Elite Sprint Coaches Discuss Development of Athletes (Part II)
The world is in the midst of a sprint swimming renaissance.
From the jaw-dropping world record of Cam McEvoy in the 50 freestyle to the continued impressive races of Indiana’s Van Mathias, we’re constantly seeing great racing from strong competitors. It’s a trend that Indiana Assistant Coach John Long Jr, who coaches Mathias, emphasized as a shocking shift.
“People are swimming faster, more consistently,” Long Jr. said. “Sprint speed continues to evolve at a ridiculous level.”
The “evolution” is an exciting phenomenon for the swimming world, one that didn’t happen overnight. As we discussed last week, changes in the amount and type of training sprinters engage in have contributed to these large drops in the pool.
In continuing our conversation this week, we dive more into the specifics of how the best coaches in the world break down their sprint programs. By ensuring their athletes receive the proper amount of conditioning and technical attention, the top coaches continue to create the mold for elite performance.
How Do You Measure A Sprinter’s Need For Aerobic Capacity?
Last week, we discussed how the amount of volume a sprinter needs can vary. Different physical archetypes and ages can change how much load a swimmer can handle, according to the coaches. We also talked about ways coaches are looking to intersperse aerobic training to avoid overloading their swimmers.
Almost all of the coaches referenced some form of aerobic training as a part of their program. But how much is too much for each athlete?
Matt Kredich of the University of Tennessee looks to control the speed at which his athletes are swimming aerobically. His program aims to avoid muscle burn/loss, using two variables to determine the speed at which a swimmer should swim aerobically.
The coach expressed that he was heavily inspired by scientist Jan Olbrecht, leading him to believe that training around a lactate level of 1-2 is important. A lactate level of 2 is the highest sustainable intensity before fatigue sets in, showcasing that Kredich looks to keep swimmers at a rate they can maintain. The program tests for lactate 3-4 times a month, in order to figure out what that level is for each swimmer.
The other way Kredich measures aerobic performance stems from physiologist Emma Swanick. Here, he cites that the ability to breathe through the nose can determine aerobic capacity.
“If you can breathe through your nose when you get to the wall, that has a way of down-regulating the metabolism to fat-burning,” he said. “So that’s a way to control (muscle burning).”
How Do You Measure A Sprinter’s Need For Time In The Water?
Some coaches, as discussed last week, believe the amount of time spent in the water is more important than any kind of aerobic swimming. Former Alabama head coach and Texas Ford Aquatics head man Coley Stickels pointed to a need to “get a feel for the water” by some swimmers, in turn requiring more volume. Nevertheless, he believed the need for this approach also varied by sprinter.
“Sometimes it takes a while for swimmers to get a hold of the water from a kinesthetic perspective,” Stickels said. “Others just have an innate feel for the water.” He used Olympic champion Anthony Ervin as an example.
“He could take three years off, train for two months, and make the Olympic team,” he said. “It really is individualized for everybody.”
It’s a sentiment which former U.S Olympic assistant Coach Dave Salo, who just announced his retirement, believes is not often recognized, especially at the club level. He shared that there often isn’t variation in approach for different swimmers, due to the size of programs.
“So much of age group swimming becomes about herding cats,” Salo said. “(Coaches) have a prevailing focus on doing a two-hour practice and keeping their kids moving, without focusing on the details of swimming.”
Salo believes this approach is only worsened by pressures from parental figures who don’t understand the “physiology of swimming.”
“We’d probably be more effective with fewer kids, training for less time,” he said. “Parents often perceive that the longer the work, the better, and make decisions on where to place their kids because of it.”
In the coach’s eyes, a shift in mindset must occur in order to improve the athlete.
“We keep pushing the same philosophy in swimming, which makes no sense,” he said.
What Are The Best Sprinters Doing For Their Technique?
As the world’s top sprinters improve their physical capacities for racing, they’re also working hard to fine-tune their stroke mechanics. Even the world’s best focus heavily on improving their technique on a daily basis. The ways which these athletes handle the technical aspects of their stroke once again varied among coaches. The main focus, however, continued to be manufacturing power in the most efficient way possible.
“We’re really looking for two things: how much we can emphasize propulsion, and how much drag we can reduce,” said Long Jr.
The Indiana coach highlighted his use of underwater camera systems and GoPro cameras to gather feedback during training. These devices allow the coach to capture athletes during training and provide them with real-time data and feedback.
“We can really go frame by frame, and get a better sense of what we’re looking for during training,” Long Jr. said.
The breakdown of video is a crucial resource, one that has grown in popularity in recent years. It’s an advantage, however, that Salo believes we could develop even further, in order to improve swimmers’ strokes.
“Most programs aren’t using video as much as it’s beneficial,” he said. Salo indicated that the way in which video breakdown can slow a typical “training” session has been the reason for this.
“We have yet to come up with too many ways to give feedback in real time, as the athlete is swimming,” he said. “That’s something that we hope for someday.”
Are There Other Helpful Strategies Besides Video?
Given the limits of video training, the coaches underlined that a lot of the technical work must stem from the swimmer.
“The best way to get feedback (on stroke mechanics) is from the athletes themselves,” said Kredich. “A lot of these athletes sense a lot more than we give them credit for.”
Kredich shared that he uses “constraint-led swimming” often within practice, to help sprinters feel their best stroke.
“We play around with different speeds and different ways of feeling the water, to allow them the freedom to experiment,” he said. “When you can say things like ‘go this speed as easily as possible’, it allows them room to play (with their stroke).”
Salo takes a different approach. He stressed that mechanics must be done at race speeds at practice, to be replicated during the race.
“Looking pretty is fine, but if your stroke mechanics aren’t tested and addressed at race speeds, they’re bound to fall apart,” Salo said.
The point of agreement for both coaches? The presence of drills and focused movements, with some form of fast swimming, creates a successful swimmer.
“You’re training the neural system, and the muscular system,” Salo said. “Clearly, they’re linked.”
