Articles & Past Newsletters and Recipes

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Setting Goals
Every athlete wants to excel, but the will to excel is insignificant without the will to prepare to excel. Preparation is where many athletes fail. Most are willing to put in hours on top of hours of training, but almost no time is devoted to planning or record keeping. This planning (and tracking) is essential, because planning is the first step to achieving any goal - including those accomplished in athletics. Read more

Complexes
Strength AND Conditioning with weights
Complexes are several exercises performed in a row, with no break in between. Complexes are really just extended super-sets where you don’t put down the bar or DB’s until you are through. Read more

Competition Nutrition
The most important thing about competition nutrition is to find and USE what works best for YOU. Having said that, here are some useful tips. Read more

How Strong is Strong Enough?
There are many types of measurable strength – maximal strength, speed-strength, strength endurance, relative strength, starting strength, etc, etc. – that can factor into your sport performance abilities. Read more

Water or Gatorade?
It seems that all of the commercials have worked – people (not just athletes) drinking Gatorade with meals, at work, before bed… the list goes on and on. So let’s get some things straight. Read more

Creating Goals for Athletes
Preparation is where many athletes fail. Most are willing to put in hours on top of hours of training, but almost no time is devoted to planning or record keeping. Read more here.

Athletic Peaking
Athletic peaking, when you are in top shape, results in your best performances of the season. Read more here.

Periodization
is defined by USA Track & Field as “The process of planning training in order to produce high levels of performance at designated times. Read more here.

Weightlifting Guidelines for Swimmers
13 Guidelines for swimmers to build lean muscle while maintaining a balance between swim work, deck workouts and the gym. Read more here.

Weightlifting for Swimmers - Example
Here is a recent swim team lifting workout. We are in a building phase, so we’re spending a little more time in the weight room. Read more here.

Carbohydrates. Performance and Activity
Diet is certainly tied to performance, but how so? Proteins and fats help build and re-build tissues (muscles included) and form the foundation of our hormones and enzymes that control most of our bodily functions. Read more here.

Profile of a High School Swimmer
Molly is a sophomore and an extremely talented athlete. I had to wait until the cross country season was over before Molly started training for the season. She began the season three months later than the rest of her competition at the High School State Level. Read more here.

QA - Questions about Distance. Advice for Practices
A member asks about compensating for unattainable distance. Brad offers additional advice for practices. Read more here.

QA - Weightlifting for High School Swimmers
2 questions regarding the age and size of the swimmer and the intensity and weight of the lifting. Read more here.

Regeneration
One of the most overlooked aspects of successful training in the Western World is that of regeneration- the product of sound training and methods that help in repairing athletes to function better. Read more here.

Questions from Across the Pond
Brad answers questions from a coach residing just north-west of London, England about the weekly workouts. Read more here.

Winter Break Practices
Increased volume = Increased energy use = Increased calorie intake! Read more here.

Administering Test Sets
The test sets are to establish repeat pace per 100’s on all strokes to help the swimmer and coach adjust send offs for the Holiday training demands. Read more here.

Thoughts on Training
OK… No nonsense here – just some thoughts on training pertaining to what I’ve been reading lately and how I train my teams (swimming, track, and many others).
Read more here.

Workout Nutrition
WHEN you eat can be as important as WHAT you eat regarding workout nutrition. There are an endless array of supplements and wonder-foods available, many promising a great return if you simply purchase their product. Read more here.

Fitness and Fatigue
When training to compete we increase our fitness by recovering from our training. There are several models to describe training and it’s after effects, the most popular and recognized of which is the single-factor model. Read more here.

Tapering
Tapering is a great experience but only a tool to enhance optimum performance. Swimmers must take into consideration all the factors that will be mentioned in this article. Tapering isn’t the magic pill to faster swimming but one of the factors to faster swimming. Read more here.

23 Week Program and Weightlifting, Dryland & Yoga
Lifting aerobically for swimmers isn’t needed. You already get your aerobic needs from the pool and or running. Cross training is great and do just that - Cross train! Read more here.