by Coach Mat | 26 May, 2018 | Competitive/Performance Training, Energy Management, Speed, Speed and Pace, Streamline Skills, Swimming Physics, Triathlon Swimming
We most often think of water as a whole body or continuous substance. But really, from another viewpoint in physics, it is a soup of individual water molecules, or little electrical balls all jumbled, bumping and swirling together. And if you want to swim forward in...
by Coach Mat | 1 Apr, 2018 | About Coach Mat, Boredom, Burn Out, Fitness Training, Motivation, Other Related Sports, Practice Series, Running, Training Theory, Triathlon, Triathlon Swimming
We are continuing our discussion of The Habit Of Exercise. This is Part 3 of 4. Consistency Is Key We do need variety to keep it interesting and to keep the nervous system stimulated for growth. But it is also very important to be consistent in a regular routine....
by Coach Mat | 25 Feb, 2018 | Competitive/Performance Training, Design Principles, How To Train?, Martial Arts, Metabolic Training, Muscle Training, Neurological Training, Plateau (No Progress), Running, Speed and Pace, SPL, Stroke Length (SL), Tempo, Stroke Rate (SR), Training Theory, Triathlon Swimming
A member of our online training site, the Mediterra Swim Dojo, has been noticing that after a certain distance in a training set, his stroke quality deteriorates which results in his stroke count (strokes per length of the pool) going up uncontrollably. He asked a...
by Coach Mat | 14 Jan, 2018 | About Mediterra, Competitive/Performance Training, Courses, Design Principles, Fitness Training, How To Train?, New Products, Online Coaching Program, Self-Coaching, Triathlon Swimming
When I started the first version of our online training in 2012, my intention was to provide support for our camp and workshop swimmers, who traveled from afar, who were going home and had no local coach and no materials to show them what to do in the weeks and months...
by Coach Mat | 28 Jan, 2017 | About Other Perspectives, Competitive/Performance Training, Distance Training, Exhaustion, External Feedback, How To Train?, Internal Feedback, Lessons From Elites, Marathon Distance, Race Preparation, Racing, Recommended Reading, Rest/Recovery, Triathlon, Triathlon Swimming
One of the ways you can detect truly elite coaches is by the emphasis in their teaching and marketing on ‘going-smarter’ rather than ‘going-harder’ (though this is required also). Mature coaches seem to echo the refrain: listen to your body. If...
by Coach Mat | 5 Nov, 2016 | About Coach Mat, Competitive/Performance Training, Fitness Training, Injury, Kaizen (Continual Improvement), Online Coaching Program, Recommended Reading, Self-Coaching, Skill Mastery, Triathlon Swimming
This is the second part of a series discussing how Deliberate Practice principles are embodied in our Total Immersion method and manner of training. You may read Part 1 first. I am referring to Chapter 4 “The Gold Standard” in Anders Ericsson’s book...
