Training of Top US
Distance Swimmers
Genadijus Sokolovas, Ph.D.
www.globsport.org
info@globsport.org
Successful Distance Clubs in US
• Mission Viejo (Chad Carvin, Larsen Jensen,
Chad LaTourette, Chloe Sutton, Ashley
Twichell, etc.)
• Nations Capital (Katie Ledecky)
• Fish Club (Kate Ziegler)
• University of Michigan (Chris Thompson, Peter
Vanderkaay, Jaeger)
• University Southern California (Eric Vendt, Ous
Mellouli, Haley Anderson)
Reasons for Success in Distance
Swimming
• High volumes training
• Attention to swimming
technique
• Competitive training
environment
• Early competitive success
• Opportunities to train in
college
Number of Swim Workouts
• Number of swim workouts a week:
• Mission Viejo – 11 (1.5 hours in the mornings, 3
hours in the afternoons, 3.5 hours on weekends)
• Fish Club – 11 (2 hours in the mornings, 2.5 hour in
the afternoons, 3 hours on weekends)
• University of Michigan – 10 (2 hours)
• Nations Capital – 10 (2 hours in the mornings, 2:15 in
the afternoons)
• University Southern California – 8 (1.5 hours in the
mornings, 2 hours in the afternoons)
Weekly Training Volumes
• Mission Viejo – 80-85000 yd a week (peak
90000 yd a week)
• Nations Capital – 60-65000 yd a week (peak
75000 yd a week)
• Fish Club – 70-75000 yd a week (peak 90000
yd a week)
• University of Michigan – 55-60000 yd a week
(peak 70000 yd a week)
• University Southern California – 5-8000 yd per
workout (they don’t track swim volumes)
Speed for Distance
Swimmers
• Distance swimmers need to have easy speed
to be able to change gears and finish when
racing.
• If distance swimmers don’t have speed, they
will “burn tank” faster.
• Building speed gradually during the season.
Speed Development for Distance
Swimmers
• Resistance training, normally twice a week
(Power Racks, Power Towers, stretch cords,
paddles, etc.)
• Speed training in the water from the
beginning of the season (15 m blasts, dives,
turns)
• Increase distance of speed work over 50s and
100s later in the season
• Incorporate fast sprints in aerobic sets
• Sprint sets at the end of the workout
Speed Training for Distance
Swimmers at USC
• Lower volumes and lower number of workouts, but
higher intensity
• Anything can be done fast at race speed and above
(kicking, pulling, drills)
• Communication with swimmers what kind of speed
they, creating competitive environment every day
• Non standard swimming sets (125s, 175s, mixed
aerobic and fast speed sets)
• Rarely repeat the sets
• Options for swimmers what workout/sets to swim
Speed Training for Katie
Ledecky
• Easy speed training from the beginning of the
season
• More speed sets at the end of the workout,
especially if there has been a long workout
• Speed sets at the end of the workout: 25s and
50s on tight interval, 16 x 25 descending
• Swimming sets using race tempo
• Over kicking sets
• Swimming with resistance (paddles, chutes)
Speed Training for
Kate Ziegler
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•
•
•
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Something fast every practice
Negative split sets for longer sets (200s, 300s, 400s)
Many sets include descending rest intervals
Emphasis on distance per cycle
Mimicking race over shorter distances with active
rest between
• Focus on race tempo in fast sets
Kicking in Distance Swimming
• In the past, many distance swimmers swam 2beat kick, especially women
• Kicking has huge potential to improve swim
times
• Better kicking improves distance per stroke
• It also improves swimming technique by
keeping body more horizontal and higher on
the surface
• Good kickers are winning the end of the race
Kicking Training for Distance
Swimmers
• If you don’t train kicking, you will drain your
kick energy very fast
• Normally, two practices a week devoted for
kicking
• Distance swimmers can improve in college by
doing more kicking
• Kicking after hard race pace sets to include
larger muscles to promote lactate use a fuel
Kicking Sets for
Distance
Swimmers
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Vertical kicking with weight belts
Long kick sets with fins
Short kick sets without fins
Kick on Power Racks
Kick against cords
Emphasizing strong kick during swim sets:
– 200s with 1st 50s 2-beat kick, 2nd 50s with 4beat kick, then 6-beat kick, then 8-beat kick
Kicking Sets for Distance Swimmers
at USC
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•
•
•
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Kicking with fins
Kicking against the wall
Underwater Kicking
Over kick catch-up stroke
More kick at the end of the practice:
– 10 x 100 kick at the end of the practice
Katie Ledecky’s
Kicking Training
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•
•
•
She was 2-beat kicker in the past
No one kicks with a board during the race
Increase speeds with the same stroke count
Instead of going 15-16 strokes per lap, she had to
learn how to swim 12 strokes per lap
• Limiting stroke count forces to use more legs
• Legs have to be used during the second half of the
race
• Kicking set:
– 800 swim first 400 pull, then drop the buoy and go
with strong kick
Technique vs. Training for Distance
Swimmers
• Technique is in jeopardy when train long dist
swimmers
• At the peak volume and high intensity set coach isn’t
going to stop a swimmer to correct technique, set is
more important
• Technique is constant dialog with swimmers,
especially distance per stroke
• A lot of video work
• 15-20 min of skill work at the beginning of each
workout
Talking to Swimmers
about Technique
• Coach has short cues – words to fix technique during
the set
• Focus just on most important things of technique
during the set
• If a swimmer doesn’t correct the stroke, we will talk
about it after the practice
• Another way to deal with that – start the set over
again! You hold swimmers accountable to the
standards.
Talking to Distance Swimmers
about Technique
• Coach has short cues – words to fix technique
during the set
• Focus just on most important things of technique
during the set
• If a swimmer doesn’t correct the stroke, we will talk
about it after the practice
• Another way to deal with that
– start the set over again!
You hold swimmers accountable
to the standards.
Working on Swimming Technique
• More experimentation of technique at the beginning
of the season
• More technique repetition phase in the middle of the
season
• Very little work on technique during the highintensity training
• Using towing machine
• Swimming with parachutes
• Drills to lower head position, especially for Open
Water swimmers
• Using a snorkel
Working with Katie Ledecky on
Swimming Technique
• Fast high-elbow catch is very important
• All good distance swimmers have 90 degree angle
catch at the beginning of the stroke
• Combine high-elbow catch with a nice torque of the
hip
• Don’t break a body line
• Don’t cross over with hands
• Swimming against cord to feel better driving from
the hips rotation
Working with Katie Ledecky on
Swimming Technique
• Fast high-elbow catch is very important
• All good distance swimmers have 90 degree angle
catch at the beginning of the stroke
• Combine high-elbow catch with a nice torque of the
hip
• Don’t break a body line
• Don’t cross over with hands
• Swimming against cord to feel better driving from
the hips rotation
Weekly Training for Distance
Swimmers (Michigan University)
• Monday morning – 2000-3000 kick set + aerobic
training
• Monday afternoon – threshold: 10 x 200 :20-30 sec
with the best effort or 4 x 1000 on 11:00
• Tuesday and Friday mornings – speed changing,
descending and ascending sets (fartlek)
• Tuesday afternoon and Saturday morning – race pace
• Wed – high volume practice, how much can get in
two hours (max is 11,200)
• Fri afternoon – second big kick set of the week,
interval set
Weekly Training for Distance
Swimmers (USC)
• Monday and Friday – swimmers are in the weight
room
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday mornings – swim
• In the afternoons, a lot of odd distance – 175s, the
last 75 fast. Creating an environment for swimmers
racing each other.
• It is important that swimmers would buy into
training, everybody will do something different.
Swimmers have to believe what they do.
Weekly Training for
Katie Ledecky
• Three-day cycle building toward really good
Wednesday afternoon or really good Saturday, ,
when swimmers swim really fast
• Between those days – IM on Tuesday and Friday,
change strokes
• One practice a week swimmers go high volume – up
9000 yd, when average is 6500 yd
• High yardage is good mentally and physically
• Be proud swimming a lot and the last finishing long
workout
Swimming Sets for Distance
Swimmers
• Broken 10000
• 5 x 100 on 1:40, 5 x 100 on 1:30, and 5 x 100 on 1:20
• 5 x 100 on 1:20, 5 x 100 on 1:30, and 5 x 100 on 1:40 (at the
end of the season)
• 9 x 300: first 100 – over kick with catch-up, 2nd 100 smooth,
3rd 100 strong kick
– 4 x (300 free + 100 DPS) on 5:30
– 4 x (200 free + 100 DPS) on 4:10
– 4 x (100 free + 100 DPS) on 2:50
– 4 x (50 free + 50 DPS) on 1:30
• 8 x 200 on 2:45 (odd – negative split, even – descending)
• 3 x (400 negative split + 3 x 300)
Physical and Mental Toughness for
Distance Swimmers
• Every workout has to be tough and challenging
• A lot of race pace training (USC)
• Negative split, descending sets (Ledecky, Mission
Viejo, Ziegler)
• Long sets with maximum effort
• Broken sets: 1500, 1650, 3000, 5000, and 10000
• Lactate sets: 6 x 100 on 5:00 or 6 x 200 on 6:00
• Maximum possible volume in one practice (2 hours)
Weight Training for Distance
Swimmers
• In College, each athlete dryland is individualized,
based on school schedule, weaknesses
• Swimmers are in the weight room twice a week
• More general strength and flexibility
• Low weights, resistance (med balls, swim benches,
Vertical Swim Trainer, vibration machine)
• Strength training after swim practices to keep good
quality in the water
• Reps increase over the week of training
Dryland Training for
Katie Ledecky
• Dynamic warm up before going in the water:
– jumps, squats, push ups, lunges around the pool
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Shoulder exercises
Shoulders stability especially for young swimmers
Injury prevention
Preventative training before doing strength training
– Stretch cords, body core muscles, abdominal, lower back
Six Weeks before the
Race
(University of
Tennessee)
• Mastery of pace
• Efficiency of stroke (long DPS, strong kick)
• Swimmers have to be in control when they are under
stress
• 4 x 500 + 4 x 400 + 4 x 300 + 4 x 200 + 4 x 100 on
1:10 long course descending, pace on #1 has to be
higher than pace on #4 of previous distance
• If swimmers can descend 20 times, they are in
control
Six Weeks before the Race
(University of Michigan and USC)
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Michigan:
1650 add up or 1500 add up
11 x 150 or 3 x (200+150+100+50) holding 1500 pace
Long mile threshold sets bringing distance shorter
down to 4-5 x 550 with the last at mile pace
• USC:
• Generally don’t repeat the same sets
• 12 x 100 with odds at mile pace and even ones at
pace +5 sec holding good technique and stroke count
Six Weeks before the Race
(Katie Ledecky)
• 3 x (4 x 100 desc 1-4 + 200 fast with the same 50s)
• 2 x 800 :20 sec + 100 ez + 2 x 400 :20 sec + 100 ez + 2
x 200 :20 sec in the morning and the same the next
day in the evening (mimic race schedule)
• First repeat from a dive, but second repeat has to be
faster
• Be better the next day in the same set
• They did it 3 times leading trials in 2012 (January –
May)
IM Swimming for
Distance Swimmers
• Most of distance swimmers swim 400 IM
• IM helps for distance swimmers mentally
• Every practice swimmers do some set that has an IM
component
• Age groupers have to swim IM to be a more skilled
swimmer
• IM will keep swimmers in the sport longer, keep
them healthier
• IM develops good capacity for collegiate swimmers
Altitude Training for
Distance Swimmers
• A training center created for
Olympic athletes to come and
prepare for the Olympics.
• It was built in Colorado Springs
due to the high elevation level
• Elevation at Olympic Training
Center in Colorado Springs is
1868 m
Adaptation to the Altitude
• Potential physiological changes of aerobic capacity:
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Release of erythropoietin (EPO)
Increased number of red blood cells (RBC)
Increased hemoglobin and hematocrit
Increased number of mitochondria in the muscle cells
Higher capillary density (Hoppeler, Vogt, 2001)
Improved anaerobic/ lactate threshold
Faster recovery
Improvement of movement economy (Gore et al., 2001,
Katayama et al, 2003, 2004, Saunders et al, 2004, 2005)
– Maximized aerobic capacity
Responders vs. Non-Responders
• Responders to altitude training experience a
significant increase in their erythropoietin (EPO)
concentration in their blood after about 30 hours at
altitude
• This initial EPO response may lead to an increase in
total red cell volume and VO2 max
• Non-responders have a smaller increase in their
erythropoietin (EPO) (Chapman 1998)
Pre Altitude Camp Testing
• Blood tests should be done prior to an altitude
training camp to verify adequate serum
ferritin levels:
– 30 ug/L or higher for women
– 35 ug/L or higher for men
• A blood test should be completed 6-8 weeks
prior to altitude to assess all of the
components of the blood (total iron, iron
binding capacity, etc)
Nutrition at Altitude
• The body uses more carbohydrates at
altitude. It requires increased intake of
carbohydrates (Dyck et al, 2000).
• Dehydration may occur because of low
humidity at altitude. To prevent
dehydration more water and energy
drinks should be used (Armstrong,
2000).
• Initial adaptation to the altitude may
be improved by intake of vitamin C
(Subudhi, 2006).
Optimal Altitude
• The optimal training altitude is from 2,000 to
2,500 meters
• Less oxygen is bound to hemoglobin and
delivered to the muscles at higher elevations
• Training at too high an altitude may reduce
the athlete’s ability to train at high intensities
Timing and Duration of the
Altitude Camp
• Timing of the altitude camp depends on the
competition schedule and goals of the training plan
• Altitude camps may improve aerobic conditioning
and recovery between seasons and after
competitions
• Altitude camps may be designed between seasons, in
early season, and before the taper
• To ensure the desired physiological reactions, the
duration of the altitude camp should be about three
to four weeks long
Timing between the Altitude Camp
and Major Competition
• The time between the altitude camp and major
competition should be shorter if the athlete is to
compete in long distance events
• The improvements in VO2max are the highest up to
14 days after the cessation of administration of
rhEPO (altitude training)
• Altitude training effects are very individual and may
last up to 5 weeks after returning to sea level
Duration of Altitude Training Effects
• The duration of these effects depend on factors such
as:
– Elevation of the altitude camp
– Duration of the altitude camp
– Workload volumes and intensities of practices during and
after the camp
• Sprinters should compete 5 to 6 weeks after altitude
training
• Distance athletes should compete 1 to 3 weeks after
altitude training (depending on event)
Training Volumes
and Intensities at
the Altitude Camp
• High stress on the cardio-respiratory system of
athletes during the initial stage of adaptation: the
first five to seven days at altitude
• Aerobic work may be supplemented with some
sprint work during the first week of altitude training
• Workouts with higher volumes and intensities may
be designed during the second week at altitude
• More experienced athletes adapt to the altitude
faster
Number of Daily Workouts at
Altitude
• Conservative training:
– 2-1 for sprint and middle distance
– 2-2-1 for middle distance and distance
• Intensive training:
– 2-3-1 for middle distance and distance
– 3-2-3-0 for middle distance and distance
– 3-2-3-2-0 for middle distance and distance
Aerobic Weekly Training Cycle for
Kate Ziegler (FISH Club) at Altitude
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Morning
Aerobic
Technique
Threshold
Alternating
speed
7.5 km
Threshold
Negative
split
Shortening
rest
interval
7.8 km
Negative
split
Distance
per stroke
Drills
8.1 km
Threshold
Shortening
distance
drills
7.9 km
VO2 max
Drills
7.6 km
Negative
Threshold
split
Race pace
Descending 7.8 km
Distance
per stroke
7.7 km
Afternoon
Anaerobic
with speed
bursts
5.0 km
Off or work
on
technique/
filming/tur
ns/dives
Anaerobic
sprint
Alternating
speed
Kick
5.0 km
Anaerobic
Race pace
4.8 km
Off or
turns,
technique
Drills
Anaerobic
Race pace
4.8 km
Pull
Distance
per stroke
5.0 km
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!