate distance per stroke. Mini-Max 50’s – Bill Sweetenham, long-time INTEGRATING DISTANCE PER STROKE coach and current National Performance TECHNIQUE, DRILLS, AND CONCEPTS INTO Director of swimming in Great Britain, TRAINING SESSIONS developed the next set. Each set should include Teaching distance per stroke solely using 4-6x50 swims. Count your strokes on your first stroke development and training drills will not 50, accurately count the number of strokes translate successfully into meets without taken during the 50, and add the number of incorporating the concept into training sessions. strokes to the time. If you take 30 strokes and Only after successful integration into training, do a: 30, your total is 60. Attempt to reduce will stroke length be able to be properly utilised your total by going faster with the same number during competition. of strokes, doing the same time with fewer All swimming in warm-up and warm-down strokes, or go faster with fewer strokes. sets should incorporate stroke counts. You may Continue for the entire set(s). Fewer strokes is wish to count every length, every other length, good, faster is great, and faster with fewer or one length for each quarter. Experience has strokes is best. shown that initially it is beneficial to count Build Swims – swims that incorporate every length, but to later fade counting to one building ¼’s of the total distance are also very length per quarter. Swimmers often become effective in teaching distance per stroke. 25’s, bored counting every length, but stay more building 6¼’s, while maintaining the fewest focused when counting one length per quarter. number of strokes per length allows for An example would be to count the second maximum coaching input. 50’s building 12½’s, length of each 100 during a 400 repeat. 100’s building 25’s, etc., can all be very effective Integrating stroke development drills related in teaching maintaining the same number of to stroke length into training – this can be done strokes or reducing the number of strokes while in two different ways. One method incorporates increasing stroke rate. Emphasis should be on technique drills into whole training repeats or relaxed, hard, very hard, and sprint by ¼ sets. Examples include… distances. • 6 x 100 on 1:30 – alternating drill and swim • Games, Contests, & Races – distance by 100 improvement per stroke can be taught and • 4 x 4 x 50 on 1:00 – sets #1 & 3 = drill, sets reinforced with the use of games, contests 2 & 4 = swim and races. These activities are best for The other incorporates technique drills into younger, less experienced swimmers, but can each repeat. also be used as a change of pace for older, • 5 x 200 on 2:45 – take 2 strokes right arm Freestyle and then 2 strokes left arm

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Freestyle off each wall and swim the stroke counts is one of the simplest forms of remainder of each length assessment in swimming; however, it may have • 10 x 75 on 1:15 in the following manner – the most benefit to performance. 25 drill; 25 build; 25 sprint Periodic Formal Testing is also very beneficial Training drills designed specifically to reduce to evaluating distance improvement per stroke the number of strokes per length should also be and the presentation of data collected during integrated into training sets. Two examples of the process is extremely effective in this integration are… demonstrating the importance of stroke length. • 1 x 400 (level 1); 3 x 25 strokes per length There are two ways to determine when tests drill (see above); 2 x 100 (level 3) – hold the should be administered. The first way would be same number of strokes for every length to determine a set time period for testing, such • 4 x [4 x 50 on 2:00] Sets 1 and 3 = as every four weeks. The other way is to time descending mini-max; Sets 2 and 4 = all out testing so it corresponds with training cycles, sprint – hold an equal stroke count such as testing at the end of each macro-cycle. Stroke counts used while completing various Both are beneficial. training sets. Swimmers should complete these Two tests have been proven effective. They sets or repeats at moderate pace, using the are Wayne Goldsmith’s 10x100 Swim Test and fewest number of strokes possible. An example the Stroke Efficiency Test developed by David of this is… Pyne, Graeme Maw, and Wayne Goldsmith. • 8 x 50 on 1:00 – odd numbers = stroke Both of these tests have a two-fold benefit. count; even numbers build 12½’s hard – First, the results reflect progress and need work to hold the same number of strokes on areas and a comparison of results from test all lengths session to test session. In addition, proper Swimmers and/or coaches should count presentation of data is a very effective teaching strokes on random repeats. If swimmers count tool. their own strokes they should adjust The 10x100 Test utilises three 100’s at accordingly to the result. If the count is equal to aerobic pace, three 100’s at threshold pace, their average count, they should attempt to take three 100’s at VO2Max pace, an extended rest and one less stroke on the next repeat. If the coach a 100 at maximum speed. The following counts, he/she should provide feedback to the information is collected … times, splits, heart swimmer. This feedback may take the form of rates, stroke counts, stroke rates, and lactate addressing the number of strokes or related to levels (if equipment is available). An in depth stroke tips that will aid in reducing the number protocol appears on the of strokes taken. www.education.ed.ac.uk/swim/papers3/wg4 Coaches should constantly provide input and Web Site. In using this test to evaluate distance reminders to swimmers during training per stroke and to use it as a tool to teach sessions. Examples include… “You did a :28 on distance improvement per stroke, the following that one. Try hitting the same time taking one comparisons are the most pertinent… less stroke on each length.” “This time, go one • Time and stroke count/distance per stroke second faster without taking more strokes.” “On • Rate and stroke count/distance per stroke this one, go one second faster and take one For the initial test, these comparisons should stroke less.” be graphed and presented to swimmers with USE OF ON-GOING ASSESSMENT AND specific explanations and suggestions. For PERIODIC FORMAL TESTING subsequent tests, the same comparisons should Constant assessment and periodic formal be presented, but graphic presentations should testing are extremely important components of also compare test results to previous tests. teaching distance improvement per stroke. Examples of collected data, suggested graphs Fortunately, assessment and testing are and comments to swimmers follow. relatively simple. The following data was collected while On-going assessment simply utilises conducting a 10x100 Step Test relates to times, counting strokes during different sets within and stroke counts per 100 metre swim. The training sessions. This counting should be done current ideal stroke count was determined by by both swimmers and coaches, and be used the fewest number of strokes taken during the during sets that incorporate different intensity test. levels and speeds. It can be done at designated No. Time Stroke Count Ideal Stroke Count times, such as every third length or every fourth 1 01:21.5 68 67 2 01:22.1 69 67 repeat. Random counting is also very effective. 3 01:21.3 67 67 Coaches should periodically count a swimmer’s 4 01:13.5 69 67 strokes throughout practice and provide input 5 01:12.8 70 67 to the swimmer. This random counting helps to 6 01:12.7 71 67 assess the effectiveness of teaching D.I.P.S. and 7 01:07.5 73 67 8 01:07.8 75 67 helps to redirect the swimmer’s focus back to 9 01:06.8 74 67 distance per stroke. Ongoing assessment of 10 01:01.0 76 67

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be emphasised. Set a goal for the next test to TIME/STROKE COUNT COMPARISONS maintain the current ideal stroke count 78 throughout the test but increase the stroke rate

76 equal to the current rate or at a higher rate for each series of swims. 74 The following graph compares times and 72 stroke count for Tests 1 and 2. COMPARISON OF TIMES/STROKE COUNT TESTS 1 & 2 70

68

66

64

62 01:21.5 01:22.1 01:21.3 01:13.5 01:12.8 01:12.7 01:07.5 01:07.8 01:06.8 01:01.0 Stroke Count Ideal Stroke Count The data below is taken from the same 10x100 Step Test and relates to stroke rate, stroke count and ideal stroke count. Again, the current ideal stroke count was determined by the fewest strokes taken on a given 100. No. Stroke Rate Stroke Count Ideal Stroke Count 1 37.5 68 67 2 37.0 69 67 3 38 67 67 4 45.0 69 67 When discussing the results with the 5 46.5 70 67 swimmer, the coach should point out the faster 6 46.5 71 67 times taking fewer strokes and the smaller gap 7 49.5 73 67 8 51.0 75 67 between stroke count and ideal stroke count. 9 50.5 74 67 However he/she should indicate where the 10 58.0 76 67 swimmer’s greatest needs still lie. In this case in The following graph compares Stroke rate, the areas of VO2Max and maximum effort swims. stroke count and ideal stroke count from the The swimmer should be praised for the 10x100 Step Test. improvement and set goals for continued RATE/STROKE COUNT COMPARISON improvement. 80 Pyne’s Maw’s, and Goldsmith’s Stroke

70 Efficiency Test is equally as important in evaluating and teaching distance improvement 60 per stroke. The test consists of 7x50-metre 50 swims on a two-minute cycle. The slowest swim should be at 12 seconds over the predicted best 40 time. Each of the other times should descend by 30 two seconds. Time, stroke rate, stroke count,

20 and distance per stroke* should be recorded. An in depth protocol appears on the 10 www.education.ed.ac.uk/swim/papers3/wg3 0 12345678910 Web Site. Stroke Rate Stroke Count Ideal Stroke Count * Note: it may be more feasible during a When discussing the results of the initial test training session to record only the stroke count related to times and stroke count with the instead of distance per stroke. What you may swimmer, attention should be focused upon the lose in accuracy is far out-weighed by testing elevated stroke count as the time decreased. It efficiency. If possible it is best to record both is not unusual for this to happen during the stroke count and distance per stroke. first test. However, an emphasis should be In using this test to evaluate distance per placed upon closing the gap between the actual stroke and to use it as a teaching tool, the stroke count and the ideal stroke count in the following comparisons are the most important… future. The coach should discuss ways of • Times and stroke count/distance per stroke achieving this during training sessions. • Stroke rates and stroke count/distance per When discussing the results of the initial test stroke related to stroke rate and stroke count with the As in the 10x100 Test, these comparisons swimmer, attention should also be focussed on should be graphed and presented to swimmers. the increased number of strokes, hence the For the initial test, these comparisons should be shorter the distance per stroke as the rate presented to swimmers with specific increased. The importance of maintaining explanations and suggestions. For subsequent stroke length, while stroke rate increases, must tests, the same comparisons should be

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presented, but graphic presentations should When discussing the comparison of stroke also compare test results with those of previous rate and distance per stroke with the swimmer, tests. Examples and suggested graphs and it is important to mention that as the stroke comments to swimmers follow. rate increase the distance per stroke should The following graph illustrates the remain the same. comparison of times, stroke rates, stroke count, The following graph is a comparison of stroke and ideal stroke count based upon the results rates and distance per stroke between Test 1 of the 7x50 Stroke Efficiency (Stroke Mechanics) and Test 2. Test. COMPARISON OF STROKE RATES/DPS TESTS 1 & 2 COMPARISON OF TIME/RATE/STROKE COUNT/IDEAL STROKE COUNT

When discussing the results with the swimmer, it is important to mention that although there was progress, the goal should be maintaining an equal distance per stroke for all stroke rates. The input should not stop there, When discussing the results with the but should include strategies in training swimmer, the coach should mention that as the sessions and competition to reach that goal. time decreases and the rate increases, the Although the use of these two tests may stroke count should remain the same. Goals for appear to be repetitive, they help to reinforce the next test should address decreasing the gap the same concept over two different distances between the stroke count and the ideal stroke and help to show where the point of emphasis count and what should be done in training breaks down at a given distance, time, or stroke sessions to reach that goal. The following table rate. Remember, ideally, distance per stroke and graph illustrate a comparison of stroke should remain constant for every distance rates and distance per stroke… and speed, and only the rate and time should No. Stroke Rate Distance Per Stroke vary. 1 33.5 2.13 UTILISATION OF DISTANCE IMPROVEMENT 2 34 2.07 PER STROKE IN COMPETITION 3 37.5 1.94 The final step is using stroke length during 4 40.6 1.87 5 46.5 1.79 competition. Utilisation of distance per stroke 6 52.5 1.74 concepts may include concentration points 7 58 1.68 such as… Swimmer Self-Correction COMPARISON OF STROKE RATE/DISTANCE PER STROKE • If, during competition, the swimmer’s feel 70 indicates that his/her stroke is too short, he/she should make adjustments related to 60 what has been learned in stroke 50 development and training drills. • If when the swimmer counts the number of 40 strokes per length, he/she is taking too 30 many strokes, he/she should also make

20 adjustments. In this area stretching out the stroke is usually appropriate, but it also 10 may trigger concentration upon another

0 technique correction. 1234567

Stroke Rate Distance Per Stroke Counting by the Swimmer… often times, if

a swimmer’s most common flaw in competition

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is shortening his/her stroke, he/she should main ingredient of muscle tissue. But the count the number of strokes of particular enzymes that assist many important chemical lengths. If the race involves pace where building reactions in the body, including the ones that or increased stroke rate is involved, the best produce energy during exercise, are also place to count strokes is immediately following proteins. And did you know that protein itself the increase in pace or rate. can supply up to 15% of the energy used during • An example might be in a 400-metre swim long workouts? that utilises building 100’s, in a long course While swimmers generally do get enough pool, a swimmer should count the third, protein in their diet, many get it from the wrong fifth and seventh lengths sources and at the wrong times. Few swimmers • Adjustments should be made during the recognize and take full advantage of the race performance-boosting benefits of consuming Counting by an assistant coach or another protein both during and after workouts swimmer – the primary coach should concern MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY himself/herself with stroke mechanics and race The average adult needs about one gram of strategy, but an assistant or another swimmer protein for every three pounds of body weight should count strokes per length, so feedback each day. Swimmers in moderate training can be provided at the conclusion of the race. should consume about one gram of protein for Stroke counts and distance per stroke every two pounds of body weight. Swimmers in comments should be discussed with the heavy training can consume up to one gram of swimmer after the race and recorded for future protein per pound of body weight. For all use swimmers, protein should account for SUMMARY approximately 15% of daily calories, while Each of the areas mentioned above are equal carbohydrate should account for 60% and fat in importance and require coaching input. the other 25. (Note that protein and Isolated drills allow for the most input. carbohydrate yield four calories per gram, while Feedback during the integration into training fat yields nine.) sets should be geared to teaching the feeling of Swimmers should try to get a lot of their correct stroke length, mechanics or pace and protein from plant foods like beans and nuts. teaching swimmers self-coaching techniques. Although rich in proteins, some animal foods During competition, swimmers need to be self- like hamburger and eggs also are often high in correcting; however, coaching input should saturated fat and cholesterol, which contribute precede and follow each race. The need to to health problems including overweight and emphasise stroke length never diminishes and high blood pressure. should not be stagnant. When stroke length is Also, they should avoid consuming too much successfully learned, integrated into training, protein. The body cannot make use of more and utilised in competition, it can be expanded, than about one gram of protein per pound of refined, or changed, but never eliminated. bodyweight per day. Any extra protein will be Although this article addresses Freestyle, converted to fat and stored. Eating too much distance per stroke is also extremely important protein also causes dehydration and loss of to the other three competitive strokes. In fact, it calcium from the bones. may even be more important to the short axis SWIM HARDER, SWIM LONGER strokes (Butterfly and Breaststroke). The same Lately protein has earned a much bigger principles can be readily adapted to Backstroke, reputation for improving exercise performance. Breaststroke and Butterfly. Distance per stroke It is already well known that athletes can is so important that it should be the primary improve performance by taking in fluids consideration in stroke development technique, (including electrolytes) and carbohydrate during precision drills, integration into training, and exercise. utilization during competition despite the level Fluid replenishment can improve of the athlete. temperature regulation and reduce ALL SWIMMERS MUST CONCENTRATE ON cardiovascular stress. Carbohydrate TAKING FEWER STROKES WITH PRECISE supplementation delays the onset of fatigue and EFFORT improves endurance performance. This is why for many years most sports drinks have been POWER UP with PROTEIN formulated to contain electrolytes (including By Rick Curl sodium and potassium) and 6-8% carbohydrate. Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine However, research is now showing that 2002/Issue 5 protein can provide additional benefits when Rick Curl is Head of the Curl Burke Swim Club. The world famous added to a carbohydrate/electrolyte sports Curl Burke Swim Club is home to four Olympic Gold Medallists and drink. Today there is strong evidence that 11 USA Swimming National Team Championship Titles protein, in the proper ratio with carbohydrate, (www.cubu.org). should be considered an essential ingredient in Swimmers need protein for three important an effective sports drink. functions. Everyone knows that protein .is the

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Consuming carbohydrate during exercise post-exercise damage, increased post-exercise delays fatigue by increasing the amount of muscle glycogen synthesis, and extended next- energy that is supplied by blood glucose, workout endurance more than a sports drink thereby slowing the rate of muscle glycogen containing carbohydrate and no protein. depletion, which is the primary cause of fatigue PROTEIN GUIDELINES in long swim workouts. The hormone insulin is Protein, particularly when consumed in the responsible for transporting carbohydrate from proper ration with carbohydrate, can give the blood into the muscle cell where it can be swimmers a competitive edge. Here are some used for energy. Insulin is released by the simple protein guidelines that we used at the pancreas automatically in response to Curl Burke Swim Club to help our swimmers increasing glucose levels in the blood. improve workout performance and speed post- When a small amount of protein is consumed exercise recovery. with carbohydrate, there is a stronger insulin 1. Everyday: Protein should represent 15% of response and glucose is delivered to the working total calories muscles more quickly. The result is even greater 2. During exercise: 10-20 grams of protein muscle glycogen conservation and endurance per hour in combination with 40-80g of than when carbohydrate is taken without carbohydrate protein. In one study, a sports drink containing 3. After exercise (Within one hour) .5 gram carbohydrate and protein in a ratio of 4-1 of carbohydrate plus .125 gram of protein increased endurance by 24% as compared to a per pound body weight conventional, carbohydrate-only sports drink and by 57% as compared to water In extended workouts and races, protein OVERCOMING INJURY consumption can also delay fatigue by serving as a direct energy source. After 80 minutes of with the help of fairly high-intensity exercise, protein TOP-NOTCH PROFESSIONALS contributes as much as 15% of the muscles’ By , Peter Banks, energy supply. If no protein is taken in during the workout, this energy comes from the Joe Noel, Scott Rodeo breakdown of muscle protein, which can cause Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine muscle damage and soreness. Taking protein in 2002/Issue 5 your sports drink during exercise reduces the To facilitate knowledge and education on breakdown of muscle protein and helps speed swimming-related shoulder injuries’ we’d like to muscle recovery. share the stories of some of our elite-level What’s more, studies have shown that swimmers. Below, three top-notch branched-chain amino acids can help reduce professionals, an athlete, a coach and a fatigue of the central nervous system during physical therapist, take us through a start-to prolonged exercise. Whey protein is a finish account of the injury and rehabilitation particularly good source of branched-chain process. amino acids. But be aware that too much Athlete Brooke Bennett Shoulder: 1988-2002 protein will slow stomach emptying. The ideal Surgery: 2001 ratio is four grams of carbohydrate to one of Coach Peter Banks protein. This ratio provides the benefits of Physical Therapist Joe Noel, PT protein with no negative effect on stomach Surgeon Scott Rodeo, MD emptying. When did you first notice that something RECOVER FASTER was “wrong” with your shoulder? Following exercise, protein plays a powerful Bennett: role in rebuilding and refuelling muscle cells, I first experienced problems in the summer especially when combined with carbohydrate. of ‘98. That fall, I started to notice that I was As a general rule, within the first hour after a getting really sore, and I wasn’t able to recover. workout, an athlete should consume about one Part of it, I figured, was that I was getting older, gram of protein for every eight pounds of body and so workouts were more painful, and I didn’t weight (0.125g per pound). In addition, about recover as fast. If I pulled too much that week, I four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram had a lot of tenderness in my shoulder. Not too of protein should be consumed. much pain, but sore, and it took a lot longer to It’s now known that consuming carbohydrate get over one workout. and protein together within an hour of What signs/symptoms were you completing exercise results in faster muscle experiencing/seeing in the water? glycogen synthesis and faster muscle protein Bennett: rebuilding than when carbohydrate is taken Tenderness to touch in areas, and more like alone, or when both are taken more than an inflammation going on in my shoulder. If I took hour after exercise. In one study, a a couple of Advil, it would go away. carbohydrate-protein recovery drink decreased Banks:

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I noticed the complaining more ... the I had the opportunity to evaluate Brooke in soreness. On workouts where she wouldn’t the clinic and observe her in the water to look typically complain, she would mention it more. for any mechanical problems that may be Recovery time was more too, even after we contributing to her pain. In the clinic, she was adjusted with leaving off the paddles more. I put evaluated like any other patient. Range of it down to changes in her body, because she Motion and strength were assessed and then was getting older. We dealt with it with recovery special tests were performed to grade her and Advil. But then at that point we really instability. Having managed her shoulder started to consider talking to somebody. symptoms for several years, it was easy to pick Bennett: up on the change in her symptoms and the I really wasn’t doing a whole lot of dry land response to therapy. then. It wasn’t until a year later. I wasn’t in the What were your initial thoughts/ comments? weight room as much back then as I am now. It Noel: was more in the pool and at home at night … I Based on her complaints, I knew that we had throbbing pain in the shoulder. could not expect to manage Brooke’s pain Did you know what to do (initially) when you successfully for four more years and expect the realised something was “wrong?” If so, what same great results at the Games in 2004. was it you did? Physical Therapy alone could not give her the Bennett: underlying stability needed to train for the next When I first realised I was sore and I wasn’t four years. I recommended to Brooke and Peter feeling myself recover as fast, I definitely let that she fly up and meet with Scott Rodeo, MD, Peter know, but I wasn’t looking to get out of and get his opinion about her shoulders. workouts or anything like that. I didn’t want to Notes on Surgery cut out the yardage because I needed that for Rodeo: the distance events. I knew to use Advil at first. Brooke presented to me with complaints of We didn’t panic about it. We tried to take the bilateral shoulder pain. She had a distinct paddles off to see if that would help ... take a sense of her shoulders “slipping.” Her pain was little extra recovery on a certain day ... give the rather typical for a swimmer’s shoulder in that shoulders a little extra rest, instead of she had pain during the overhead recovery panicking and taking a couple of weeks off. As it phase of the . She complained didn’t go away after all that, we started talking of a dull ache, which persisted in the shoulders about seeing Joe. after her workouts. Banks: Brooke had been through extensive We looked at what we were doing and the conservative management, including periods of intensity at which we were doing it. So we relative rest as well as extensive physical maybe cut out an intensity workout. We would therapy. When examined by me she had signs swim the volume, but not as hard. The intensity and symptoms typical for a rotator cuff would change. We tried to adjust it that way overload. She also had significant laxity in both more than anything. We also tried to look at shoulders. Pain radiographs were normal. MRI exercises that would balance the shoulder of the shoulder demonstrated abnormalities better. within the rotator cuff consistent with chronic How did you find Physical Therapist Joe overload. There was no frank tear of the rotator Noel? cuff tendons but the changes were consistent Bennett: with a repetitive, chronic bout of tendonitis. I had actually seen Joe prior to my shoulder. There was also abnormality in the joint capsule, When I was 15, I had problems with my left which is consistent with underlying shoulder knee. Back then he was recommended to us by laxity. Overall, the presentation was consistent Skippy. Joe was a swimmer too, and he knew with rotator cuff symptomatology that occurs exactly what my training was like. secondary to underlying shoulder laxity. What signs and symptoms did Brooke A long discussion was held with Brooke, as present on the initial visit? well as her coach and her physical therapist. Noel: The treatment for most rotator cuff problems in Brooke had the classic signs and symptoms athletes consists of a comprehensive and well- of chronic inflammation, anterior and lateral designed course of rehabilitation. Such a pain on palpation and moderate instability. program should include not only rotator cuff While she did have tremendous global shoulder exercises, but more importantly, exercises to strength, she had specific rotator cuff weakness improve the strength and endurance of the and an imbalance in her cuff strength. She had muscles around the scapula, upper back, lower pain that continued long after her workouts back and even the core muscles including the despite using ice and over the counter anti- abdomen. Brooke had been through such a inflammatories regularly. program with Joe Noel, who is a very How did you evaluate Brooke? experienced physical therapist. Surgical repair Noel: is generally seen as a last resort, which should

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only be considered in the setting of chronic, occurs is typically approximately three month’s recalcitrant shoulder pain. time. The effort then continues with a Brooke’s goal is to train for the 2004 Olympic progressive program to restore full muscle Games in Athens. Given that her pain has strength, endurance, balance and flexibility to persisted to the point that she was unable to the muscles around the shoulder and the train, the possibility of surgical intervention was scapula, as well as the upper and lower back carefully discussed. The risks and benefits of and abdominal muscles. surgery need to be carefully explained to the The importance of a team approach with patient, and the patient, coach, therapist and good communication between the physician, physician all need to have realistic expectations. therapist, coach and athlete cannot be Return to high level, repetitive overhead overemphasised. The coach and athlete need to activities is somewhat unpredictable following carefully understand the rehabilitation program shoulder surgery. It can typically take an and the various parameters that dictate when athlete at that level up to one year to return to the athlete can progress their activity. The their pre-activity level and, in fact, a certain athlete and coach need to have realistic proportion of athletes will not be able to regain expectations as to what they can expect as each their previous level of function. This all needs to phase of the rehabilitation program. Constant be carefully understood by the athlete, as well communication between the coach, athlete, as the coach and physical therapists before physician and physical therapist is crucial for undertaking surgery. Brooke carefully allowing the athlete to progress satisfactorily understood all of these issues and elected to and to identify any problems that occur. The proceed with the shoulder surgery as she had athlete must be constantly reassessed by the exhausted all other options. physician and physical therapist to assure that Surgery was first carried out on the right the appropriate program is being followed and shoulder. Surgery involved tightening the that the athlete is making the expected shoulder capsule to correct the underlying progress. shoulder laxity. Based on her degree of laxity, What rehab did you recommend and why? as well as the multidirectional nature of her Noel: laxity, it was felt that the most reliable way to Brooke’s rehab was based on a combination address this would be an open shoulder of protocols from Dr. Rodeo and me. I attended surgical procedure. An arthroscopic approach her first surgery, and being able to see firsthand was first used to inspect the joint, as well as to what the damage was and the subsequent remove inflamed bursa around the rotator cuff. repair achieved helped me manage her better in This was done in an effort to relieve the the clinic. She started her rehab three days impingement that occurs secondary to the after each surgery was performed. The initial underlying laxity. An open approach was then emphasis was on restoration of ROM without used to tighten the shoulder capsule in such a disrupting the repair that had been achieved. way as to reduce the laxity but yet maintain The tricky part was managing each shoulder adequate motion to allow Brooke to take part in independently of each other, as they were swimming activities. operated on four weeks apart. Once ROM was A month after the right side was operated on, restored, she began an extensive strengthening the left shoulder underwent a similar program that was done in the clinic and then procedure. included a return to kicking with fins and Postoperatively a sling is used for the first ultimately swimming sets. four weeks time to protect the healing shoulder. How long did your rehab last? Gentle range of motion exercises began Bennett: immediately with a gradual progression within Surgery was in November of 2001. Rehab will certain limits in order to protect the capsular probably last my entire career, but real intense repair. The general steps in the rehabilitation rehab after surgery was about five months ... are first to allow appropriate shoulder healing, every single day. Not two or three times a week followed by restoration of range of motion and ... every day. Initially, we were able to maintain finally muscle strength and endurance. The what was going on in my shoulders for three athlete may get in the water between four and years (1998-2001). It was pretty amazing. Now eight weeks from surgery to do some simple nine months out of surgery, we hope to go up to vertical kicking or kicking with the arm at the Tampa to see Joe 2-3 times a month, depending side. Any type of overhead activity is not allowed on my schedule or if I need to be treated sooner. at this point. The first upper extremity I was out of the water until the first of the year. swimming-type motions that are allowed are It took four months to feel comfortable coming typically some simple sculling motions, which off the wall in streamline. The first swimming I can begin around 10-12 weeks after surgery. did after surgery was standing in front of a Once the range of motion and strength are mirror in Joe’s office. Just to get a feel for what appropriate, (the athlete may resume some it was like to have my arms in that position gentle . The earliest that this again.

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How were the water workouts modified comfortable adjusting things. He came out and during rehab? watched her swim a couple of times. He’d see Banks: certain things as a physical therapist that The first water workout was in March 2002 maybe I wouldn’t see as a coach, like does she (600m) and has grown to now, where we’re always hold her hand a certain way ... at this 5000m for eight practices a week. We’re about angle ... that type of thing. He had enough 60% now (August 2002). knowledge about swimming to understand the How were the dry land workouts modified mechanics of the sport to relate what he did on during rehab? a daily basis. This was really important to me. Bennett: He has to respect my ability as a coach and I I’m at about 70-80% of my typical dry land have to respect his as the PT. Anyone who tries activity. I had surgery on a Friday and I started to go beyond that, it doesn’t work. You get therapy on a Monday when I lifted the weight of instant rejection from the coach. Now we talk my arm. Then I would go from a one pound daily and it has become a nice relationship. weight to a three and five pound weight. Now Telling him about how things are going gives I’m comfortably doing eight pound bicep curls. him encouragement to do something more with Part of what kept me going was going in and Brooke. I can call and ask Joe, “Hey she’s not being told I’d lift the five instead of the three going to this point, is that her or the injury?” He’ll and using a higher resistance band. I got really say no or yes or maybe try this. And she trusts excited about that. him. The trust that I have and the trust that Was it difficult to stay motivated? she has ... it makes a triangle. Bennett: How long did it take to fully recover from Some days were easy, some days felt like I this injury? had gone nowhere. I wasn’t allowed to drive for Bennett: two months, so my dad took me to therapy. It’s still going on. I think the rehab will last Some days I’d be really excited and some days my entire career. I’d get in the car and bawl. Sometimes it was Looking back, what was the hardest part just one of those days. It was emotionally hard about sustaining and rehabbing a shoulder and some days were a breeze. I remember the injury? workout where I actually swam more than I Bennett: kicked! The decision to have the surgery was the How was Brooke’s progress monitored? hardest part. It was something I had to think Noel: very seriously about, because if swimming was Brooke was seen daily in the clinic for what I really wanted to do and I was 100% sure approximately seven months. Each week she I wanted to continue through 2004, it was was re-evaluated and her exercises were getting the opinions of my peers, parents, progressed if she met ROM and strength therapists, based on the MRIs, talking one-on- criteria. Dr. Rodeo and I were in touch by phone one with everybody. After I thought about it, I quite often and Brooke would fly up to see him knew I wanted to go on to 2004, and if I wanted at certain intervals for a re-check. We continue to accomplish my goals, surgery was the only to be in touch each week and I see her when way I was going to get there. she is back in town to re-check her strength Looking back, what was the hardest part and stability of her shoulders. about coaching a swimmer who had Could you feel your shoulder getting better? sustained and was rehabbing a shoulder If so, when/how did you notice it? injury? Bennett: Banks: Yes, definitely. Joe would stretch me 3-4 This, right now. [This statement was times a week. And as it went along, it got easier. recorded on the morning of Brooke’s first major The first couple of weeks I had tears in my eyes, post-surgery swim – 400 Freestyle Prelims – at but I trusted him and he knew what ones to do, the Philips 66 National Championships in Ft. and what I was capable of doing. And I Lauderdale, FL ... August 13, 2002.] appreciated the pain at times. If you could give other athletes one tip How closely did you work with Joe in regarding shoulders and/ or a shoulder determining what workouts Brooke could injury, what would it be? and couldn’t do? Bennett: Banks: Think it through. Put it off as long as you I actually interviewed Joe. I needed to feel can and try other things. Don’t just go out and very comfortable. I told him what the priorities get surgery. Try other things. Surround yourself were as a coach. The swimmer needed to be in with a great support group ... motivators. When the water, etc., and he agreed. Our philosophies I was down I had to turn to them. At nine came together very nicely, and I felt comfortable months, coming to Nationals, I’m really proud of with him. He came to me with a couple of things myself for doing that. he thought we should be doing, and I felt If you could give other coaches some advice

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regarding shoulders and/or shoulder injury, muscled persons) being more than 20% over what would it be? that in standard height/weight tables (Ref.3). Banks: My old swim coach delicately put the Find people you can work with ... people who condition of body weight and type in very simple are knowledgeable of the sport, who understand terms, “Fat people don’t swim fast!” Fat people the sport and what swimmers do on a daily don’t do anything fast for that matter. Notice I basis. Form a team and develop relationships. said “fat”. Not just what one might consider Explore every aspect. Use surgery as the last overweight. There are several methods for aspect. Explore every channel to be sure you assessing total body fat: underwater weighing, make the right decision. Get the support of the magnetic resonance imaging, skin fold swimmer. As a coach, it’s your responsibility to measurement, electric current and impedance, find the best avenues of support for the and now with the recommendation of National swimmer. It’s like starting over. Treat your first Institutes of Health (Ref.4) and the National swim as your first-ever swim, and rate all other Heart, Lung, and Blood Institution’s Expert swims based on now ... post-surgery ... not Panel on Obesity (Ref.5), the most clinically swims from two years ago. All athletes are goal relevant measure of obesity is the Body Mass driven, so you’ve got to give them goals to Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing a achieve. That’s what they understand ... that’s person’s weight (in kilograms) by the square of what motivates them everyday they get into the the height (in meters). The formula looks like pool. this: If you could give other Physical Therapists Weight (kg) BMI= one tip regarding shoulders and/or shoulder Height x Height (metres squared) injury, what would it be? The BMI, while not a perfect measure of who Noel: is too heavy, correlates with total body fat and Managing athletes is both a pleasure and a represents a better measure of what is challenge. There is a distinct difference between considered proper weight. The only drawbacks a weekend warrior and the professional athlete. to this approach are in dealing with the very Being a former swimmer, it was easier for short, the very tall, the heavily-muscled (just Brooke to relate to me and to take advice from about every NFL ball carrier would have a BMI me. Shoulder injuries in any population are in the overweight zone) and in those with difficult to manage and appropriately diagnose. conditions that produce fluid swelling (edema). The PT needs to be in tune with the swimmer The so-called normal range for a healthy BMI is AND the physician to get the best results. Peter, between 18.5 and 24.9 (see Table 1) (Ref.6). Dr. Rodeo and I have formed a cohesive team WHAT CAUSES THE OVERWEIGHT CONDITION? that has helped pave the way for Brooke’s As listed above, one can see there are several return to swimming and hopefully for success reasons that can act together to put on the at the 2004 Games in Athens. pounds. Some are obvious and some not-so- obvious. The obvious include: our modern society for the most part obviates the need for BEING OVERWEIGHT IN AMERICA TODAY constant energy expenditure, the portions of By Edward H. Nessel, R. Ph, Pharm. D, M.S., food are much larger than needed for satiety when eating out, the readily available MPH preponderance of food easily attainable at all Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine times of the day, the psychological uplift in 2002/Issue 6 many people that comes from consuming In ancient times, the round, portly body type certain foods ... not eating to live but living to was a symbol of prosperity and, if you can eat, and the ignorance of, or the not caring to, believe it, beauty. While a few cultures continue how to eat healthy. All this can be summed up to view a corpulent body (especially in women) in a word: environment (Refs.7, 8, 9). as desirable, most societies now feel a lean, The not-so-obvious comes into play with trim, athletic look is the one to seek. Being genetic causes. Over the past decade, scientists overweight (into obesity) in America is now have developed a number of single-gene models considered a chronic disease caused by an that identify some of the possible gene products interaction between various factors (genetics, responsible for obesity. These include leptin environmental, cultural, socioeconomic, (produced by obesity {ob} gene), the leptin medical, and psychological). receptor (carbo-xypeptidase E), and the agouti Dietary factors affecting weight regulation signalling protein (Ref.10). remain controversial as obesity continues to Yet with all this discovery, no single gene or reach epidemic proportions in America (Ref.1). set of genes can explain the increase in obesity Unfortunately, 63% of American men and 55% in the Western World unless we include the of American women are considered overweight environment. According to two researchers or obese today (Ref.2). In simple terms, obesity involved with this type of study, over the course is arbitrarily defined as (except for heavily of human history the environment has favoured

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the survival of individuals (hunter-gathers) NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GLYCEMIC INDEX ON possessing a thrifty gene that results in an HUNGER, INSULIN & WEIGHT energy-efficient and fat-loving body type Consumption of a high glycemic meal (Ref.11). Significant environmental changes promotes a more rapid return of hunger than have taken place over the past several hundred an equal caloric meal of low glycemic index years, however. The same body types that because of rapid fluctuations in blood glucose provided an advantage during times of and, in turn, levels of circulating insulin that starvation results in obesity in an individualised are activated in response to normalise the high Western World where high-fat, high-calorie levels of glucose. In addition, the high foods are readily available and low levels of circulating levels of insulin associated with high physical activity are common. glycemic food consumption suppress fat mobilisation from adipose tissue, which may THE DIETARY GLYCEMIC INDEX further promote hunger ... the more the hunger, A relatively new concept (introduced in the the more the consumption of food ... the more early 80’s) was put forth to help explain and food, the greater the weight gain. The dire quantify how the body handles certain foods medical consequences associated with obesity biochemically, and why some foods have more involve almost every biological system of the of an effect on fat production and storage in the body and should serve as a constant reminder body than others. The DIETARY GLYCEMIC that you are what you eat (see Tables 2 and 3). INDEX is a measure and/or ranking of the SUGGESTIONS FOR LOWERING GLYCEMIC INDEX effect of carbohydrate containing foods on Recent data support the preventive potential the postprandial (after meals) blood glucose of low glycemic index diets against the response compared to a reference food development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, (Ref.12). What is compared is the body’s cardiovascular disease and obesity. The response to a 50-gram dose of a test food or following are some basic guidelines for substance (e.g. Glucola liquid) by taking a blood achieving a low glycemic index diet… sample after a two-hour period. Then the value 1. Eat low glycemic index carbohydrates, such of that sample is compared relatively to the as whole grains, instead of high index refined effect of either white bread or pure glucose on products such as potatoes, white breads and a blood sample (Ref.13). various popular cereals. Glycemic indexes can range from less than 2. Increase the quantity and variety of non- 20% to over 120% the value of the body’s starchy vegetables and fruits, both of which response to either white bread or glucose, the tend to have lower glycemic indices and are a reasons being the differences in the rate of rich source of fibre. absorption and/or digestion of carbohydrates 3. Eat moderate amounts of poultry, fish, lean that cause rapid elevations in blood glucose. We meats, tofu, low-fat dairy products, legumes, see the same general ranking of food in and nuts. This will help to balance your diet diabetics as well as non-diabetics (Ref.14). The and delay gastrointestinal transit time. actual causes of this variable response are the 4. Consume whole grain products that are rich structures of the carbohydrate, the fibre in fibre and serve as physical barriers to content, different methods of cooking and/or enzymatic digestion instead of finely milled processing, ripeness, storage, presence of grains, which are rapidly digested. enzyme inhibitors, co-ingestion of other 5. Substitute soft, over-ripe textured foods with macronutrients like protein and/or fat, and the foods that are raw and firm, that have higher rate of ingestion. For example, foods that structural integrity, and that will be digested contain glucose, maltose, and sucrose produce more slowly. a larger increase in blood glucose levels and Obesity is a growing public health threat. elicit an insulin response, unlike fructose, There is evidence that there may be factors which does not. Conversely, foods that contain other than the consumption of fat that are high amounts of soluble fibre produce a gel responsible for weight gain. Understanding the formation in the gut and reduce the rate of macronutrient content of a variety of foods and gastric emptying, which causes a decreased rate the effect that the properties of these foods can of glucose absorption from the gut and reduced have on metabolism is warranted in order to rate of glucose diffusion into the small intestine. gain the maximum potential therapeutic benefit Also, the consumption of fat and/or protein from various diets. with carbohydrates influences glycemic References response by delaying gastrointestinal transit 1. Kuczmarski R.J., Flegel K.M., Campbell time. Therefore, highly refined carbohydrate S.M., et al. Increasing prevalence of content foods that are low in soluble fibre and overweight among US adults. The National overcooked, over-ripened or highly processed Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys: produce a high glycemic index response 1960-1990. JAMA, 1994; 272: pp.205-211. (Refs.15, 16, 17). 2. Popkin B.M., Paeratakul S., Zhai F., et al. A review of dietary and environmental

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correlates of obesity with emphasis on 17. Brand J.C., Nicholson P.L., Thorburn A.W., developing countries. Obes Res, 1995; 3: et al. Food processing and the glycemic pp.145s-153s. index. Am J ClinNutr, 1985; 42: pp.1192- 3. Merck Manual, 1990, Chapter 81, p 981. 1196. 4. NIH Consensus Development Conference on 18. Foster-Powel K., Miller J.B. International Obesity. Health implications of obesity. tables of glycemic index. Am J ClinNutr, (National Institutes of Health Web site] 1995; 62: pp.871s-893s. February 1-13, 1985. Available at: http://text.nlm.nih.gov.nih/ced/www/49txt Table 1: BMI Classification .html. Accessed April 15, 2000. Weight Status BMI (kg/m^2) Obesity Class 5. NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative Expert Underweight < 18.5 Normal 18.5-24.9 Panel on the Identification, Evaluation, and Overweight 25.0-29.9 Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Obesity 30.0-34.9 I Adults. Clinical guidelines on the 35.0-39.9 II identification, evaluation, and treatment of Morbid obesity > 40 III overweight and obesity in adults. The Evidence Report. Bethesda, MD: National Table 1 shows the BMI classification according Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; 1998. to the standards set forth by the NHLBI Expert 6. Calle E.E., Thun M.J., et al. Body-mass Panel in 1998. According to this classification index and mortality in a prospective cohort system, a normal BMI is represented by a value of US adults. N Engl I. Med. October 7, between 18.5, representing someone who is 1999; 341 (15): pp.1097-1105. underweight, values between 25.0 and 29.9 7. Bjorntorp P. Regional patterns of fat representing someone who is overweight, and distribution. Ann Intern Med., 1985; 103(6 values over 30.0 representing someone who is pt 2): pp.994-995. obese. As an individual’s BMI increases above 8. Mokdad A.H., Serdula M.K., et al. The 25.0 or decreases below 18.5, the relative risk of spread of the obesity epidemic in the United mortality (with normal risk defined as =1) States, 1991-1998. JAMA. October 27, associated with weight-related disease states 1999; 282 (16): pp.1519-1522. begins to increase (see Figure 1) Ref.5. 9. Kumanyika SK. Special issues regarding obesity in minority populations. Ann Intern MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH Med. 1993; 119(7 pt 2): pp.650-654. OBESITY 10. Comuzzi A.G., Allison D.B. The search for Over the past 20-30 years, overweight and the human obesity genes. Science. 1998; obesity have been linked to a variety of diseases 280: pp.1374-1377. (see Table 2). In a recent analysis by Must et al. 11. Ravussin E., Bogardus C. Energy the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, expenditure in the obese: Is there a thrifty coronary artery disease, gallbladder disease, gene? Infusiontherapie. 1990; 17: pp.108- hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and 112. osteoarthritis were all shown to be higher when 12. Jenkins D.I., Wolever T.M., Taylor R.H., an individual’s BMI was >25kg/m^2 (Ref.15). In et al. Glycemic index of foods: A addition, obesity is linked to congestive heart physiological basis for carbohydrate failure, respiratory problems, sleep apnoea, exchange. Am 1 ClinNutr. 1981; 34: pp.362- gout, and certain cancers (see Table 3). 366. Obese individuals also have a substantially 13. Wolever T.M., Jenkins D.I., Jenkins A.L., increased risk of dying from their disease, due et al. The glycemic index: methodology and to the increased morbidity associated with clinical implications. Am 1 ClinNutr, 1991; developing various medical conditions. A recent 54: pp.846-854. article estimated that the number of annual 14. Crapo P., Insel J., Sperling M., et al. deaths attributable to obesity among U.S. Comparison of serum glucose, insulin and adults is approximately 325,000 based on glycogen responses to different types of health risks from the entire study population. complex carbohydrates in non-insulin- When only non-smokers or never-smokers were dependent diabetic patients. Am J considered, the annual number of deaths ClinNutr.1981; 34: pp.184-190. attributable to obesity among U.S. adults was 15. Wolever T.M., Jenkins D.I., Kalmusky J., estimated to be 280,000 lives lost. In a separate et al. Glycemic response to pasta: Effect of study, Calle et al. describe a significant surface area, degree of cooking, and protein relationship between BMI and mortality (see enrichment. Diabetes Care, 1986; 9: Figure 1). According to this study, as BMI pp.401-404. increases above 25.0kg/m^2, the risk of death 16. Wolever T.M. Relationship between dietary from associated medical conditions also fibre content and composition in foods and increases. the glycemic index. Am J ClinNutr, 1990; 51: pp.72-75.

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Figure 1: Relationship between Mortality and BMI GL GI Food Item (Glucose=100) (Bread=100) Vanilla Wafers 77 110 Crackers Rice Cakes 82 117 High fibre Rye Crisped 65 93 Water Crackers 72 102 Dairy Foods Ice Cream 61 87 Milk Full Fat 27 39 Skim 32 46 Yogurt 25 32 Fruit & Fruit Products Apple 36 52 Apple Juice 41 58 Apricots Canned, syrup 64 92 Apricots Dried 31 44 Banana 60 78 Table 2 Medical Consequences Associated with Obesity Cherries 22 32 Coronary Artery Disease Gallbladder Disease Grapefruit 25 36 Hypertension Respiratory Problems Kiwifruit 52 75 Heart Failure Sleep Apnoea Mango 55 80 Hypercholesterolemia Gout Type Orange 43 62 2 Diabetes Mellitus Osteoarthritis Orange Juice 57 74 Certain Types of Cancers Peach Fresh 28 40 Table 3 Cancers Associated with Obesity Peach Canned, syrup 58 83 Colorectal Cancer Prostate Cancer Pear Fresh 28 40 Breast Cancer Cervical Cancer Pear Canned 58 83 Endometrial Cancer Gallbladder Cancer Pineapple 66 94 Ovarian Cancer Renal Cell Carcinoma Plum 24 43 Glycemic Index of Common Foods Raisins 64 91 GL GI Food Item Watermelon 72 103 (Glucose=100) (Bread=100) Legumes Bakery Products Baked Beans 48 69 Cake 60 90 Dried Beans 29 40 Croissant 67 96 Kidney Beans 27 42 Doughnut 76 108 Lentils 30 41 Muffins 56 85 Soy Beans (Dried) 18 25 Corn, low-amylose 102 146 Pasta Corn, high-amylose 49 70 Linguini 46 65 Waffles 76 109 Macaroni & Cheese 64 92 Beverages Brown Rice Pasta 92 131 Soft Drink 68 97 Spaghetti 37 52 Breads Root Vegetables Bagel 72 103 Beetroot 64 91 Oat Bran 47 68 Carrots 71 101 Rye Kernel 50 71 Potato French Fries 75 107 Rye Flour 65 92 Instant 83 118 Whole Wheat 69 99 Baked 85 121 Mixed Grain 45 64 Boiled 56 80 Pizza, Cheese 60 86 Sweet Potato 54 77 Breakfast Cereals Snack Foods/Confectionery All Bran 42 60 Life Savers 70 100 Bran Chex 58 83 Popcorn 55 79 Cheerios 74 106 Corn Chips 73 105 Cocoa Puffs 77 110 Peanuts 14 21 Corn Flakes 84 119 Soups Grapenuts 67 96 Lentil, Canned 44 63 Oat Bran 50 72 Tomato 38 54 Rice Krispies 82 117 Split Pea 60 86 Shredded Wheat 58 83 Black Bean 64 92 Special K 54 77 Sugars Total 76 109 Honey 73 104 Cereal Grains Fructose 23 32 Barley 25 36 Glucose 97 138 Buckwheat 54 78 Sucrose 65 92 Maize Cornmeal 68 98 Lactose 46 65 Sweet Corn 55 78 Maltose 105 150 Rice, White 88 126 Vegetables Rice, Brown 55 79 Peas, Dried 39 56 Instant Rice 91 128 Green 48 68 Rye 34 48 Pumpkin 75 107 Wheat 41 59 Sweet Corn 55 78 Cookies Source: Adopted from Reference 19 Graham Crackers 74 106 Oatmeal 55 79 Shortbread 64 91

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following the vibration treatment. This ratio USE OF VIBRATIONS FOR confirms an improvement in the neural ENHANCED PERFORMANCE efficiency of muscles. Scientists agree the main By Genadijus Sokolovas effect of vibration stimulation is neural adaption Reproduced from American Swimming Magazine such as improved muscle coordination, 2002 Issue #6 increased activation of the primary muscles, The first article about the use of vibrations in involve more motor units, better recruitment, sports appeared in the late 1970’s. Russian and synchronisation (Issurin V.B. et al. 1990; scientist Nazarov, V.T. and his group began to 1994; Burke J.R. et al. 1996; Kunnemeyer J. use vibrations as training tool in gymnastics et al. 1997; Bosco C. et al. 1999, etc.) and some other sports. He called it Acute effect of vibration shows the hidden Biomechanical Stimulation of Muscles. Their reserves of an athlete. It has been proved that investigations reveal effectiveness of vibrations elite athletes expose higher effect than lower in the strength training, power, and flexibility. level athletes (Liebermann D.G., & Issurin V.B., The improvement of strength, power, and/ or 1997; Issurin V.B., & Tennenbaum G., 1998). flexibility after a short period of vibration Acute response changes the hormonal profile of stimulation has been similar to what occurs athletes. Significant increases in serum after several weeks of heavy resistance training. testosterone and growth hormone were Unfortunately, Nazarov’s studies were known in recorded, together with significant reduction of Russia and other Soviet Union countries only. cortisol (Bosco C. et al. 1999). The wide use of these studies results was also Several investigations showed that vibration limited by the small number of vibration devices treatment is an effective means to increase they produced. flexibility (Nazarov V.T. et al. 1983, 1984; Weber In the late 1980’s, groups of other scientists R. 1996; Micheev A.A., & Priluckij P.M., 1998, began to study the vibration phenomenon, and 2000, etc.). This might be attributed to the most of them have created their own original higher blood circulation in the muscles, removal vibration devices: Cafarelli E. et al. (1986), of waste products as well as muscle stretching Micheev A.A. et al. (1987, 1998, 1999, 2000), and a pain reducing effect (Kershan 2001; Issurin V.B. et al. (1990, 1994, 1998, 1999), Rittweger 2001, 2002, etc.). Russian gymnastics Burke J.R. et al. (1996), Ettema G.J.C. (1996), and diving coaches used this method for many Weber R. (1996), Kunnemeyer J. et al. (1997) years. Their data shows that vibration training Bosco C. et al. (1998, 1999) and others. Most of improves muscle recovery (Weber R. 1996; the studies reveal a positive effect of vibration Micheev A.A., & Priluckij P.M., 2000). stimulation on strength, flexibility, and power. Potentially, vibration treatment can stimulate No negative effect of vibration has been the muscles and tendons of athletes in the reported. same way as heavy strength training. However, Mechanical vibrations applied to the whole this stimulation can be applied in a much body or to part of it produce specific responses shorter time as compared to the time needed to in muscles. Skeletal muscles undergo small use conventional training methods. Most changes in length during vibration treatment. scientists see the vibration as additional means Investigations show that optimal (biologically to strength and flexibility training. Traditional active) vibration frequency is between 18 and strength training cannot be substituted by 60Hz with amplitude between 1 and 12mm. vibration stimulation only. Many studies revealed that vibration treatment POTENTIAL AREAS OF USE OF VIBRATION might be an effective tool in flexibility, strength, DEVICES AT USA SWIMMING and power training. The vibration effects 1. New projects to analyse long-term response include the following areas … neuromuscular to vibration treatment and compare it with performance, strength, explosive power, traditional training means. flexibility, and recovery. 2. Short-term improvement of strength, Acute vibration effect is attributed to the flexibility, and power during the camps. elevated activity of alpha-motoneurons without 3. Maintenance of strength and flexibility in increase of musculature. This is typical National Team swimmers before and during improvement of neuromuscular performance. the main international meets. Studies show that even after one session of 4. Recovery after training sessions and races of vibration treatment, athletes can significantly National Team athletes. increase their neuromuscular performance. The 5. Reduction of muscle stiffness and recovery power is related to the neuromuscular after small injuries during camps and performance. Recording of EMGrms showed a international meets. significant decrease in EMG/Power ratio

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