Reported by Braden Keith:
Michael Andrew has an uncanny knack for breaking National Age Group Records in threes. He did it at Winter Juniors, and he did it at the College Station Sectional last weekend. Along that vein, the young 14-year old had broken his third National-Age Group Record of the 2014 Jenks Sectional meet.
He swam a 1:45.14 in the 200 yard backstroke on Sunday evening which broke the 2013 record set by PEAK’s Benjamin Ho at 1:45.73 almost exactly a year ago.
The comparative splits:
Ho ’13 – 24.69/26.53/27.12/27.39 = 1:45.73
Andrew ’14 – 24.85/26.62/26.68/26.99 = 1:45.14
Andrew’s closing speed was impeccable in this race, and his splitting – in true USRPT fashion – was spot on, with a pair of 26.6 splits after his opening 50, followed by a 26.9.
Earlier in the meet, Andrew also broke National Age Group Records in the 50 free and in the 100 breast.
How could the impact of circle swimming races be overrated? If circle swimming adds 2 yards of distance in 100 yards, that is a 2% degradation. That is a crude guess…even if it is 1.5 feet that is a 0.5% degradation. I am pretty shocked coaches are non-plussed on the point.
The French guy swims straight for two laps and Lezak’s GOAT leg is a bit too little and there is no Ocho for Phelps. But he didn’t. That’s the point. It matters…every 0.01 second and inch matters.
Can one of the proponents of strength training please post studies that show a correlation to swimming speed or injury prevention. Not trying to be a smarta$$. I just don’t know the data.
We use USRPT on our HS team. We only use power rack as a form of strength training. Rushall argues even that is non-specific. But a correlation to speed has been shown.
Ok, back to my question for the group.
I don’t want to be a smarta$$ either. I think it’s genetic.
I’m on the road right now, so don’t have research time. I’ll try to check back later, and drop a few if I have time, but in the meantime, I’d like to caution that studies(in most all fields) can be lined up on both sides of an/the issue. We don’t have very high standards for publishing – which is a good thing, in my opinion. We are asked to weed out the worst ideas pre-publishing, and just the plain old bad ones, from the good ones, once they are set out in stone, in all their detail, in front of us. If that makes sense?
You will perhaps not believe me but Michael Andrew is scheduled to swim again this week, in long course, at the southern zone sectionals in Plantation, Florida.
He is the Hosszu of men’s swimming! 🙂
That’s probably his last big meet in long course before he turns 15.
Another weekend of NAG records for him?
Psych sheets here.
http://www.teamunify.com/fgcspst/UserFiles/Image/2014szsspsych.pdf
So Michael Andrew is swimming the 400 IM. He should be able to chop off more than 10 seconds off his current PB of 4:40. The gold standard for a 14 yo is Phelps’ and Thorpe’s 4:24
I’m more interestred to see if he does the 400 Free. We’ve seen him go after the longer events lately and with the eye on 400 IM in Rio, as his father and him both said, it may be an event he does more of.
All freestyle events on Rio will be nearly impossible for him to qualify.. I don´t see he Qualifying on 50 100 and 200.. 400 he may have a chance.. but with Sun and Park 2 medas are already taken.. if Agnel goes for it.. it is almost a lock.. And there is Bieldermann Horton Hagino who can push that.. even a 3:44 might not even be close enough to medal at Rio..
Will he keep up that schedule after growing up? And With the same sucess level of Hosszu?
Of all male swimmers in the world, Michael Andrew is most likely to grow up to be like Katinka, I’m sure you’ll agree.
So my question is: is this kid going to be terrible at long course and none of his short course success will carry over, or are his turns and underwaters awful? Cause I’m hearing both. Sometimes, amazingly, in the same comment, as though the individual segments of MA’s races are terrible, but they somehow add up to phenomenal times through happy thoughts and the mystical powers of P2Life.
His turns are not terrible, his underwaters will improve from where they are – fine for a 14-year-old – and, he will be very fast long course. You can take that to the bank. Retail, commercial, central, savings, investment, merchant, offshore, river, piggy, spank. Just putting words together? Or places you can take that? Or…….both?
I think he’ll be fast in long course, but who knows. It will be interesting to see. Since his turns currently aren’t great is a good indication for his success in long course.
Still, the kid should at least do strength training aimed towards power off his walls. That is a huge area for him to improve upon. I think he should use all of next year as a test to see how effective a few minor tweaks to his training regimen will be leading up to the olympics and adjust in 2016 accordingly.
I’m thinking back to 2007 when Phelps elevated his performance through the roof (Melbourne worlds) and there was no turning back from there. The difference was… Read more »
I completely agree with you. Although USRPT does not believe in any dry-land methods, I cannot but to wonder what is going to happen when he matures as an adult and start building more muscle.
At least, all swimmers should be engaged in some sort of injury preventative training. This is most easily done on land, whether or not USRPT believes in it or not. I truly hope that this kid does not get injured for overuse in his ligaments.
I completely agree with you that Michael should be engaged in some sort of dry-land training in order to excel even more. However, I also believe that someone who knows MODERN swimming and also strength training should be… Read more »
Great comments. I both agree and disagree with you re: weights. It’s been pointed out by many, and I think that is some coaches major hangup on the program (believe it or not, most coaches like the idea of not having to grind their kids into dust every year). I apologize, though, this turned into a novel. Skip to the last paragraph for a TL;DR, if you’d like.
I think Michael Andrew is the real deal, and I think USRPT is going to give some coaches new insight into the science behind the training. For the most part, I’m with Dr. Rushall that weights will be largely unnecessary (although there is an abstract on his own site where he notes… Read more »
Hallo Sven. Or hei, hej, moi, moin, guten tag, tere, hyvaa paivaa, god dag, or hello. Hope you aren’t from like Poughkeepsie or Detroit or something, because I’d feel dumb.
I love how you(and a bunch of others!) have hopped on the protracted posting bandwagon. It’s a bumpy ride, but, not unlike attempting an operation where you would gain the use of robotic legs, is totally worth it. Makes for a better forum experience, too…a “Joe Rogan[ish] Experience,” even. Yes, a podcast. Like 2005. Yes.
Just wanted to add that I am firmly in the camp that there is a whole lot that can and should be done outside the pool to achieve whatever it is your goals are within… Read more »
It would be naive of me not to acknowledge programs that have used strength/dryland training and produced world class athletes. Like SwimzLazy brought up, Phelps didn’t start lifting until he was around 19, IIRC, and he and Bowman believe that to be a huge factor in his successes at Beijing vs. Athens. Also, Salo (a personal favorite among the coaching greats), Marsh, Brett Hawke, and so many more include strength and power training as a cornerstone.
I do agree that the right swim program coupled with the right dryland/lifting program can produce great results. However, I think that USRPT so strictly allocates the time and energy of the athlete that it’s near impossible to add weights without either removing practices… Read more »
Seriously good comment…post of the year. I am glad to know you are coaching, somewhere! We’re better for it.
Personally, I would put a lot of thought into his strength and conditioning future, and make sure that it stays mostly in his future.
He is clearly a well-built young man, who has strength and explosion in spades, either naturally or through the training he already engages in, or, through both, as is almost definitely the case.
I know he already does at least some ‘dryland,'(rings, for example) and comes from a South African rugby background(which, in my experience, points to an athletic and holistically active lifestyle….your miles may vary). And again, I don’t think his turns are that poor, or that his underwaters lack potential. He has yet to put virtually any focus on his underwaters. That… Read more »
Deciding whether Michael is better at LC or SC is like picking which stroke he’s best at. Anyone who is still wondering if he can be successful in LC hasn’t been following his results. He already answered that question. LC, SC, any stroke, any distance up to 400. Unprecedented.
that’s what I find so funny. Before the surge of race footage, we saw comments about how he could never swim at that level in long course. Now we have race footage, and we see comments about how his turns are bad and his underwaters need work… The lack of consistency is absurd to me. Now, I happen to agree that his push offs/underwaters need to get better, but, as I’ve said before, I’d be more worried if I saw a 14 year old who couldn’t improve a skill.
yes, Michael Andrew has proven he is equally as great in LCM as in SCY, up to 200. (His LCM 400 IM PB is still lagging behind his SCY, but he probably should be able to lower it by now).
And in my opinion, his most astonishing record is the LCM 200 IM where he swam 2:04, which is a WR for a 14 yo.
But unprecedented?
I don’t think so. Have you not heard of Tracy Caulkins?
Comments about circle are overrated. A swimmer comes in on angle and go off on an angle. It is not a circle measure the the distance of spot out 15 ft on center and the a couplr feet toward lane line from the wall. Minuscule and to purposling try to change at meet could be an interence to what feels comfortable. Overrated.
I bet your swimmers dont go too fast. Certainly not 1:45 for anybody
Have you ever measured it? It’s easy with a tape measure on thr ground. Might surprise you. Still overrated.
Good point on circle swimming and having to “think” to break the habit. Not only is this not an issue for Michael, he now knows other way to swim other than fast. He trains that way, he swims that way. Neuromuscular adaptation.
I am neither up or down on USRPT now…are we looking at the greatest training mechanism or just a great swimming talent?
Don’t know. What I can see is one indirect benefit to USRPT…because this kid is not doing a droning daily diet of 8K workouts with longer repeat sets he is unlike most other athletes who have the “circle swimming muscle memory.” He does not circle the lane, not ever. Many world class athletes do and have to concentrate to avoid what they do without thinking 3-5 hours a day.
Wow. That shows really incredible aerobic stamina. Three straight :26s, not at all how you would expect a sprinter to do it.
Never to forget though, that the aerobic and anaerobic capacities work intertwined – especially for this 75s race. Sure, his aerobic stamina is looking good, but at least 35% of that is coming from his anaerobic capacity. This method he is using is all about bioenergetics, in which the energy delivery to his muscles are very much in synch. Research states that between 30s-2min of high intensity work is primarily fast glycolysis, which is anaerobic. Now, I refuse to believe that that holds true for each individual, but it is important to consider when we see talents such as Michael here.