I've noticed at lot of dicsussion in recent threads about TI principles,
As you can see from my location, I'm on the other side of the atlantic and TI has started to make an impact over here.
I've come across a lot of people in my local University pool who seem to have been mesmerised by the TI message and it is now common for me to see people swimming on their sides with one outstreached arm and a submerged head.
When the time comes to breath these guys have their heads so deep from pressing their bouy that they end up lifting it so high that they loose whatever alignment they had in the first place.
From talking to them, none of them seem to want to develop a proper kick and build up endurance so they can develop
good form.
I have decided to post a list of TI priciples and my own critism of these, feel free to add to the list or post a TI defence!
TI PRINCIPLE 1
Side to Side Rotation
to get into Low Drag Fish-like Position
Criticism
Rotation is good to get extentsion and
a good catch + power into the stroke,
Excessive rotation slows down the stroke.
TI PRINCIPLE 2
Swim DownHill
Press your Bouy
Criticism:
Holding head too deep creates drag
Makes breathing Difficult
TI PRINCIPLE 3
No Kicking
Criticism
Kicking essential to fast swimming
+ to maintain good form particularly
for male swimmers.
TI PRINCIPLE 4
Front Quadrant Swimming/
Distance per stroke,
Criticism
A reasonably high Stroke rate is necessay for
fast swimming,
Unless you have a very strong kick a glide
phase in your stroke will cause decelleration
TI PRINCIPLE 5
Drills will make you a better swimmer
Criticism
Drills are important, but there is no
substitute for good quality fast training.
Parents
Former Member
Below are excerpts from the book, showing coach Mike Bottom (U.S.) work on aerobic conditioning.
It's contrary to T.I., but T.I. hasn't produced one single Olympian.
The book 'The Swim Coaching Bible' by Hannula and Thornton
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
has this in page 211:
-----------------------------
"...To build aerobic fitness we do a circuit every Tuesday afternoon that lasts from 40 to 60 minutes. In one circuit Bart Kizierowski, 1999 NCAA champion in the 100 meter freestyle does the following:
.) Runs a quarter mile in less than 1 minute;
.) Does 10 pull-ups;
.) Runs 5 times up and down a basketball court dumping the basketball at each end;
.) Does 24 plyometric jumps on a 3-foot platform;
.) Runs and dives into a 25 meter sprint kick;
.) Does 275 meters of backstroke pulling on the lane line;
.) Grabs a kickboard and does 31 second 50 meter kick;
.) Swims 250 meters.
Then he is back to the ring to begin another round. During the 45 minutes it takes to do four rounds of the circuit, Bart's pulse falls between 150 and 185 beats per minute..."
(Note: Bart Kizierowski, a 6'5" from Poland, finished 6th. worldwide in 2000 -an Olympic year- in 50m freestyle sprint, finished 12th. worldwide in 2004 -another Olympic year- in 50m freestyle sprint, and 3rd. at the 2005 Montreal World Championships in 50m freestyle sprint)
has this in page 212:
--------------------------------
"...Gary began to trust me as the season progressed. At one point I asked him if he felt we were doing enough aerobic yardage. He laughed and said,
"We start with one and a half hour of weights, do 30 minutes of stretching and core body work, then we get in and swim about 30 to 40 minutes of technique work, and finish up with about 15 minutes of speed work. By the time of warm down my heart rate has been over 120 for about 3 hours. That is just the morning workout! (i.e.: there are two workouts per day) Yes I think we are doing enough aerobic yardage."
Gary ended that 1995 season with five Pan Pacific gold medals..."
and this in page 216:
-------------------------------
"...From 1999 to 2000 Gary Hall Jr. dramatically increased his muscle mass...My fears subsided when, while swimming with fins and paddles against the maximum weight of the power rack, he not only beat all the other Olympic sprinters in the water by over a second, but almost pulled the machine as well..."
(Note: Gary Hall Jr., a 6'5" from USA, won silver in the 50m and 100m freestyle at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle sprint and the bronze medal in the 100m freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won again the gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics)
Below are excerpts from the book, showing coach Mike Bottom (U.S.) work on aerobic conditioning.
It's contrary to T.I., but T.I. hasn't produced one single Olympian.
The book 'The Swim Coaching Bible' by Hannula and Thornton
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
has this in page 211:
-----------------------------
"...To build aerobic fitness we do a circuit every Tuesday afternoon that lasts from 40 to 60 minutes. In one circuit Bart Kizierowski, 1999 NCAA champion in the 100 meter freestyle does the following:
.) Runs a quarter mile in less than 1 minute;
.) Does 10 pull-ups;
.) Runs 5 times up and down a basketball court dumping the basketball at each end;
.) Does 24 plyometric jumps on a 3-foot platform;
.) Runs and dives into a 25 meter sprint kick;
.) Does 275 meters of backstroke pulling on the lane line;
.) Grabs a kickboard and does 31 second 50 meter kick;
.) Swims 250 meters.
Then he is back to the ring to begin another round. During the 45 minutes it takes to do four rounds of the circuit, Bart's pulse falls between 150 and 185 beats per minute..."
(Note: Bart Kizierowski, a 6'5" from Poland, finished 6th. worldwide in 2000 -an Olympic year- in 50m freestyle sprint, finished 12th. worldwide in 2004 -another Olympic year- in 50m freestyle sprint, and 3rd. at the 2005 Montreal World Championships in 50m freestyle sprint)
has this in page 212:
--------------------------------
"...Gary began to trust me as the season progressed. At one point I asked him if he felt we were doing enough aerobic yardage. He laughed and said,
"We start with one and a half hour of weights, do 30 minutes of stretching and core body work, then we get in and swim about 30 to 40 minutes of technique work, and finish up with about 15 minutes of speed work. By the time of warm down my heart rate has been over 120 for about 3 hours. That is just the morning workout! (i.e.: there are two workouts per day) Yes I think we are doing enough aerobic yardage."
Gary ended that 1995 season with five Pan Pacific gold medals..."
and this in page 216:
-------------------------------
"...From 1999 to 2000 Gary Hall Jr. dramatically increased his muscle mass...My fears subsided when, while swimming with fins and paddles against the maximum weight of the power rack, he not only beat all the other Olympic sprinters in the water by over a second, but almost pulled the machine as well..."
(Note: Gary Hall Jr., a 6'5" from USA, won silver in the 50m and 100m freestyle at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle sprint and the bronze medal in the 100m freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won again the gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics)
