I submit that swimming is one of the worst sports in terms of following fad techniques simply because someone has been successful using that technique.
I submit that talent or genetics, aerobic capacity, workout intensity as well as mental toughness play a far greater roll than mere stroke technique in the end.
Seems like the US latches on to the winner's stroke techniques all too often as the way explain success and teach kids. Front quadrant swimming like Ian Thorpe..... head down sprinting like Popoff..... these guys would be successful in their events with or without these techniques in my opinion.
Except for the latest cheating techniques...... i.e. flip turns on backstroke, underwater dolphin kick on backstroke, head under on breastroke, full body suits, and the soon to be dolphin kick on breastroke pull outs, the sport has not improved a whole lot in the last 25 years.... especially when you compare it to 25 years previous to 1980..... (1955)
Thought for the day...... :-)
John Smith
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by Matt S
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There is another whole in your hypothesis. If it was all talent and workout intensity, you would expect today's world-class swimmers to be doing more intensity and more volume than in the 70s. Actually, they are doing less.
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Matt
Magischo in 'Swimming Fastest' emphasizes training 60% of the mileage in anaerobic threshold.
100 meter free Word Record Pieter van den Hoogenband (Ned.) and many other Olympians (Dave Salo's Lezak, Piersol, Beard, Stitts, Krayzelburg between 2002 and 2004) they train less than in the 70s, but much more intense, 60% of their mileage is in breathtaking anaerobic threshold.
Originally posted by Matt S
...
There is another whole in your hypothesis. If it was all talent and workout intensity, you would expect today's world-class swimmers to be doing more intensity and more volume than in the 70s. Actually, they are doing less.
...
Matt
Magischo in 'Swimming Fastest' emphasizes training 60% of the mileage in anaerobic threshold.
100 meter free Word Record Pieter van den Hoogenband (Ned.) and many other Olympians (Dave Salo's Lezak, Piersol, Beard, Stitts, Krayzelburg between 2002 and 2004) they train less than in the 70s, but much more intense, 60% of their mileage is in breathtaking anaerobic threshold.
