How Elite Swimmers Train Front-End Speed in the 100m

Have you ever wondered how to use low volume resistance training to get faster at 100m events? If so, today's video is for you because I'm going to show you at the highest level how it can lead to success. Join me in this lovely outdoor 50m pool in the heart of Brisbane with Somerville House Aquatics to show you just how to get faster at 100m events. In today's session, head coach Tim Lane has put together a process-orientated resistance session. They're going to do two rounds of the following set that's going to have basically three segments of the first 50 and then a front-end processed 50 off the blocks at bodyweight. They're starting off working the underwaters with resistance, either drag socks or buckets, going their underwater kick count. For every swimmer in the pool right now, that's different. The fly and the backstrokers are going a little bit more. They're going to go up to 10 fly kicks, whereas the freestylers are doing less fly kicks, just as they would in a race. They're then going to go off the buckets, working on that first bit of free swimming after the breakout. They're going to go a series of three sets of five cycles, that's five stroke cycles, so five strokes of fly and breast and 10 strokes of back and free at a heavy resistance on the bucket, really working on getting the power on that initial stroke and holding water. After that, they're going to do one rep of 10 cycles of 20 strokes of free and back, 10 strokes of fly and breast, where they're going to go at a lighter resistance with the resistance kicking in at 15 metre mark. So they'll do their underwater breakout without any resistance at body weight, and then the resistance will come in at a lighter resistance as they go through that fourth 35 metre piece. Then they'll get off the blocks for a 50 metre at body weight. It's less about time and front end speed, but more about front end process, hitting the stroke counts and breaking down that first 50 into separate segments. The flyers are going to work at eight strokes, six strokes and five strokes for 19 or 20 strokes, and Kalani, who swims backstroke, is going to work in 10 stroke segments throughout that first 50. They're going to then repeat that, working on the small details like stroke rate and stroke counts to be even more precise and more process orientated than the first round, and they're going to get a great workout from all of this resistance training as well. Enjoy the session and watch these guys swim fast. Something that was so good about this session that could easily be overlooked was that because they were getting so much rest, the swimmers were going one at a time for their reps. That meant that they got the full undivided attention from coach Tim Lane as they were swimming, and he was taking their stroke rate, getting their segment splits, and giving them great tactical and technical feedback from every rep. It also meant that the swimmers could support each other and get the rest they needed to go at race speeds on these longer distance reps of resistance. Instead of just being like, go fast for the first 50, we were breaking down segments of strokes, building through the segments so you'd go into the turn at a great speed, ready to pop off that wall. Another great element about this set was that it set the swimmers up for success. The big amounts of rest allowed them to swim fast, feel good, do the things they're meant to be doing well, right. And that, well, it gives a dopamine rush. It makes you leave the session happy, and like you've succeeded in something. And when the sessions do get a little bit harder, you can keep implementing these great technical details, and then consequently do them in a race. I hope you enjoyed this video, and maybe even took some inspiration from this brilliant set put together by Somerville House Aquatics. And if you did enjoy this video, let me know in the comments what part of the session you enjoyed the most. Subscribe to the channel, and as always, I'll see you on the next one. My greatest achievement is the dream of getting smarter by 4x. I'll say that.