No matter what the situation or circumstance, you always demand your best because you take pride in how you swim. Today, I want to provide you with the core concepts I discuss with my NCAA- and national team-level swimmers when we talk about how to foster the best kind of mindset possible for meet day. […]

When you begin to struggle or even gain time, it can be heartbreaking – but that is all part of the process. Plateaus. They are one of the most miserable facets of being a competitive swimmer. Everyone experiences them at one point or another, but they are a special kind of pain when you are […]

Not recovering effectively can impact your performance and also puts you at a higher risk for injury and muscle strains. Whether the holidays have you taking stock, planning ahead, or submerged in social events and family time, there’s one thing swimmers tend to have in common; our holidays are punctuated with intense training. For swimmers […]

I commit to you that my overriding priority for each one of your children is to teach them to work hard and enjoy what they are doing. Please understand that I have my own 9-year-old son who currently swims on our team. My overriding priority is his lifelong happiness. As a kid I was an exceptional […]

You prefer to keep to a design you know and trust so you can focus on the million other things you need to get done in the pool. Swimmers love to express themselves in and around the pool, as reflected by the myriad types of training suits, gear and apparel in any given swimming scene. […]

No matter what level swimmers reach, if they consistently do their best when it counts, then they are mentally tough and champions. This is a tough list to compose. There are probably 50 or more good candidates for the top five spots, but this is my list. My recollection and knowledge of elite swimmers dates […]

Choosing what exercises to do is hard for a swimmer. Not everything obviously translates from the weight room to the pool. As a sprinter you need to train the same way in the weight room as you would in the pool. A big misconception that sprinters have is that they have to lift heavy weights […]

In the off-season, Daly recommends a full-body routine like this one three to four days a week, while reducing overall swimming volume. Swimming is a full-body cardio workout. But it’s still a smart idea to take your training out of the water to build power, speed and muscular balance, says Dan Daly of Equinox. “A dry-land, resistance training program is important for […]

Sleep is key to performing like an Olympian

At the start of every week, give your team a ‘weekly challenge’ and announce it on your on-deck bulletin board right there on-deck. The end of 2018 is on the horizon, which means out with the old and in with the new. This may mean breaking some bad habits in the pool, re-committing yourself to […]