It's interesting how swim training seems as subject to fashion trends as, well, fashion.
Not too long ago, the disciples of Alexander Popov were following an approach that, it seemed to me, boiled down to this: Swim with perfect form but in relatively slow motion. No need to exert yourself!
Now, courtesy of Mr. or Dr. Rushall, a new view has emerged: swim super fast, but only for short bursts. No need to build up muscle-pain-inducing compounds (I know lactic acid is off the hook now, but not sure what the new villain is that causes swimming pain. I know something does!).
To be sure, I doubt whether Popov or Rushall intended their respective approaches to be ways to avoid, well, hurting during practice! But I think there are more than a few swimmers anxious to find something that 100 percent kiboshes the old chestnut: No pain no gain.
Popovian super easy or Rushallian super short, I can see the seduction of both. I just don't think any extreme approaches are likely to pan out as the panaceas their devotees are hoping for. Both probably have some benefits, and I am not one to advocate suffering for suffering's sake.
But some degree of significant suffering from training is likely to be inescapable for those hoping to achieve their own peak performance. To think otherwise, in this layman's opinion, is wishful thinking.
And on this note, I am off to do 12 x all out stairs climbs--one stair at a time--to my napping chamber upstairs. (I am hoping that by resting 2-3 seconds after each stair, I will be significantly less winded than when I attempt to high-speed clamber up all of them consecutively without rest.)
It's interesting how swim training seems as subject to fashion trends as, well, fashion.
Not too long ago, the disciples of Alexander Popov were following an approach that, it seemed to me, boiled down to this: Swim with perfect form but in relatively slow motion. No need to exert yourself!
Now, courtesy of Mr. or Dr. Rushall, a new view has emerged: swim super fast, but only for short bursts. No need to build up muscle-pain-inducing compounds (I know lactic acid is off the hook now, but not sure what the new villain is that causes swimming pain. I know something does!).
To be sure, I doubt whether Popov or Rushall intended their respective approaches to be ways to avoid, well, hurting during practice! But I think there are more than a few swimmers anxious to find something that 100 percent kiboshes the old chestnut: No pain no gain.
Popovian super easy or Rushallian super short, I can see the seduction of both. I just don't think any extreme approaches are likely to pan out as the panaceas their devotees are hoping for. Both probably have some benefits, and I am not one to advocate suffering for suffering's sake.
But some degree of significant suffering from training is likely to be inescapable for those hoping to achieve their own peak performance. To think otherwise, in this layman's opinion, is wishful thinking.
And on this note, I am off to do 12 x all out stairs climbs--one stair at a time--to my napping chamber upstairs. (I am hoping that by resting 2-3 seconds after each stair, I will be significantly less winded than when I attempt to high-speed clamber up all of them consecutively without rest.)
