Why are you interested in polarized training?<\/h3>\n
“For many reasons! I am no longer 20 years old, and I don’t feel capable (either physically or mentally) of doing the high-yardage, threshold-type training I used to do when I was younger. So instinctively through trial and error, I have found with time that training at very slow speeds–with lower yardage, but with extremely high demands on the technical aspects of my stroke–has yielded better results. High-intensity training only represents a small amount of my training volume, either as competitions or occasionally as HIIT sets such as 6 x 150 at a fast pace. It is also important to me to improve recovery and adaption. This enables me to maintain a high quality technique all year round and to perform at the important competitions.<\/p>\n
“As I am my own coach, I’ve been able to explore alternative methods, and for me, training based only on physiological development is a mistake. I have learned a lot from other sports such as Alpine skiing, where visualization is a key part of training. Alpine skiers incorporate specific breathing patterns to their visualization routines. Mastering breathing is a big part of my focus during my training and i feel that when breathing is efficient, the rest of the stroke is as well. This is especially important for optimizing my technique in the individual medley, where you change strokes all the time.”<\/p>\n
What are the limits of polarized training?<\/h3>\n
Studies on swimming efficiency show that the best compromise between distance per stroke and stroke rate generally occurs around threshold pace. This sheds serious doubt as to whether polarized training is arable to swimming!<\/p>\n
At very slow speeds, there is the danger of overgliding, which, in freestyle, takes the form of “catch-up stroke.” Important intra-cycle speed variations are simply incompatible with efficient racing. Also, most swimmers find slow swimming boring! Efficient slow swimming requires the presence of a great coach who has time for you or a lot of experience and focus, which is the case of Nicolas Granger!<\/p>\n
Alternatively, swimming at very high speeds often pushes swimmers to have poor technique. Drag increases exponentially with speed, and most swimmers have a tendency to greatly increase stroke rate without being efficient. Fatigue also causes distance per stroke to shorten. So, efficient swimming at high speeds also requires focus, experience and the eye of a great coach!<\/p>\n
Thus, there exists a serious dilemma in swimming: traditional “threshold” training seems to provide more benefits in terms of biomechanical efficiency, whereas polarized training provides greater physiological benefits.<\/p>\n
Polarized training and Swimbot<\/h3>\n
WIMBOT may be the answer to this dilemma. At slow speeds, it is able to give instant feedback on changes in speed within the stroke cycle. It also helps swimmers to optimize breathing patterns with its sophisticated tempo cues. At high speeds, it gives instantaneous feedback on streamlining as well as data on stroke rate and distance per stroke. It’s now possible for each swimmer to have full-time technique feedback whatever the pace.<\/p>\n
“I think Swimbot will be a game changer as i train on my own: it will be possible to get feedbacks!” says Nicolas Granger “High technology within the smart device is so impressive that it will avoid wrong interpretations and mistakes. SWIMBOT will help me as a coach to train my swimmers who need instantaneous feedbacks, as I can’t give them all at the same time, and I can’t see what happens underwater.”<\/p>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine<\/p><\/div>\n