Using A Tempo Trainer

by Coach Mat | 27 Feb, 2012

I am committed to being a content-producer, so I rarely repost someone elses work, but TI Head Coach Terry wrote a marvelously concise primer on the advantages of working with a Tempo Trainer and included 5 practice set templates at the end. If you have interest in...

Swim For Vision, Not For Fat

by Coach Mat | 21 Feb, 2012

Interestingly, my blog essay Does Swimming Burn Fat? draws a large quantity of search engine traffic. No wonder. I am from a country obsessed with losing weight. I recently returned from a 2 month visit to the US with my family. Because of my work and my athletic...

Perfect 25 Training

by Coach Mat | 19 Feb, 2012

In order to test and expose the qualities I need in my Perfect 25 I do many repeats with a certain amount of rest- not based on seconds but based on heart rate (HR) recovery. I intend to push my neurological limits, not my anaerobic limits, so in each repeat I use a...

The Perfect 25

by Coach Mat | 9 Feb, 2012

Here is the Axiom: If I would like to swim a Perfect 1500 meters, I first need to learn to swim a Perfect 500 meters. If I would like to swim a Perfect 500 meters, I first need to learn to swim a Perfect 100 meters. If I want to swim a Perfect 100 meters, I first need...

Machine Versus Fish

by Coach Mat | 4 Feb, 2012

Next time you’re at the pool or waterway, take a look at the swimmers around you. It is not hard to see the difference between those who swim like ‘machines’ and those that swim like ‘fish’- those that are mechanical in their movements,...

Kick For Sprinting

by Coach Mat | 27 Jan, 2012

It is interesting to note that Sun Yang, when he set the 1500 meter world record in July, did so holding an average of 58 seconds per 100m for the entire race, using a 2-beat kick for all of it except the last 50 meters or so. 15 consecutive 58 second 100 sprints! We...

Sprint Training Strategy

by Coach Mat | 27 Jan, 2012

Here is some of my understanding and the considerations I design sprint training around: There are two ways to work on the solution for speed in water- increase power to overcome water resistance, and/or decrease water resistance. It is my conviction that as a smart...

One Amazing Stroke

by Coach Mat | 2 Jan, 2012

When pursuing a new PR on my [insert your favorite distance here] why would I crank out more and more mindless yards, going harder and harder, hoping that improvement will magically appear one day? When does quantity ever lead to quality? My amazing 1500 (for example)...

Slide, Don’t Hammer

by Coach Mat | 27 Dec, 2011

I had a great practice set in the pool early this morning- 1600 yards broken into 16 x (4x 25 yard sprints), with a rest interval based on my heart rate*. The objective- holding SPL (at 16) while increasing tempo from 0.95 to 0.83 seconds, using a Tempo Trainer. In...

Review- Finis Positive Drive Fins

by Coach Mat | 26 Dec, 2011

Here’s one of my three new Finis tools- the Positive Drive Fins. When I looked at these on their site and considered buying a pair to test I wasn’t sure if I could expect that much performance difference from my standard zoomers. But the moment after I...