The Effortless Swimming Podcast

#358 : How Pro Triathlete Kat Matthews Became A Front Pack Swimmer Nov 17, 2024

What does it take to finish second at the Ironman World Championships? In this episode, I'm joined by professional triathlete, Kat Matthews, who's not only a fierce competitor, but also a source of inspiration for anyone looking to elevate their performance. Kat opens up about the strategies and habits that helped her climb to the top, from staying consistent with her swim training, even while traveling, to making small technique tweaks that delivered massive results.

We talk about her mental approach to open water swimming, How she tackles the swim to bike transition, and the mindset required to thrive in tough race conditions. Kat also shares her journey of recovering from injury, and how it transformed her mental resilience. We discuss why creating a stable training environment, and dialing in proper nutrition, and learning to fuel correctly during workouts can make all the difference.

Not just in racing, but in life. Whether you're a triathlete, a swimmer, or someone looking to gain a competitive edge, This episode is packed with actionable tips and powerful insights to help you achieve your best. So dive in and let Kat's story motivate you to push past your limits.

03:02 Leading up to the World Championship. Keeping the consistency and structure.

06:59 Vo2 Sets.

09:13 Travel and Training Calendar.

10:44 No Pressure Swims.

12:48 Change of Pace, Feeling of Control.

17:02 Swimming From Inside Out.

19:14 Race Conditions.

24:52 Don't Be A Victim

26:50 Openwater Stroke.

28:04 Bike Transition

33:00 Creating a Stable Training Environment

39:54 Fueling Correctly.

#357 : Try This Pro Triathletes Top 5 Swim Tips Nov 11, 2024

Mitch Kibby is a professional triathlete who's placed 16th in the 70.3 World Championship. He began his triathlon career without a swimming background, and has gone on to compete with some of the strongest swimmers in the pro field. This is how he did it.

00:22 Introduction 00:57 Favourite cue 01:56 Kick 03:03 Breathing both sides 05:11 Catch and pull 08:38 Developing speed 09:57 Long-term approach to improvement 10:33 Finding the right company and support

#356 : Everything I know About Freestyle Oct 29, 2024

With experience coaching over 8,000 swimmers, I'm sharing what really works to improve your freestyle—from finding a relaxed, efficient stroke to mastering the catch and pull. Tune in now!

00:34 Introduction 00:59 The Importance of Relaxation and Breathing 02:54 Reducing Drag for Better Swimming 04:41 Achieving the Perfect Body Position 06:04 Effective Leg Movement and Core Engagement 09:56 Mastering Rotation 13:21 Breathing Techniques 17:01 Recovery and Entry Position 23:40 Perfecting the Catch and Pull 30:55 Finish of Stroke 32:43 Rhythm and the Timing of the Stroke (the dance)

#355 : How To Coordinate Your Freestyle Stroke with Tracey Baumann Oct 22, 2024

In this episode, we sit down with Tracey Baumann to explore swim stroke synchronization and body connection for a more efficient swim. We discuss six key synchronization points, the importance of feeling the water, and the role of joint mechanics in creating a powerful stroke. Tracy shares her coaching evolution toward focusing on technique and sensory cues, emphasizing the benefits of short-interval training. Tune in now!

00:08 Introduction 01:12 Upcoming Swimming Camps 01:34 Meet Tracey Baumann 2:23 Starting with Stroke Synchronization 3:17 Building the Stroke from the Inside Out 6:45 Avoiding Dead Spots in the Stroke 10:12 Six Key Synchronization Points 17:37 Transferring Pressure and Connecting with the Water 22:52 Softening the Hands for Better Connection 27:00 Effective Coaching Language 29:40 Grounding and Body Awareness 36:00 Short Interval Training 38:40 The Impact of Bones and Joint Mechanics 42:37 Get in touch with Tracey!

#354 : Olympian Reveals Her Freestyle Technique with Kiah Melverton Oct 09, 2024

Kiah Melverton, an Olympian, former world record holder, and World Championship silver medalist, joins us in this episode. Kiah offers advice on improving freestyle technique, highlighting key areas swimmers should focus on to achieve a faster, more efficient stroke. Tune in now!

00:30 Meet Kia Malverton 00:5 Head and Body Position 01:26 Kicking 04:01 Recovery and Catch 05:24 Breathing Techniques and Rhythm 07:17 Racing Cues and Technique Focus 09:15 Reflecting on Career Highlights 10:12 Advice and Training Insights 11:56 Challenging and Favorite Sets

#353 : Every Adult Swimmer Should Know These This Oct 02, 2024

I’ve spent 25 years helping adults become better swimmers, from beginners to pro triathletes. In this podcast, I’ll share what really works to go from feeling slow and frustrated to swimming fast, efficiently, and effortlessly.

00:00 Introduction 00:54 Balancing Tension and Relaxation 01:34 Reality vs Perception 02:24 Finding Your Unique Swimming Style 03:34 The Importance of Technique Over Effort 04:48 Kick Supports NOT Propels 05:57 Overthinking vs Feeling the Water 07:35 Swim Softer to go FASTER 08:42 Consistency is KING 11:14 Don't train like a runner! 13:26 Using Swimming Aids 15:09 Developing Your Stroke Step-by-Step 16:37 Long-Term vs Short-Term Goals 18:34 Strength and Mobility 20:08 Slow to Fast 21:14 Stroke Length vs Stroke Rate 23:26 Training for Specific Events 24:39 Open Water Swimming Tips 25:45 Turn off distraction!

#352 : How To Get Started In Marathon Swimming with Craig Lewin Sep 25, 2024

Today, we’re joined by Craig Lewin, founder of Endurance Swimming, who discovered his passion in the open water. Though he started as an average swimmer in the pool, Craig found his stride in marathon swimming, where endurance and mindset matter more than speed. In this episode, he shares his journey and insights on tackling challenging open water swims. Tune in now!

01:24 Journey into Marathon Swimming 06:01 Building a Support Network and Mentors 13:05 Training and Recovery Strategies 15:25 Patience in Progress: The Long-Term Training Mindset 18:15 Embracing the Flow: Letting Go of Pace in Long Swims 20:45 Tempo vs. Stroke Length 22:30 Mental Preparation and Long Swims 27:35 Building Confidence Through Repetition 28:36 Finding the Right Coach for Long Swims 31:05 Get in touch with Craig!

#351 : How to Generate Speed in Freestyle with Ash Delaney Sep 18, 2024

In this episode, we sit down with Ash Delaney, coach of Olympic Gold Medalist and 100m freestyle world-record holder Kyle Chalmers. Ash shares his approach to coaching freestyle and offers valuable insights into how swimmers can improve their speed and technique in the water.

00:13 Introduction 00:37 Body Position and Kick Mechanics 01:58 Coaching Kyle Chalmers 03:01 Recovery and Entry 04:41 The Importance of Video Feedback 04:47 Setting Up Your Catch 5:46 Favorite Drills 7:56 Breathing Techniques 10:05 Coaching Philosophy and Common Mistakes 12:25 Challenging Training Sets 13:50 Memorable Races: Best and Worst 15:27 The Best Advice

#350 : The Technology Behind The Men's 100m Freestyle World Record with Jaimie Fuller Sep 10, 2024

Jaimie Fuller is the founder of EO, the creators of the SwimBetter device, which measure the force and direction of a swimmer's hand movements. These devices were used by gold and silver medalists in the 100m freestyle, Pan Zhang Lee and Kyle Chalmers, in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction 02:08 Top Swimmers Using eo SwimBETTER 05:55 Downward Force in Swimmers: What the Data Reveals 9:34 Measuring Force and Direction for Stroke Improvement 16:31 Remote Coaching and Real-Time Feedback 20:29 Analyzing Brenton's Swim 25:40 Finding Your Unique Handpath 28:04 Understanding Force vs. Time 39:04 The Role of Hand Size in Performance 40:27 Launching a New Program

#349 : The Real Story Behind The Women's 10km Open Water At Paris with Sharon van Rouwendaal and Moesha Johnson Sep 03, 2024

The women's 10km open water race at the Paris Olympics was a thrilling and grueling event that saw Sharon Van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands and Moesha Johnson of Australia showcase extraordinary endurance and strategy. Taking out the gold and silver medals, Sharon and Moesha put together a race for the ages. In this episode, we dive into the details of the race and how it played out.

00:00 Introduction 01:45 Race Strategy 07:24 Preparation and Training 10:43 Adapting to Different Race Conditions 18:24 Navigating the Final Laps 24:06 Crossing the Finish Line 25:30 Moesha's Makes History for Australia in Open Water 27:50 Finding Strength in Loss 34:59 The Mindset of Champions 36:09 Post-Race Experiences: Media Attention and Future Plans 41:37 Get in touch with Sharon and Moesha!

#348 : How To Adapt Your Stroke For Triathlon Swimming with Bek Keat Aug 27, 2024

Join former 6x Ironman Distance Champion and high-performance triathlon coach, Bek Keat, as she shares her insights on adapting your swimming stroke from the pool to the open water. Discover the changes triathletes must make to swim effectively in challenging conditions such as chops, waves, and crowded environments. Beck also reflects on her journey as a professional triathlete, discussing the lessons she learned and the transition into coaching. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction 02:43 The Differences Between Open Water and Pool Swimming 05:48 The Importance of an Open Arm Recovery 11:40 Back to Basics: The Fundamentals of Breathing 17:52 The Impact of Changing Stroke Techniques 25:21 Bilateral Breathing and Breathing Patterns 29:58 Mobility, Flexibility, and Triathlon Training 35:09 The Pitfalls of Following Fitfluencers 39:21 The Accuracy of Metrics and Electronic Devices 41:51 Using Perceived Effort and Tuning into the Body 44:59 Getting Out of a Rut in Swimming: Ditch the Tech and Just Swim 49:07 Wetsuits and Buoyancy Shorts 51:30 Getting in Touch with Bek!

#347 : Building Swim-Specific Strength The Smart Way with Sandra Harrell Aug 20, 2024

In today's episode, Dr. Sandra Harrell, a former 5-time NCAA All-American swimmer and physical therapy expert, shares her insights on injury prevention, strength training, and performance optimization. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Harrell covers the importance of consistent strength training, nutrition, and recovery. Her tips are valuable for athletes and those looking to stay fit as they age. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction 02:05 The Importance of Proper Treatment and Care for Injuries 06:06 Lessons Learned: How I Would Approach Swimming Injuries Differently 08:58 Common Mistakes in Nutrition for Athletes 12:02 When and How to Start Strength Training 16:46 The Importance of Progressive Loading 20:32 The Timeframe for Seeing Results in Strength Training 22:33 The Role of Nutrition in Muscle Building and Recovery 26:50 How to Make Nutrition and Training Effortless 29:14 Customized Programs: Tailoring Training for Athletes' Goals 33:28 Finding the Right Balance: Training vs. Recovery 38:19 Success Stories: Overcoming Injuries and Improving Performance 42:46 Lifting Weights for Longevity: The Key to Enjoying Activities as We Age 48:33 How to Get in Touch with Sandra!

#346 : The Ins And Outs Of SwimRun (& Why It's One Of The Fastest Growing Endurance Sports) with The Löw Tide Böyz Aug 14, 2024

We're thrilled to have Chipper and Chris, the powerhouse duo behind the Löw Tide Böyz, join us. Based in Northern California, this dynamic SwimRun team is on a mission to grow the sport of SwimRun and bring it to the forefront of endurance athletics. In this episode, we'll explore why many endurance athletes are making the transition to this sport. We discuss the reasons behind its rapid growth and provide valuable insights for those interested in getting started with SwimRun. Tune in now!

00:54 Introduction to Chipper and Chris, the Löw Tide Böyz 06:27 What is SwimRun? The Basics and Origins 08:29 The Evolution of Equipment and Gear in SwimRun 13:55 Training and Strength Requirements for SwimRun 16:55 The aha moment: falling in love with SwimRun 20:36 Unexpected Challenges and Overcoming Obstacles in SwimRun 26:35 The Success of the Löw Tide Böyz Podcast: Building a Global Community 29:41 The Future of SwimRun: Innovations and Changes 35:04 Your Guide to Starting SwimRun: Resources and Tips 36:38 Get in touch with the Löw Tide Böyz!

#345 : How To Cut Your Learning Time In Half with James Anderson Aug 06, 2024

James Anderson is an Australian-based international speaker, author, and educator passionate about helping people become better learners. In today’s episode, we cover how to fast-track our improvement as swimmers, when and how to use feedback on our technique, as well how to develop the skill of learning for better results in our swimming, work and family lives. Tune in now!

02:53 Introduction to Learning and Learnership 04:27 Understanding the Difference: Being Taught vs. Learning 26:41 Different Levels of Learners 08:57 Differentiating Between Acceptable and Unacceptable Mistakes 12:05 Active Learning and Intentional Practice 14:56 Developing a Growth Mindset and Embracing Feedback 18:42 Transforming Feedback into Actionable Advice 24:32 Changing How You See Feedback 34:32 Comfort Zone vs. Learning Zone 38:25 Frustration as a Sign of Growth 45:43 Why Some Swimmers Get Faster Immediately, While Others Get Slower 47:20 Cultivating Habits of Mind 50:28 Get in touch with James!

#344 : Finding Rhythm And Connection In Your Freestyle with Tracey Bauman Aug 01, 2024

Today, we’re excited to welcome Tracey Bauman back to the podcast! She was a hit on episode 338, where we discussed making swimming more comfortable and efficient. In this episode, we’ll dive deeper into building a strong connection between your torso, legs, and arms, and the importance of good posture and alignment. We’ll also explore the benefits of experimenting with different kicking techniques, how body rotation affects propulsion, and finding the right balance between stroke rate and stroke count. Tune in now!

01:33 Building the Body from the Inside Out: The Key to Connection and Timing 5:35 Breaking Down the Catch 11:00 Visualizing the Ideal Arm Position for Faster, Safer Swimming 14:38 Understanding the Role of the Kick 19:56 Choosing the Right Kick Type and How to Execute It 30:00 Finding Balance and Power through Body Rotation 37:23 Stroke Rate and Cadence 43:32 Why Chasing Times Isn't Always the Answer 46:45 Get in touch with Tracy!

#343 : How To Stop Your Arm From Dropping Like A Rock Jul 25, 2024

In today’s episode, we’re diving into a Q&A session where I will answer your questions submitted on Instagram! Tune in for helpful tips and insights on how to improve your swimming.

00:48 I tried adjusting my head position, but my legs still sit too low. Do you have any recommendations? 02:42 How do you keep your hand up and gliding during the reach phase? 05:26 How do I ensure I feel my lats during a workout rather than my traps and upper back? 06:47 I went from a 1:45 to a 1:32 pace in four months, thanks to you. Now I'm hitting a wall. Any advice? 09:04 Can you explain the timing for rotation in catch phase? 13:18 How long does it take to go from being a leisurely swimmer to a highly competent swimmer? 15:48 How do you improve the skill of feeling the water? 19:20 When I push hard on the pull, it speeds up my entire process. How do I keep the cadence regular? 22:20 First focus priority, kick or catch? 23:25 Why is swimming focused on rep time cycles instead of work-to-rest ratios? 24:38 My stomach drops, but my head and legs are up, resulting in this weird U-shaped form. How do I fix it? 26:31 Send your questions!

#342 : Get Faster As You Get Older with Laura Quilter Jul 18, 2024

In today's episode, we have Laura Quilter, a New Zealand swimmer and coach who has previously been the national champion in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle. Laura has achieved a lifetime PB at the age of 31, with only a third of the training she was doing in her earlier years. She’s also ventured into the sport of ice swimming (water under 5 degrees celsius) and is coaching through her platform at Aura Move. Tune in now!

02:14 Introduction and Background 04:33 Training Changes and Mindset Shift 06:55 Understanding the Sprint Stroke: Differences and Techniques 10:03 Coaching Middle to Long Distance Swimmers: More Time to Work Through 14:56 Paralysis by Analysis: The Pitfalls of Overthinking in Swimming 16:39 The Importance of Fun and Play in Swimming and Racing 20:42 Shifting Competitive Focus to Skill Execution 23:37 Curiosity as a Key Element in Consistency 29:27 Ice Swimming: Challenges and Experiences 34:24 The Recovery Process: Stripping off wet clothes and getting warm 35:47 Adapting Coaching Techniques for Individual Swimmers 40:22 Get in touch with Laura!

#341 : The Science Behind Swimming Faster For Longer with Nick Jankovskis Jul 11, 2024

In this episode, we welcome back Nick Jankovskis, a sports scientist and endurance performance coach at METS Performance Consulting. Nick is an expert in improving endurance performance through accurate analysis of physiological testing. We dive into fueling and how to test physiology for endurance sports, particularly focusing on Ironman events and long-distance races. Nick shares insights on the new equipment at METS Performance that allows for more detailed testing and provides better numbers for fueling requirements. Tune in now! 00:49 Introduction and Upgrade in Equipment 03:37 Understanding the Breakdown of Fuel Utilization 08:35 Common Issues with Fueling 14:01 Timing and Frequency of Fuel Intake in Training Sessions 18:38 The Importance of Flexibility in Fueling 25:40 How Proper Fueling Can Improve Performance in Long Swimming Sessions 29:30 Challenges of Testing for Swimmers 39:41 Understanding Individual Differences in Fueling 52:12 The Power of Implementing Basic Fundamentals 53:18 Get in touch: Testing and Consultation Services

#340 : 4 Freestyle Mistakes That Are Costing You Time And Energy Jul 03, 2024

I'll share some helpful tips from the clinics and sessions we run that will improve your swimming speed and efficiency on today's podcast. I'll also discuss some new equipment I've purchased that has improved my strength, made swimming more enjoyable, and boosted my overall performance. 00:18 Introduction 00:47 Avoiding Early Breathing in Freestyle: Head vs. Shoulder Rotation 02:37 Exploring Different Kick Techniques 06:09 Addressing Fatigue and Comfort in the Water 09:07 Improving Balance and Efficiency in the Water 13:37 The Game-Changing Custom Earplugs for Swimming 15:32 How a Chin Up Bar Helped Improve My Upper Body Strength 18:07 The Benefits of Anti Fog Goggles 20:10 How This Magnesium Powder Transformed My Sleep 21:25 ES Squad: Level Up Your Swim Workouts 24:25 Exciting Camps Planned for Next Year Try PILLAR today, head to pillarperformance.shop and enter code EFFORTLESS for 15% off, or for any North American listeners, enter the same code at TheFeed.com.

#339 : Freestyle Mastery: Practical Tips for Perfecting Your Stroke with Tracey Baumann Jun 27, 2024

Join us on this episode as we sit down with Tracey Baumann, the co-founder of SwimMastery and author of 'The Swim Mastery Way'. With over 20 years of teaching and coaching experience, Tracy has worked with swimmers of all levels, from beginners to English Channel swimmers. In this podcast, Tracey shares her expert insights and cues from her book, offering valuable tips to help you become a faster and more efficient swimmer.

00:15 Introduction and Background 04:01 Breath Management and Overcoming Fear exchange and calmness 09:18 Teaching Swimmers to Breathe Using Their Diaphragm: Challenges and Solutions 12:18 How Often Should You Breathe? 18:20 The Role of Bones and Joints in Achieving Proper Body Position 21:58 Exploring the Relationship Between Hip Flexors and Body Position in Water 26:04 Teaching Effective Kicking Techniques 28:00 Over-Rotation and Losing Position: Common 33:35 The Trident Analogy 35:16 Shoulders and Scapula Mechanics in Swimming: Debunking Common Misconceptions 38:33 Tapping into Natural Joint Mechanics for a Better Catch 42:44 Developing a Sensory Connection to the Water 47:11 The Power of Tactile Feedback in Swim Coaching 48:56 The Physics Behind a Correct Arm Recovery 55:00 Get in touch with Tracey!

#338 : How This Non-Swimmer Broke The 60-Minute Barrier In His First Ironman Swim with Felipe Telles Jun 18, 2024

Felipe Telles broke the magical 60-minute barrier in his first ever Ironman swim, coming in at 56 minutes with an average of 1:28/100m. When he first started swimming a few years ago, Felipe struggled to go faster than 2:00/100m. So how did he manage to increase his speed by that much? Find out in today’s podcast episode.

00:56 Swimming Background 03:34 The Impact of Learning the Right Technique 07:09 How Relaxation Transforms Your Swim 09:50 The Benefits of Incorporating Drills in Swim Workouts 13:18 Structured Sessions: Warm-ups, Technique, and Intense Training 16:46 Finding the Balance: Consistency vs. Pushing Too Hard in Training 20:35 How to Get the Most Out of Your Swim Training 24:23 How Observing Others Can Improve Your Technique 31:20 Catch and Pull: Finding the Right Amount of Power 37:23 Swimming Tips for Triathletes: Small Changes, Big Results 41:24 Follow Felipe on Instagram for Inspiring Content

#337 : From Gassed Out At 50 Yards To Swimming 1000 Without Stopping with Quest Meeks Jun 13, 2024

In this episode, Quest Meeks shares his inspiring journey of transforming from a non-swimmer to comfortably swimming over 1000 yards without stopping. He opens up about the mental and physical obstacles he had to overcome along the way. Join us as we dive into this episode!

01:02 Swimming Background 9:00 Doing Half Ironman 09:30 I Gotta Start With Something 16:52 But Swimming 25:53 Signing Up For The Stroke Analysis 35:53 Kicking Hard 44:18 Climbing Up A Mountain 47:10 It's Not Comfortable But I Am Not Dying

#336 : Why Your Neglecting Your Hamstring Strength Is Making You Slower with Carl Reader Jun 04, 2024

In this episode, we have Carl Reader, a functional movement coach with a background in exercise physiology and Pilates. We will discuss the connection between hamstring strength, mobility, and how it can improve swimming performance. Carl has extensive experience working with swimmers to improve their movement and strength training. Join us as we delve into his research and practices in today's episode.

00:00 Introduction 00:59 Techniques and Tips from a Functional Movement Coach 01:59 The Role of Hamstrings in Maintaining Speed and Efficiency in Swimming 05:21 Exploring the Relationship Between Hamstrings and Calf Muscles 08:14 Factors Affecting Hamstring Strength 11:20 Strengthening Techniques for Better Posture and Muscle Activation 13:39 Squats: One of the Best Ways to Strengthen the Hamstring 17:43 Signs to Look Out for: Indicators of Hamstring Issues 21:08 Core Engagement in Squats: Finding Balance

#335 : How This Triathlete Cracked The Code To Swim Under 1:30/100m with Prescott Balch May 30, 2024

Prescott Balch is an ironman triathlete who started at 2:10/100m, and is now able to consistently swim under 1:30/100m. He recently broke through a plateau in his swim times by focusing on one change to his swim technique. In this podcast we delve into what change Prescott made and some unique approaches he took to fixing these areas of his stroke.

00:00 Introduction 01:09 Overcoming Plateaus and Finding Speed 05:27 Weak Core, Weak Performance 12:02 Body Awareness Challenges for Adult Onset Swimmers 16:35 How Dead Hangs and Handstands Improve Upper Body Strength 21:14 Executing a Well-Planned Race: Negative Splits and Smooth Pacing 30:45 How a Good Swim Sets the Tone for the Rest of the Race 34:57 What's next for Prescott? 38:27 Exploring the Concept of "Swimming Downhill"

#334 : How To Look Good When You Swim May 23, 2024

In today's episode, we will talk about the BEST WAYS to look good when swimming.

02:00 The Base Position 03:35 Have The Right Amount Of Rotation 04:48 Keep The Kick Fairly Narrow 05:53 Good Recovery 09:05 Soft Hands 10:20 Good Looking Freestyle Is Never Hurried Or Rushed 11:41 Slow To Fast 12:06 Skinny S Shape 12:31 The Breathing 14:00 The Kick 14:41 Style Is Important 15:36 Visualize Yourself Swimming Like A Pro

#333 : Three Ways To Generate More Propulsion (Without Getting Tired) May 13, 2024

In this episode, we discuss three ways to generate more propulsion without getting tired, along with a drill that will help you practice each of these methods.

00:16 Generating propulsion 01:31 The Size of the Paddle 03:44 The Power Phase of the Stroke 08:31 Accelerate through the Stroke. 11:01 Keyhole Drill 12:58 Building Power and Speed in Your Stroke

#332 : The Technique Behind Holding 1:12/100m For 4 hours with Andy Donaldson May 07, 2024

In this episode, we have a special guest, marathon swimmer Andy Donaldson, who is a three-time world record holder. Andy shares his insights on freestyle technique and how he is able to maintain an impressive pace of 1:12 per 100m for 4 hours. This episode focuses solely on technique, as we delve into Andy's thought process and approach to his stroke. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction and Background 2:31 Where is your head position? 2:58 How often are you breathing? 4:30 How do you use your kick? 5:23 What does your recovery look like? 8:09 What is the end of your stroke like? 9:07 What is your rotation like? 9:47 How did you develop your catch? 11:13 How much power are you putting into each stroke? 11:54 What do you do to increase your swim speed? 13:11 How do you like to train? 14:20 What pace are you aiming for? 14:49 What stroke rate are you aiming for?

#331 : The Expedition: Australia's Longest Ever Swim with Dean Summers Apr 29, 2024

In March of 2024, Dean Summers set out to break the record for Australia’s longest ever unassisted swim. Leaving from Newcastle’s Nobbys beach and planning to land at Palm Beach, Sydney for a total of 95.6km. Battling blue bottle jellyfish, hallucinations and less than perfect conditions, Dean had a challenge ahead of him. The swim had been unsuccessfully attempted by two other swimmers in the 1980’s and 90’s, including well known Australian swimmer Des Renford whose shark cage sunk off the coast after treacherous conditions. In this episode, you’ll hear the story of an expedition into waters that have never been swam in.

00:00 Introduction 03:52 The Origin of the Newcastle to Sydney Swim 08:44 Building the Dream Team: Finding the Right Support 11:59 The Commitment and Preparation for a Long Swim 14:08 Navigating 07Whirlpools and Tides 16:45 Feeding Strategy : Carbohydrates and Protein 20:11 The Constant Sting: Battling Bluebottles in the Ocean 23:15 Bioluminescence and the Milky Way 29:44 The Final Stretch: Locking in on the Goal and Reaching the Beach 34:35 Post-Swim Reflections: Burnt and Hungry 38:44 Lessons Learned from a Grueling Swim 44:15 The Connection Between Family and the Love of Water 50:30 What's next?

#330 : Trust Your Gut Instinct (And Tread Your Own Path) with Dan Eisenhardt Apr 24, 2024

Dan Eisenhardt, CEO and Founder of FORM Swim, shares his journey of creating the world's first augmented reality swim goggles. Discover how real-time data can enhance your training sessions, the most useful features of the goggles, and the challenges faced during development. If you're looking to forge your own path in your professional life, Dan also provides valuable insights on getting started and three essential considerations for starting a business. Tune in to this episode for all this and more.

02:05 The Light Bulb Moment 04:49 The Evolution of Technology in Swimming Goggles 06:23 Testing the Prototype 07:52 The Complications of Delivering Low Latency Heart Rate Sensing in Water 12:47 The Indispensable Tool for Swimmers 13:56 Taking Areas of Interest and Experience to Create Something Different 16:13 Serendipity and the Right Place, Right Time 20:17 The Importance of Learning from Competitors 24:13 Acting with Conviction: Getting Things Done 29:00 Favourite Features in Form goggles 32:44 The Value of Premium Offerings 38:36 The Three Key Factors in Business Success 43:02 Form Goggles: A Game-Changer for Low-Tech Swimmers

#329 : The 4 Biggest Mistakes I Made In Coaching (And How To Get More From Your Coach) Apr 16, 2024

In today's episode, I'll be sharing some of the mistakes I made in coaching and the valuable lessons I learned along the way. I believe these lessons can help you avoid similar pitfalls and succeed in your coaching journey. Additionally, I'm excited to announce the launch of our new course, the Freestyle Coaching Masterclass. Be sure to tune in!

00:30 Coaching Masterclass 04:02 Be Firm And Not Their Friend 06:52 Setting Minimum Standards 10:37 Energy is Transferred 13:28 Being Memorable 15:53 4 Hours Workweek : Mexican Fisherman and the Banker

#328 : Why We Get Breathless (And What To Do About It) with Jarrod Briffa Apr 10, 2024

In this episode, we sit down with Jarrod Briffa, an Australian freediving athlete, instructor, and online coach trained in the Oxygen Advantage. Jarrod's expertise lies in the power of breath and how it can enhance performance, reduce stress, and aid in recovery. As the founder of Drifters Freediving, he offers courses and private coaching to help individuals improve their breathing techniques. He has been the Australian Men's Champion at The Pool Freediving National Championships and has represented Australia in pool freediving at international competitions. Join us as we explore the importance of proper breathing in sports and everyday life.

00:00 Introduction 02:37 The Importance of CO2 Tolerance in Breathing 04:57 Understanding CO2 Tolerance and Breathing Patterns 08:12 Assessments and Exercises for CO2 Tolerance 9:52 Diaphragmatic Awareness for Swimmers: Techniques and Benefits 16:57 Building CO2 Tolerance 20:28 Benefits of Nasal Breathing for Swimmers 23:00 The Science of Breath Holding: Understanding Your Body's Responses and Limits 30:15 Breathing Easy in the Water: Effective Exercises and Techniques for Swimmers 38:40 Mental Strategies for Increasing Breath Length 39:43 Race Day Breathing Strategies for Swimmers 42:29 The Relationship Between CO2 Tolerance and Lactic Tolerance 47:37 The Impact of Proper Breathing on Recovery and Performance 51:09 Get In Touch with Jarod for Coaching!

#327 : 10 Ways To Increase Your Swim Speed Apr 03, 2024

In this episode, I'll share ten ways to increase your swim speed and become a better swimmer. So, let's dive in and explore these effective strategies.

00:29 Train Another Stroke 01:50 Change The Way That You're Training 03:04 Being Diligent With Your Skills 05:06 To Become Supple 05:53 Joining a Squad Or a Group of Swimmers 09:08 Occasionally, Don't Track Anything 10:40 Keeping Calm Under Pressure 12:58 Commit To A Swim Block 14:03 Pick One Thing And Stick To It For Three Months 15:50 Get Professional Help

#326 : Why Swimmers Get Shoulder Injuries (And What To Do About It) with Hollie Buerckner Mar 28, 2024

Hollie Buerckner, an osteopath and swimmer, shares tips on preventing and rehabilitating shoulder injuries in a podcast episode. She suggests specific exercises to address shoulder issues and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance between strength and mobility. Tune in to learn more.

00:00 Introduction 02:38 Understanding Shoulder Injuries in Swimmers 03:25 Four Causes of Shoulder Pain in Swimmers 05:13 Relationship Between Shoulder Pain and Range of Motion 09:51 Effective Shoulder Exercises for Swimmers 14:36 Common Mistakes Leading to Shoulder Pain in Swimmers 18:02 YTA Exercise for Scapular Strength 20:06 High Intensity vs. High Volume Training 22;34 Importance of Addressing Shoulder Pain Early 24:32 Balancing Mobility and Strength Training for Busy Athletes 27:42 The Stubbornness of Swimmers in Dealing with Pain 29:44 Motivation to Take Care of the Body 35:11 Get in touch with Hollie!

#325 : How I Slashed My 100m Freestyle Time to 1:06 with Jay Mueller Mar 19, 2024

In this podcast episode, we hear from Jay Mueller, an emergency doctor who started swimming 16 months ago after injuries led him to take up the sport, as he could no longer run or ride. When Jay first started, he was averaging 2:15-2:30/100m and finding he was exhausted after a few hundred meters. Fast forward to today, where he is consistently swimming between 1:20-1:30 in training, with a personal best of 1:06 in the 100m freestyle. Tune in to learn about his transformation and the lessons he has learned along the way.

00:00 Introduction and Background 4:21 Initial Pace and Improvement 7:21 From Fast Swims to Sustainable Laps 9:38 The Science Behind Shoulder Pain Relief through Static Hangs 15:27 Improving Rotation and Reach 18:22 Strategies for Maintaining Buoyancy and Momentum in the Water 23:15 The Challenges of Learning a New Skill 28:28 Importance of Body Awareness in Swimming Technique 34:09 Drills for Technique Improvement 37:47 Impressive Swimming Progress in a Short Time 38:34 Being Patient and Kind to Yourself

#324 : Breathing, Body Position & Balance with Frank Sole Mar 12, 2024

In today's episode, we dive into a conversation with Frank Sole, the author of 'The Five "B" Method to a Successful Triathlon Swim.' We discuss Frank's evolution as a coach since writing the book, his key lessons for new athletes, and the importance of terminology in training and team dynamics. Frank also shares insights on leveraging breathing techniques for improved performance in the water, drawing from his training with a world-renowned expert. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction 02:01 Challenges and Rewards of Coaching Retired Athletes 05:47 Elevating Your Swimming Sessions 09:59 Empowering Athletes Through Coaching: Building Trust and Value 16:04 The Science and Art of Mental Strength in Sports 20:21 Overcoming Setbacks and Staying Committed to Swim Training 22:21 The Power of Developing Good Habits 25:42 Breath Control and Body Position 30:33 Breath Work for Athletes: Building Lung Capacity and Endurance 36:47 Back to Basics: The Fundamental Role of Breathing in Coaching 43:09 Enhancing Swimming Skills through Play and Exploration 46:46 Swimming Without a Watch: Embracing the Feel of the Water 51:12 Embracing the Suck and Enjoying the Journey 55:40 Finding Creative Ways to Convey Instructions to Athletes 57:47 Celebrating Progress: Recognizing Improvements in Swimming 1: 01:11 Lessons Learned from Coaching Older Athletes 1:02:47 Get in touch with Frank Sole!

#323 : Olympic Gold, 110km In A Week & Why You Should Never Stop Learning with Sharon Van Rouwendaal Mar 06, 2024

Join us in today's episode as we interview one of the best open water swimmers in the world, Sharon van Rouwendaal. We will delve into her recent double win at the world championships, her intense training regimen, and the mental fortitude that drives her success. She will be sharing insights on her transition from pool to open water swimming, managing injuries, and the importance of technique and kick in her training. Uncover Sharon's unwavering commitment to greatness, and her relentless pursuit of improvement. Tune in now!

01:41 The Double Win 05:56 The 110 Kilometer Week 08:23 Building Mental Toughness and Confidence 11:16 Training Environment and Culture 14:10 Understanding Open Water Racing 16:35 Transitioning from Pool to Open Water 18:35 Overcoming Shoulder Injury 22:11 Mastering the 6-beat kick 24:54 Learning from a New Coach 26:04 Coaching Others and Sharing Knowledge 30:46 Effective Communication in Coaching: Simplifying Techniques 32:56 5 Different Levels of Speed and Heart Rate Zones 37:34 Challenging Sets and Progression in Swim Training 41:10 Analyzing Training Sets and Building Confidence 44:05 Managing Training Load and Sleep 49:07 Challenges of Transitioning from Running to Swimming 50:34 Exploring Hobbies Beyond Sports 52:52 What's next for Sharon?

#322 : Choosing Your Suffering: How Anyone Can Become Mentally Tough with James 'Iron Cowboy' Lawrence Feb 26, 2024

James ‘Iron Cowboy’ Lawrence is best known for his world record attempts at completing multiple Ironman events over consecutive days. Firstly, in 2015, he successfully completed 50 Ironmans in 50 days in 50 US states. Then in 2021, he decided to double this and complete 100 Ironmans in 100 days, going on to do this and one more to finish 101. The documentary on this challenge is coming out in March 2024. James is also a public speaker who was given the gift to 'suffer' and now helps provide hope to others and teach mental toughness through voluntary suffering. This episode is not to be missed.

00:00 Introduction 03:21 The Good, the Bad, and the Funny Moments 10:19 Lessons Learned in 50 Ironmans and Conquer 100 14:20 Pushing Limits and Ignoring Pain 15:52 Building Mental Toughness and Resilience 19:13 Mindfulness: Cultivating Inner Peace Amidst Distractions 21:15 How Disconnecting Can Improve Your Mental Health 23:22 Finding Mental Clarity Through Physical Activity 26:25 The Impact of Community and Shared Experiences 34:43 Embracing Difficulties: The Path to Growth and Wisdom 38:22 The Power of Physical Activity and Discomfort 39:48 The Motivation Behind the 50 and 100 Challenges 44:25 The Importance of Hope and Giving Back 47:07 Living Unapologetically and Without Fear of Judgment 50:16 Prioritizing Family Over Others' Opinions 51:55 What's next for James?

#321 : Strategies To Become A 'Front Pack' Swimmer with Mitch Kibby Feb 21, 2024

In today's podcast episode, professional triathlete and coach Mitch Kibby shares his journey from having little swimming background as a child to becoming a front pack swimmer in the pro field. He is the head coach and founder of i4 Coaching and has worked with Effortless Swimming at our clinics and camps. Mitch discusses his strategies for improving swimming performance and offers valuable insights and tips for swimmers and triathletes looking to improve their skills. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction 02:39 Swimming Background 07:51 Long Journey to Success 11:01 Lessons Learned from Early Days of Training 16:55 Refining Coaching Cues 17:51 Tips from Elite Triathletes 23:36 Front End Speed Training 27:55 The Power of Training in Challenging Environments 29:22 Shorter Sets, Greater Gains 34:12 Improving Performance through Specific Training 36:15 The Value of Training Partners and Squad Training 39:12 The Hardest and Best Things About Being a Pro Triathlete 42:23 The Benefits of a Flexible Lifestyle 44:00 Transforming Negative Self-Talk into Positive Motivation 49:04 Maintaining Emotional Stability and Setting Realistic Goals 52:06 What's next for Mitch Kibby?

#320 : Proven Strategies For Fast And 'Effortless' Swimming with Joe Friel Feb 14, 2024

In today's episode, triathlon coach and author Joe Friel returns to discuss swimming and open water techniques, as well as his latest edition of The Triathlete's Training Bible. Joe addresses common challenges triathletes face when transitioning from pool to open water. He emphasizes the importance of patience in making lasting improvements and offers tips for pool training to enhance open water swimming skills. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction and Previous Episode Recap 2:56 Updates in the Book 4:42 Different Methods for Establishing Intensity Zones 8:49 The Role of Rest and Recovery in Athletic Performance 12:54 Debunking Swimming Myths: The Death Move That Kills Your Progress 16:05 The First Step to a Strong Catch 17:51 Reaching Over the Water in Open Water Swimming 22:50 How Open Water Swimmers Adapt to Rough Conditions 25:10 Teaching Open Water Swimming: The Three Key Words 26:40 Why Intervals Might Not Be Effective for Triathletes in the Pool 32:27 Importance of Focusing on Technique and Patience 36:18 Hardest Swim Workout Prescribed 40:34 Empowering Triathletes to Stick to Effective Swimming Methods 42:28 Most Memorable Triathlon Race 45:04 Golf as a Hobby and Lessons Learned 48:12 Problem-solving and Coaching Methodology 50:15 Triathletes Training Bible: A Must-Have Resource for Athletes

#319 : How This Runner Transformed Into A Swimmer (And Pro Triathlete) with Matthew McElroy Feb 06, 2024

Matthew McElroy is a professional triathlete with 9 World Cup podiums and 1 World Triathlon podium. He was selected as an alternate for the Tokyo Olympics. With a background in cross country and track and field, Matthew had to work hard to develop his swim to get it to an elite level to compete with the best on the world stage. In this podcast, we’ll dive into how he radically transformed his swimming stroke over the last 10 years.

00:00 Introduction 01:56 Swimming Background 05:45 Transitioning from Running to Swimming 11:25 Building Upper Body Strength and Progressing in Triathlon 17:32 Working on Speed and Underwater Techniques 23:49 Balancing Distance per Stroke and Cadence 28:04 Training Strategies for Improving Stroke Rate and Speed 32:33 Explaining Stroke Technique and Focus Areas 34:02 The Importance of Consistency in Swim Training 36:54 Why Video Analysis and Having a Coach Are a Must 41:18 The Power of Mindset: How it Impacts Your Performance 42:52 Overcoming Doubt: Harnessing the Power of Positive Thoughts in Racing 46:16 Superhero Posture: Boosting Confidence in Races 47:42 Situational Awareness in Open Water Swimming: 49:32 Handling Frustration in Open Water Races 51:19 Qualifying for the Paris Olympics

#318 : Life at Full Throttle: Why Extreme Challenges Ignite and Satisfy Your Life's Journey with Gerrard Gosens Jan 30, 2024

We have an extraordinary guest, Gerrard Gosens, who is a three-time Paralympian and has an impressive list of accomplishments. From competing in running to representing Australia in triathlon at the Commonwealth Games, Gerrard has proven himself as an exceptional athlete. But his achievements don't stop there. He has climbed Mount Everest, completed a 2000km run from Cairns to Brisbane multiple times, and even appeared on Dancing with the Stars.

However, what makes Gerrard's story truly remarkable is his current endeavor to become the first blind person to swim across the English Channel. In this episode, Gerrard shares his journey, the training involved, and the importance of teamwork in achieving such a groundbreaking goal. Tune in now!

02:01 Training to be the First Blind Person to Cross the English Channel 05:21 Overcoming Limitations in Different Training Environments 06:57 Swimming Long Distances with Guide Swimmers 08:48 Swimming with a Tether: The Experience and Benefits 12:15 Listening to the Depth of the Water 13:23 Meet the Guides Taking on the UK Swim 14:55 From Running to Swimming: Embracing Solitude in Training 18:44 Focusing on the Journey, Not the Time 19:56 Overcoming the Quandaries of Swim Technique 24:07 Finding the Balance: Training and Time Management 25:36 Using Emotional Carbohydrates 31:52 Jellyfish, Sea Lice, and Stingrays: Unexpected Encounters in the Water 36:52 Lessons Learned Through Sport 39:52 198 Days to Gerrard's English Channel Swim

#317 : From Non-Swimmer To Pro Triathlete with Will Draper Jan 23, 2024

In today's episode, we have a fascinating story of transformation. Our guest, pro triathlete Will Draper, started his swimming journey with poor technique and average performance. However, through dedication and hard work, he has completely transformed his swimming abilities. From being unrecognizable in his stroke analysis video in 2019 to becoming a pro triathlete in 2021, Will's progress is truly remarkable. Join us as we dive into Will's journey, exploring the strategies and mindset that fueled his transformation. Discover how Will bridged the gap from a non-swimming background to now swimming strongly, only seconds away from the front pack. Tune in now!

02:04 Introduction and Background 03:46 The Key Moment: Choosing Triathlon Over Cycling 05:52 Training Regime and Approach to Swimming 08:29 Benefits of Training in a Squad vs. Training Alone 10:43 Viewing Swimming as an Infinite Game 12:48 Overcoming Mental Barrier 15:52 Diversifying Workouts: Incorporating Longer Intervals for Speed Work 20:44 Lessons Learned from a Challenging Race 24:35 Transformation from Poor Swimmer to Competitive Triathlete 28:02 Swimming Confidence and Appearance 31:27 Advice for Non-Swimmers in Triathlon 37:25 Triathlon Goals: Aiming for the Front Pack 40:50 Importance of Video Analysis and Making Small Changes 42:47 Follow Will Draper on Instagram

#316 : How To Perform When It Matters with Amelia Watkinson Jan 17, 2024

In today's episode, we catch up with professional triathlete Amelia Watkinson, who has achieved remarkable success in her career. With over 17 wins and numerous podium finishes, Amelia shares her secrets to consistency and staying at the top of her game. We dive into her favorite swim training sessions, and the best advice she's received from her coach, and explore various topics related to training, racing, and the mental aspect of being an athlete. Amelia also opens up about overcoming challenges, managing pressure, and finding perspective in the sport. Whether you're a swimmer or a triathlete, this episode is packed with valuable insights that can elevate your training, regardless of your skill level. So join us as we uncover what it takes to compete at the top level and apply those lessons to your own athletic journey.

00:00 Introduction 01:36 Limited Spots Left! Don't Miss Out on Our 2024 Swim Camps 02:37 Taking Control of Your Time: How Blocking Out Dates Led to Personal Growth 04:10 Taking Regular Training Breaks Can Help Prevent Burnout and Improve Performance 05:55 Swimming Background and Improvement 08:22 The Benefits of Training in a Squad Environment 11:29 Finishing Strong and Overcoming Challenges 15:08 Words of Wisdom from Coaches and Mentors 16:03 Tips for Managing Time Differences and Stress while Traveling for Racing 17:27 Helping Age Groupers and Amateur Triathletes Feel More Comfortable 19:17 Lessons Learned and Evolving as an Athlete 20:43 Prioritizing Training Over Screen Time 24:15 Training Solo vs. Training with Others 24:46 Standout Races and Moments in the Last 10 Years 27:24 Managing Pressure: A Privilege and a Challenge 30:47 Upcoming Races and Goals

#315 : The Traits Of Successful Triathlon And Open Water Swimmers with Clayton Fettell Jan 08, 2024

Get ready to dive into the world of triathlon with our guest, Clayton Fettell, a former professional triathlete turned full-time coach. With 15 years of racing experience under his belt, Clayton has a wealth of knowledge to share. Join us as we explore the key lessons he learned at the pro level and how he passes them on to his athletes. Discover the traits and habits that lead to improved speed and technique, and gain insights into Clayton's favorite training sets that he uses to help his athletes excel. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction and Background 01:09 Highlights from Pro Racing Career 07:07 The Impact of Parenthood on Perspective 09:04 Transitioning from Athlete to Coach13:28 Challenging the Fastest: A 1K Race in Noosa 14:31 Importance of Technical Focus in Swimming 19:07 Recognizing and Addressing Your Own Swimming Weaknesses 22:48 The Impact of Wetsuits on Swimming Performance 25:40 The Need for Technical Emphasis in Triathlon Swimming 30:14 Why is Video Analysis Important For Swim Improvement? 36:21 Tips for Swimming in Choppy Conditions 42:58 Setting Paces and Gauging Effort 48:18 The Calming Effect of Disconnecting: How Technology-Free Swimming Can Improve Results 54:31 The Unconventional Technique of Olympic Champion Runners 58:51 Get in touch with Clayton!

#314 : 5 Ideas That Will Make 2024 Your Best Year Yet Jan 02, 2024

Ready to level up your swimming game this year? In this episode, we're letting loose a treasure trove of ideas that will make your swimming better than ever before. Whether you've been swimming for a long time or are just starting out. Tune in now!

00:00 Introduction 00:25 Infinite Games in Swimming: Finding Joy in the Process 03:09 The Concept of Play: Incorporating Fun into Swimming 05:06 Investing in Experiences: Rethinking Financial Planning for a Fulfilling Life 10:35 How to Be Honest About Your Strengths and Weaknesses in Training 12:09 The Power of Habits: Transforming Your Life as an Athlete 14:09 Training Solo? Effortless Swimming Membership Has You Covered 16:13 More Exclusive Interviews with Pro Triathletes: Insights and Inspiration

#313 : How To Strengthen And Stretch Your Hip Flexors For A Better Kick with Carl Reader Dec 27, 2023

In this episode, Carl Reader, an expert in exercise physiology and Pilates, discusses exercises that can improve movement patterns for swimmers. He focuses on the modified squat, which enhances mobility and activates the hip flexors, and the sumo squat, which targets inner thigh muscles and aids in knee stabilization. Carl emphasizes the importance of addressing imbalances and discusses the electrical system of the body. Tune in to learn how to enhance your swimming performance through improved movement patterns.

00:00 Introduction and Background 2:11 Modified Squat 4:53 Using Slant Boards and Rolled Mats for Better Squatting and Hip Flexor Activation 6:29 Sumo Squat 8:15 Understanding the Depth of Squats: Finding Comfort and Avoiding Back Strain 12:55 Common Movement Patterns in Swimmers 16:29 The Importance of Addressing Shoulder Imbalances in Swimming 19:49 Barefoot: Exploring the Connection Between Movement and Grounding 23:03 Muscle Warm-Up and Understanding the Body's Electrical System 24:48 Why patience and dedication are important for building strength and mobility 26:01 Get in touch with Carl!

#312 : Put An End To Sinking Legs And Being Exhausted Quickly with Andrew Shaeff Dec 18, 2023

Join me today as we sit down with Andrew Sheaff, a highly accomplished coach and author of the book "A Constraints-Led Approach to Swim Coaching." In this episode, Andrew shares his expertise on various aspects of swimming, including breathing techniques and innovative methods for improving catch and pull development. Whether you're a competitive swimmer or simply looking to enhance your swimming skills, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone seeking valuable insights and practical tips from a true expert in the field.

00:00 Introduction 01:22 Improving Breath Awareness and Technique for Swimmers of All Levels 04:45 Mixing Up Breathing Patterns in Swim Training 07:25 Breaking Comfort Zones: Exploring the Benefits of Breathing to the Non-Preferred Side 09:03 A Drill to Improve Breathing on Both Sides 12:15 Common Mistakes in Breathing 18:00 Visual Tricks for Improving Breathing 20:20 Developing a Strong and Effective Catch and Pull 26:39 Knowing When to Push and When to Stop in Training 30:36 Don't Skip the Basics: The Significance of Body Position 34:31 Addressing Low Hips and Legs in Swimmers: Key Factors to Consider 36:44 Learn more about Andrew Shaeff and his work

#311 : The Best Bits From 2023 Dec 12, 2023

Have you ever wondered what makes certain podcast episodes stand out, becoming favorites among listeners? Join us as we explore the most impactful episodes from this year on the Effortless Swimming Podcast. From overcoming mental barriers to training secrets of Olympic athletes, each episode has left a lasting impression on our listeners. Reflecting on these conversations, we'll uncover the wisdom and experiences shared by our guests and the valuable life lessons they offer. Gain insights into what made these episodes popular and discover the secrets that set them apart from the rest!

00:32 EP #267: How To Adapt Your Stroke For Triathlons with 70.3 World Champion Tim Reed 05:55 EP #272: Swim Softer To Go Faster with Brant Best 10:37 EP #279: How Swimming Instills Lifelong Discipline with Pro Triathlete Joshua Lewis 17:14 EP #286: What It Takes To Win Olympic Gold And Break Worlds Records with Ryan Murph 25:19 EP #278: Using Stroke Rate, DPS and Consistency To Transform Your Swimming with Brian Johns 30:19 EP #263: A Simple Guide To Finding The Cause Of Your Technique Errors (Not Just The Symptom) 32:52 EP #275: Mental Hack for Marginal Mental Gains with Dr Jim Taylor 37:05 EP #288: How Olympians Use Underwater Filming And Analysis with Kyle Chalmers 41:35 EP #276: On A Mission To Complete The Oceans Seven in One Year with Andy Donaldson 44:48 EP #293: Swimming Secrets With 4x Olympian Brent Hayden 50:22 EP #298: Maintaining Your Competitive Edge For Life with 5x World Champion Craig Alexander

#310 : Learn Faster, Change Quicker with Glenn Capelli Dec 06, 2023

In this episode, professional speaker and author Glenn Capelli shares his expertise on learning better and making better decisions. He focuses specifically on how to improve swimming skills and mindset. Glenn discusses various topics he has studied throughout his life that can be applied to swimming, including getting into flow, maximizing the fun factor in training, using magic words to change approach, and developing small habits that lead to significant results. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and tips for becoming a better swimmer!

01:45 Swimming for Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health 04:08 The Essence of Flow: Finding Mental and Metabolic Flexibility 07:14 Finding Flow in Swimming: When Time Becomes a Blur 09:51 Discovering Flow in Other Aspects of Life 12:54 Flow and the Power of Whole Brain, Whole Body Engagement 15:01 What is Autotelic? 20:13The Power of Shifting Language: Instead of 'Have to', Say 'Get to'" 24:09 The Endless Journey of Learning: Upping the Challenge, Upping the Skills 27:50 Finding Beauty and Challenge in Swimming and Life 29:12 How Small Changes Can Lead to Success 31:09 Improvement of Life and Training: More, Less, Get Rid of, Throw In, Instead Of 34:45 Swimming is More Than Just a Sport, It's a Path to Friendship and Social Circles 35:57 Connecting with Glenn!

#309 : Transforming Life's Challenges into Catalysts for Growth with Kat Matthews Nov 29, 2023

Join us in this inspiring episode as we talk to professional triathlete Kat Matthews. Despite a major setback in 2022 when she was hit by a car before the Kona Ironman World Championships, Kat found inspiration and made a triumphant comeback the following year. We discuss her journey of overcoming adversity and her impressive second-place finish at the Ironman World Championships. Whether you're a seasoned swimmer or just starting out, this episode offers valuable insights. Tune in now!

01:59 Swimming Background 05:12 The Battle of Overthinking 08:20 Recognizing the Difference Between a Good and Bad Swim 11:48 How Head Position Can Impact Swimming 14:53 The Connection Between Kick and Body Position 18:16 Choosing the Right Fins: DMC Elite vs. Arena Powerfins 21:06 Ballerina in a Bucket Cue 22:39 Navigating Loss and Grief: Kat's Journey After the Accident 29:27 The Clues Trauma Leaves: Understanding the Psychological and Physical Effects 31:38 The Double-Edged Sword: Putting Emphasis on Race Results 34:43 Setting Achievable Goals and How Breaking Down Objectives Can Boost Motivation 39:12 The Importance of Translating Training Performance to Race Results 41:42 The Trap of Overdoing Training for Numbers 45:34 The Rewards of Following a Structured Training Routine 51:45 Swimming Advice for Beginners

#308 : 3 Under The Radar Mindset Techniques That Transform Your Race Day Performance with Dr Jim Taylor Nov 21, 2023

In this episode, we welcome back Dr Jim Taylor, a renowned psychologist specializing in sports and performance. Dr Taylor shares his insights and strategies from his recent experience at the World Championships in Spain. We discuss topics such as adjusting intensity based on race distance, effective focus and mindset for training and racing, and the importance of being brutally honest with oneself for improvement. Tune in for an enlightening conversation with Dr Jim Taylor.

03:34 Balancing Athletic and Professional Life 04:50 The Range of Physical Intensity in Swimming and its Impact on Performance 08:27 Finding the Balance Between Relaxation and Intensity 15:13 How to Clear Your Mind for Better Performance and What Happens When You Overthink in Races 18:14 Focusing on Higher Cadence and Intensity in Training 20:17 Progressing through Different Levels of Swimming 22:11 Developing a Mindset Plan for Racing 25:49 Tapping into Physical Fuel with the Mind 27:45 Practicing Mental Imagery for Race Preparation 29:20 Applying a Reality Check to Race Results and Performance Evaluation 31:46 The Value of Testing and Assessing Performance 36:44Having a Coach Analyze Data and Provide Insights 38:23 How to Get in Contact with Dr Jim Taylor

#307 : How One Mental Shift Can Change The Trajectory Of Your Life with Flynn Southam Nov 15, 2023

Join us on today's episode as we interview Flynn Southam, a talented young Australian swimmer who has already achieved remarkable success at the age of 18. He's been in the Commonwealth Games team and won numerous gold medals at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships. We delve into Flynn's unique perspective on technique, exploring the key aspects he focuses on and the mindset he maintains during training and races. Discover the one phrase his coach told him that completely transformed his training approach, turning him into a dedicated and determined athlete. Tune in now!

02:12 Representing Team Australia at a young age 03:13 Australian Team Wins Gold in 4x100m Freestyle Relay at World Champs 07:05 Breakfast with Michael Phelps at the hotel 08:27 Chasing Olympic Dreams: Why Not? 10:22 The Moment Flynn Realized He Could Compete with the Best 11:53 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Making a Comeback 14:46 The Role of Mindset in Achieving Flow State in Competitive Swimming 16:10 Creating Art on Race Day: The Power of Rituals 17:27 Mastering Body Position and Front Catch 22:14 Core and Functional Movement Workouts 24:32 Flynn's Favorite Training Set 27:29 The Power of Anaerobic Conditioning 30:00: The Use of Swim Parachutes for Drag and Resistance Training 34:19 Training with a Great Group of Mates 35:20 Mentoring Young Swimmers: Common Struggles and Advice 41:13 What's Coming Next for Flynn?

#306 : Unlocking the Champion Code: 20 Years Of Elite Swim Coaching with Leigh Nugent Nov 08, 2023

In this podcast episode, we have the privilege of sitting down with Leigh Nugent, one of the world's top technical coaches. With his extensive experience as the National Youth Coach for Swimming Australia and former Head Coach, Lee shares valuable insights on improving freestyle technique. He also discusses the champion mindset and shares stories of swimmers who have overcome injuries and achieved great success. Whether you're a swimmer, coach, or simply interested in the sport, this episode is packed with tips and stories that will engage and motivate you.

02:10 Achieving Success in the Olympics: Lee Nugent's Coaching Journey 08:21 Coaching Beyond Performance and Creating a Welcoming Environment 10:58 The Challenges of Coaching Talented but Uncommitted Swimmers 12:44 The Impact of Swimming on Personal Growth 14:13 Leigh's insight from the 2012 Olympics 16:24 The Best Olympics for Coaches and Athletes: Tokyo 2020 19:24 The Unbreakable Mindset of Elite Swimmers 22:31 Stories of Swimmers Pushing Their Limits 23:34 Key Elements of Great Freestyle Technique 34:32 Maintaining Front Quadrant in Increasing Stroke Rate 39:10 Lessons and Realizations from 10–20 Years of Swimming 42:03 Developing the Next Generation of Athletes

#305 : Discover Your Real Swim Efficiency Score with Brian Johns Nov 01, 2023

Join us on this podcast episode as we sit down with Brian Johns from Form Goggles. Brian discusses the exciting new features of Form Goggles and how they can help swimmers improve their technique. From measuring efficiency to providing real-time feedback on head and breathing position, these goggles are a game-changer for swimmers of all levels. Tune in now!

01:03 Exploring Form Score: A Universal Measure of Swimming Efficiency 09:10 Head Coach Skills: 5 Key Areas to Help Improve Efficiency 09:35 #1 Peak Head Roll 16:59 #2 Head Pitch 18:45 Finding the Sweet Spot: Head and Breathing Position 20:14 The Similarities in Technique Cues for Swimmers of Different Ages and Levels 23:21 #3 Interval Pacing 24:30 #4 Set Pacing 27:45 #5 Breathing Time To Neutral 31:39 Exciting Future Developments for Form Goggles 34:11 Downloading Workouts to Form Goggles for Easy Access

#304 : How To Finish Strong And Slow Down Less with RJ Boergers Oct 26, 2023

Welcome to the podcast with our special guest, RJ Boergers, the author of 'Finish Strong: Resistance Training for Endurance Athletes.' RJ is a certified athletic trainer with a doctorate degree in Movement Science. In this episode, we will discuss the positive impact of strength training on performance and well-being, misconceptions regarding strength training, and the importance of mobility. Tune in now, as this episode offers valuable insights and practical tips for athletes looking to enhance their swimming and triathlon performance.

01:22 Passion for Resistance Training and its Benefits 05:41 Common Mistakes and Misconceptions in Strength Training 9:17 The Importance of Strength Training for Endurance Athletes: Maintaining Form and Improving Performance 20:18 Strength Training Success Stories: Injury Reduction 26:34 Effective Exercises to Strengthen Obliques 28:54 Must-Do Exercises for Swimmers: Targeting Core, Glutes, and Scapular Stabilizers 31:28 Why Mobility Training Is Crucial for Athletes 39:38 Key Takeaways for Effective Strength Training 44:16 Get in Contact with RJ

#303 : Why You’re One change Away From A Breakthrough Oct 20, 2023

In this episode, I will share the story of a pro triathlete who achieved a remarkable breakthrough in his swimming performance, transitioning from a second pack swimmer in triathlons to consistently making it to the front pack. How did he accomplish this feat? By making an important change in his training routine. Tune in now! 00:20 Triathlete Transforms Swim Performance 02:26 Going Hard and Recovering Quickly 06:23 Recognizing Elite Athletes as Normal People 07:49 Importance of Pacing and Specific Training 09:14 Targeting Weaknesses in Training 11:06 New Swim Camps Coming Up!

#302 : Why Carb-Phobia Could Be Ruining Your Performance with Taryn Richardson Oct 04, 2023

Join us for a podcast episode with Taryn Richardson, where we explore the world of diet and nutrition for athletes. Discover the key principles to fueling your body for optimal performance and recovery. Get ready for eye-opening insights and practical tips that will revolutionize your training approach. Don't miss out on unlocking your full potential as an athlete.

01:18 The Importance of Protein in Exercise and Recovery 05:10 Timing Protein Intake for Optimal Recovery 06:35 Sources of Protein: Exploring Options and Recommendations 09:04 Kangaroo Meat and Red Meat Consumption 14:41 Meal Prep: Saving Time and Eating Well 20:10 Common Mistakes and Misconceptions in Triathlete Nutrition 27:14 Carb Phobia: Understanding the Importance of Carbohydrate Intake for Endurance Athletes 31:07 The Shift in Body Composition and Nutrition for Triathletes 32:42 Triathlon Nutrition and Bike Fuel Masterclass with Taryn

#301: Hidden In Plain Sight: Why The Solution To Our Problems Are Right In Front Of Us Sep 28, 2023

Join me on a wild journey where I accidentally became the subject of a search party while swimming with friends in Melbourne. From helicopters to firetrucks, this rescue operation had it all. But it's not just a cold-water mishap; it's a story about finding answers right in front of us. Learn the lessons from this unforgettable experience and how they apply to our everyday struggles.

00:21 Swimming in the Cold Water 02:04 Lost Swimmer in Red Cap 06:39 Miscommunication in the Cold Water 11:40 Improving Back Strength for Better Performance 13:40 EO SwimBETTER 14:30 Swimming Insights: Finding Obvious Solutions

#300 : Level Up Every Day: The Art of Consistent Progress with Andrew Sheaff Sep 20, 2023

Join us on this podcast episode with Andrew Sheaf, author of "A Constraints-Led Approach to Swim Coaching." Andrew shares valuable insights and strategies for swim coaches and swimmers. His systematic training and skill development approach helps swimmers achieve tangible results by avoiding the pitfall of abandoning techniques too quickly. This podcast is a must-listen for coaches and swimmers looking to enhance their methods and training.

01:24 The inspiration behind the book "A Constraints-Led Approach to Swim Coaching" 04:16 How to Be the Most Effective Coach When You Manage a Big Swim Team 06:39 Techniques for Teaching Swimmers That Are Both Fun and Effective: Contrast Drills and Feedback Exchange 09:02 Simplifying Swim Technique Analysis for Effective Coaching 11:26 . Improving Body Alignment and Kick Effectiveness in Adult Swimmers 14:57 Reversing Swimming Misconceptions 16:39 The Nuances and Challenges of Providing Individualized Swimming Instruction 18:05 Effective Coaching Language and Analogies for Swimmers 22:48 The Power of Questioning in Coaching and Training 28:08 Efficient Skill Development for Swimmers with Limited Time: Making the Most of Short Workouts to Improve Technique 34:48 Common Mistakes and Challenges in Increasing Speed while Maintaining Stroke Rate 39:28 Measuring Progress in Remote Coaching: The Importance of Testing and Consistency 42:01 How to Get a Copy of Andrew's Book and Contact Him

#299 : Better Flexibility In 3 Minutes with Tom Barton Sep 13, 2023

Join us today with Tom Barton, fresh from the US with Australia's A team! Tom is the founder of the Q Swim app and works as a physiotherapist at The Health Collab. He's your go-to expert for keeping swimmers and triathletes moving smoothly and injury-free. Today, we're focusing on how triathletes can step up their range of motion and overall movement. Don't miss out!

01:17 Trip to the US for a Swimming Competition 03:44 Standout Performances in Swimming at the US Open 05:14 The Importance of Mobility Testing for Swimmers and Triathletes 8:10 The High Elbow Test and Combined Elevation Test 13:03 Improving Combined Elevation and High Elbow Test: Strengthening Antagonist Muscles 17:06 Strengthening the Back and Nervous System for Optimal Performance 20:23 Incorporating Swimming Exercises into Pre-Swimming Routines 23:08 Tips for Overhead Pressing 27:11 Improving Hip Flexibility and Activation for Triathletes 32:18 Q Swim App and Working with Swimmers in Queensland 35:35 Why How You Swim and How You Move in the Water Are Crucial

#298 : Maintaining Your Competitive Edge For Life with 5x World Champion Craig Alexander Sep 06, 2023

I'm excited to introduce our guest today, the legendary triathlete Craig Alexander. He's a three-time world Ironman champion and a two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion. Craig shares insights on resilience, perseverance, and the importance of a supportive community. He also talks about how visualization helps in triathlon training and racing, along with a personal mantra that guided him throughout his career. Plus, he provides valuable advice for young triathletes to help them reach their full potential. Tune in now!

01:05 Racing Through the Ages and the Pandemic Pause 03:57 Motivation, Resilience, and the Coach's Journey 08:17 Transitioning from Athlete to Coach: Sharing Knowledge and Inspiring Others 11:38 The Guiding Mantras for Triathlon Success 14:31 Surrounding Yourself with Good People 15:20 The Power of Living in the Present Moment and Making Split-Second Decisions in Races 21:21 Visualization and Its Effect on Athletic Performance 25:52 Advice for Young Triathletes: Train with Better Athletes and Seek Help from Great Coaches 33:28 Motivations Beyond the Finish Line: Family, Community, and Coaching 39:12 Growing Old is Not for Sissies 40:04 Get in Touch with Craig!

#297 : Completing The Oceans 7 In One Year with Andy Donaldson Aug 30, 2023

Get ready for an amazing Andy Donaldson episode! He's done something amazing: finished the Ocean 7 challenge faster than anyone ever has before. In just one year, he completed all seven swims in a total of 63 hours. And the best part? Andy's doing all of this to bring attention to mental health. We'll chat about the tough parts of those swims, how he tackled the tricky currents, and what lessons he took away from the whole experience.

02:24 Navigating Challenges In The Molokai Channel Swim 05:51 The Team's Vital Role in Distance Updates And Support During The Swim 11:02 Mindset Shift: From Competition To Channel Swims 13:19 The Controversy Surrounding The Tsugaru Strait Swim 20:40 Andy's Difficult Swim Through The Tsugaru Strait 27:33 Overcoming Obstacles, The Team Succeeds in Breaking the Ocean 7 World Record 33:11 Promoting The Ocean 7 Sport, Mental Health Awareness, And Message Of Hope And Teamwork 36:50 Moving Over Disappointment And Finding Greater Purpose 40:00 Lessons From The Open Water Swims: Perseverance, Self-Determination, And Lasting Connections 41:58 Life After Reaching The Goal And Embracing New Opportunities 46:00 Media Attention And Impact Of Open Water Swimming 48:23 What's Next For Andy Donaldson?

#296 : How 10 Seconds Faster A 100m Changed The Triathlon Game for Sandra Schenkel Aug 23, 2023

Join me in this engaging episode as I chat with Sandra Schenkel, an elite duathlete from Spain who overcame swimming frustrations during the pandemic. We'll dive into her journey of making incredible progress through focused training and coaching. Discover how Sandra regained her swimming skills and achieved her best level ever. We'll also explore the significance of relaxation, breathing exercises, and technique in swimming. Get ready for valuable tips on mobility work, rest intervals, and maintaining a healthy diet.

01:56 Overcoming swim frustrations and developing skills 03:32 The Impact of breathing exercises on stroke improvement 04:18 Breathing exercises can help improve relaxation and body position in the water 08:05 Focusing more on the process than the result 11:49 Improving technique through the catch, breathing, leg posture, and head position 13:19 The importance of mobility and flexibility in swimming and how to improve them 19:07 Advice for those who are frustrated by their swimming 21:45 What's the next goal? 22:58 Interval Rest is Vital for Athletes 30:20 Work on technique, breathing, and the things you can control, and do not always train at maximum intensity

#295 : Wisdom Beyond the Race: Life Lessons Through A Lifetime Of Triathlon with Trivelo's Gerard Donnelly Aug 16, 2023

Joining me today is Gerard Donnelly from Trivelo Coaching, an Australian champion and podcast host. His podcast is a go-to for triathletes seeking insights from his seasoned journey in the sport. We'll dive into life lessons from triathlon, smart training with technology, race focus, and the balance between short intense sessions and longer technique-focused ones. And, of course, get advice for those training for half or full Ironman events.

01:29 How the sport has changed in the past 30 to 40 years due to various evolutions 05:00 Getting ahead in technology helps coaches train athletes better 12:55 We've plenty of technology to test and train smartly, aiming for peak performance in races 15:44 Athletes should understand their body's feelings along with data for better decisions during races and training. 22:01 What does perceived exertion look like for most athletes? 27:15 Form goggles provide solo training feedback, crucial for refining swimming technique 29:54 Avoid drifting and losing concentration during races 37:55 Key habits for faster triathlon swim times 41:57 The fitness component is the key to holding the form 49:20 Shorter intense sessions VS Longer technique-focused ones 53:10 What advice would you have for someone training for a half or full ironman? 58:10 A focused race plan lead to a positive experience and a more fulfilling life journey

#294 : The Four Steps To Triathlon Swimming Success with Josh Salley Aug 08, 2023

Today, we're thrilled to have triathlete Josh Salley sharing exciting updates on his technique and swimming breakthroughs. You can learn from his journey and find out the secret to his success. Get ready for an inspiring conversation!

02:33 Josh's Swansea Half Ironman Experience: Calmer and Faster! 07:21 Open Water vs. Pool Impact On Awareness? 10:32 Build Confidence In Open Water. Fear Fades With Time 12:34 Josh Shares His Progression And Coaching Insights 20:36 Consistency, Feedback, And Patience Led To Progress 21:51 Find What Works Best For You, Avoid Overthinking 24:09 Having Strong Foundation And Better Habits In Swimming 27:27 Believing In Yourself And Taking Your Place In The Race Leads To Better Results 31:56 Advice For Triathletes Struggling To Improve Their Swim 35:23 Focus On Progress, Not Pace. Be Obsessed With Improvement, And Use Feedback To Refine Your Technique. 37:43 Consistent Practice Helps Your Body Learn What Works

#293 : Swimming Secrets With 4x Olympian Brent Hayden Aug 01, 2023

I'm excited to welcome Brent Hayden, a true legend, back to the podcast after nearly five years since our last conversation in 2018. A lot has changed since then, including his return to swimming and competing in the Tokyo Olympics. We'll also explore how he stays in shape during retirement, his coaching approach, and his thoughts on coaching through Skillest. Tune in now!

02:25 What was the origin or starting point of your comeback for the Tokyo Olympics? 07:27 Did you engage in strength training or any other fitness activities to stay in shape during your retirement? 13:02 Why do you believe the Canadian swimming community was supportive in encouraging your comeback? 14:24 Could you talk me through or discuss the details of the relay event? 21:15 During your retirement, as you coach and run clinics, what are the core aspects you like to pass on to the groups that you're coaching? 33:55 What are your thoughts on coaching through Skillest? 51:22 Did the attention and media spotlight from winning bronze in the 100 free in 2012 impact your intense focus on achieving results in the 2016 Olympics?

#292 : [Case Study] 53-minute Ironman Swim with Tom Hohenadl Jul 19, 2023

Today, I'm excited to have Tom Hofnadel as my guest. Tom is a committed triathlete who is focused on improving his swimming in Ironman races. In this episode, we'll explore the benefits of video analysis and receiving feedback, as well as the technique changes he has made in the past few years to enhance his swimming. We'll also discuss how he keeps track of his progress over time. Tune in now!

03:23 Performance over appearance 03:56 Did the video analysis teach you something new? 07:52 What's your swimming background? 09:48 Has your progress been quite gradual, or did you make significant gains and then plateau for a while? 11:47 What technique changes have you made in the past few years? 15:10 Did you learn by observing or naturally gravitate towards certain swimming techniques? 16:45 How often are you recording yourself with the GoPro? 19:56 Is there anything that you use to measure where you're at or measure your progress over time? 24:00 Have you noticed variations in your swimming times and factors like leading the lane or drafting affecting your performance? 26:15 Are you training with a squad or doing solo sessions? 31:36 Based on your experience in triathlon, particularly in swimming, what advice would you give someone new to the sport? 35:32 Brief structure for analyzing your own stroke

#291 : How To Use CSS Training To Swim Faster For Longer Distances Jul 10, 2023

In this episode, I'll discuss CSS training to enhance your swimming's aerobic capacity, enabling you to maintain faster times over longer distances. We'll explore its definition, and application, and suggest effective sets to boost your aerobic capacity and overall performance. Tune in now!

01:32 Aerobic Capacity And Technique 04:02 What Is CSS Training? 05:36 How Frequently Should The CSS Test Be Conducted? 07:16 Structured Sets to Enhance Aerobic Performance 13:15 12 CSS Workouts Inside The Effortless Swimming Membership 14:17 Develop Stroke, Technique, And Aerobic Fitness For Incredible Gains.

#290 : Riding the Waves of Success and Stumbles In Your Swimming Jul 06, 2023

In this episode, we delve into the concept of challenges and how they transform over time. Using my own experiences as a surfer and swimmer, I look back on the challenges I've encountered and how they've influenced my journey. Tune in now!

00:17 Triumph and Mishap in the Waves 02:18 Ups and Downs: Progress and Challenges 03:21 Finding Joy in the Journey of Improvement 04:55 Next episode: Unlocking Aerobic Fitness!

#289 : Unlocking Speed: Mastering the PDLC Method for Triathlon Swimming with Joe Friel Jun 22, 2023

Today, I have the pleasure of chatting with Joe Friel, an exceptional endurance sports coach, renowned for his expertise in triathlon and cycling. Not only is Joe a highly respected coach, but he's also an accomplished author, having written multiple books, including his most popular work, the Triathlete's Training Bible. In this episode, we will discuss swimming techniques, including the PDLC method for improving skills, the 5-2 training methodology, and many more. Tune in now!

03:41 What stands out in people's swimming skills when working with them in person? 06:54 What is a PDLC method? How does it contribute to swimmers becoming faster? 20:18 Open water swimmers don't swim the same way pool swimmers do. 28:08 Going back to the fundamentals 34:08 Could you explain the 5-2 training concept and its origin? 42:15 What mental advice would you give someone transitioning from the 40s and 50s into the 60s and 70s? 52:43 What has recently piqued your curiosity? 56:24 Current projects and where to find your books and learn more about you?

#288 : How Olympians Use Underwater Filming And Analysis with Kyle Chalmers Jun 14, 2023

My guest today is Kyle Chalmers, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the world's top swimmers. I've featured him in some of my YouTube videos, highlighting his excellent freestyle technique. I'm excited to discuss his training and technique in depth. Tune in now!

01:47 After clinching the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, how did you experience changes in both your personal and professional life? 05:25 Do you have any rules for yourself regarding social media, particularly during competition time? 08:49 How has feedback shaped your career and consistently contributed to your improvement? 11:45 Have you applied the knowledge gained from skill acquisition coaches to work with younger kids and pass on those teachings? 15:25 What contributed to your maturity? Did you develop it early due to the level of competition in swimming, where you joined a team without knowing any of the swimmers? 17:42 Coming towards the end of your career, do you feel like that's given you more freedom to choose the path you want to take? 21:35 Can you share any unexpected benefits or silver linings that emerged from the challenges you faced during your recovery from injuries and surgeries? 23:32 Can you provide insights into your training approach? 25:09 Could you share your experience with aerobic training and explain why you enjoy it? 29:00 Do you hold any unconventional beliefs or practices that might seem counterintuitive to others in the swimming community? 34:56 What are the key factors you consider during your training? 38:39 Are you changing your stroke from 50 to a 100 and then from 100 to 200? 41:04 What motivated you to join Skillest?

#287 : [Case Study] 3 Minutes Off A Half Ironman Swim with Seb Wichmann Jun 06, 2023

My guest today is Seb Wichmann, who attended one of our clinics in 2022. He was averaging around a 2:05 to 2:10 per hundred and said he was happy to survive a 1K swim at the pool and has now got himself down to around a 1:45. Tune in to the episode now!

01:02 What challenges did you face transitioning from cycling to triathlon and swimming? 02:02 In the beginning, did you teach yourself or did you have a coach to help you? 02:59 What techniques did you learn from the clinic that you can apply to improve your performance going forward? 05:52 How often have you been getting in the water? 07:00 How long did it take you to start seeing results with those changes? 10:27 What motivated you to persevere and not give up? 11:14 Did you initially believe that you could develop a love for swimming, or did you find it to be a less enjoyable activity compared to cycling? 17:33 Did you have moments of success followed by setbacks, or were there variations in performance across different training sessions? 20:15 Do you feel any different when you go to the pool now compared to 12 months ago? 24:13 What advice would you give to someone who was in your shoes 12 months ago? 30:00 How to apply "squeezing the butt cheeks" as a beginner?

#286 : What It Takes To Win Olympic Gold And Break Worlds Records with Ryan Murphy May 29, 2023

My guest today is American swimmer Ryan Murphy, who has achieved incredible success in the Olympics Games, winning multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals. Ryan discusses how his motivation and training have evolved over the past decade, enabling him to stay competitive. We explore his unconventional beliefs, the obstacles he has overcome, including an injury before the Olympic trials, and the rituals that have aided his success in major events.

01:29 Do any of those experiences stand out as your most memorable achievement? 04:20 What do you attribute your sustained success and longevity in swimming to? 06:15 Have you ever had a season where you didn't perform well and struggled to pinpoint why that is? 12:02 How has your motivation evolved in the past decade as you've continued to compete in swimming? 14:19 Can you explain more about the success-focused lifestyle you mentioned earlier, especially regarding areas outside of swimming? 16:48 As you get older and there's up and comers nipping heels, how do you maintain your confidence and mindset when you’re one of the older guys in the field? 19:20 Which up-and-coming swimmer has caught your attention and impressed you the most recently? 21:50 Did you encounter any unexpected surprises in your professional swimming career that were different from what you expected or imagined as a teenager? 24:24 What are the key fundamentals you would focus on while coaching backstroke technique to a 15-year-old swimmer? 27:27 What are the main differences between your swimming technique or style and that of Mitch Larkins? 29:05 Did you get a lot of feedback on your swimming technique as a teenager, or did you develop your stroke naturally? 36:34 Can you share a memorable or transformative experience from your swimming career that has had a lasting impact on you? 42:01 What things beyond swimming motivate and excite you the most at the moment?

For those interested in receiving coaching from Ryan, check out Skillest.

#285 : Moving From Beginner To Intermediate with Ben Geard May 24, 2023

I'm excited to introduce my guest, Ben Geard, from Element Swimming. Ben and I go way back as great friends, and he was one of the coaches during the Maldives Camp last year. At Element Swimming, Ben offers lessons for beginners and helps swimmers progress from beginners to an intermediate level. That's what we will talk about today—strategies and techniques for individuals who are complete beginners or relatively new to swimming, aiming to reach that intermediate level.

01:41 Swimming And Coaching Experience 03:35 Programs For Beginners Are Hard To Find 05:39 Level I: Building Water Confidence 08:49 Different Styles Of Coaching 11:20 Beginner's Swim Camp On September 14:15 Level II: Feel For The Water 16:02 "aha" Moments During The Process 19:56 Biggest Mistakes With Skull 23:51 Training Sessions Per Week 25:20 Consistency Is Key 27:44 Level III: Putting Together And Achieving The Goal 31:73 Causes of Exhaustion In Swimmers 34:29 Vertical Kick 36:3 Visit The Element Swimming Website Check out the Maldives Camp here.

#284 : High Elbow Catch Masterclass with Marc Evans (Part 2 of 2) May 22, 2023

Our guest today is Marc Evans, a former National USA Triathlon team coach. In this episode, we will introduce the M25 Lift Paddle. We will discuss the paddle's purpose and why it differs from others in the market. Specifically, we will focus on how it helps improve the catch, which is an essential part of the swimming technique.

00:49 Kickboard Is A Great Tool 04:02 Skinny S 4:42 Pass or Fail Coaching 5:59 Learning Engages Additional Muscle Groups 8:19 Learning New Things Takes Time 11:17 The Invention Of The M25 Lift Paddle 17:55 The Is Purpose Of The Paddle? 20:18 Seeking Help To Launch M25 23:47 Product Design Is Based On The Fundamental Of Movement 28:28 Persistence Is The Key

#283 : High Elbow Catch Masterclass with Marc Evans (Part 1 of 2) May 17, 2023

My guest today is Mark Evans, who is returning to the podcast after eight years. He is a former coach for the National USA Triathlon team and is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and extensively researched individuals in this field. In today's episode, we will explore the catch and techniques for continuous improvement. (Listen to the PART 1). Link in bio.

03:54 Triathlon and Swimming Background 07:32 Triathletes in Motion 08:38 Turning Vision into Reality 12:48 High Elbow Catch Is Essential For Improved Swimming 16:18 Correcting Straight Arm Pull 19:08n Combining Good Technique With Volume And Consistency 20:42 Backstroke Is An Amazing Way To Learn Freestyle 21:14 Vertical Kicking Is An Amazing Tool For Swimmers 24:22 Magic Bullets Are In Fundamentals 27:25 Applying Less Force And Holding Less Water 29:15 Ladder Cue

#282 : How To Swim Effortless Fly, Back and Breast with Sam Ashby May 11, 2023

My guest today is Mr. Sam Ashby, a coach who has trained swimmers to national medals. In this episode, we will talk about the benefits of practicing different swimming strokes. It helps the body move differently and can aid in recovery and developing swimming skills. We will also discuss common mistakes that occur during clinics for butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke.

03:58 Swimming Background 10:00 Refining Your Knowledge 13:18 Visual Learning in Swim Clinics: An Advantage for Kids 15:04 What is The Key to Good Butterfly Stroke? 21:02 Improving Rhythm in Butterfly Stroke 26:26 Common Mistakes in Backstroke: Lifting the Head Too Much 33;53 Common Mistakes in Breaststroke: Maximizing Drag Reduction 38:19 How Simplicity Leads to Better Results 43:01 Simple Cues/tips for Mastering Breaststroke

#281 : Using Swim Data To Measure Technique Changes with Olympian Scott Dickens May 03, 2023

My guest today is Scott Dickens, a two-time Olympian. And now director of Business Development at Form, who is one of our sponsors of the podcast. We will talk about the 8-Week Faster Freestyle course, how you can ensure you're making progress and the improvement you would want to see. Tune in now!

01:02 Technique Change 09:51 Change Doesn't Feel Good 12:18 Long Dog Paddle Drill 16:15 The Kick 21:05 8-Week Course Is now in Form Goggles 22:02 Week: 2 Posture, Head Position, And Kick 25:10 The Base Position In Freestyle 27:12 Using A Kickboard? 30:16 Wearing Fins 32:57 Week 8 - Stroke Rate 35:03 Hold Your Rating 41:24 What's The Biggest Benefit of Using Form 46:10 Small Incremental Change In Pool Can Be Very Impactful 47:18 What Happens When You're Learning A New Skill 48.34 The Optimum Goal Is To Be Able To Relax 49:58 What's Coming Out Next?

#280 : The Secret Tool I Use To Analyse Technique (That Almost No Coaches Know About) with Baden Schaff Apr 27, 2023

00:30 The Greatest Analysis Tool 02:32 Why Was The Skillest Created? 06:48 A Marketplace That Allows You To Be Discoverable By Students 12:18 How Do You Film Yourself? 15:02 Student-coach Relationship 16:39 24-hour Access 19:05 There's No Pressure To Perform On The Spot 23:27 The Best Tools In Skillest 24:51 The Visual Is Everything 27:17 Analyzing The Stroke 33:14 Join the Skillest Now!

#279 : How Swimming Instills Lifelong Discipline with Pro Triathlete Joshua Lewis Apr 20, 2023

In today's episode, I got professional triathlete Joshua Lewis to talk about swimming, training sessions, and most importantly, opening yourself up to opportunities and experiences.

01:10 Swimming background 06:21 You've got to be able to prioritize correctly 10:34 Switching to Pro Triathlon 15:18 Coaching role 16:40 Putting yourself out there 18:49 Getting into a sport like swimming can be a big decision for people 21:07 Taking the first step is important 22:56 If you're self-conscious, remember people don't care 23:42 Efficiency in the water for the best speed 25:57 Have you found yourself going too hard in the swim? 28:33 Learn how to race 30:20 Training session 32:55 Start small, make it doable 34"42 Consistency is king 37:25 Get in touch with Josh!

#278 : Using Stroke Rate, DPS and Consistency To Transform Your Swimming with Brian Johns Apr 11, 2023

My guest today is Brian Johns who is a three-time Olympian former world record holder in the 400 IM and, the head of coaching science at FORM. In this episode, we will talk about improving your technique using FORM goggles and how important reliability and consistency are to transform your swimming.

00:47 Best achievement: Coming back from injuries 03:52 Focus on the process and getting better every day 07:18 Get yourself in a squad environment 11:55 Understanding how DPS and SR lead to increase speed 17:34 How can you find the sweet spot with stroke rate and stroke length? 22:24 Applying progressive overload principles to Workouts 30:53 Applying race results to training and improvement 33:56 Changes to stroke rate and effort are very incremental 40:58 Has anything been interesting regarding the swim data that the FORM collected? 43:10 Knowing the fundamentals and the basics goes a very long way 44:06 Reliability/consistency are the key 45:25 Be mentally switched on

#277 : Magic Words Apr 03, 2023

In this episode, we talk about magic words and how you can use the power of language to become a faster swimmer.

00:23 Swim Camp 01:41 Identify Yourself As A Swimmer 04:50 Cues 06:41 Replace Can't With Don't 08:10 Replace Should With Could

#276 : On A Mission To Complete The Oceans Seven in One Year with Andy Donaldson Mar 27, 2023

My guest today is Andy Donaldson who recently came back from breaking the Cook Strait World Record. In this episode, we will talk about his experience before and during the swim and his goal to complete the Ocean Seven in a year to raise money and awareness for mental health.

02:40 What's your headspace going into this swim? 04:58 How long into the swim did you realize things are going well? 09:30 Completion Is Key 10:22 The goal is to do the ocean seven within 365 days 14:19 How are you keeping yourself mentally ready for the swim? 17:19 Swimming Background 20:12 What is it about the sport that you think drew you back? 26:10 What's your training? 36:30 What's your routine like? 38:31 What sort of stuff are you doing to keep your shoulders strong? 41:16 How long would your strength and conditioning sessions go for? 41:53 What do you love to do outside of swimming? 43:28 What's surprised you about your quest to do the ocean seven in a year? 44:54 Follow Andy on Social media to follow his journey

#275 : Mental Hack for Marginal Mental Gains with Dr Jim Taylor Mar 20, 2023

Joining us today is Dr Jim Taylor, who specializes in Sports psychology and is the author of Train Your Mind for Athletic Success. In this episode, we will talk about useful mind hacks that you can implement into your training.

01:51 The Concept Of Marginal Gains 07:47 Words Impact How We Perceive The World 11:16 "I Choose To Push My Limits" 16:07 Unfamiliarity, Unpredictability, And Lack Of Control 19:43 Smiling Is A Powerful Mental Tool 25:45 Fun Is A Powerful Mind Hack 28:39 Flow Not Force 31:46 Take Control Of Your Breathing 35:38 Celebrating The Daily Victories 40:14 Get In Touch with Dr Jim Taylor

#274 : Swim Softer To Go Faster with Brant Best (Part 3 of 3) Mar 14, 2023

Welcome to the third and final part of this three-part podcast with Brant Best. We worked together on a product called SwimBETTER by EO, which helps athletes swim faster. Tune in now!

02:50 More isn't BETTER 05:27 Elbow is too high for too long 10:43 Extreme high elbow catch 13:17 "Ladder" cue 16:28 More episode with Brant coming soon!

#273 : Swim Softer To Go Faster with Brant Best (Part 2 of 3) Mar 10, 2023

Brant Best will be joining us for a three-part podcast. We worked together on a product called SwimBETTER by EO, which helps athletes swim faster. This episode will discuss how it's valuable to be able to quantify data and drills that he loves and hate.

00:33 Do you have a standard process when looking at the data? 08:38 Force Field 12:14 Should you have more power on one arm if you're just breathing every two? 13:20 I'm not a big fan of breathing three 14:12 I'ts super valuable to be able to quantify data 17:01 Drill that I love and hate! 20:31 Thumb Drag Drill

#272 : Swim Softer To Go Faster with Brant Best (Part 1 of 3) Mar 07, 2023

Brant Best will be joining us for a three-part podcast. We worked together on a product called SwimBETTER by EO, which helps athletes swim faster. This episode will discuss what he learned from working with elite athletes. Watch out for the next episodes!!

00:58 Canberra Camp 02:27 How To Swim A Good 100 Freestyle At The Elite Level? 05:40 Kyle Chalmers Is A Beast 06:12 Tension Needs To Be Optimal Rather Than Maximal 10:59 EO Swim Better 13:01 Soften Up, To Go Quicker. 16:00 Putting Too Much Force On The Water 19:14 What Is It That We Should Be Focusing On?

#271 : The 'Single Point Of Failure' In Your Stroke Mar 02, 2023

What is stopping you from getting any faster? Tune in to this episode now!

1:52 How You Hold Your Body 3:12 Head Position 3:45 Kick 4:40 Breathing In The Right Position 7:08 Building A House 7:21 Tension 8:41 Not Sighting In The Right Way 10:32 The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle

#270 : Taking On The Cook Strait with John Hancock Feb 22, 2023

I've got John Hancock to join me again on the podcast. He recently returned from having a successful crossing of the Cook Straight and is here today to share his experience and some of the preparations he did for the swim.

00:57 Where did this goal come from? 04:28 What are the preparation that you did? 09:33 17 hours of swimming in one week 12:46 How many Ks a week were you doing? 12:33 It's a very tidal crossing 17:59 Grateful to have a team of people supporting you 19:51 Covering yourself with grease 21:40 "If the swells on your side then surf across" 26:24 Was there anything that surprised you about the swim? 28:35 All about preparation and execution. 29:10 Surround yourself with people who want you to be successful 29:54 Do you feel like your achievement changed you as a person? 34:14 What's next for John?

#269 : Stop 'Hauling' Yourself Through The Water & Swim With Ease with Carl Reader Feb 15, 2023

Carl joins us again on the podcast. He has a background in Exercise Physiology and Pilates but primarily in Functional Movement. In this episode, we will talk about how Carl has helped many swimmers with their pain and injury and understand the root cause of some of the injuries that they're having.

01:26 What Injuries Do You Usually See Among Swimmers 05:16 Working On The Posture 07:55 Getting Blood Flow To The Injured Part Of Your Body 10:41 "Voltage Is Healing" 12:27 From Hauling To Floating 14:39 Trying Too Hard Puts Tension In The Body 16:17 Swim From Inside Out 18:20 Learn How To Hold Your Body Correctly 18:42 Squatting 20:36 Don't Brace Too Much In The Pool 24:00 Connection Improves The Whole Mobility 26:29 Get In Touch With Carl Read

#268 : Pool Toys - The Good, Bad and Ugly Feb 09, 2023

In today's episode, I will talk about the equipment and pool toys that I recommend to the athletes that I coach.

00:41 Have A Good Pair Of Fins 03:38 Paddles 05:51 Pull Bouy 06:45 Kickboard 07:20 Snorkel 08:15 Noseclip 08:38 Goggles 10:56 Heart Rate Monitor 11:50 Powermeter/Analysis

#267 : How To Adapt Your Stroke For Triathlons with 70.3 World Champion Tim Reed Feb 01, 2023

My guest today is Tim Reed, an Australian coach, and triathlete, who has had multiple Ironman and IM70.3 wins. I wanted to get Tim's perspective regarding swimming and coaching and discuss the struggles of transitioning from a professional athlete to a full-time coach. 01:15 Biggest Success In Racing 03:30 There Was No Overnight Success 04:51 Connecting With Athletes 06:38 A Powerful Combination 11:02 Pulling Back From Squad 14:13 Having The Evidence/Data 16:50 You Don't Need To Look Pretty 20:14 Stop Swimming Like Ian Thorpe 27:07 Correct One Thing At A Time 28:00 Swim Like No One Is Watching 29:17 Differences In Technique For People Getting Into A Wetsuit 32:02 Open Water Skills 35:13 Surrounded By Other Swimmers 37:27 Transitioning To A Full-time Coach 43:48 Training Sessions 47:55 What's Next? 50:02 Get In Touch With Tim

#266 : Enjoy Pain And Uncovering What Really Motivates You with Dr Jim Taylor Jan 25, 2023

In today's episode, we have Dr. Jim Taylor, a sports psychologist and author of Train Your Mind for Athletic Success. We will talk about the strategies for dealing with pain and figuring out what your motivations are. Tune in to this episode now.

00:58 Competed In The Super Sprint And Olympic Distance Triathlon 03:03 Strategies For Dealing With Pain 06:02 Exertion Pain And Injury Pain 08:51 Identity Plays A Role In How You Manage Pain 14:32 Discomfort VS Pain And Suffering 17:13 Associating Negative Emotions With Pain 18:51 Pride And Inspiration 21:51 What's Real Suffering? 23:38 Key Phrase: Long And Loose 26:11 Do A Long Warm-up 28:27 Distractions 30:28 Motivation: Less Ra Ra, More Insight 36:36 Constantly Remind Yourself Of What Your Goals Are 37:11 90% Of Success Is Just Showing Up 39:59 Don't Look At The End Of The Workout 41:57 Get In Touch with Dr. Jim Taylor

#265 : Which Coaching Program Is Right For Me? Jan 18, 2023

I want to have this episode to direct and help people determine what course will help them get better as a swimmer going forwards.

01:13 5-Day Catch Challenge 02:53 The Beginner Freestyle Course 04:25 8-Week Faster Freestyle Cours 8:15 Video Membership 09:08 Monthly Live Call 10:17 Stroke Analysis Membership 13:02 The Swim Camp

#264 : [Case Study] 5-mins Faster In An Olympic Distance Triathlon Swim with Melissa Hughes Jan 11, 2023

My guest in today's episode is Melissa Hughes from Tasmania. We will talk about her remarkable journey into the world of triathlon.

01:19 I swim like a runner 02:30 Arms are a bit wide 04:17 How many swim sessions a week? 06:08 What is YMCA Drill? 08:43 Building Confidence in the race 11:44 I've got to overtake all the heroes! 13:08 Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis 17:30 Thinking about doing the triathlon 19:19 Do you think you can continue training without doing any long-term damage? 20:29 What are you working towards or focusing on with your swimming?

#263 : A Simple Guide To Finding The Cause Of Your Technique Errors (Not Just The Symptom) Jan 04, 2023

In today's episode, we are looking at why you should look for the cause, not look at the symptom.

00:22 Itchy eyes? 02:30 We Need To Find The Cause 03:05 Leigh Nugent-Coming soon? 04:02 First Thing To Look At Is the Body Position 05:44 Head Position 05:53 Making Sure The Kick Is Effective 06:04 Rotation 06:13 Great Way To Analyze The Stroke 08:05 We Don't Often See The Cause

#262 : A Different Approach To Achieving Everything You Want In Swimming (And Life) Dec 28, 2022

I wanted to talk about a different approach to achieving your goals in today's episode. It might be something you haven't heard before, but it can be a helpful way to achieve what you want. Tune in to the episode now!

00:43 Think of your perfect day and write that down 2:56 What does your ideal day look like? 5:39 Atomic Habits: A must read book

#261 : [Case Study] 2:20 to 1:39/100m In 6 Months with Brigetta Hamilton Dec 21, 2022

In today’s episode, we sat down with Brigetta Hamilton to talk about her impressive improvement over the last 6 months. Brigetta attended one of our clinics in May starting at 2:20 pace per 100. She got her time down to 1:48 and now she is at 1:39. Find out what she did to improve!

00:51 Swimming background 01:17 Were you able to swim comfortably without stopping when you started swimming? 03:02 Does your cycling background help with your swimming? 05:10 When you are working on going faster, what do you usually think? 11:15 Developing Intuition 14:34 Your feel for the water looks so much better 15:59 Rocking side to side and recovery 18:35 What's your next goal? 20:35 Try the sight and breathe method 21:23 When you relax, you swim better and quicker

#260 : Fuelling For Performance (And How To Avoid Late Night Sugar Binges) with Taryn Richardson Dec 14, 2022

My guest today is Taryn Richardson, an advanced sports dietitian, and a triathlon nutrition specialist. In this episode, we will talk about triathlon and swimming nutrition and what you can do to make better choices to get fitter and healthier.

1:08 What are the common mistakes working with age group triathletes/swimmers 3:58 Coming back to the fundamental things 6:12 Eating before swimming 12:11 Why does swimming make you hungry 14:05 Dietary periodization and why it's so important 17:39 How individualized are the nutrition plans that you provide for people? 19:27 How to lean up and still maintain energy for training 23:19 Improving Your Eating Habits 29::55 Recovery nutrition 34:35 Lighter is not necessarily better 37:14 Get in touch with Taryn

#259 : How To Look Good When You Swim Dec 07, 2022

In today's episode, we will discuss the best ways to go about improving how you look when you swim.

02:00 The Base Position 03:35 Have The Right Amount Of Rotation 04:48 Keep The Kick Fairly Narrow 05:53 Good Recovery 09:05 Soft Hands 10:20 Good Looking Freestyle Is Never Hurried Or Rushed 11:41 Slow To Fast 12:06 Skinny S Shape 12:31 The Breathing 14:00 The Kick 14:41 Style Is Important 15:36 Visualize Yourself Swimming Like A Pro

#258 : [Case Study] 1:28/100m In 12 Months with Victoria Smith Nov 30, 2022

In today's episode, I wanted to get Victoria Smith, who recently joined the Maldives Camp, to share her swimming improvements over the 12 months. Tune in now!

01:11 What got you into swimming? 9:23 Have there been any frustrations that you've experienced with your swimming since you began? 10:48 What helped to make your coordination better? 11:47 Do you come from a dancing background? 13:34 What did you change to have yourself feel stronger in the water? 20:14 What is it that you love about swimming? 23:14 Being Aware Of Your Body 25:37 How long did it take you to get that feeling of being able to hold the water? 27: Did the Maldives camp help improve your open-water swimming? 31:10 What advice can you give to someone who just started swimming?

#257 : Gustav Iden Nov 23, 2022

So thrilled to have Ironman World Champion Gustav Iden in today's podcast episode. Tune in now as he shares his inspiring journey toward success!

02:02 What’s changed for you after winning Kona? 03:06 What is about the sport you love? 04:17 How did you manage the front-pack swim after not as well in some races leading up to it? 05:28 Did you do any race simulation in training in the open water? 10:15 What's been your journey with swim technique over the years? 12:22 In swimming, it's different strokes for different folks 15:41 What do you most age groupers could do to improve their swim? 17:03 How often are you doing lactate testing in the pool? 17:38 Do you feel you gain fitness from swimming which helps in bike and running? 18:24 How many kilometers do you swim a week? 19:00 At what point in the race did you start hurting? 19:54 What’s the most important advice you got in your career and why? 21:03 Do you take in the same grams of carbs in swim practice as you do the bike and run? 21:32 What’s your stand-alone marathon time? 22:34 What setting do you use on your form goggles? 23:35 What’s the best of tech from Santaratech for a mid-pack AG 24:44 What is your least favorite thing about triathlons? 25:33 Does your stroke rate or kick change between different distance events? 28:16 What's next for Gustav Iden?

#256 : Inside High Performance Triathlon with Dan Atkins Nov 17, 2022

My guest today is Dan Atkins who is the Queensland National Performance Center Head Coach in Australia and has been working with top-end athletes. We will talk about some of Dan's coaching philosophies and strategies and how they can help everyday swimmers and triathletes.

01:01 Swimming To Triathlon Coaching 03:09 Using Cues, Trigger Words, Or Nursery Rhymes 06:01 Making It Simple And Less Complicated 07:08 Different Levels Of Swimmers 10:14 Setting Up A Triathlon Club 12:23 It Is A Very Challenging Sport! 15:18 Always Thinking One Step Ahead 17:34 Learning Important Skills 2206 Trying Out New Things 26:49 We Need To Go Easier 30:08 We Now Have A Smarter Approach To Training 33:47 Psychological Reciprocity 35:25 What's Next?

#255 : [Case study] 1:45 to 1:35/100m in a Half Ironman Swim with Josh Salley Nov 09, 2022

My guest today is Josh Salley who is based in Wales and has recently completed his first half Ironman. Josh and I have been working for the last couple of months doing some stroke analysis and technique coaching. Tune in to this episode now!

00:49 Swimming Background 02:46 Improving Quickly 03:45 Focused More On Technique 04:38 Overcoming Open Water Swimming 07:18 Treat It As A Training Session 09:10 Swimming Consistently 09:54 This Made The Biggest Difference To My Stroke 11:45 Overrotation 13:26 Look At The Cause The Symptoms 13:58 Very Narrow Kick 15:57 Start with a 6-beat Kick 16:55 Warm Up The Leg and Get The Kick Going 17:50 8-Week Faster Freestyle Course 19:08 Determination And Hard Work 20:06 This Is An Absolute Game Changer 21:03 What's Your Setup For Recording? 22:44 Video Feedback

#254 : How To Figure Out Your Ideal Cadence And Stroke Length with Frank Huisman Nov 04, 2022

My guest today is Frank Huisman. He's a swim coach based in the Netherlands. Tune in to this episode to learn more about becoming a faster and more efficient swimmer.

01:08 Working With Kristian Blummenfelt 01:52 Developed A Wetsuit For Kristian 03:27 What Is Impulse Time? 06:17 Speed Is Determined By Two Major Things 08:49 Get Your Swim Efficient 11:03 Keep Your Drag Low 12:10 Stroke Length 13:08 What Are The Things Impacting Body Position 15:52 The Swimmer's Superman 18:31 Perform The Kick In The Right Way 22:11 3 Reasons Why You Have Kick 26:12 Simplify The Swim Technique 27:00 Swim Stroke Chart 31:32 To Bring Awareness 36:38 What If The Stroke Rate Is Too Low? 39:12 Get In Touch With Frank! 39:27 What's Next?

#253 : How Stroke Count Can Be Your Secret Weapon To Faster Swimming Oct 26, 2022

In this episode, I will talk about stroke count and how to use it to your advantage to become a faster swimmer.

01:29 What Is A Stroke Count? 04:18 How Can You Use Your Stroke Count To Become A Faster Swimmer? 06:20 How To Reduce Drag And Increase Propulsion 09:43 Best Average Time Across The Whole Set 11:55 Maintaining The Best Technique And Form 13:45 The Best Athletes In The World Are The Most Consistent Athletes 17:09 New Clinic Schedules!

#252 : Swim Technique For Triathletes (That Don't Apply To Pool Swimmers) with Gerry Rodrigues from Tower 26 Oct 12, 2022

Gerry Rodrigues is coming back as a guest in today’s episode. He is one of the world’s leading open-water swimming coaches and the founder of Tower 26. We will talk about swimming techniques and tips for triathletes. Tune in now!

01:33 Ironman Kona 03:54 The Game Has Changed 05:06 The Four Key Things 07:56 Blend Between Technical Work And Hard Work 09:51 Get Feedback Immediately 12:16 It's A Giant Puzzle! 14:40 Training In The Pool For The Open Water 21:03 Swimming With/Without A Pool Buoy 27:08 Learn How To Filter The Information You Receive 30:07 Kicking 33:47 Treat The Problem, Not The Symptom 36:24 Going Back To The Fundamentals Of The Stroke 38:53 Feel For The Water 43:00 Catch VS Setup? 48:02 I Want People To Get Good Results

#251 : 5 Lessons From The Maldives with Brenton Ford Oct 05, 2022

In today's episode, I wanted to talk about some of the key things I got from the other coaches and swimmers at the Maldives Camp.

01:13 Rotation 03:04 Front Kick Rotation Drill 04:45 S-Shaped Pull 08:39 Front Scull Drill 09:36 Kick Timing And Connection 12:29 Are You Swimming Enough? 14:02 Long-Term Goals 16:01 The Next Maldives Camp

#250 : Breaking The 60-minute Ironman Swim Barrier with Oke Büll Sep 28, 2022

My guest today is Oke Büll. He's a triathlete located in Germany and recently had some great success in Ironman Copenhagen. We will talk about how he was able to improve his swimming. Tune in to this episode now!

01:00 Getting Started In Triathlon 02:39 Swimming Background 05:15 Ironman Swim Distance 06:43 Breaking Down The Stroke 09:15 Relaxed Swimming 10:15 Changes In Speed 11:37 Quality VS Quantity 13:30 Training Sessions 15:21 Open Water Training 19:40 YMCA Drill 22:51 Maintain Consistency In Training 25:26 Relax And Focus On Your Technique 26:33 Have A Weekly Plan 27:26 Having Patience Is Very Important

#249 : [Case Study] "I Thought My Watch Was Playing Up" with Suzanne Nottage Sep 14, 2022

In today's episode, my guest is Suzanne Nottage. We will talk about the progress in her swimming over the last couple of years. Tune in now!

00:57 Swimming Background 02:10 Joining Ironman 03:28 When Did You Start To Enjoy Swimming? 04:01 Hang Around With The Right People 07:22 5-Day Catch Challenge 10:19 Go Slow Before You Go Quicker 12:44 Two Important Takeaways 14:45 Doing Less VS Doing More 15:40 Timing Of The Kick And The Catch Together 17:33 One-Arm Freestyle Drill 19:02 Big Improvement 21:24 Training Sessions 23:48 Have A Much Better Feel For The Water 25:29 Started the 8-Week Faster Freestyle Course 26:50 Film Yourself

#248 : Lessons From Analysing 6,500 Swimmers with Brenton Ford Sep 07, 2022

In today's episode, I wanted to talk about the five common mistakes I've seen from around 6,500 analysis videos I did over the years. Tune in now!

01:34 Breath Timing 02:56 Having The Cue Of Pulling To The Breath 04:30 Over Rotation 05:34 Rocking Side To Side 08:13 Recovery 10:37 Deep Catch 12:40 Head Position 15:43 Slightly Higher Position In The Water

#247 : Mental Strategies To Race Strong From Start to Finish with Dr. Jim Taylor Aug 31, 2022

Excited to have Dr. Jim Taylor back to talk about the mental aspect of the race and some excellent practices for approaching races in a healthy way.

02:43 How To Get Mentally Prepared Before The Race 05:03 Three Key Goals To Follow 06:48 Embrace The Suck 10:56 Physical Intensity 13:05 Music Is A Powerful Mental Tool 13:28 Have A Pre-Race Routine To Ensure Total Preparation 15:48 Review Your Race Plan 18:19 Perceived Effort Sets In Training 20:47 Don't Be A Victim In The Race 21:45 You Can't Finish Strong If You Don’t Have The Fitness 24:32 Make Sure To Fuel Well 28:36 User Power Words/Phrases 29:58 Smile And Make Fart Noises 33:49 Post-Race Reflection 37:06 Start With A Positive Attitude 38.33 Get In Touch With Dr. Jim Taylor

#246 : The Comfort Crisis with Brenton Ford Aug 25, 2022

In today's podcast episode, I want to talk about a book I recently listened to on Audible, The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. I wanted to share some learnings from this book that I thought were really good. I hope you enjoy this episode!

00:23 The Comfort Crisis 00:48 Problem Creep 02:44 Remind Ourselves To Be Grateful 03:02 Toughening Theory 03:47 Misogi 06:07 Doing Challenges 07:23 Better Perspective On What's Important 07:54 Creating Your Rites Of Passage 09:06 Being In Nature 10:14 Conversations Are More Meaningful 11:02 The Way To Combat Loneliness 12:19 Ditching Unnecessary Comfort

#245 : The One Exercise That Solves Most Aches And Pains with Carl Reader Aug 19, 2022

Carl Reader is joining us again in today's podcast episode. He is a Functional Movement Coach with a background in Exercise Physiology and Pilates. We will talk about the importance of upper and lower body connections and an exercise that can help you achieve better posture and mobility.

03:56 One Of The Best Ways To Get Your Body Connected 07:26 Case Study 1: Chronic Hip And Hamstring Problems 10:58 Case Study 2: Muscle Imbalance 12:08 Rotational Balance 13:41 Hip Flexor Tightness 17:45 Tight Hip Flexors Can Affect Breathing 18:53 Lack Of Shoulder Mobility 20:39 A Simple Exercise That Can Help You A Lot 21:55 Functional Movement Course 22:33 Get In Touch With Carl! 22:49 Coaching Online

#244 : 7 Mins Off An Ironman Swim with Dave Halantas Aug 12, 2022

My guest today is Dave Halantas. He came to our clinic in 2019 and went through our 5-Day Catch Challenge course. We will talk about what he's changed over the last 12 months to see a big improvement in his swim times in the Ironman swim distance.

01:29 Swimming Background 02:58 Shoulder Rotation 04:45 Take Away From The Freestyle Clinic 06:45 The Benefit Of Having A Swim Coach 09:35 Ironman Swim 10:56 Relaxed And Confident In The Water 14:01 Starting In Zone 1 15:13 5-Day Catch Challenge 16:24 Frequency And Consistency 19:00 Having A Better Mindset 19:53 What's Next?

#243 : Becoming Unbreakable with Kate Galliett Aug 05, 2022

My guest today is Kate Galliett, who has a degree in Exercise Science and has been a strength and fitness coach for 21 years. In this episode, we will talk about ways to achieve an unbreakable body. Tune in now!

01:13 Got A Degree In Exercise Science 02:47 What Does An Unbreakable Body Mean? 03:20 Adopting The Signal Response Principle 06:36 Explorer's Mindset 07:47 Three Main Tenants To The Explorer's Mindset 12:27 Focus On Things That Are Working 13:01 Six Pillars Of An Unbreakable Body 14:37 Strong Feet 15:48 Hip Mobility 16:35 Strong Glutes 17:38 Strong Torso 18:30 Shoulder Mobility 19:11 Strong Posture 22:50 Digging Deep Into Posture 25:15 Do This To Improve Neck Range Of Motion And Mobility 28:15 Having Issues With Shoulder Pain? 26:38 Internal Rotation And Shoulder Blade 32:45 What Exercises Can You Do For Your Shoulders? 38:47 We Need To Believe In Our Bodies 40:39 Too Old Is A Myth 41:11 Have A Short Daily Routine For Our Signals 42:54 Longer Workout Is Not Better 43:49 Theory Of Zones Of Tissue Tolerance By Scott Dye 46:09 Maintain Your Zone Of Homeostasis 47:53 Keep Up With Kate!

#242 : Train Your Mind For Success In The Water with Dr Jim Taylor Jul 27, 2022

In today's episode, my guest is Dr. Jim Taylor, who specializes in the psychology of sport and is the author of Train Your Mind for Athletic Success. We will talk about the mental side of sport, swimming, and triathlon. Tune in now!

01:38 Helping Athletes To Be Mentally Prepared 03:18 Is Mental Training Similar To Physical Training? 05:13 Develop A Mental Toolbox 07:00 Be In A Place Where Your Mind Works With You 7:44 Don't Force It! 09:00 Fear Of Open Water Swimming 10:13 Mental imagery Is The Most Powerful Mental Tool 15:54 The Ultimate Goal 18:25 Overcome Conditions And Competitors 20:47 Every Race Is A Learning Experience 21:56 Mental Muscles To Focus On 23:23 Motivation And Confidence 29:02 What Motivates You? 32:00 How You Perceive Yourself 33:34 Healthy Perspective Is Important 37:00 Get Your Mind On Course 39:00 Consistency Of Mind 40:50 Train Your Mind Daily 43:10 Awareness Of What You're Doing With Your Mind

#241 : Can You Really Get Faster As You Get Older? with Garry Wheeler Jul 21, 2022

My guest today is Gary Wheeler from New South Wales. He has gone through our online courses and seen great results! We will talk about his progress over the last couple of months.

00:48 Joining The 8-Week Faster Freestyle Course 01:51 Swimming Background 04:41 Going Through The Course For The Second Time! 06:15 Finding The Rhythm 07:35 Get Faster By Improving Technique 08:35 Swimming Tall And Proud 09:29 Tune In To How You're Feeling 12:58 It's A Challenge! 13:59 Swimming Solo 16:12 Using Tempo Trainer 18:17 Going Straight To The Catch? 21:13 Focus On The Fundamentals

#240 : [Case Study] The Power Of Consistency And Being Technique-Focused with Bronwen Stacey Jul 14, 2022

My guest today is Bronwen Stacey who attended one of our freestyle clinics a few years ago. We will talk about the progress she has made since doing the clinic. Tune in to the episode now!

00:55 Three Sessions A Week 01:54 What Is A Towel Session? 03:30 Bronze Medallion Course 05:23 Noosa Triathlon 07:34 Thoughts On Core Shorts 09:09 Learning Something New Is A Struggle But... 10:42 Key Takeouts From Swim Clinic 14:15 Follow-Up Filming And Analysis 15:08 There's Always Something To Learn And Improve 16:05 Front Quadrant Timing 17:54 Stay Relaxed To Get Faster 19:03 Wearing Form Goggles 20:40 What I Love About Swimming 21:27 Swimming In The Ocean During Covid 22:13 Consistency And Technique 23:51 Have A Good Coach

#239 : 5 Ways To Get Into Flow State When You Swim with Brenton Ford Jul 07, 2022

In today's podcast episode, we are talking about five ways that you can get into a flow state while you swim.

00:24 Why It's Important 02:06 Eliminate Distractions 02:32 Take Off Your Watch 03:42 Get Into It With A Clear Mind 04:09 Box Breathing 05:00 Meditation 05:17 Journaling 06:57 Listening To Music 08:28 Single-Task Focused 9:16 Using Trigger Words/Cues

#238 : How To Fix Your Swim Stroke Jun 28, 2022

This episode is a repost from a podcast that I recorded on the Get Fast Podcast with Jordy and Gerard Donnelly from TriVelo Coaching. Check out this episode now!

01:02 Who Is Brenton Ford? - Effortless Swimming 02:47 The Most Common Mistake Triathletes Need To Fix 04:30 Why You Should Aim To Be “front quadrant” 05:39 Stop Leading With Your Head 07:05 How To Get The Right Timing in Your Stroke (sweet spot) 08:26 Timing Is Key To Improving Speed 10:01 The “Slow to Fast” Principle For Timing 10:59 It’s Not About Strength 12:34 How To Know If You’re Breathing Too Late 15:42 How To Time Breathing In Open Water With “sighting” 17:37 Should Sighting Be Part Of Your Pool Sessions? 20:23 Brenton’s Best Starting Breathing Drill 23:42 Are Swim Drills As Important As We Keep Saying 25:53 Adequate Time VS Frequency In Doing Drills 28:27 Technique Matters Most 29:41 Understanding The Complexity Of Hydrodynamics And Reducing Drag 31:57 Buoyancy: How To Get Yourself Higher In The Water? 34:40 Getting Your Head Down To Get Your Legs Up 36:00 Should Endurance And Speedwork Be Combined? 39:29 What Are The Optimal Rest Periods For Different Training Sessions? 42:26 Frequency And Total Volume Of Swimming Throughout The Week 46:27 Discussing The Norwegian way Of Training 52:31 Off-Season Approach To Swim Training 54:26 Brenton and Gerard’s Advice For Overcoming Anxiety On Race Day

#237 : The Science Of Swimming Better with Kenneth Graham Jun 20, 2022

My guest today is Kenneth Graham. We've been working together on a product called SwimBETTER by EO, which helps swimmers swim faster. Check out this episode now!

00:42 Working As A Sports Scientist 02:19 MAD System 03:24 What Is Exciting About The SwimBetter? 04:36 Producing Force At The Right Time And Direction 07:09 Refine Your Stroke 07:43 Technique vs. Fitness 08:44 When Do You Use The SwimBetter? 10:57 How To Swim Faster 14:23 Using Pool Buoy 15:43 Increasing Proprioception 17:44 Doing Sessions On Your Own 18:57 Swimming Speed 22:34 Learning To Apply Strength And Power To Your Propulsion 26:33 Workout For Endurance Swimming 27:43 Direction Of Forces And Consistency 31:47 Make Your Stroke Consistent 32:45 Get Out Of Your Head And "feel"

#236 : [Case Study] How A Freediver Went From 2:00 to 1:30/100m with Ioannis Aliazis Jun 14, 2022

I've got Ioannis Aliazis on today's podcast episode. He has recently been through the 8 Week Faster Freestyle course and is here to share his improvements over the last couple of months. Ioannis is also a freediving instructor, and we will talk a little bit about some of the crossovers from freediving to swimming.

01:01 Swimming Background 01:23 The Best Exercise For Freediving 02:03 I Found Your Channel 02:25 Going Through The 8th Week Freestyle Course 03:39 Kick Timing 06:16 2-Beat Kick In Open Water Swimming 06:53 Following A Structure 07:40 Getting Your Questions Answered 09:34 Swimmers To Freedivers 13:31 Keep Calm & Don't Panic 16:05 Build Your Confidence 19:22 Friendly Competition 20:58 Practice More And Get A Good Coach 22:00 Find The Reason To Enjoy Swimming 23:10 Listen To Your Body 23:58 Swimming Is A Feeling Activity

#235 : [Case Study] 8:25 to 7:13 for a 400m Time Trial with Anthony McDonald Jun 07, 2022

Today, my guest is Anthony McDonald, who has been going through some of our online courses and made such incredible improvements over the last couple of months. Tune in to this episode now!

01:01 There's Always Room For Improvement 01:34 Swimming Background 04:45 Focusing On One Or Two Things At A Time 07:38 Going Through The Highs And The Lows 11:38 Swimming On Top Of The Water 14:05 Breathing Position 18:41 Goldilocks Approach 19:23 Posture 21:05 Swimming Long Distance 24:14 Being On The Right Headspace 25:24 What Is Your Long Term Approach? 27:57 A Little Bit Of Direction

#234 : What Amateurs Can Learn From The Mistakes Of Elite Swimmers with Brant Best Jun 01, 2022

My guest today is Brant Best. We've been working together on a product called SwimBETTER by EO which helps swimmers swim faster. Check out this episode now!

00:22 The SwimBETTER 02:10 Working With Elite Athletes 04:34 Too Much Length Is Not Good 07:45 Overreaching 13:04 Why Your Hips Need To Be In The Right Position 18:30 Breath Timing 27:31 Build Up Awareness 29:32 Speak To Your Coach 32:49 Core Fundamentals 41:02 Moving Efficiently 44:49 Avoid Distractions And Increase Your Focus

#233 : The Easiest 1:10/100m Ever with Dan Smith May 26, 2022

Glad to have Dan Smith back in today's podcast episode! Dan is a former Olympic swimmer and now the founder of Worldwide Speaking. Join us as he shares his journey in helping parents and athletes all over the world.

00:29 It's A Fantastic Video 01:46 Retiring From Swimming Sport 05:59 Helping Parents And Athletes 09:06 Parental Pressure On Athletes 12:29 Sporting Strategy For Parents 13:38 Results Are Powerful 18:45 Developing People Skill 20:48 Worldwide Speaking & Courses 21:53 Parent Program 23:56 Small Habits Have A Big Impact

#232 : [Case Study] 2:00/100m to 1:20/100m with Scott Harpham May 16, 2022

In today's episode, I wanted to get Scott Harpham from New Zealand to share his swimming improvements over the last couple of years. We talked about going back to fundamentals, consistency, and more.

00:53 Swimming Background 03:08 Starting Training 06:04 Finding Effortless Swimming 08:05 8 Week Faster Freestyle Course 09;23 Seeing A Big Difference 13:11 Constant Reinforcement To Relax 16:40 More Effort Does Not Equal More Speed 18:26 Going Back To Fundamentals 23:58 Getting The Body Position Right 27:52 Consistency Is The Key

#231 : Unusual Ways To Swim Faster with Eney Jones May 09, 2022

So excited to have Eney Jones back again as our guest in today's podcast episode. Eney is an open-water swim champion and a former triathlete. In this episode, we'll talk about coaching, drills, split tempo, and ways to swim faster.

01:22 Online Analysis 05:43 Power Phase - Power Diamond 07:18 Your Catch Is Dependent On Your Body Type 10:05 Scapular Mobility Is Important 10:43 Superhero Posture 12:50 Office Chair Swivel Drill 22:53 Split Tempo 27:55 Galloping Stroke 29:17 Breathing 33:46 Eney Bouy 34:55 Using Resistance Band 39:29 Get Your Mermaid Resistance Band 44:58 Contact Eney

#230 : Atomic Habits with Brenton Ford May 04, 2022

In today's episode, I will dive into a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. I wanted to explain some of the concepts that I found incredibly helpful for achieving the goals that I set myself.

00:46 Maldives Swim Camp 02:31 Understanding How Habits Are Formed 03:54 Favorite Quotes From The Book 05:19 Habits Need To Be Effortless 06:40 Make A Habit Attractive 10:00 Less Friction 11:36 Make Your Habit Satisfying 13:24 It Takes Time To Build A Habit 16:33 Make Good Habits A Part Of Your Identity

#229 : The Effortless Swimming Of Running with Paul McKinnon (The Balanced Runner) Apr 26, 2022

Today, my guest is Paul Mackinnon, a professional running technique coach who helped many runners and triathletes worldwide. We discussed running cues, how to improve your running skill, and more about coaching. I hope you enjoy this episode!

01:16 Coaching Athletes 03:07 Nike's latest shoes 05:54 Running Cues 11:13 Common Mistakes For The Average Runner 12:26 Arm Swing Is Important To Running 13:52 Asking The Right Questions 19:57 Self Awareness 23:48 Is There Not Much Technique To Running? 27:46 Different Paces 32:16 One Cue At A Time 36:27 Focus On One To Two Things 40:03 The Balanced Runner Membership 45:14 What's Next?

#228 : [Case Study] 2:05 to 1:40/100m in 4 months with Felipe Telles Apr 19, 2022

I've got another guest on today's podcast. He is someone who I started working with recently to help improve his swimming, and he's gone from around 205 pace per 100 and down to the low 140s. I hope you enjoy it!

01:31 Swimming Background 04:14 Started Triathlon 05:25 I Found Effortless Swimming 06:38 5 Day Catch Challenge 08:37 Joining The Membership 12:50 Coaching And Feedback 19:57 First Race Win 22:06 Impressive Improvement 25:01 I Don't Hate Swimming Anymore 27:00 What's Next?

#227 : Making Good From Bad with Katherine Starr Apr 07, 2022

Today, my guest is Katherine Starr, a former Olympian, and Commonwealth Games athlete. Katherine advocates for a safe and abused-free environment for athletes. Join us as she shares her incredible and inspiring story.

00:55 Becoming an Olympic Athlete 9:00 Not Speaking Up 14:54 I Started Missing Practice 16:47 Athlete Integrity Coaching 20:54 Conflict Delayed Is Conflict Multiplied 22:29 You Are The Power 29:27 Working With Athletes And Coaches 33:14 Win From Within 36:13 Creating A Safe Team Environment 38:00 Relationship With Time 44:01 Rescue Me 47:28 Get In Touch

#226 : Swimming (And Moving) Pain Free with Carl Reader Apr 05, 2022

Carl Reader is coming back as our guest in today's podcast episode. We will talk about case studies of swimmers dealing with body pain and the best way to help them.

01:30 Neck and Shoulder Pain 04:56 Building That Core Strength 06:54 Body Awareness 09:27 Hamstring Injury 12:47 Rock And Roll Movement 14:33 Knee Injury 16:26 The Body Is Designed To Move 17:31 Lunge Exercises 20:16 The Beauty Of Functional Movements 22:41 Does Deep Tissue Massage Work?

#225 : [Case Study] From 2:20 to 1:22 For 100 Yards with Matthew Tones Mar 28, 2022

In today's episode, I wanted to get Matthew Tones on the podcast to talk about how the 5-day catch challenge and 8-week faster freestyle course helped him get from 2:20 to 1:22 for 100 yards.

00:55 Swimming Background 03:10 Training Sessions 06:30 Started The 5 Day Catch Challenge 08:16 Immediate Results 10:15 Better Entry 11:02 Feel For The Water 12:05 Swimming With A Purpose 18:23 Training For A Triathlon 21.09 Gold Coast Open Water Swimming Club 21:54 8 Week Faster Freestyle Course 23:48 Swimming Knowledge 26:08 Power Diamond 32:27 What's Next?

#224: Learning To Skate In The Water" with Scott Roth Mar 23, 2022

In today's episode, I have a swimmer whom I worked with over the last few months. I have done some stroke analysis and coaching together for a while and he has been getting some good results I thought that's a good thing to talk about in the podcast.

01:18 Swimming Background 05:41 I Was Getting In-shape Aerobically But I wasn't Getting Faster 07:36 I Wanted To Be More Effortless 11:45 Spinning And Slipping 14:34 "Think Of It As Skating" 22:56 Awareness 28:12 Pulling Too Hard Too Fast 31:10 Catch and Pull, Comin Under The Body 35:13 There Are So Much More To Learn

#223 : Start In The Middle with Abbie Fish Mar 13, 2022

Today, my guest is Abbie Fish, who is the founder and technique coach at Swim like A. Fish. In this episode, we talked about coaching kids adults and some things that will help them become more successful and better swimmers later on.

01:20 Swimming Background 04:05 What I learned When I Began Coaching 06:27 Coaching Relationship is Important 11:04 Keeping It Simple As Possible 13:00 Starting With Your Bodyline 19:51 Breathing 26:10 Ironman Training 31:52 What Should A Beginner Swimmer Learn 38:51 Push Yourself 41:24 What's next?

#222 : Back to Basics with Brenton Ford (Kieser Podcast: Healthy to 100) PART 2 Mar 05, 2022

I was recently a guest on Kieser’s Healthy to 100 podcasts to talk about exciting topics regarding training, swimming equipment, and much more. I hope you enjoy it!

01:59 Swimming Equipment Must-Haves 04:48 Get Yourself A Good Wetsuit 07:20 Buoyancy Shorts 10:37 Training Sessions: What You Need To Know! 19:43 Training Mistakes For Swimmers 23:20 Doing Drills 27:27 Breathing

#221: Five Things That Helped Me Break Out Of A Rut In My Swimming Feb 25, 2022

In today's episode, I want to talk about five things that helped me break out of the swimming rut. For the last three months or so, since coming to the pool from our recent lockdowns, it's taking me ages to get back, much longer than what it had in the past. I want to share a couple of things that helped me finally get back down to the times that I was doing prior to the lockdowns.

01:06 Blow-Out Session 02:53 Sprint Session 04:00 Hard Massage 05:30 Kicking 06:29 Tune In To The Rhythm Of The Stroke

#220:Case Study: What's Possible In 12 Months with Craig Bryan Feb 16, 2022

My guest today is Craig Bryan. A year ago, he attended our clinic, and recently, I had the chance to do another swim analysis with his swimming and saw a huge improvement. I got him on the podcast to talk about the improvement that he made and what he did to 18 seconds off his 2 km swim.

01:08 Swimming Background 04:34 Attending The Effortless Swimming Clinic 05:23 Difference In Swimming After The Clinic 07:04 Increasing The Stroke Rate 10:27 Using The Tempo Trainer 11:59 Swimming Goals 13:07 Training On Your Own 14:43 Main Drivers

#219: The Queen Of English Channel with Chloe McCardel Feb 09, 2022

My guest today is the Queen Of English Channel, Chloe McCardel who has successfully swam across the English Channel for a record-breaking 44th time. Join us as Chloe talk about her experience in achieving this record-breaking feat.

01:47 Keeping Eye On The Price 02:45 Has It Got Any Easier? 04:28 Unsuccessful Crossing 06:15 More Channel Crossings? 08:04 Last Swim 13:43 92 km Relay Swim

https://chloemccardel.com/

#218: Back to Basics with Brenton Ford (Kieser Podcast: Healthy to 100) Feb 03, 2022

On this episode, I was recently a guest on Kieser's Healthy to 100 podcasts. I was a guest there for two episodes. I thought it would be great to publish it in our own podcast because I think you will thoroughly enjoy the things we talked about in this podcast. It's pretty much going to basic with freestyle, with swimming and we looked at what really matters, what's worth knowing, what's worth doing when it comes to freestyle. I hope you enjoy this episode.

00:36 Background 02:13 Peak Of Swimming Career 04:35 Swimming Sessions 05:57 Training Sessions 06:52 Consistency 07:44 Load Management 08:27 Technique 10:02Common Technique Problems 13:26 Head Position in Pool And In Openwater 14:36 Alignment 17:13 Ripping the Band-Aid Off 20:53 Catch And Pull 21:35 High Elbow Catch 24:50 Shoulder Pain 32:43 Lower Back Pain

#217: How To Create Sticky Habits And Avoid Wasting Your Time with Chris Natterer Jan 28, 2022

My guest today is Chris Natterer from Ultraworking. He is a Lead Product Manager at Ultraworking.com. In this episode, Chris will talk about what we can do to be more productive to make sure we stick to habits and also to talk about nutrition as well. All of these things tie in really well in what we do. my job is to help people be consistent with their swimming but also change their motor patterns and develop different muscle memories which really comes down to sticking to habits. So I thought this would be a good topic to talk about and why not get someone who is experienced in that area to chat about it.

01:05 Ultraworking Background 02:27 Implementing Best Practices (Work Cycle) 10:12 Debriefing 11:28 Reason Behind 30 minute Time Cycle 14:12 "Very Easy Not To Do Planning" 17:16 Consistency 23:15 Baseline and Stretch Goal 32:00 Joint Health 36:28 Nutrition

https://www.ultraworking.com/swimming https://clockworknutrition.com/

Form Goggles https://www.formswim.com/?sscid=b1k5_hkrgn& Check out the Effortless Swimming membership for online coaching options: https://effortlessswimming.com/member/membership/ View our freestyle clinic schedule around Australia: https://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle-clinics Click here to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/EffortlessSwimming Follow us on Social media: https://www.facebook.com/effortlessswimming/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/effortlessswimming/

#216: Case Study: Breaking The 1:15 Barrier in A 100m Freestyle with Aidan Booth Jan 18, 2022

My guest today is Aidan Booth who is over at New Zealand. Aidan mentioned in one of his emails that he hit a PB on his hundred freestyle after going through the 8-week Faster Freestyle Course. Listen as Aidan shares his experience and how he broke the 1:15 Barrier.

00:51 Goal 3:11 Power Diamond 4:33 Stroke Rate 6:38 Measuring Stroke Rate 8:04 Hold Of The Water 11:19 Technique Checklist 17:38 What Keeps You Coming Back?

#215: Case Study: Wiping 1-min Off A 100m Time Trial with Michael Riber Jan 11, 2022

My guest today is Michael Riber. I contacted him a couple of weeks ago because I would love to have him on the podcast to talk about his improvement after finishing the 5-Day Catch Challenge. Enjoy

00:54 Swimming Background 09:37 Swimming Injuries 10:56 Accept What You Are And Do Something About It 16:17 Sky Diving And Swimming 18:09 Improvement After The Course 27:38 Patience 35:21 Life Is Long

#213: A Different Approach To Strength Training with Zac Turner Jan 06, 2022

My Guest today is Zac Turner, he is a physio at Kieser Australia. I have met Zac through a clinic that I was running in Melbourne, he invited me to try Kieser Gym that he worked at. I have been going there for a couple of months now, I have really enjoyed it, got a lot out of it, and now that I have come back to swimming, I've found that my shoulders have been really good as a result of strength training there. So I thought it would be good to get him into the podcast to talk about Strength Training.

01:34 Physio Background 03:16 Training Approach 06:55 Internal And External Rotation Strength Link To Swimming 10:26 Injury Prevention 14:51 Combined Elevation Test 17:11 How Can People Improve Their Overhead Range 20:36 How Often You Do Strength Training 23:57 Tapering Up

https://www.kieser.com.au/

Kieser are happy to offer this deal to listeners who want to try a Kieser strength program. It includes: ●Initial physio session ●6x supervised strength training sessions ●6 week Kieser membership ●All for $180 Mention they listened to the EffortlessSwimming Podcast when they call up to book to access the offer.

Terms and Conditions: Only available to new Kieser clients. Must reference the Effortless Swimming podcast when booking to redeem. Offer ends 31st of Jan 2022.

Form Goggles https://www.formswim.com/?sscid=b1k5_hkrgn& Check out the Effortless Swimming membership for online coaching options: https://effortlessswimming.com/member/membership/ View our freestyle clinic schedule around Australia: https://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle-clinics Click here to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/EffortlessSwimming Follow us on Social media: https://www.facebook.com/effortlessswimming/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/effortlessswimming/

#212: From Gassed Out At 50 Yards To Swimming 1000 Without Stopping with Marquest Meeks Dec 20, 2021

Marquest joins us in this podcast episode to talk about his early struggles when he started swimming.

01:02 Swimming Background 9:00 Doing Half Ironman 09:30 I Gotta Start With Something 16:52 But Swimming 25:53 Signing Up For The Stroke Analysis 35:53 Kicking Hard 44:18 Climbing Up A Mountain 47:10 It's Not Comfortable But I Am Not Dying

#211: Starting From Scratch with Ari Klau Dec 08, 2021

My guest today is Ari Klau and he is a professional triathlete who started only at the beginning of this year. He essentially came from no swimming background at all and he is gotten to a point now where he swimming very well for someone who doesn't have a background in swimming. His background is running, he was an NCAA runner and that is particularly his strength but he is a very good cyclist as well. On this podcast, we explore what he is going through in the last year in terms of how he started with his swimming, where 's is he at now, and some of those things he has worked on and focused on with his technique to get to where's he at now. Enjoy!

3:15 Swimming Background 7:27 Start Of Training 9:38 Training Mindset 13:25 First Half Iron Man 16:04 Feel The Water 18:52 Finding The Balance 19:48 Making Some Changes 24:00 Video Analysis 26:35 Focusing On The Catch 30:21 Reaching The Minute Mark 42:21 "Feel For The Water" 46:44 Breathing

#210: Lessons From The Top with David Tilbury-Davis Dec 04, 2021

My guest today is David Tilbury-Davis. You might know him, you might not. He is the former coach of Lionel Sanders, he coaches a number of professional triathletes, he is one of the most highly successful, highly experienced triathlon coaches out there at the moment. He has been coaching for the last 26 years, he has worked with Olympic athletes, Commonwealth Games athletes, and a lot of age-group and professional triathletes. Enjoy.

04:54 Coaching Long-Term Athletes

08:26 Neurological Fatigue

13:42 Descending Set

19:30 Testing Overall Improvement

24:01 Resilience

29:25 Developing Technique

39:39 Openwater Swimming

41:15 Developing Openwater Swimming Skills

43:14 Safety

51:16 Risk Assessment Instincts

http://www.tilburydavis.com/ https://www.instagram.com/coachtilburs/

#209: Uncovering The Magic Of Ocean Swimming with Phil Clayton Nov 26, 2021

My guest today is Phil Clayton. Phil was a professional Ironman, Surf Ironman Competitor from 1992 to 2004. In 2000, he won the World Ironman Championships. He has a lot of experience as a Surf Ironman Coach and as a swim coach. His main thing is helping people get comfortable, get experience to become open water swimmers.

05:06 Swimming Background 06:55 Where Do You Start? 12:48 Swimming In The Ocean 15:23 The Story That You Are Telling Yourself 17:34 "Marine Creatures" 28:38 Breathing Cycle 29:28 Bilaterral Breathing 33:32 Creating A Community

https://www.philclaytonandco.com/

#208: Preparing For An Ultraman Event with John McCann Nov 18, 2021

My guest today is a fellow coach, a competitor, a triathlete who has done a huge amount of racing. He has done one of the longer distance triathlons that there is, the Ultraman.

01:50 Competition/ Coaching Background 03:58 Training From Ironman To Ultraman 06:37 Not Too Much Running 07:28 Swim Training 08:33Swim Techniques 09:59 Open Water Swimming Skills 15:07 Coaching Triathletes 17:45 Changes In Coaching Approach 23:24 Focused On Mature Athletes 29:36 They Are Not Going To Remember All These Things Straight Away 30:56 Upcoming Events 32:39 Swimming Is A Great Body Maintenance

#207: Keeping Your Cool In 10ft Surf with Matt Bevilacqua Nov 16, 2021

My guest today is an elite athlete who won an incredible 5 World Championships in paddle boarding and holds the course record for the Molokai to Ohau race in Hawaii. Won his first full Ironman series in 2018 and the Coolangatta Gold Ironman in 2019. Join us as Matt talks about his training sessions, visions, and upcoming races.

02:48 Loving The Sport From The Getgo 04:35 Becoming A Tougher Competitor 06:47 What I Love About The Sport 09:30 The Ultimate Humility Teacher 11:57 Training Environment 14:14 Transition From Pool To Openwater 19:36 Favorite Swim Training Sessions 27:16 Upcoming Calendar Events 28:32 Train, Train, Train And Compete 32:43 What Sets You Apart 36:36 Winning The Coolangatta Gold 43:20 Visualization And Mental Imagery 46:13 Knowing The Purpose Of Drills

#206: It's All About The Exhale with Alex Butchies Nov 08, 2021

My guest today is Alex from AB Physiology. Take a listen as Alex talks about the importance of breathing, shares some breathing exercises, and how we should prioritize exhale.

04:32 Strategies Used To Help People Stay Calm 06:44 Level OF Awareness Towards Breathing 09:39 Breathing Exercise 14:28 Breathing In A Highly Stressed Situation 16:16 Prioritize Your Exhale 19:40 CO2 Tolerance 29:59 Keep Your Mouth Shut And Slow Down

#205: What It Really Takes To Be An Olympian with Tristan Hollard Nov 05, 2021

My guest is Olympian Tristan Hollard. I wanted to get him into the podcast to talk about his experience in qualifying, his training, and racing at the Olympics.

01:42 Holy Hollard!! 05:36 Reaching The Potential 04:01 Developing Discipline And Routine 07:56 It's Not Easy 09:43 It Changed My Life Completely 11:51 Is This What's Best For Me? 14:14 Changing The Attitude Towards The Program 18:45 Changing Your Headspace 20:37 Making It To Team 24:33 After Qualifying For The Olympics 28:38 Lessons From The Olympics 30:00 Expectations 32:44 Having The Best Swimmers In The World Around You 38:51 Mentally Reflective/Overthinking 40:58 Future Plans

#204: The Beginner's Guide To Freestyle with Irene Cats Nov 02, 2021

My guest today is Irene Cats from Swimfitforlife based up in far north Queensland. I find a lot of similarities between me and Irene as a coach, we normally coach adults, and a lot of adults that haven't got any swimming backgrounds or adults who just learned how to swim. In this podcast, I want to talk about the things that help these swimmers be more efficient, enjoy the water more, and become better swimmers.

01:21 Swimming Principles 04:11 Starting Point 05:13 Body Position 08:39 You Can't See Yourself 10:43 Snorkels 12:34 Understanding Water And Finding Your Grip 18:37 Drills/ Bending Of Elbows 22:39 Timing 25:35 Breathing 30:39 Follow A Swimming Program/ Get Some Help 35:20 Swimfitforlife Swimming Camps

#203: Cracking The 30-minute Half Ironman Swim with Chris Naimoli Oct 29, 2021

Seeing some incredible improvement with his swimming time, I want to get Chris into the podcast to get his take on what's made the difference for him and with experiences like this, a lot of listeners will surely have a lot of takeaways that could help them in their swimming journey.

01:36 Swimming Background 04:14 Training Plan For Triathlon 07:47 First Swim Analysis 04:15 Saw An Effortless Swimming Video Online 16:21 5-Day Catch Challenge 16:52 Slower With The Masters Club 18:23 Areas OF Improvement 20:14 Doing The Drills 23:09 Variable Pace Training 26:15 Not All Sunshine And Rainbows 34:45 What's Ahead 36:51 Recording Swim Videos

#202: Getting Beyond 1:45 per 100 with Chris Georgeson Oct 27, 2021

I have been working with Chris for a little bit over a year and recently had a good result in his Ironman swim. I thought it would really good to get him into the podcast to talk about what he has done to improve his swimming.

01:09 Swimming Background 02:40 Swimming In The Dark 04:18 Reluctant To Record A Video 06:02 Ripping The Band-Aid Off 08:03 Get Over That Fear And Talk About It. 09:42 Ironman Race 15:57 Focusing Technique and Drills 17:50 Training Solo 18:42 Confidence In The Pool 20:32 Areas Of Improvement 24:16 Sprinting Faster

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#201: [Case Study] What To Do When Your Open Water Times Are Slower Than Your Pool Times with Prescott Balch Oct 20, 2021

My guest today is Prescott Balch. Prescott was recently featured in one of our YouTube videos where we are looking at how can someone can go from 2:10 minutes per hundred down to 1:30. I want to get him into the podcast to talk about his experience and frustrations when it comes to open water and how he was able to manage it.

02:03 Swimming Background 04:19 Don't Try To Work On Too Much 05:44 Steady Progress 08:21 Terrible Race Results 10:34 Frustrations 13:51 8 Week Faster Freestyle Program 15:13 Open Water v.s. The Pool 20:19 Half Ironman 25:23 Starting Slow In Triathlon Swim 26:45 Easy Speed 28:28 You'll Never Know What Race Day Brings 31:51 Always Be Humble Enough To Go To Basics 33:21 Breathing And Relaxation 34:10 Learn To Like Open Water Swimming

#200: How One Stroke Change Lead To A 16 Seconds PB with Ben Kent Oct 08, 2021

Our guest today is Ben Kent who had recently made some big improvements with his swimming time. I like to get people who have gone through some of our programs and mage improvements just to show that it is possible and with the right focus and know how you can really make changes to your times by improving your technique.

00:54 Swimming Background 01:50 They Told Me I Could Not Run Anymore 02:38 Doing The 5 Day Catch Challenge 04:58 I feel Like Going Slower And Swimming Easier 06:46 Contrast Drills 08:00 Motivated After Seeing Improvements

#199: 52 Hours and 125km (Breaking The World Record For The Longest Non-Stop Ocean Swim) with Neil Agius Oct 07, 2021

Our guest today is Neil Agius who recently broke the World Record for the Longest Non-Stop Swim in the Ocean which is 125km over 52 hours. Join me as Neil talks about his incredible swim.

01:53 After The Swim 02:47 How Much Time To Train And Prepare For The Big Swim 03:33 Week Structure/Scheduling 04:16 Managing Emotions And Energy 06:26 Strategy For Dealing With Long Swims 07:26 Swimming Conditions 10:29 Cadence And Conserving Energy 12:15 Raising The Level Of Capacity 13:34 The Team 20:47 Energy And Spirituality 22:28 Self Realization 24:47 Turning Negative Into Positive 25:50 Race For A Cause: Wave Of Change 30:43 Getting Back To The Water 32:42 Future Swims

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neilagius.official

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neil.agius/

#198: The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle (#5 - Find Your Rhythm And Timing) Oct 04, 2021

Today, we are talking about the 5th and final Core Principle of Fast Freestyle: find your rhythm and timing.

00:36 The Dancing Part Of Freestyle 01:13 Kick Timing 04:35 Use Different Types Of Kick 10:33 Serape Effect 13:35 Hand Speed 14:07 Split Tempo 17:54 Drills 19:22 8 Week Faster Freestyle Course

#197: The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle (#4 - Develop An Effective Catch And Pull) Sep 27, 2021

In today's episode, we will be discussing the core principle number four of Fast Freestyle, which is developing an effective catch and pull.

01:40 No Need To Overpower The Catch 03:07 Teaching The Four Key Positions 04:00 Start Of The Catch 06:00 High Elbow Catch 07:35 Power Diamond Position 10:20 Exit Of The Stroke 11:36 YMCA Drill Progression 14:38 More Drills To Work On Your Catch 15:07 Setup Phase 16:35 Path Of The Hand 17:57 Hand Speed

#196: The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle (#3-Rock, Return And Align) Sep 22, 2021

Today we are talking about the third core principle of Fast freestyle which is Rock, Return And Align.

00:36 Rock v.s. Rolling 02:15 Return 03:24 Correct Entry 06:08 Align

#195: The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle (#2 Find Your Balance) Sep 15, 2021

In today's episode, we're looking at Core Principle Number 2. This principle is all about minimizing drag. Here are the three things that we covered on this principle.

01:46 Proud Posture 05:06 Taut Core 9:00 Effective Kick

The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle: https://effortlessswimming.com/5-core-principles-of-fast-freestyle/

#194: The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle (#1 Breathe Deep And Relax) Sep 10, 2021

In this week's episode, I want to cover the foundation on how we teach technique and the structure that we follow when we analyze stroke which is the 5 Core Principles of Fast Freestyle.

01:45 Use Your Diaphragm 02:29 Breathing Exercises Out Of The Water 03:42 Box Breathing 04:04 Relax Your Chest And Upper Back 05:38 Having The Right Posture 06:52 Letting Go When You Exhale

The 5 Core Principle Of Fast Freestyle: https://effortlessswimming.com/5-core-principles-of-fast-freestyle/

#193: The Five 'B' Method To A Succesful Triathlon Swim with Frank Sole Sep 07, 2021

My guest today is Frank Sole who is a fellow coach from Arizona and the author of "The Five 'B' To A Succesful Triathlon Swim. Reading through his book, I found so many similarities about how we coach. I want to get him to the podcast because I think there will some good discussion about it and I would love to learn from other coaches.

01:14 Coaching Approach 03:16 Working With Masters And Triathletes 04:31 When Do You Expect To See Results 08:34 The Ability To Relax 15:11 Teaching The Right Posture 20:14 It's Always About The Swim But It's Not Always About The Water 24:57 Either You Got Or You Don't? 34:53 Multitasking 40:58 SR X SL=Velocity 52:41 More Mentally Tired Than Physically Tired 56:39 Opportunity To Improve 1:01Even Out Of Chaos Comes A Blessing

#192: Patience And The Power Of Long Term Thinking with Simon Hearn Aug 27, 2021

My guest today is Simon Hearn, a professional triathlete whom I've known for a couple of years now. He turned pro in the last two years and I want to get him in the podcast to talk about that journey and a little bit about his journey in swimming.

01:49 Start Of Triathlon Journey 03:35 Turning Pro 05:54 Impostor Syndrome 08:16 Placing 4th On A Full Distance Ironman 09:27 Swimming Background 14:16 Training Surges 16:42 Prescribed Pace 18:23 The Gap Between Effort Levels - Developing Gears In Between 26:02 As A Physio 30:44 Mobility And Stability Work 37:37 Being Conscious In The Water 39:29 Motivation 41:35 Begin To Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

#191: CASE STUDY: Stuck At The Same Speed For 4 Years Then Wiping 10 Seconds Off In One Month with Nic Owens Aug 19, 2021

My guest today is Nic Owens who is based in Sydney. Nic mentioned that he has been stuck with his time for over a year and now recently has made a significant improvement with his time. I want to get him into the podcast so that he can share what he did to achieve this huge improvement

01:14 Reaching 17 Minutes Per Kilometer 03:21 Does It Feel Different? 04:34 Needing To Stretch Time Between Each Stroke 05:48 It Made A Lot Of Sense 08:33 Take-Aways From The 5 Day Catch Challenge 10:57 Enjoyment In Swimming 13:25 Technique and Consistency 15:37 Room For Improvement

#190: An Insider's Look At Competing And Coaching At An Olympic Level with Brett Hawke Aug 13, 2021

My guest today is Brett Hawke. Brett is a former Australian swimmer, two-time Olympian, and Commonwealth Games, medalist. He has competed and coached at the elite level and has a number of athletes who did very well at the recent Olympics. In this episode, Brett talks about his coaching, as well as some of the methods he likes to use and how likes to train sprinters.

01:42 Significant Race in 2020 Tokyo Olympics 03:58 Bruno Fratus Winning His First Medal 05:14 From Elite Swimmer To Coaching 07:38 Sometimes You Need To Stop And Let It Go 08:52 Talents In The Australian Team 13:09 Fundamentals Of Sprinting 15:51 Beating World Records 18:08 We Tend To Put Limits With Ourselves 19:29 Favorite Things About Coaching 21:36 Psychology Of Sports 27:48 Coaching Style

#189: How To Train And Race Distance Freestyle with Olympian Kiah Melverton Aug 09, 2021

My guest today is Kiah Melverton who has just returned from Tokyo. She recently placed 6th in the 800m and the 1500m Freestyle. Join us as she talks about her experience during the trial, leading up to the Olympics and the Olympics.

1:33 Racing With No Crowd 4:31 Leading To Trials 5:40 5 Weeks Between Trials And Olympics 6:59 Is It Harder To Hit PBs in the Olympics? 7:50 First Race 9:02 Making The Finals 9:57 Fake Crowd Noises? 10:41 Sleeping At Night Before The Finals 11:40 Olympics Being Postponed For A Year 12:28 The Australian Team 15:55 Leadership Group 17:16 Watching It Live 19:32 Typical Week Of Training 21:30 Being A Distance Swimmer 24:54 Technique And Drills 28:24 Tension Is The Enemy Of Fast Swimming

#188: Functional Movement For Swimmers With Carl Reader Aug 06, 2021

Joining us again is Carl Reader. He has a background in Exercise Physiology and Pilatesbut primarily working in Functional Movement. We recently created a course together which is Functional Movement for swimmers. in this course, Carl teaches you how to do some of the primary movements correctly that is going to help you as a swimmer.

3:47 Scientific But Not Functional 5:04 Injuries are Caused By Movements That Are Not Functional 6:16 Serape Effect 8:35 Shoulder Issues 10:07 How Much Does It Take For Someone To Make The Change 14:55 Core Strength And Squatting 18:24 Squatting Is The Body's Power Position 20:02 Swimmers And Squatting

https://www.effortlessswimming.coach/functional-movement/ https://carlreadercoaching.com/

#187: What Is Causing Your Persistent Shoulder Pain (And How To Fix It) with Brad Beer Jul 30, 2021

Joining us in this podcast is Brad Beer who is an APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist, Founder of POGO Physio, best-selling author of 'You CAN Run Pain-Free!', podcast host of The Physical Performance Show, and also an experienced runner and triathlete.

1:08 Working with Elite Athletes 2:28 Common Trend in Injuries Among Athletes 5:05 Avoiding Injuries When you are Coming From Off-Season 7:57 Strength Versus Mobility 10:49 The Importance Of Fueling 16:37 Swimming Background 20:45 Why Does Under Fueling Leads To Bone-Stress Injuries 24:50 Swimmers With Shoulder Injuries 30:06 Injury Rehabilitation And Recovery 32:48 Capacity Testing

#186: Wiping 9 Minutes From Your Ironman Swim Time With Amy Ryan Jul 23, 2021

Amy recently did the Cairns Ironman. She had a pretty big PB. She went from 1:18 down to 1:09. I invited her to the podcast to chat about what she did to make such a big improvement on her swimming speed.

01:05 What Inspired You To Work On Your Swimming 02:26 Take Away From The Effortless Swimming Clinic 03:08 It Takes Patience 04:20 Making Changes Permanent 05:46 Clinic Expectations 07:59 Noticing Changes On The Stroke 08:44 Keeping Those Changes In The Openwater 11:00 Few Things At A Time

#185:The Highs And Lows Of Being An Olympian with Julie McDonald Jul 20, 2021

Julie McDonald is one of Australia’s most celebrated Swimmers. She’s competed in 2 Commonwealth Games and 2 Olympics. Julie held the Commonwealth Record for the 800m freestyle for 21 years, the longest standing record for any Australian. Join me as Julie talks about her experience competing in the Olympics.

00:46 Exciting Swimming Events Going On 06:00 Is It All About The Gold? 10:10 Going To My First Olympic 13:08 Getting Your Head Into The Right Space 16:47 Olympic Flashback 19:52 Best Swim 22:17 Second Olympic Performance 27:39 Listen To Your Body 28:51 Using Logbooks 30:50 Hardest Week Of Training 34:43 Transition From Athlete to Working 39:51 Positive Mindset Is A Daily Activity 46:27 Consistency

#184: How A Few Small Changes To His Technique Wiped 70 Seconds From His 1000TT with Abe Goldberg Jul 14, 2021

Abe Goldberg has recently been through the 5-Day Catch Challenge. He knocked 7 seconds per hundred of his 1000 yeard time trial. I thought it would be great to get him on so that he can share what he changed about his stroke and about his swimming because I think it's going to be relevant to a wider audience and I am sure there's going to be some learning that people can take away from this and will apply it to their own swimming.

2:10 Open Recovery Versus High Elbow Recovery 4:10 Doing It Consistently 5:49 Being Mindful Of Front Quadrant 8:58 Using Bouyancy Shorts 11:46 Swimming Downhill 12:30 It's Okay To Come Up With Your Way Of Doing Things 14:50 Ongoing Commitment 17:07 Using Numbers

#183: How To Beat Jan Frodeno Out OF The Water With Sam Laidlow Jul 07, 2021

My guest today is Sam Laidlow who is considered one of the best triathletes in France today. He is born in the UK and was raised in French Pyrénées. Join us as Sam talks about his training, beliefs, and goals.

00:46 Working Hard And Working Smart 01:59 Dad As A Coach 03:39 Swimming 3X A Week 05:22 Big Part of Success In Swimming Is How Much You Enjoy It 06:06 There Is No One Way OF Swimming 08:18 Swimming With Stones 09:56 Strength Development 12:41 Go-To Sets 15:03 Should I Learn How To Flip Turn? 16:32 If You Don't Use It, You Will Certainly Lose It 17:47 Spending Too Much Time Running And Biking 19:16 Main Goals 22:38 Best Time 23:42 This Is What I Want To Do 27:29 Contact Sam Laidlow

#182:What It Takes To Be Successful In Marathon Swimming with Phil Rush Jul 01, 2021

In this episode, I am chatting with Phil Rush, who has the fastest double and triple crossing of the English Channel. In this episode, we chat about a number of things including how can you get better at adapting to the cold, the type of training that you need to be doing if you are looking to do a marathon swimming, what are the important factors when you are thinking of the training that you are doing. Is it the distance that you are doing? Is it the speed? Feeding? What are some aspects of the training? If you are into open-water swimming, cold water swimming, or looking to increase the distance that you are doing, then this a podcast for you.

03:21 Successful Crossing Despite The Pandemic 4:13 Everybody's Body Reacts Differently In The Cold 05:27 Strategies If You Find Someone Getting Cold 10:31 No Filter, No BS 15:50 Getting Into The Right Mindset 19:01 Controlling Your Mind 28:35 Cold Water Adaptation 31:52 What Is The Best Way To Train For An Openwater Swim?

#181: 9 Seconds Faster Per 100m with Peter Bloor Jun 25, 2021

My guest today is Peter Bloor from Vietnam. I invited him on the podcast to talk about the impressive results he has observed after day two of the '5 Day Catch Challenge'. He shared about what he had changed and did to make such an improvement.

1:00 Swimming Background 3:35 Did the '5 Day Catch Challenge' Each Day Twice 4:45 Less Tired And Feeling Better 5:45 The Importance Of Slow To Fast 8:19 One Focus A Day Is The Way To Go 10:05 Watching Swim Videos On Youtube 12:11 Training Sessions 13:53 8th Week Program

#180: How To Move Better On Land (For Better Technique In The Water) with Jeff Grace Jun 16, 2021

My guest today is Jeff Grace from Swimming Specific Yoga. Jeff has been in the podcast before. Now he is coming back to talk more about body awareness, mobility. preparation and many more.

02:26 Moving Better With Yoga 04:55 Body Awareness in Overhead Movements 06:55 Thoracic Mobility 08:18 Increasing Thoracic Spine Mobility 12:36 Rock Not Roll 13:21 Cross-Body Connections 15:05 How You Perform Drills Is More Important Than How Many Drill You Do 17:04 Activation and Relaxation 18:44 Effortless Effort 23:10 The Breath 26:02 Preparation

#179: 7 Lessons From Coaching The Pros With Bevan Mckinnon Jun 14, 2021

My guest today is Bevan Mckinnon. He is a coach at Fitter Coaching and he hosts a podcast called Fitter Radio. Bevan coaches multiple pro triathletes who have won several Ironman and 70.3 Distance Events. He has also won the Age Group World Championships in Kona and other long course events. In this episode, we are talking about some of the lessons that he has learned over the last several years of coaching and how they might apply to triathletes and swimmers who are looking to get better at swimming.

8:41 Environment And Coaching 9:57 Being An Objective Coach 11:27 Coaching Pros and Age Groupers. Is There A Difference? 12:47 Art of Coaching And The Science of Coaching 14:56 Teaching Teachers How To Teach 18:21 Giving The Athletes The Power To Decide 27:52 Swim Chute 33:40 Increasing Stroke Rate Finding The Right Resource

#178: Do Swim Drills Work? Jun 10, 2021

In todays episode, I want to go over an article that I was sent recently by Bevan Mckinnon who host the podcast Fitter Radio. I thought it is going to be worhtwhile going over this article that he sent because when I first read the title and when I read the first couple of paragraphs, it kind of got my hackels up a little bit, thinking that this is not right but as I continue to read through it, I found myself agreeing to most of this.

1:50 This Isn't Right 2:49 Drills Change Certain Aspect Of The Stroke 3:14 Knowing The Purpose Of The Drill 4:17 Making It As Simple As Possible 5:32 YMCA Drill Progression 10:36 Make Sure You're Doing The Drills Correctly

#177: 4 Seconds Faster in 5 Days with Kris Martenstyn Jun 03, 2021

Joining us in this episode is Kris Martenstyn from Singapore, who had some great results from the 5 Day Catch Challenge that we recently run. He will talk about the improvements he has seen and what he may have changed about his stroke to get these results.1:02 Swimming Background 2:56 Bringing In The 5 Day Catch Challenge Into My Workouts 4:19 The Entry 9:09 It Was Good To Come Back To Basics 12:00 Good Technique And Relaxation In The Water 15:33 Stick To The Routine 16:39 Swimming Makes You a Better Runner 17:58 Going Forwards 19:39 Achievement UnlockedPUT the 5-day catch link

#176:2:25 To 2:10/100m In 2 Months with Quang Pham May 28, 2021

My guest today is Quang Pham who recently had a significant improvement with his swim time. I thought it would be useful to have him share what he has done to improve. Listen to this episode, you might pick a couple of things that you might implement on your own.

1:40 Benchmarks

04:29 What Made The Difference

5:48 Swimming Has Become Easier

7:18 What Works Best For Me

8:37 What Got Me Into The Pool

12:00 The Next Step

13:59 Having A Structure

15:52 Initializing The Catch With The Ring And Pinky Finger

#175:"I Couldn't Believe My Time When I Looked At My Watch" with Trey St. John May 21, 2021

Joining us in this episode is Trey St. John whom I have been working with for a couple of months. Trey recently joined a triathlon and couldn't believe that he clocked in a sub-24 minute time. Join us as Trey talks about what he thinks contributed to this significant change.

00:47 Swimming Background 1:55 I Needed To Start Swimming 3:19 Watching Feedback Friday Videos 5:38 Fitness Is There But No Technique 6:03 I Really Wanted To Qualify 8:44 I Started Seeing Improvements 12:07 Using A Different Pair Goggles Right Before The Race 14:47 Consistency. Strength Work. Coaching 18:30 Using Bands 22:08 Providing Stroke Analysis Online 25:02 Awareness In The Water 25:22 Small Changes Can Make A Huge Impact 26:50 Preparing For Open Water Swimming 28:49 Open Water Sighting

#174:100km In The Bay with Hollie Buerckner May 02, 2021

My guest today is Hollie Buerckner who just completed a 100km around the bay, starting from Port Melbourne finishing in Sorrento. Join us in this podcast as Hollie shares her experience during that 5 day swim.

4:52 Having a great support system is important

7:27 Unlucky Weather

8:28 First To Last Day Experience

13:47 Struggles

21:59 Block Negative Thoughts

26:30 Swimming With Your Old Self

31:11 Everything Comes To An End

33:56 Expand your Comfort Zone

40:10 Post Swim

48:50 It's Not About Winning, More on Improving Yourself

#173:1:45 to 1:30/100m in 12 Months with Chung-Haun Li Apr 22, 2021

My guest today is Chung-Haun Li who has been on our Stroke Analysis Membership for 12 months. I have asked Chung-Haun to guest in our podcast to share his story and improvement for the last 12 months because he's had a pretty significant improvement with his time and technique. 01:14 12 Months Ago 02:29 I Didn't Know What's Wrong With My Stroke 05:03 " The Only Thing That I Know Is That I Am Slow And I Didn't Know What To DO" 08:19 Improving My Balance 11:55 Improving My Stroke Rate 15:42 Your Threshold Speed Is Just A Percentage OF Your Top Speed 19:41 Planned Work Out 20:51 Frustrations

#172:Swimming Between New Zealand's North And South Island With Rebecca Hollingsworth Apr 18, 2021

Rebecca Hollingsworth recently swam across the Cook Strait. In this episode, she talks about how her preparation, training, and experience on that swim.

00:40 It's Supposed to be 23km 2:23 Training While Waiting For Another Window 5:00 Doing A Tandem Swim 8:42 Not Slowing Down 9:28 Cold Adaptation 11:08 Fuelling 14:35 After The Swim (Mental Toll)

#171: 40km Across Lake Taupo with John Hancock Mar 25, 2021

My guest today is John Hancock, the most recent person who successfully completed the Lake Taupo swim.

00:46 Lake Taupo 02:29 Deciding To Cross Lake Taupo and How Long is The Preparation 05:34 Is 2 Month Preparation Enough? 08:27 "As Long As You Can Keep Moving, You Will Get There" 09:53 Recovery 12:16 Thoughts While for 14 Hours 16:49 Positivity v.s. Dark Thoughts During The Swim 23:39 After The Swim 28:39 Swimming With Squad

John's Swim Report: https://www.dropbox.com/s/eug07sqzhortyvm/210315-Taupo%2040.2%20swim-compressed.pdf

#170: How To Make Your Swimming Feel "Effortless" Mar 19, 2021

In this episode, I want to talk about making your swimming effortless. I have been watching about Lionel Sanders, a professional triathlete has put up in his swimming recently which he has titled "Stop Sucking At Swimming" and he is basically trying to improve his swimming to be a front pack swimmer in his swim and not lose so much ground on his swim. It has been interesting hearing him talk about the things that he is going through and how he is going to change his mindset and his approach to swimming.

00:56 Try Less To Go Faster 02:35 Try This The Next Time You Are In The Pool 04:22 Effortless Swimming? 05:16 Not Going To Happen Every Time 05:37 Do A Longer Warm-Up 06:36 Sets That Progressively Get Quicker 08:16 Get Your Technique Looked At And Be Consistent

#169: How To Avoid Being A "One Speed Swimmer" Mar 14, 2021

Do you only have one speed? In this episode, we are talking about developing your gears as a swimmer. If you want to develop your ability and your skills as a swimmer or as a triathlete, then it is going to really pay off to be able to adjust the effort you put in and the speed that you get back as a result of it. We are also talking about the common mistakes that people make when they struggle to increase their speed.

01:15 Accordion Effect

02:23 Apply More Pressure and Power At The Front Of Your Stroke

03:31 Difference In Speed Is Minimal

07:25 Tighten Up The Kick 08:41 Tuning Into Your Breathing

#168: 7 Things I've Changed With My Swimming In 2021 Mar 05, 2021

I thought it might be useful through some of the things that I am tweaking, adjusting, and changing with my own swimming that you may find useful in your own swimming.

00:36 Changing Habits and Having a Good Routine 02:55 Starting The Day The Right Way 05:50 Training Harder and Longer Sessions 06:17 Expanding Skillset and Boundaries 10:03 Listening to Fictional Audio Books 11:16 Loosening Up and Staying on Top Of My Mobility 12:58 Do Less

#167: Case Study: A 50 Second Improvement Per 100 Yards with Chuck Rine Feb 04, 2021

In this episode, Chuck, who joined the Effortless Swimming Membership a couple of years ago, shares about his swimming experience, his hesitation in joining the membership, and how he has significantly improved over the years

01:06 Joining Effortless Swimming Membership

04:23 Putting Attention To More Important Things

08:52 It's all about "Reduce Drag, Increase Propulsion"

13:49 What You Think You're Doing And What You Are Actually Doing Often Times Are Different Things

16:24 You Can't Change Your Stroke Overnight

16:53 "I Didn't Know Where My Lats Were"

#166: From Barely Making 25m To Swimming 1:47/100m with Karsten Weber Jan 17, 2021

00:58 Swimming Background 01:53 Joining Ironman After A Heart Attack 04:57 "Never Did Any Freestyle" 11:05 Comparing Strokes From A Month Ago 12:04 Finding The Right Balance With Your Stroke (Sweet Spot) 14:12 Not Power But Technique 14:30 "You Don't Know What You Don't Know" 16:05 Breaking It Down (Focus On One Thing At A Time)

#165: Deep Core vs 6-Pack Abs - Developing What Really Matters In Swimming with Sam Fenton - Part 3 Jan 05, 2021

Here's the third installment of our podcast episode with Sam Fenton. In this episode, Sam discussed what really is Deep Core, the muscles that are involved in strengthening the deep core, and some exercised to improve it.

1:11 What Is Deep Core? 3:17 Stability Of Pelvis 4:11 Inter-Abdominal Pressure 6:40 Crossfitters Destroying Their Joints and Back 08:48 Serape Effect 11:34 Need To Learn The Fundamentals 14:53 There Are No Secrets In Drills 17:45 Leg Lift 19:38 Cat Dog Exercise 23:06 Control High Performance

#164: Transforming Your Feet Into Propellers (Even If Your Ankles Are STIFF!) with Sam Fenton - Part 2 Dec 21, 2020

Welcome to Part 2 of our podcast episode with Sam Fenton. In this episode, Sam talked about the importance of having ankle strength and flexibility; and how can you improve your stiff ankles.

04:36 Why Underwater Dolphin Kick? 05:36 Ankle Strength And Flexibility 07:04 Range And Strength 09:21 How Do You Improve Range And Strength? 12:39 Need To Have Strong/ Smart Feet 13:03 Improving Stiff Ankles 19:28 Improving Strength 23:54 Conditioning Takes A Long Time.

#163: The Smarter Way To Progress Your Swimming with Sam Fenton - Part 1 Dec 16, 2020

Sam Fenton is the High-Performance Manager of Control High Performance, he has been involved with sports for close to 20 years now and is in charge of Strength and Conditioning/ Performance programs.

Sam will be joining us for a three-part podcast, for the next episodes, Sam and I will be talking about:

Part 2:Transforming Your Feet Into Propellors (Even If Your Ankles Are STIFF!)

Part 3:Deep Core vs 6-Pack Abs - Developing What Really Matters In Swimming

Watch out for the next episodes!!

05:42 Looking Into High-Performance Approach 06:12 High-Performance Approach and Physical Literacy Approach Together 07:12 High-Performance Approach - Wholesome Approach 12:21 Does Elite Swimmers Suffer As A Result Of Taking Softer Approach? 15:53 Being Smart About Your Rest 16:52 Incremental Improvements 19:01 For Coaches Transitioning to High-Performance Approach 22:55 Thinking Brain v.s Feeling Brain 24:15 Going Into The Zone 26::34 What Happens If You Are Training Tired? 27:02 Pre-Training Routine 28:36 Load Management 32:25 Follow The 10% Rule 33:47 Strength and Conditioning - Balance Your Body Out ===

#162: Brett Sutton's "TBF" Style Of Swimming Nov 09, 2020

1:15 WHY? Total Body Force Swimming 3:50 do not focus on trying to feel the water 5:14 use whole body to create force 7:40 Bilateral breathing > Is bilateral breathing necessary? 9:21 TBF swimming gives both rhythm and balance > 12:08 straight arms recovery stroke 12:45 hand entry 13:15 head position 14:55 find the stroke that best suits you

#161: Fish Out Of Water: Making Yourself Bulletproof From Running Injuries with Ryan Twist Sep 28, 2020

My guest in this episode is Ryan Twist, a Podiatrist from Bayswater Foot and Ankle Clinic. Anyone who is listening who wants to get into running or they have been running and they have found themselves injured, this episode is for you.

01:13 People Are Starting to Pick Up Running And Walking

02:49 What Are The Most Common Running Injuries?

04:56 Recommendations For Beginners (Walk Run Cycle)

06:33 The Best Strengthening Exercises For Runners

10:21 The Wrong Shoes Can Cause Injury

15:10 Injuries And Niggles: When To Run And When To Stop

18:27 How Much Should We Run?

20:37 Running Slow To Running Fast Makes A Massive Difference

24:36 Nasal Breathing

26:18 Be Patient

26:59 Role Of Mobility I Avoiding Injury

#159: 2:25 to 1:31/100m In 12 Months With Shawn Muise Sep 02, 2020

Shawn is an Ironman triathlete based in Nova Scotia, Canada. A year ago, he started some changes in his stroke and in the course over the last year, he has effectively gone from a 2:25 per hundred pace down to 1:31 per hundred. Shawn will share how he has done that, what changes he's made to his stroke and how might incorporate this changes to your own stroke.

00:56 Impressive Improvements 03:49 Everyting Was Wrong With What I Was Trying To Do 04:56 Increasing Your Stroke Rate 06:44 Finding The Sweet Spot For Stroke Rate 11:33 Timing Your Kick With The Rest Of The Stroke 12:32 What Are You Thinking About When You're Swimming In Terms Of Technique 14:08 Swimming From The Inside Out 16:42 Keeping The Videos Simple

#158: Training Your Mind To Finish An 894km Race with Melissa Urie May 31, 2020

Melissa Urie is the first woman to complete 895km Uberman Ultra-Triathlon. In this podcast episode, she shares her experience during the race, doing training, and getting through the race with the use of mental strategies to survive the tough times.

5:22 Training For Uberman 10:23 The Power of A Positive Mindset 12:43 Proving Yourself That You Can Do It 13:51 Building Your Confidence 17:29 Giving Up Is Not An Option! 19:15 Post Race: Mental And Physical Recovery 25:24 Moving Forward By Going Back To Basics 29:18 Finding Identity Outside Of Sports Is Important Too 31:47 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 40:52 Training Session Management 43.24 Combat Decision Fatigue With Better Mental Habits 46:48 How To Trick Yourself Into Doing The Hard Things 55:00 What Keeps You Going?

#157: How To Keep Your Open Water Swims Interesting May 23, 2020

Welcome back to another podcast episode! Today, I'll be sharing my top tips for making your open water swimming enjoyable and more challenging. Listen on in!

00:27 What Are the Drills You Can Do? 1:47 How to Break Down Or Structure An Open Water Swim 3:37 Don't Overthink It! 3:56 Overcome Open Water Swim Anxiety 5:55 Progressively Make Your Swimming More Challenging 6:39 Dynamic Breathing

#156: 7 Things To Make Your Return To The Pool 10x Better May 20, 2020

Welcome Back! Here in Australia, there are a couple of pools that have started to open, you can book individual lanes for a certain amount of time. So I thought of doing a podcast talking about the best ways to get back to training once your pool has opened.

00:55 Time Frame 01:54 How Many Sessions? 02:52 What Will You Experience? 04:19 What Type Of Training Should You Be Doing? 08:39 Warm Up With Fins 09:41 Therebands 10:19 Time Trial

#155: Get Better Every Year with Craig Cooper May 03, 2020

In today's episode, we sat down with the author of the book Your New Prime, and promoter of men's health and wellness, Craig Cooper! We talked about the active approach to maintaining your physical and mental health as you age, how to get out of complacency, and how to start thriving and making steady forward progress in life.

3:40 Passion For Health 7:06 Adjusting Your Fitness As You Age 11:40 Cultivate The Friendships In Your Life 17:58 Break Free From Complacency 21:55 The Element Of Uncertainty 23:20 Live In The Moment 25:08 Good Friendships Are Key To Positive Mental Health 28:55 Life Is Challenging For Everyone 30:03 Get Together 33:45 What's Next for Craig Cooper

#154: Eliminate Bad Habits And Master The Fundamentals With Andrew Read Apr 26, 2020

In today's episode, we are joined by a lifelong trainer and athlete Andrew Read as he talks about his program 28-day Challenge. Andrew talks through how important going back to the basics is and some of the necessary skills to influence your success at living a healthy lifestyle.

4:19 Creating A Mindset Component 5:32 Going Back To The Basics Matters 12:40 Understand How You Learn Best. 15:32 Cut To The Chase 17:35 Your Body Is Built For Walking. 20:59 Consistency Makes The Biggest Difference. 23:53 Starting From Scratch 25:02 Give It Time 28:10 Carrot And Stick Approach 31:46 Identify What Triggers Your Bad Habits And Make A Plan 35:35: Change Starts With You 37:22 Asking the Right Questions

#153: Do Less To Achieve More with Dr. Greg Wells Apr 02, 2020

We are joined by Dr. Greg Wells who is the author of the book Rest, Refocus, Recharge. We discussed some of the things that are discussed in his book. He shares some strategies on why doing less will actually achieve more, how to stop reacting to things and be more deliberate, taking full control of your love, refocusing your attention and how you can stop being a slave to busyness.

02:05 Slowing Down 04:05 Sleeping As A Tool Tool To Recharge 07:29 Doing Less To Achieve More In A Day To Day Life 08:51 Pump The Breaks, Open More Space and Have More Control 11:29 You Don't Need To Do What Other People Expect Of You 13:39 From External Validation To Intrinsic Motivation 14:26 Stop Reacting And Start Being Deliberate With What You're Doing 17:08 Metacognition 21:41 Reaction versus Response 24:50 Helping Kids With Cystic Fibrosis 26:53 Pay Attention To What We Have 29:59 Multitasking Can Lead To Distractions 37:22 Get Away From Your Device - "123 Practice" 39:28 The Psychology Of Being In The Water 43:17 Bring Your Attention Right Back Into The Present Moment 48:00 It's Process Not Outcome

#152: What To Do If Your Pool Has Closed with Marc Evans Mar 24, 2020

Marc Evans joins us in this episode to talk about the possible things you can do at your home during these times. In this episode, Marc discussed maintaining the feel of the water, the importance of mobility, stability, and flexibility.

00:38 Triathletes In Motion 02:40 It's Not The Strongest Athlete That Wins The Gold Medals 06:19 Functional Strength 06:58 Most Of The Triathletes Underswim In Volume 08:01 Having A High Elbow Catch 08:40 Sculling Your Hands In A Tub Of Water 10:10 Mobility Test 11:30 Technique Is Related To Mobility And Stability 12:43 Put Your Heart Monitors And GPS Aside 17:24 Using Therabands 18:55 If You Can Get It Right Out Of The Water, You Can Get It Right In The Water 19:18 Fingertip Wall Slide 22:42 Q Swim App 23:09 Swimm Specific Yoga 23:48 Cold Showers

#151: Are You Swimming With Enough Intensity To Get Better With Tim Ballintine Feb 13, 2020

Tim Ballantine is a full-time endurance coach and the owner of Koa Sports. In this episode, he shares about being a coach, finding your passion, not having all the answers and intensity in training.

02:56 Coaching Philosophy 05:30 "You've Got To Find What Works For You" 06:17 You Can't Be All Things To All People 07:01 "It's Not The Words, It's How You Say Them" 09:25 "If You Don't Like It, You're Not Going To Last Very Long" 10:31 There Is No Cookie Cutter Here 14:48 Swimming As A Barrier To Entry In Triathlon 19:02 Coaching Remotely 20:18 "Don't Be Afraid To Say That You Don't Have All The Answers" 24:20 Injecting Intensity In Swimming 31:19 There's Always Something To Work On

#150: From Drug Addiction To Olympian (And Why Your Character Means More Than Your Results) With Dan Smith Feb 03, 2020

Dan Smith joins us in this episode as he talks about his swimming, drug addiction, building character and his road to redemption.

01:28 Swimming Life As A Youngster 03:41 Burnt Out At The Age Of 14 04:46 It Was More Of An Escape For Me 05:44 What Would I Pass On To My Kids 08:38 I Am Not Defined What I Used To Be Or What I Should Be 09:53 2016 Rio Olympics 12:18 Dealing With Emotions After The Olympics 15:52 Rebuilding Your Stroke 20:11 You Got To Be Patient In Unlearning Bad Habits So That You Can Learn New Habits 26:21 Cues Used On Strokes 28:01 I Had To Go Backwards To Go Forwards 30:33 "I Am Not Worried About The Clock" 31:52 Be Realistic About The Bad Days 32:53 Tracking Your Training 34:54 Distractions Around Training

#149: How To Develop Your Character Through Swimming (And What It's Like Being Ian Thorpe's Training Partner) with Jason Cram Jan 30, 2020

00:43 Jason's Background 03:51 Dealing With Missing Out On Olympics 07:15 Being Comfortable With The New You 09:04 Without Swimming, I Wouldn't Be Able To Grow Into The Person That I Am Now" 09:49 Planting A Seed 10:48 Performing Best When The Pressure Is On 16:01 Swimming Is A Sport Where You Operate With Calmness 18:09 Becoming More Of Yourself 19:15 Nervous Energy 20:27 Having A Little Bit Of Fun 22:47 Making It Personable 26:41 Simplifying Data 30:19 Learning From Being A Swimmer To Coaching 40:02 "It's The Sense Of Achievement That Gives Us The Motivation To Continue" 41:50 Winning The Day Early On

#148: Don't Put Heart Rate Before Heart with Wayne Goldsmith Jan 21, 2020

01:50 Working On Soft Skills 02:44 It Comes Down To The Way They Do What They Do 03:58 Vibe And Connection Among People 05:23 Building A Team Culture 07:10 What Does Your Values Look Like? 09:00 Identfying The Actual Behaviors That Will Say "This is Who We Are" 10:05 Responsibility Is About Me, Accountability Is About Me 12:26 Love, Care And Consideration Are Important Words Too 17:35 What Can You Do Better? 20:42 Problem Solving Is An Incredible Learning Tool 26:23 Asking The Right Questions 27:54 Stop Being So Obsessed With The Physiology 31:38 Training Is From The Neck Down But Coaching Is From The Neck Up 32:41 It's All Mental At The Top Level 38:33 You Don't Want To Burn All Your Matches Straight Away 41:05 Watching People Grow 41:45 Developing The " I Can" Attitude 46:41 Online Course For Coaching

#147: 2:20 to 1:40/100m Pace with Stephen Jackson Jan 14, 2020

My guest on today's podcast is Stephen Jackson who first attended a clinic in 2017. At the time he was a 2:20/100m swimmer, and over the course of the last few years he's been able to move into the 1:40/100m range. In this episode, you'll learn what to expect as you progress in your swimming journey and how you can find continual improvement in your technique and speed.

1:09 Athletic Background 1:54 I Swim Like A Rock 3:14 Before And After The Clinic 3:54 What Got Me In 5:00 Making It Simple 7:25 Don't Limit Yourself 8:19 Implementing The Changes Of The Stroke In A Race 10:00 "It's Motivating If You Know What Can Make You Faster" 11:00 The Difference In Training 12:37 It Starts With The Posture 14:10 Target Pace

#146: A Different Approach To Technique For Triathletes Stuck In Their Swimming With Eney Jones Jan 07, 2020

Eney Jones is coming back for the third time to share what she has been working with recently and about trying a different approach for triathletes who needs help with their swimming.

01:31 Origin Of Phrases That Swim Coaches Have Used 08:26 Core Connection 10:18 Working With Triathletes 12:43 The Mental Aspect 13:41 Aloha! 15:54 Alternate Ego 17:26 You Either Win Or You Learn 19:28 Between The Stimulus And Response 21:24 Going Back To The Fundamentals Of Breathing 22:49 Connecting To Your Breath 24:37 Shells And Rocks 32:36 One Size Doesn't Fit All

#145: How To Come Back Stronger From Injury with Harriet Brown Dec 31, 2019

Our guest today is Harriet Brown who is a World Ironwoman Champion, NutriGrain Ironwoman Series Champion, Australian Team Captain and Molokai to Oahu Paddle Board Champion.

01:26 Underwater Filming 03:10 Injury During Championship 05:14 Being Out For The Whole Season 07:18 Exercise Makes You Happy 07:51 Injury As A Positive Experience 08:54 Having Some Time Off 10:45 Considering A Career After Sports 11:59 Molokai to Oahu Paddle 14:32 Cut The Race Into Little Parts 16:20 "You Are Lucky To Be Here" 17:00 What Do You Tell Yourself To Keep You Going? 19:03 Good Races And Bad Races 20:10 You Have To Stay Present 21:20 What Do You Love About Racing? 25:03 Managing Three Sessions A Day, Six Days A Week Of Training 27:09 Sleep Is The Best Form Of Recovery 31:29 We Cope With Load Differently

#144: The Best OF 2019 Podcasts Dec 24, 2019

As we end a wonderful year, here’s a collection of the best podcast snippets for 2019. Enjoy!

00:19 Do Not Overthink 02:04 Flexibility 05:02 Stroke Changes In Open Water 08:12 "I Can't Do That, I Am Spontaneous" 12:26 Breathing Exercises During Downtime 15:17 Locking Changes as a Habit 18:19 Serape Effect on Freestyle 20:43 Don't Get Too Caught Up with Data 23:01 "I'd Rather And Potentially Fail At Something That I Really Care About, Rather Than Never Try At All" 24:57 Putting Fundamentals In Place First 26:33 One Of The Most Powerful Thing You Can Do To Your Body 28:08 Pain Is Inevitable, Suffering Is Optional 35:12 Breaking Things Down To A Simplistic Level

#143: What To Do If You Can't Get Under 1:45/100m with Gary Hurring Dec 23, 2019

Coming back as a guest is Garry Hurring who is a former Olympic swimmer and Olympic coach. Gary has coached with as in our Hell Week Camp in Thanyapura, Thailand. Here are the things we talked about:

01:15 Hell Week Camp At Thanyapura 03:26 Common Things Observed From Swimmers At Hell Week 07:05 There's No Advise That's Going To Fit For Everyone 07:43 It's The Hard Stroke That's Often The Best Stroke 09:11 Using Different Gears 14:33 One on One Coaching 19:10 The Pit Of Discomfort 22:25 Faults On The Stroke 27:48 Swimmers Struggling With Kicking 28:43 The Lack Of Wanting To Kick 31:10 Swimming Sets 36:31 Different Opinions Being Shared

#142: Attempting The English Channel In WINTER with Sam Penny Dec 18, 2019

Our guest for today's episode is Sam Penny who is the first person who attempted to swim the English in winter. In this episode, we talked about Sam's training, strategy and his journey in crossing the English Channel.

00:52 The Swim 08:40 We Had No Idea What Was Going To Come 10:07 Shutting Your Mind Down 11:19 Hypothermia Setting In 17:21 Swim Strategy 20:24 Prepare Yourself For The Worst 22:01 Looking On The Bright Side Of Things 23:44 Looking At It As A New Adventure 25:41 Future Swims 33:17 It's Not About The Destination, It's The Journey 37:37 I Didn't Come This Far To Come This Far

#141: Lessons From Golf That Will Improve Your Swimming With Baden Schaff Dec 13, 2019

Our guest today is Baden Schaff, who is a PGA pro in golf, and he is also the co-creator of Skillest. Now you might've heard me talk about Skillest, this is the app that we use at our clinics and at our camps, to help analyze swimmers strokes and also just to really show them what they're doing under the water. And for me, this is an app that is completely changed the way that we coach, and I've got Baden to thank for that. And we're going to talk a little bit about Skillest, but also talk about what are some lessons that Baden has learned from coaching people in golf, and how we can apply that to swimming, and how you can improve your own swimming through some of those lessons.

05:07 Origin Of Skillest 06:50 Using Skillest For Coaching 11:36 How Effortless Swimming Is Using Skillest 14:03 Breaking Things Down To A Simplistic Level 15:20 Providing Structure And Timeframe 16:41 It Takes Discipline 17:37 Don't Get Distracted 18:46 Tryin A different Thing Everyday 19:37 Long Term Thinking 20:19 Coaching Timeframe 24:06 Coaching Online

#140: When Patience Pays Off with Josh Minogue Dec 10, 2019

We sit down with Josh Minogue as we talk about how patience pays off, his Coolangatta Gold triumph and his triathlon journey.

04:09 Swimming Background 07:16 How Can Dissapointment Be Good For Me? 09:08 If You Stop Learning, Stop Coaching 10:08 Being An Athlete and Being A Coach 13:12 Coaching And Training For Triathlon 14:43 Trying Something New 18:23 Transition From Swimming To Surf Ironman 24:46 Giving The Coolangatta Gold Another Try 34:28 Not Competing in Surf Ironman 37:41 "I'm So Glad I Did It" Moments 39:02 Two Types Of Fun 42:33 Pain Is Inevitable, Suffering Is Optional 44:11 Future Challenges 48:42 Some Lesson Are Learned In The Doing

#139: Hijack Your Breathing, Control Your Emotions And Increase Your Performance With Darren Stojanovic Dec 04, 2019

Our guest in todays episode is Darren Stojanovic from Dynamic Stability. He is a physiotherapist but he is also doing a lot of work in breathwork. In this episode, Darren and I will be talking about different breathing techniques which can help you control your emotion and help you improve your performance.

3:01 Learning About Breathing 04:48 Putting Breathing Techniques Together And Teaching It 06:27 How Breathwork Can Alter The Body's System 09:00 How It Can Help People 14:14 You Improve Your Breathing, You Improve Your Technique 17:20 Different Effects On People 23:25 Circular Breathing/ The Go-To Breath 25:02 Boxed Breathing/Sniper Breath 28:41 Triangle Breathing 34:44 Energy Breathing 42:18 One Of The Most Powerful Thing You Can Do To Your Body

#138: High Level Biomechanics For Weekend Warriors with Ryan Hodierne Nov 24, 2019

Ryan Hodierne is the Biomechanist for NSWIS (New South Wales Institute of Sport). He has worked with a lot of high-level swimmers and what I would like to talk about is how biomechanics would be applicable for a regular person who would like to improve his or her swimming.

01:06 Thoughts about Sensarii 02:31 Simplifying Data To Make It Useful 05:02 Communicating With Swimmers And Coaches 09:31 Putting Fundamentals In Place First 10:59 "We are a Proof To The Coach If What He Is Doing Is Right or Wrong" 13:16 Providing Expectations To Athletes 17:46 Visual Learning 18:28 Contrast Drills 22:18 Kick Is More Effective If It Is Tied In With A Stroke 23:21 Drills For Connecting The Timing Of The Kick And Stroke 28:05 Timing Goes A Long Way 31:38 Connecting The Purpose Of The Drill To The Swim Stroke 34:20 Consistency 35:21 Leave The Watch In Your Gear Bag

#137: Rewriting Your Future With Tim Ford Oct 02, 2019

My guest is Tim Ford, who is someone I've known for the last few years, and a number of years ago, he started his triathlon journey and over that time he's lost more than 50 kilos. He's completely changed his life with respect to his health, his fitness, and his work, and I think it's a really good story to share on how a simple idea can spark a complete life change in someone.

On today's episode, we look at what are some of those things that Tim has changed to turn around his life and become a completely different person and we also share some of the things that we feel can help other people become better athletes, whether that's a triathlon or whether it's swimming. And focusing on the things that you can control and that you can change and why it pays to always have a longterm approach to this stuff.

03:07 "I Stopped Weighing Myself When I Reached 120 Kilos." 05:11 "My First Triathlon Was A Disaster" 07:20 "I Bought A Fancy Carbon Fiber Bike After My First Race" 09:11 Triathlon Is More Of A Race Against Yourself 10:13 What Motivates You? 12:14 Little Improvements 15:24 The Switch 20:07 When Your Hobby Becomes Your Job 21:33 Being A Coach 25:17 "I'd Rather And Potentially Fail At Something That I Really Care About, Rather Than Never Try At All" 27:35 Collaboration Is The Most Underrated Thing In Our Sport 30:55 Stepping Out OF Your Comfort Zone 32:37 Hardwork and Commitment Often Leads To Good Things 33:04 Leaving The Judgement Aside 39:05 Coming Up For Tim Ford

#136: Don't Let The Numbers Rule Your Swimming with Nick Jankovskis Aug 09, 2019

My guest today is Nick Jankovskis from METS Performance. METS Performance is a Melbourne based company that help athletes with a whole range of tests that you can use to then use some data to incorporate that into how you're training, particularly for endurance athletes. Nick and I will be talking about how we easily can get caught up with all this information and how we can use this data effectively in our training.

03:22 Philosophy of METS Performance Consulting 04:45 Working With Athletes 09:52 Common Mistakes Among Athletes 17:30 Stepping Back 22:08 Variable Pace Swimming 27:59 Data and Training 34:40 Macro Perspective 40:21 Don't Get Too Caught Up with Data 48:04 It's Good To Have A Back-Up Sports 1:01:14 Making it Simple

#135: Breaking The Mould with Michael Andrew Jul 17, 2019

Our guest today is Michael Andrew, he is a competitive swimmer and has been the gold medalist for the 100 meter individual medley at the 2016 FINA Short Course World Championships. He is training in a non-traditional way and has pioneered the Ultra Short Course Race Pace Training.

02:32 Ultra Short Race Pace Training 07:04 Team Environment 08:01 Sessions Per Week 10:12 Constantly Adjusting 11:21 You Have To Enjoy It Inorder For It To Workout 15:27 International Swimming League 19:57 Consistency in training 21:53 Keto Diet

#134: Developing The Serape Effect with Carl Reader Jul 15, 2019

Carl joins us again on the podcast. His background is in Functional Movement and in this episode, he shares some interesting aspects about the Serape Effect.

01:34 Carl's experience with Serape Effect 03:13 Brenton's Interpretation of Serape Effect 04:24 Carl's Take on Serape Effect 06:04 Exercises 08:58 Understanding and Starting Serape 10:29 Building the Coordination 11:24 Serape Effect on Freestyle 13:50 Going for the Feel 15:12 Handbreaks to Serape Effect 19:50 Helping People Through Functional Movement 26:20 Core Principles 28:10 Body Awareness 29:29 Tuning into the Feeling Side

More About Carl Reader: website: https://carlreadercoaching.com/ email: carlwellness@gmail.com

#133:How To Take 5-minutes Off Your 70.3 Swim with Ryan Roselli Jul 11, 2019

My guest today is Ryan Roselli. He attended one of our freestyle clinics in Brisbane last March. During the Cairns Half Ironman, he managed to cut down 5 minutes of his swim time. In this episode we, talked about the things he focused on in his stroke, making the changes permanent and some advice to swimmers and triathletes who been wanting to improve their swimming.

16:12 Ryan's Swimming Background 02:43 Attending Effortless Swimming Freestyle Clinic 03:55 Key Point Take-Aways From The Clinic 06:07 Locking Changes as a Habit 07:36 First Couple of Weeks 10:15 Curve 11:28 Race Day Focus 16:00 Swim Time Target for the Next six to 12 months 16:34 Advice to Swimmers Wanting To Improve Their Time 17:55 Filming Yourself

#132:How To Know When To Push Hard Or Back Off With Trever Gray Jul 03, 2019

Our guest today is Trever Gray, In this episode, we discussed about Heart Rate Variability and how you can use that to know when to be able to push yourself in training and when to back off. We've talk about how to breathe properly and how to train yourself, how you can improve your swimming performance using respiratory muscle training. And we've also talked about blood flow restriction training.

00:59 Trever Gray Introduction 02:22 What is Heart Rate Variability? 04:01 How do you measure HRV? 05:20 Overtraining or Undertraining 06:27 Using HRV Data in Training 08:17 Skepticism from Coaches 08:59 Managing HRV Data as a Coach 11:16 Is it for Everybody? 13:32 Respiratory Muscle Training 14:39 Breathing Exercise to Strengthen Respiratory Muscles 20:29 Breathing Exercises During Downtime 21:02 Blood Flow Restriction Training 23:57 How Often Can You Use BFRT? 25:25 How Safe is BFRT?

#131:How To Stop Wasting Time And Be More Effective With Your Training With Andre Obradovic May 13, 2019

Andre Obradovic joins us again in this episode as we talk about how to stop wasting your time and being more effective in your training.

00:53 Background on Being Productive 03:14 Structural Schedule 04:52 Today's Plan Scheduling App 09:37 Factoring The Appointments 16:08 Sticking To It 17:08 Getting Back On Track 18:37 "I Can't Do That, I Am Spontaneous" 19:02 Spontaneity 26:18 Being Conscious Of The Time You Are Wasting 28:35 First Steps

https://andreobradovic.com/

#130:Why It Pays Off To Follow The Process with Taren Gesell Mar 27, 2019

Our guest today is Taren Gessell of the YouTube Channel Triathlon Taren whom we had two analysis videos. The video analysis was six months apart and over that time he really made some impressive improvements continues to get better.

01:07 How Taren started with Triathlon and YouTube 04:07 What viewers get out off from the Triathlon Taren YouTube Channel 06:05 The Hero and the Guide 07:02 Interviewing Lucy Charles 09:08 Pool and Open water swimming 09:53 Stroke Changes for Openwater Swimming 13:29 The Kick 21:46 Letting It Go 24:27 The Way You Do One Thing Is The Way You Do Everything 27:42 Focus On One Thing 33:40 " I Had To Get Slower Before I Got Faster" 43:38 Have Some Adventure 47:42 What To Expect With Triathlon Taren

www.protriathlontraining.com https://teamtrainiac.com/ https://triathlontaren.com/

Taren's swim analysis on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPF38kT3Qug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocAHBRdm_cA&t=193s

#129: From 1:50/100m to 1:30/100m Pace with Jason Key Mar 15, 2019

In todays episode we have Jason Key who is an age group triathlete based out of Texas. Jason shares his journey towards achieving his 1:30/100m mark.In todays episode we have Jason Key who is an age group triathlete based out of Texas. Jason shares his journey towards achieving his 1:30/100m mark. 00:56 How Jason started with Effortless Swimming.02:01 Jason's focus as an athlete. 04:54 Time Trial Average pace.05:58 Flexibility.10:21 Next Stage of Improvement.11:55 2 Beat. 4-Beat or 6-Beat Kick.14:25 Training Frequency.16:24 From 1:50 to 1:30.

#128: The Road To NZ 10km National Championship with Solomon Wright Jan 23, 2019

We welcome back Solomon Wright who recently won the New Zealand 10km Open Water Championship. In this episode, Solomon talks about his training leading up to the National Championship and how he recovered from shoulder injury. We also added a before and after video of Solomon comparing his stroke now and 12 months ago.

02:53 Solomon’s focus after Rottnest Channel 03:51 Specific Exercises to Build Strength 04:31 Youtube Before And After Video 05:05 Winning the New Zealand 10km Open Water Championship 06:18 Solomon’s Training Sessions 08:33 Swimming Pace During Training 09:59 Training Sets 11:45 Most Of It Is Mental 13:35 Race Strategy For The New Zealand 10km Open Water Championship 17:06 Race Confidence 17:37 Australian Championship And Openwater Swimming As A Growing Sport

#127: The Best of 2018 Podcast Dec 10, 2018

As we end a wonderful year, here's a collection of the best podcast snippets for 2018. Enjoy!

#126: Learning From Disaster With Shipwreck Survivor and Professional Triathlete Els Visser Nov 27, 2018

We are joined today by Els Visser who is a professional triathlete from the Netherlands Els had a TEDX talk about how a shipwreck experience changed her life. In this podcast, Els shares to us that experience with the hope of inspiring others.

00:37 Sinking Ship Experience 2:57 Stay or Swim 9:42 Surviving the Island 11:54 The Rescue 16:12 Life after the Shipwreck 17:45 Support of Family and Friends 21:30 From a shipwreck Survivor to a Professional Triathlete 23:59 Using the Indonesia Experience as a Mental Tool for the Race

#125: Things We Learned From Hell Week Oct 23, 2018

Here are the 9 things we have learned from Hell Week Camp that I thought it would be worth sharing.

1. Clear your mind

2. Regular feedback

3. Go crazy

4. Find your ideal stroke rate

5. 3 different ways to think about your 'Catch'

6. Patience

7. How a 3-minute active warm up can change your entire workout

8. Educate, try and test

9. Getting faster right away isn't always an indicator of a correct change in your stroke

#124: How Australian Olympic Swimmers Improve Mobility with Tom Barton And Jeff Grace Oct 04, 2018

00:58 Pre Swim Routine for Olympic Athletes 02:35 How Much Time Should Be Given To Pre-Swim Routine 06:33 Basic Movements in Yoga Routine 8:58 Q Swim/ Q Swim App 15:24 Time Commitment in Integrating Yoga into Training 18:52 Yoga And Recovery 20:54 Breathing 25:13 On Adults Wanting To Improve Their Swimming 26:36 Balancing Your Nervous System 27:50 3-Minute Yoga Routine

#123: Why Squatting Can Help You Swim Faster Sep 18, 2018

Our guest for today's episode is Carl Reader who is a Functional Movement Coach and a Biokineticist (Exercise Therapist). He's been helping athletes and clients move and exercise better or what is known as functionally. Join us as we discuss warm up, squats and functional movement.

#122: The SwimRun Revolution with Breca's Ben de Rivaz Aug 16, 2018

Our guest today is Ben de Rivaz from Breca. Breca hosts swimrun events which take place on trail and open water; team races in pairs wearing wetsuit and trainers, transitioning between running and swimming stages. Join us as we discuss topics about the format swimrun compared to triathlon, why is it appealing to a lot of athletes, different courses and location and a possibility of a National Championship.

00:19 About Ben de Rivaz 03:12 The SwimRun Format 05:36 The Appeal of SwimRun Sport 14:37 Looking For More Courses 14:51 National Championship

To know more about Breca events, please visit: https://www.brecaswimrun.com/

Transcript:

#121: Rising Through Challenge with 100m Free World Champion Brent Hayden Jul 24, 2018

Getting beaten up by riot police. Setting his alarm 4 hours too early before the biggest race of his life. Not being able to walk for 4 days just weeks out from his last Olympic Games. These are just a few of the challenges 3x Olympian, Olympic bronze medallist and 100m Freestyle World Champion Brent Hayden shares on today's podcast.

00:47 Brent's achievements 05:22 Focus on the things you can control 06:54 Back spasms leading up to the 2012 Olympics 14:55 Sport is unscripted 16:11 Beaten up and arrested by riot police after 2004 Olympics 28:54 It doesn't need to look pretty 35:17 The best swimmers are the ones that are always open to change 37:19 Key pillars of sprinting 50:26 Astra Athletica

#120: From Commonwealth Games To Coach with Rory Buck Jul 09, 2018

This week I’m joined by Rory Buck to discuss the intricacies of swimming and coaching. Rory Buck is an ex-competitive swimmer turned coach, who went from being a collegiate swimmer to representing South Africa at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Turning to coaching to learn more about swimming, Rory now coaches from Dubai. Join us as we discuss topics such as swim culture, the right age to start swimming, a feel for the water, mentality, sighting, effort in swimming and self-perception as well as much more.

01:10 – Rory’s competitive background. 04:30 – Dubai and swim culture. 06:50 – The right age to start swimming. 11:30 – Putting effort into swimming. 20:00 – Confidence in the water. 27:30 – Developing and maintaining a feel for the water. 38:00 – Swimming in a triathlon. 42:00 – Sighting in open water. 52:50 – Watching triathletes and reflecting. 01:01:10 – The mindset and delusions.

#119: How To Swim 10% Faster in 9 Months with Jason Hamilton Jul 09, 2018

This week’s podcast features Jason Hamilton as our guest. An athlete and triathlete who I met during Hell Week last year in Thailand, Jason joins us to speak about his journey as a swimmer, and how he trained to qualify in the World Championships. We cover topics such as winter swimming locations, using structure to keep yourself focused while training and exactly what made Jason swim faster. Join us as we reflect on progress and setting goals as a swimmer. 02:20 – Jason Hamilton. 04:00 – Qualifying for World Championships. 06:00 – What makes you faster. 07:12 – Nathan Shearer 11:00 – Structure to keep focus. 13:14 – Ongoing goals. 15:00 – Winter training locations.

#118: The Fearless Mind with Professional Triathlete Angela Naeth Jul 03, 2018

In today's episode, We are joined by Angela Naeth who is a professional triathlete. If you are someone who enjoys thinking and reflecting on your sport, your life and things around that, I think you will really enjoy this episode. Angela is a very genuine person and she is someone who has done a lot of thinking and reflecting on her own over the past eight years that she has been racing triathlon. We talked about some ways that she has overcome anxiety around racing and performing, something that she dealt with in the early days of her triathlon career. She also mentions a book that she has read five or six times that she has been able to use and get a lot from when it comes to becoming a fearless and competitive racer.

#117: What You Believe Will Make You Freeze Jun 19, 2018

There are some beliefs that will help you and there are some beliefs that are keeping us from achieving our full potential. Ask yourself. What are the beliefs that are holding me back?

#116: Conquering The 40km Crossing of Lake Taupo with Vicky Tate Jun 05, 2018

We are joined today by Vicky Tate who has recently swam the 40 kilometr crossing of Lake. Earlier this year she made a crossing and she is one of less than a hundred swimmers who have completed the crossing. She came along to Hell Week last year, our Hell Week camp in Thailand and this was something that prepared for the swim. Join us we talk about her experience.

00:30 From Not Being Able to Swim a "K" to a 40 km Straight Swim 02:01 The Only Thing That Is Going To Stop You Is You. 04:58 Techniques Taken From Hellweek. 07:57 How Was It Like Mentally? 09:09 Swim Pacing In Lake Taupo 10:30 Motivation During The Swim 12:33 "Don't Look Forward and Don't Look Back" 13:36 Singing Songs And Counting Your Strokes 19:50 Feed During The Swim 22:08 Lake Taupo 27:28 Our Mind Can Get Accustomed Quickly 34:37 The Help Of The Community

#115: The Ultimate Way to Reset Your Body with Bevan Mckinnon May 17, 2018

Our guest for today's Episode is Bevan Mckinnon who has been in the triathlon scene for over 15 years as a coach and as an athlete. Here are the topics discussed:

05:09 Intermittent Fasting 08:35 Ketogenic State 11:29 Training while Fasting 21:34 The Satisfaction in Coaching 38:10 Speed Reserve 39:59 Zero To Hero

To know more about Bevan Mckinnon, please visit: https://www.fitter.co.nz/

#114: How Body Composition Affects Your Swimming with Andrew Ho-Peng Apr 02, 2018

My guest today is Andrew Ho-Peng who is from Dexa Melbourne. Dexa is a body composition scan that tells you about your bone density, visual fat levels, lean muscle mass and a number of other things. It is a really good way to check in with your health and well being. Listen as Andrew explains what Dexa does, who is it best for.

01:37 How Did Dexa Started? 04:07 Types of Clients that Avail Dexa. 05:33 Metabolic Health 08:11 The Focus of Dexa. 10:36 Dexa as a Motivation

#113: How To Fuel For The English Channel with Tara Diversi Mar 20, 2018

If you ever wondered how you should fuel for a marathon swim, then this podcast is for you. My guest for today is Tara Diversi, who has experience in long-distance swimming. She swam the English Channel and the Rottnest Channel and a number of other long-distance swims. She works closely with a handful of people every year to help them leading to their marathon swim. She works with them to help them get their feeding and fueling right on the day but more than that is looking for the best approach that works for them.

In this episode we talk about:

03:09 Tara Diversi background

05:01 Things to consider when deciding on the Feeding Plan.

07:39 Freestyle stroke affects food digestion.

09:29 Fat versus Muscle.

10:54 Keeping the core temperature up.

16:43 Trial and Error.

19:32 The concept of Multiple Transportable Carbohydrates.

22:28 Training your Gut.

28:32 How do you put on more fat without killing yourself

#112: Swim by Feel (Not by Data) Mar 14, 2018

In this episode, we talked about the things I have learned from chatting up with the Rottnest Channel Swim 2018 winners, Solomon Wright and Heidi Gan. Leading up to the race, both of them encountered some obstacles, however, I believe they were able to rise above the situation because of these three things :

-Going by Feel/Intuitiveness -Sustained Pace Work -Experience

#111: Rottnest Recap With Winners Solomon Wright and Heidi Gan Mar 08, 2018

Today's episode is the Rottnest Swim Recap. We've got the winners Solomon Wright and Heidi Gan who won the male and female section in both record times. Solomon just went under 4 hours and Heidi went 04:21. We've got them on the podcast today talking about their lead up to the race, how they fueled, their pacing, their strategy and you will also hear that both of them have a little bit of interrupted lead-up. We go into detail about what they did to combat that and how they managed to put 6-weeks of training in to still get a good result. We also have Lisandra de Carvalho on the podcast, my friend who has been in the earlier episodes, we talked about how we went to the race and how we found it.

Here some points that we have talked about. Solomon Wright -Solomon's injury before the race. -Going for the "Rotto Feel" -Feeding on the Race.

Heidi Gan -Rottnest swim compared to 10k marathon swims. -Having a slow pace at the start. - Feeding Strategy -Flu Before the race.

Lisandra de Carvalho -The swimming community -Conditions during the race -The Swim Results -The Mental Battle

#110: Uncovering The Breath Training Secrets Used By Olympic Swimmers with James Fletcher Mar 06, 2018

Our guest in today's podcast is James Fletcher who has a background in Physiology. He has recently moved into Breath Training for athletes. He has worked with elite level swimmers such as Cameron McEvoy and James Roberts who both have been in the Australian Olympic Team. We talked about his specialization which is a very scientific and measured approach to enhancing your ability to breath.

On this episode we discuss:

02:01 James Fletcher's background and Cirque du Soleil. 05:00 Breath Training 7:05 Differences in Breath Training between a 50-meter sprinter and a 10k swimmer. 13:21 The Foundation of Fletcher Method. 19:41 Frequency of the Breath Training Programs 21:23 Difference from other Breath Holding Method. 24:54 Pre-Race warm up for Inspiratory Muscles.

#109: How Do I Know If My Child Is Talented With Wayne Goldsmith Feb 28, 2018

We welcome back Wayne Goldsmith who has been our guest in the previous podcasts. He is one of the most passionate sports performance expert all over Australia, New Zeland, and the world. Join us as we discuss Change, Commitment, and Motivation in the world of coaching.

01:40 - There is no such thing. 03:58 The Role of Parents. 04:26 The Power of Commitment to Excellence 10:51 What we have to change from a Coaching Perspective to Sustain the Sport 17:20 What should Coaches do to help make that Change 25:56 The Difference Between Training and Great Coaching 34:40 Understanding Motivation

To find out more about Wayne Goldsmith please visit: http://moregold.com.au/

#108: Race on Instinct (Avoid Over Thinking) with Grant Giles Feb 22, 2018

I've known Grant through mutual friends for a quite a while. He is a Triathlon coach and to me, he is one of the best coaches that teaches and coaches a lot base on Mindset, Intuitiveness, and Beliefs. In the podcast, we talked about a lot of different topics from How to Change your Structured Beliefs, the methods and the questions that he asks his athletes in order to get them to change their beliefs. We also tackled overplanning races and how many people are too guarded and protective with the races that they do and following that plan to a tee can sometimes work against them as opposed for them. We talked about mindfulness and how you are better off focusing on the process in order to get in to flow.

#107: Simple Changes Big Results with Gary Hurring Feb 20, 2018

Our guest today is Gary Hurring who has been featured on our Podcast episode # 90 which is one of our most listened to episode that we have ever done. Gary is a former Olympic swimmer and coach from New Zealand and I really like his approach to swimming and to coaching and the way he goes about it. I really learned a lot from the episode that we did together. If you haven't listened to it yet, go back to episode #90 and it is called "How to Change your Technique from an Olympic Coaches Perspective". In today's [odcast, we will be discussing how even the smallest changes that we do in training can provide big results.

#106: How to Train for 10km+ Swims with Lisandra de Carvalho Feb 14, 2018

Join us and let's welcome back Lisandra de Carvalho as we talk about how to train for 10km+ swims. Lisandra has been swimming the Rottnest channel on numerous occasions. She has been my training partner these past few months in preparing for the Rottnest Swim this month. Listen as we talk about the things that are essential in preparing for 10km+ swims.

02:59 Change of Perspective in Training 04:11 Voluntary Graduated Exposure 6:06 The Importance of having a Training Partner 16:23 The Benefits of Massage every after session 21:30 Smaller Races before the Big one 23:01 The Best Race and the Worst Race at the same time 24:47 The Up and Down Week 27:17 The Negative Head Space 30:59 Feeding While Swimming 34:17 Test Sets 43:55 Support Team 50:20 Don't Forget to Have Fun

# 105: Move Your Big Rocks First Feb 13, 2018

There are times when we get confused on what to prioritize. In today's podcast, we talk about how it is beneficial to prioritize the bigger things first such as technique, focus, and mindset. Moreover, giving time also for smaller rocks such as strength training, diet, and mobility.

#104: Train in Manual, Race in Automatic Feb 10, 2018

Swimming can be compared to driving a car. In today's podcast, we share with you about going from manual mode to automatic. When training, we like our swimmers to be in the manual mode where they really need to focus so that they can coordinate these little elements together.If you can practice that in training, you come to a point where it starts to become more automatic and you almost completely switch off from thinking about your stroke. You can just go in the race mode and any technical focus has been made automatic and it has become a habit because you have practiced that in training.

#103: Laser vs The Lantern Feb 07, 2018

One of the analogies we like to use in swimming is the laser vs the lantern approach. Which approach should you use? Listen as we talk about the importance of having a laser approach in your training.

#101d: The Power of Individualized Coaching Feb 02, 2018

In this podcast we share to you why generalized coaching style doesn't work for most swimmers.

#101c: Shock The System Jan 26, 2018

When you train, do you feel like you only have one speed? In this podcast, we share to you on how you vary your pace in training, on how to shock the system.

#101b: The Catch Jan 25, 2018

Most of the propulsion will come from the catch. We have worked with more than 1300 athletes and we have observed that most of them can improve their catch.

#101a: Before Training Routine Jan 19, 2018

How long does it take you to warm up in training? We share our favourite pre-training routine to improve shoulder stability and reduce the chance of injury.

#102: How to Work on the Right Things with John Mullen from SwimmingScience.net Jan 16, 2018

John Mullen grew up swimming his whole life. He studied Physical Therapy and received his Doctorate in Physcal Therapy at USC. He is a renowned expert in sports swimming and rehabilitation. Listen and learn as he and Brenton discuss about Needs Analysis, what to do if you don't have a sports psychologist and many more

#101: My Top 8 Ways to Swim Faster in 2018 Jan 11, 2018

This podcast episode is from the audio of our Facebook Live and we talk about my consolidated thoughts on what most triathletes and open water swimmers can do to swim faster this 2018.

#100: The Domino Effect Dec 22, 2017

We discuss how the concept of the domino effect can be helpful in the obstacles that you are facing. Listen and you will learn how identifying that initial or smaller dominoes can be beneficial in knocking over bigger dominoes.

#99: Grit Dec 15, 2017

In this podcast episode we talk about few important points from Angela Duckworth's book GRIT and why people love swimming despite being difficult and challenging.

#98: One Step Backward, Two Steps Forward Dec 12, 2017

In today's podcast, listen on how the principle of taking one step backward and taking two steps forward is applicable whenever you changing a habit or when you make changes in your stroke.

We're also announcing the opening of bookings for Hell Week 2018 which is on Thursday, December 14, 2017, 9:00 am Melbourne time.

#97: Should You Wear A Watch To Track Your Swimming? Dec 01, 2017

For this episode, we talk about how wearing a watch in training affects focus and technique in swimming. If you are using a watch when swimming, a little experiment that we would like you to try is that for 2 weeks leave your watch in your bag or at home and see how you get to track your swimming with your focus, feel and technique, and perception.

#96: The Best of 2017 Podcasts Nov 29, 2017

Today's podcast is entitled "The Best of 2017". We have compiled all of the best parts from all the podcasts across the year and put them on this episode. This special episode is a mix of everything--from ideas, skills, and techniques to becoming a lean athlete and swim fast to overcoming anxiety and uplifting your mental state. Thank you very much for a big year. Thanks again for listening. I will see you in 2018.

#95: Update: Where we've been Nov 22, 2017

A quick update on why we haven't recorded many podcasts lately.

#93: Being 'Out of the moment' Oct 18, 2017

In this podcast, we will talk about when to be 'In the moment' and when to be 'Out of the moment' in swimming and how this balance can help you as an athlete. This is in addition to our previous topics about focus, technique and delivers practice in order to change your habits and improve your swimming. This episode is something you shouldn't miss.

#94: Breaking Through the Elusive 2 Minutes per 100m Barrier with Elise Butler Oct 17, 2017

Last year Elise Butler was swimming 20 mins for her 1km time trial. Over the past 18 months she's made big improvements, now swimming well under 17 minutes. Elise joined us last year for our Hell Week swim camp and has joined us again for this year's camp in Thailand. In this podcast she shares how she's knocked more than 15 secs per 100m off her 1km pace.

#92: 66 Days and 18 Months Sep 13, 2017

The 66 day and 18 month rule is a good rule to live by to replace old habits and become competent at a skill. Most people don't stick with something long enough to see results, especially when it comes to changing their swimming.

#91: How To Swim The Rottnest Channel Aug 31, 2017

Lisandra de Carvalho has been a friend of mine for almost eight years. She comes from a competitive swimming background and now focuses primarily on open water events. In this episode, we discuss everything to do with long distance open water swimming. Lisandra has raced the 19.7km Rottnest channel swim solo on three occasions and as a duo on one occasion. If you are planning to do an open water race of 10 km or more, this podcast will teach you everything you need.

#90: How To Change Your Technique From An Olympic Coaches' Perspective Aug 25, 2017

Gary Hurring is a former swimmer and a coach from Wellington, New Zealand. Gary won the gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in the men's 200 meters backstroke and silver medal in the same event at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships. He finished fourth in the 100m and fifth in the 200m at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He was also appointed as New Zealand's swim team coach at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In this podcast, we discuss the principle of the 'Pit of discomfort' and how to change your technique in swimming. We also talk about the mindset needed to overcome negative thinking.

#89: Swim-Specific Yoga with Jeff Grace Aug 10, 2017

#88: How to have a breakthrough swim with Paul Speed Aug 09, 2017

This podcast episode is about having a breakthrough swim, whether it’s in a triathlon or an open water swim. Our guest today is Paul Speed a coach a recently turned pro triathlete.

With Paul, he changed his technique and training to make that second pack and come out with the water with the faster group so he can have a better chance of keeping up in the bike and setting himself up for a good race.

#87: The Latest Research On Swimming Fast In Open Water with Eney Jones Jul 18, 2017

In this podcast, we welcome back Eney Jones who is a successful Master’s swimmer, open water swimmer, and an accomplished triathlete. She lives and works in Boulder, Colorado and has worked with many of the top triathletes to help them improve their swimming. She is also the creator of the Eney Bouy.

She was on the podcast many times before talking about technique, posture, tempo, catch and pull, open water racing tips and awareness in the open water. In this episode, we talked about her latest research On Swimming Fast in Open Water. This episode is one you shouldn’t miss!

#86: 20 Seconds Faster with Tabitha Jones May 26, 2017

Tabitha Jones is a previous Hell Week camp attendee. Since coming to Thailand with us last year, she's take more than 20 seconds off per 100m pace over a half ironman distance swim. An impressive achievement in 8 months! Tabitha shares with us the things that have helped her do this from changes to technique, workouts, how she approaches races and the different attitude she takes towards her swimming.

#85: The Importance Of High Standards In Coaching And Life with Brian Ford May 02, 2017

Swimming Coach, Brian Ford is the Head Coach of the Traralgon Swimming Club since 1997. He was a National Age swimmer in the 1970s. He is a firm believer in discipline and strong communication. If you want to learn about the importance of discipline, enthusiasm and being a people person, listen in as my dad shares his life lessons and expertise as a seasoned swimming coach.

04:58 - Meet Brian Ford

07:50 - Why reputation is important.

08:55 - When to Draw The Line Between Being a Coach and Being a Parent

16:00 - Micromanaging vs Delegating

22:41 - Basic Principles in Dealing with People

30:45 - On Being Careful with Who You Hang Out With

33:30 - "Every opportunity is an opportunity to give as much as you can."

35:30 - This is the way I am as a coach...

38:17 - Why It's Okay to Coach with a Lot of Enthusiasm

40:20 - To Care or Not to Care?

#84: Mastering Your Mind Games with Meighan Julbert Apr 12, 2017

Meighan Julbert is a Mental Skills Consultant for The MindSide - a sports and psychology center located in Alabama. She has worked with a number of athletes from different sports like softball, golf, swimming, soccer, and others.

This podcast is perfect for those who has performance anxiety and to those who feels like their mental state has let them down during competition.

01:53 - What's going on in your head? 07:16 - How To Build The Mindset of Confidence 10:40 - The Importance of Not Looking for What's Missing 12:12 - The Strategies to Help You Focus on The Right Things 15:28 - Everyday you have a choice. 25:13 - Michael Phelps: Epitome of An Athlete with a Strong Mental Game 26:00 - Everybody has a panic moment. 30:13 - Why You Need to Identify Upfront Something That Went Well 33:19 - Truth: The Athlete is His Own Expert 39:14 - "I want to conquer the world."

To learn more about Meighan and her work, visit http://www.themindside.com/meighan-julbert/

#83: How To Develop Explosive Speed with Ranell Hobson Feb 23, 2017

Ranell Hobson is the Coaching Director at The Academy of Sports Speed. She will share her experience in working with athletes at The Academy of Sports Speed and how their teachings cross over to all types of athletes.

01:00 - Skills, Functional Movement, Elasticity, Power and Mechanics of The Sports 02:15 - Athletes' Underdeveloped Skills 03:19 - The Bad Effects of Sedentary Lifestyle to Athletes 11:50 - Explosiveness of The Blocks 17:01 - The Shift to Being Leaner 18:50 - The Forward Propulsion in Running 19:53 - Restriction in The Hips = Decrease in Running Performance 27:20 - Survey Says... 33:00 - Drills? Some more drills? 36:01 - The Importance of Individual Training

#82: Learning How To Swim Bike Mom with Meredith Atwood Feb 23, 2017

Meredith Atwood is the creator of Swim Bike Mom a website dedicated to give motivation to women across the globe to women who are doing triathlon and those who are looking to get into triathlon.

01:00 - Take Us Back To 2010 03:28 - Today is the first day of your life. What are you going to do with it? 04:12 - Meeting An Alien 06:00 - Me Love Cookies! 11:22 - From off The Couch to Ironman 15:40 - The Purpose. The Plan. The Process. 16:45 - Why Sense of Humor is Important 20:21 - Swim. Bike. Run. 22:40 - Do What You Want in The Body You Have 28:36 - The Bliss of Feeding Your Body With Good Food

To learn more about Meredith and her work, visit her website www.swimbikerun.com

#81: Becoming A Lean Athlete with Andre Obradovic Feb 23, 2017

Andre Obradovic has been our guest before where he talked about how you can adjust your sleeping routines and habits so you can perform better in the pool. In this podcast, Andre and I discuss how he went from overweight white collar worker to lean athlete, by challenging his own beliefs about nutrition.

02:00 – Andre’s Journey to Weight Loss 03:00 – When Hunger Strikes 06:50 – The Food Diary Debunked 09:55 – 1 Minute Videos of What I’m Eating 15:05 – One of the guys lost 10 kilos! 19:05 – Why would we need chocolate drink? 19:34 – How To Create That Snowball of Feeling Better 20:09 – Eat this instead for breakfast. 21:19 – Have a salad for lunch. 27:01 – Shut up and take my money! To learn more about Andre and his work, visit his website

www.loseyourbelly.com.au

#80: Race Pace Training with Garrett McCaffrey and Chris Ritter Dec 08, 2016

Race Pace Training is about swimming at or quicker than your racing speed. It’s often done in short intervals (eg 25m or 50m) with enough rest between intervals to recover and hit race speed on the next one. On this podcast Garrett McCaffrey, coach at the Phoenix Swim Club, joins me as we chat about how to best include this type of training in your workouts (and if it’s relevant to you!). He’s just released a 12 week Race Pace Training program ideal for age group or Master’s swimmers and coaches. We’re also joined by Chris Ritter, a strength and conditioning coach to Olympic swimmers and a guest on one of the most well-received podcasts we’ve done – listen to it here.

03:30 – What is race pace training? 09:05 – When a Swimming Technique Drops Off 09:20 – The Muscle Memory 10:11 – Finding a Way To Keep The Speed 13:19 – How do you deal with change? 17:28 – The Correlation of Age and Speed 18:00 – Why Race Pace Training Makes Physiological Sense 22:14 – Race Pace Training & Vegetables 28:13 – The Importance of Structure in Directing The Work 30:48 – The Race Pace Training 2.0

#79: The Psychology of Performance with Nam Baldwin Dec 07, 2016

Nam Baldwin is the owner and Director of Performance at the Equalize Training Company. Nam is an emotional and stress control & management specialist, the co-developer of internationally recognised B.E.T Training, mentor and motivational health coach. He has worked with a number of Olympic Gold medalists and several world champions including professional surfer, Mick Fanning.

We talk about strategies he used with Mick Fanning to help him win the J-Bay Open after overcoming a shark attack at the same event in 2015, plus a whole lot more.

01:57 – One of The Most Impactful Talks I’ve Been To 02:14 – “Whatever happens to you, use it.” 02:28 – Working with Mick Fanning 08:15 – Breaking down the process… 15:18 – Step 1: Oxygenate 15:27 – Step 2: Hydrate 15:35 – Step 3: 3-Minute Workout with Music 15:59 – Step 4: Appreciate 16:01 – Step 5: Anticipate 25:58 – Just do this one thing…

To learn more about Nam Baldwin and his work, visit www.equalize.com.au

#78: How To Train Less And Swim Faster with Luke McIlroy Oct 20, 2016

Luke McIlroy is the Director of Sport Science at METS Performance Consulting. Luke helps athletes perform their VO2 Max test. Find out what their lactating flexion point and their resting metabolic rate.

Knowing these will help you train more scientifically and be more effective with the workouts you are doing. If you train 10 hours a week instead of 15, then, you'll have more time to spend with you family, rest and recover.

In this podcast, we talk about how you can avoid the grey zone and how you can be more effective with the time you spend training.

#77: The Best Places to Swim with Simon Griffiths Oct 12, 2016

Simon Griffiths is the founder and publisher of H2Open Magazine. H2Open Magazine is a magazine about open water swimming and everything that incorporates races and swims around the world.

Simon will be sharing:

his experience about open water swimming
his recommendations about the best places to swim around the world to do open water swimming and races
the rabbit hole in open water swimming
and where the sport is going

#76: Losing the Limp with David Samuelsohn Sep 19, 2016

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming Podcast, our guest is David Samuelsohn. David is coach and founder of Westchester Masters Club in Larchmont, New York. David wrote an article Lose the Limp for a More Powerful Freestyle so in this podcast we'll talk about that and

how to make adjustments in your breathing and rotation to get more power from your stroke
the key principle he includes in every work out
common freestyle errors and how he corrects them
plus more...

#75: The ABC's of Optimal Health and Training with Eric Neilson Sep 02, 2016

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Eric Neilsen. Eric Neilsen is a multisport coach and consultant who works with athletes of all abilities from novice to professional, by providing personalized services that empower clients to achieve their full athletic potential.

Eric will be sharing about how he got started coaching, a few tips about triathlon training and the ABC's of optimal health and training.

#74: From Addiction To Record Breaker with Karyln Pipes Aug 11, 2016

My guest in this episode of The Effortless Swimming podcast is Karlyn Pipes. She is one of the top 10 Master Swimmers of all time and a multiple record holder in all 4 strokes in Masters Competitions.

#73: Healing the Grump Athlete with Katee Pedicini Aug 11, 2016

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Katee Pedicini. Katee is the author of "Healing The Grumpy Athlete". We will talk about her background, health and wellness and how her book came to be.

#72: The Need For Adventure with Chloe McCardel and Murph Renford Aug 11, 2016

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, I have two special guests: Chloe McCardel and Michael (Murph) Renford (son of legendary marathon swimmer, Des Renford). Chloe is aiming to break Des' record of 19 English Channel crossings this season. In this podcast, we talk about the need for adventure and connection with the ocean that drives marathon swimmers. Murph shares stories about his legendary dad like his record breaking swim from Sydney harbour to Wollongong (54 miles), his experience in swimming the English Channel and the happiness he gets from crewing for other swimmers.

#71: The Transition From Athlete to Coach with Sam Ashby Jun 03, 2016

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Sam Ashby. Sam is a part of the Australian Swim Team. He is coaching an age group squad in Melbourne. Today, Sam will be talking about his transition from being a swimmer to being a coach.

#70: What I've Learnt From One Hundred Podcasts with Kevin Koskella from TriSwimCoach May 24, 2016

In this podcast episode, we’ll talk to Kevin Koskella of TriSwimCoach about the key takeaways he’s had from interviewing guests in his own podcast and how it can help triathletes and swimmers improve their performance.

#69: Faster Swimming Series with Eney Jones - Racing and Rhythm (Part 3 of 3) May 18, 2016

This is the 3rd episode in this 3-part series of interviews with Eney Jones. In this episode we’ll talk all about racing and rhythm - how to achieve better results in your swimming and races.

Let’s get into it!

#68: Faster Swimming Series with Eney Jones - Gear and Toys (Part 2 of 3) May 18, 2016

This is part 2 of the 3-part podcast series that I’m doing with Eney Jones. In this episode, we’ll talk about gears that we can use to improve technique, rhythm and feel for the water.

#67: Faster Swimming Series with Eney Jones - Cues (Part 1 of 3) May 18, 2016

In this 3-part episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Eney Jones. In part 1, we’ll talk about cues and analogies for faster swimming. In the second podcast, we’ll talk about gear for faster swimming and the third podcast of this series is about racing and rhythm and how you can put everything together to get a better result in your triathlon or swimming race.

#66: The Psychology Of Performance with Grant Giles May 10, 2016

In this episode, we have Level 3 triathlon coach and coach to many pros, Grant Giles. He works with a range of triathletes from Tim Van Berkel to Clayton Fettell. Grant specializes in the psychology of sports performance and how you can use mindfulness and other techniques to break through mental barriers.

If you enjoy the mental game of sport, this episode is for you!

#65: Navigating Big Life Change with Kim Schwabenbauer Mar 23, 2016

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Kim Schwabenbauer. We recently had her as a guest and since the last podcast we had with her, she is now pregnant! We talk about how it is to be a professional triathlete, to now being pregnant and what the future looks like for her.

We also talk about a few things she is studying from her Master’s degree:

immunity and diet
how athletes can avoid getting sick and keep themselves in top health

#64: Pushing The Limit With Craig Percival Jan 26, 2016

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Craig Percival. Craig is a very successful triathlete and a multi-sport athlete. He finished second over all in The Ultraman World Championships in 2014. He has completed 20 Ironman events, a 4-time Hawaii-finisher and now getting ready for his biggest challenge yet - 8 Iron distance events in 8 days in the 8 different state and territories in Australia in March.

In this podcast, Craig will share with us:

how he is preparing for his biggest event yet
the challenges he has experienced along the way
how he is mentally managing his work, family life and training
how 8 in 8 in 8 came to be
what he teaches his athletes when he coaches them in the pool

To learn more about Craig, his work and how to help with his fundraising for 8 in 8 in 8, visit his website - www.nolimitsendurance.com.au

#63: The Mental Edge with Peter 'Robbo' Robertson Jan 26, 2016

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Pete Robinson aka "Robbo". He is a 3-time world champion in Triathlon, qualified for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, and a bronze medalist in the Commonwealth Games. Pete has transition to a coach through his business - Elite Performing Minds.In this podcast, we'll talk about how Pete:

has had a great success in the last 2 decades of competition
used mental strategies to have the upper edge over his competitors
teaches all these as a mentor

#62: Escaping Sleep Deprivation with Andre Obradovic Jan 25, 2016

This episode's guest is Andre Obradovic. Andre is a mindset, health and well-being coach. Andre specializes in sleep. He works with executives and athletes in helping them get more control of their sleeping habits.

In this podcast, Andre will let us know about:

the importance of sleep
how it can affect your performance in the pool or in triathlon
how it can affect your decisions and effectiveness when it comes to work, family and sport
how you can utilize a software that analyses your sleep data

#61: From Broken Collarbone To Pro Triathlete In 3 Years with Kim Schwabenbauer Jan 11, 2016

Our guest for this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast is fun, inspiring and motivating. Kim Schwabenbauer is a professional triathlete from the U.S. and a nutritionist. Kim will talk about:

her experience when she broke a collarbone, thinking she would never be
able to swim again and turning pro just three years later
nutrition and training
what she gets out of the sport
reason for her motivation

01:33 - Breaking a Collarbone: Adversity or an Advantage? 03:50 - On coming out stronger... 05:45 - It's part of the journey. 09:22 - What do you get out of triathlon the most? 10:42 - Triathlon rewards consistency. 20:58 - Learn the basics and build the propulsion. 39:36 - Feeling like a kid in a candy store. 45:56 - Kim's Process in Evaluating Athlete's Nutrition 55:06 - "They've found the formula for success and they're not messing with it..." 01:08 - How much balance do you need in your life?

To learn more about Kim and work visit her website www.fuelyourpassion.net

#60: How to Swim Faster in Open Water Dec 17, 2015

#59: Race Ready With Gerry Rodrigues of Tower 26 Dec 10, 2015

In this episode, we have Gerry Rodrigues of Tower 26. Tower 26 is a well-known swimming group in Santa Monica, United States where Gerry coaches a number of athletes (mostly triathletes).

Listen in as Gerry discuss:

the difference between training a swimmer versus training a triathlete
his philosophy in swimming
approach in workouts
how he structure his programs

#58: The Missing Ingredient with Nutritionist Steph Saullo Nov 17, 2015

In this podcast, we have Steph Saullo. She is a nutritionist who will share with us how you can get better performance in your swimming or triathlon by fuelling yourself better.

We'll cover:

fundamentals in nutrition that every athlete should know
common misconceptions about food and nutrition
case studies of athletes that Steph has worked with
what types of athletes should get a personal plan from their nutritionist and why they should do it
supplements and what type of athletes should take them

#57: The Magic Of Six Weeks With Andy Anderson Oct 23, 2015

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Andy Anderson. Andy is the Co-Founder of Ultimate You Change Centers.

He is famous for his 9 to 6 program. A program that aims to help people lose 9 kilos in 6 weeks. This program has a 90-95% success rate with his clients that do the program.

In this podcast, we'll talk about the Magic of Six Weeks:

how he gets people to follow through with his 9 to 6 program
what tools he use in his coaching programs
what mindset strategies he uses with his clients

#56: Strength Training For Masters Athletes with Chris Ritter Oct 20, 2015

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming Podcast, our guest is Performance Coach Chris Ritter. He has worked with a wide range of athletes - youth, masters to Olympic gold medalists. He works closely with Cullen Jones - 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist and American World Record Holder. In this podcast we'll talk about: - specific exercises if you're a master swimmer or triathlete - how to improve your performance in the pool by using dry land training - how to progress through different exercises if you don't have a background in strength training - how strength training can add power without the muscle gain

#55: Why You Don't Need To Start Early with Travis Mahoney Oct 16, 2015

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Travis Mahoney, he is an Australian Swim Team member. In this podcast, we'll talk about: - How Travis started swimming at a later age. - What he does on his day-to-day training - His approach to mindset, diet, stretching, rest and how he incorporate all of that in full training load

#54: Team Leadership with James O'Connor Oct 13, 2015

Our guest in this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast is James O’Connor. He is a success and leadership coach at Elite Team Leadership where he works with a wide range of sports and athletes to help them improve their results in their chosen field. He is also host of the JocX podcast.

#53: The Triple Crossing with Chloe McCardel Sep 15, 2015

Today’s guest is ultra-marathon swimmer, Chloe McCardel. She has successfully completed a triple crossing of the English Channel. This is something that hasn’t been done by anyone for the last 25 years. She’s the fourth person in history to do it. In this episode, we’ll look at what she did differently this time in crossing the English Channel in comparison to her first 2 attempts her day-to-day life and how she brings herself up to the pool or ocean to swim what Chloe is doing now to get other swimmers swim across the English Channel

#52: Front of the pack with Josh Amberger Sep 07, 2015

Today’s guest is professional triathlete, Josh Amberger. In the last 12 months, he’s won a range of 70.3 distance events including Port Macquarie, Challenge Half Shepparton and Western Sydney 70.3. He’s first out of the water in most triathlons. We talk to Josh about how he became such a good swimmer and triathlete.

#51: Truths About Swimming Part 3 Aug 10, 2015

Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen swimmers do really well and other swimmers who maybe have not reached their potential or have not quite gotten where they want to get to. These are some of the things I’ve noticed and taken account of.

#50: Truths About Swimming Part 2 Aug 10, 2015

Studies show that if you are training with someone, you push yourself up to 16% - 18% harder than you would if you are training by yourself.

#49: Truths About Swimming Part 1 Aug 10, 2015

What has worked and not for athletes, swimmers and triathletes? In the first part of this series, I will share with you what has made athletes, swimmers and triathletes reach an elite level with their swimming so it can help anyone who may not be from a swimming background.

#48: Straight Talk with Sara McLarty Aug 06, 2015

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Sara McLarty. She is a professional triathlete and a swimming coach based in Clermont, Florida. In December, I’ll be with Sara running the swim section at the Triathlon research Camp in Florida with Gwen Jorgensen and her coach Jamie Turner.

#47: How To Swim Fast When You're Not A Swimmer with Bevan Mckinnon Jul 23, 2015

In this podcast, I'll interview Bevan McKinnon. Bevan is an elite level triathlete, a triathlon coach and co-host at Fitter Radio – a podcast that features professional triathletes and triathlon coaches.

#46: 4 Mistakes To Avoid In Your Workouts Jul 23, 2015

In this podcast, we'll be looking at mistakes to avoid when doing your workout...

#45: Why You Run Out of Breathe at The End of Your Lap Jul 16, 2015

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming Podcast, we'll find out why you run out of breath at the end of the lap and how you can change it so that you are swimming easier, you are more relaxed and you are not gasping for air every time you touch the wall.

#44: English Channel and Cook Strait Legend Philip Rush Apr 29, 2015

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming podcast, our guest is open water swimming legend, Philip Rush. Philip Rush has completed ten crossings of the English Channel as well as triple crossing. He has the fastest record of two-way and three-way crossings of the English Channel. He has also done the Cook Strait eight times. He’s one of two people to complete a double crossing of the Cook Strait.

#43: Focus On What Matters with Sports Physiotherapist Greg Dea Apr 29, 2015

Our guest in this Effortless Swimming podcast episode is Greg Dea. He is a Performance Consultant and Sports Physiotherapist. He is currently serving at the Northern Territory Institute of Sport as a Sports Medicine Coordinator.

#42: How Triathlon Can Change Your Life with Christian Schwaerzler Apr 21, 2015

Our guest in this episode is Christian Schwaerzler, a triathlete who attended our Melbourne Freestyle clinic. He is an author, corporate coach and a speaker.

Christian weighed 135 kgs five years ago and he is now down to around 75 kgs. He lost 60 kgs as a result of changing his lifestyle, diet and exercise. He finished the Melbourne Ironman recently and training for another race in Zurich this year

#41: How To Develop Speed, Strength and Power with Wayne Goldsmith Apr 08, 2015

Speed, strength and power is crucial to high performance swimming.

Wayne Goldsmith has worked with Swimming Australia and Triathlon Australia and shares his top strategies to generating more speed in your swimming. We also talk about different types of training methods, different tools you can use in your workouts.

#40: First Out Of The Water with Clayton Fettell Mar 03, 2015

In this Podcast, Clayton Fettell talks about technique, strength training, some of his favorite workouts and how he sees swimmers being able to breakthrough their speed barrier and really take that next step with their swimming.

#39: The Complete Athlete with Andrew Read Feb 28, 2015

In this Podcast, we are going to talk about how Andrew Read sees strength and conditioning playing a part of endurance sports, goals versus systems, the process to building strength up for someone who’s just beginning, the habits that have the biggest impact on health and the right approach to health, fitness and well-being.

#38: Triathletes In Motion with Marc Evans Jan 20, 2015

Marc Evans recently finished his book “Triathletes in Motion”.

In his book, he’s covered having better movement patterns and better stability through your hips and core and improving your posture.

Traditionally, the focus of swimming and triathlon is volume, intensity, training periodization and doing a particular work out the right months or weeks leading up to a race.

But, what if you could improve your performance without logging the extra distance in the water or on the road?

That’s what we’ll cover in this episode!

#37: Superhero Swimming with Eney Jones Jan 05, 2015

Eney Jones is a successful Master’s swimmer, open water swimmer and accomplished triathlete. She lives and works in Boulder, Colorado and has worked with many of the top triathletes to help them improve their swimming.

We talk with Eney about technique, posture, tempo, catch and pull, open water racing tips and awareness in the open water. This episode is one you shouldn’t miss!

#36: How To Take 15 seconds off Your 100m Pace with Paul Bailey Oct 04, 2014

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming podcast, we have a good friend of mine - Master Swimmer Paul Bailey. He will talk about how consistent training and continual focus on technique has helped him improve his time.

#35: Brenton Ford On The Triathlon Research Podcast Sep 22, 2014

This podcast is my interview for the Triathlon research Podcast interview with Sam Cook. Here, we will go into more details of the triathlon, the psychology, training and the effort that goes into it.

If you’re a triathlete, I’m sure you’ll have some great takeaways from this podcast!

#34: How To Win A Double Ironman Event with Rait Ratasepp Aug 11, 2014

Our guest for this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast is a member of Swimprove - our swim coaching community - Rait Ratasepp. He just completed the Double Ultra World Cup in Hungary. What that is, is a double ironman. So think of ironman and double the distance. He did extremely well and ended up winning this event by about 3 hours. In this podcast, we will cover his training, the things he focused on for his swim and what are some of the workouts that he did.

#33: The Zen Of Swimming with Jon Muller Jul 11, 2014

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, I am going to interview my friend, Jon Muller. In the last couple of weeks, he finished writing a book about swimming which explains and describes it in a way that hits the nail on the head. Jon explained how most swimmers and triathletes feel when they get in the water. So in this podcast, Jon will explain how he came about in writing his book - The Zen of Swimming...

#32: How To Get Started In English Channel Swimming with Chloe McCardel Jun 18, 2014

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, we have Chloe McCardel. She is a 6-times solo English Channel swimmer. I would like to talk about how you can get started in channel swimming because unless you know someone who has done it before, it is very hard to get started and know what to do.

#31: How To Unlock Extra Speed Using Your Mind with Julie Robinson May 28, 2014

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming Podcast, I am talking to Julie Robinson. She is an elite level swimmer and today we will talk about mind training for swimming and how it fits into swimming puzzle.

#30: The One About Why Carb Loading Is B.S with Steph Lowe Apr 09, 2014

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming podcast, my guest for the third time is Steph Lowe - The Natural Nutritionist. We will talk about the truth about carbohydrate loading before your race week.

#29: The One About Yoga and Mindset with Mark Breadner Mar 18, 2014

In this episode of The Effortless Swimming podcast, our guest is Mark Breadner. Mark has done a lot of work with the Australian team in relation to some strength and conditioning work, some mindset training. Mark is going to talk about that and how you can implement it into your own swimming and triathlon training to help improve your performance.

#28: The One About Swimming Holidays with Aaron Davis Jan 24, 2014

In this podcast, my guest is Aaron Davis from Venture. Aaron runs an adventure travel company . He is the one running behind the scenes stuff for The Great Ocean Road Trip in February 2014. The reason why I am running this trip with Aaron is because I want to be able to focus on the coaching aspect of things with the swimming holidays that we are starting this year. This will allow me to focus more on the people that come with me on to the trips and the coaching aspect of it.

#27: Ultra Short Race Pace Training with Wayne Goldsmith Jan 23, 2014

In this podcast episode, we are getting Wayne Goldsmith back. We will be talking about Ultra Short Race Pace Training which is something that is starting to take off these days. I came across an article about a young swimmer in the States called Michael Andrew who is breaking some age group records, swimming very quick time for a 14-year-old and he is focusing on just ultra short race pace training.

#26: The One About Swimming In Ironman (with John and Bevan from IMTalk) Nov 13, 2013

In this podcast episode, I will talk to John and Bevan from IMTalk.me. The reason why I want to have them on is because majority of the listeners of this podcast are triathletes and a number of people I have spoken to who have listened to their podcast said they are outstanding so I thought I have got to check them out. They are 2 New Zealand guys talking about Ironman. Really just having a good time talking about triathlon and Ironman.

#25: The One About Going Natural (with Renee Trost) Oct 18, 2013

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming podcast, we have Renee Trost who is Naturopath here in Melbourne. Renee has a background in field hockey. She was an Australian team member for a number of years. She played in World Cups, World Champs, Champions Trophy and was also in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

#24: The One About Fixing Swimming Injuries (with Helen Walker) Oct 15, 2013

In this podcast, our guest is Helen Walker who is a Physio for Athletes. The reason I wanted to get Helen on the podcast today is because she’s been doing screenings for the number of my swimmers because they want to get checked up if they’re inflexible in any areas or if they need to strengthen any parts of their body to make them a more well rounded and complete swimmer so that they not only swim better but avoid injuries.

#23: The One About Run Mechanics For Swimmers (with Bobby McGee) Oct 15, 2013

In this episode I would like to talk about some of the things that Bobby McGee says when he gets people who have started out as swimmers and have gone to running. Some of the common traits or common flaws that he sees in swimmers going into running and how as a swimmer, how you can change them and start to look like a runner. Also, how you can improve your times and results.

#22: Fixing Injured Shoulders (with Luke Van Every) Sep 24, 2013

Swimmers clock up 1,000′s of laps in the pool every year. Our shoulders cop a lot of the brunt of this. Luke Van Every is known as ‘The Shoulder Guy’. He’s a physio from Queensland, Australia.

In this podcast I ask Luke about:

Common swimming shoulder injuries
How to avoid and treat shoulder injuries
Do’s and dont’s of stretching
What to be aware of if you’re hitting the gym

#21: The One About Getting Lean (with Andy Anderson of Ultimate You) Sep 23, 2013

In this episode I will interview Andy Anderson. Andy Anderson is the CEO of Ultimate You which is a gym here in Southbank, Melbourne. He is also the editor of Ultimate You Magazine. He is an entrepreneur, a strength and conditioning coach and a fitness expert.

In this episode, we will talk to him about losing weight, shedding kilos and trimming down. As a swimming coach, I see that a lot of swimmers and triathletes has a big opportunity to drop their times when they lose weight. If you lose a couple of kilos then that’s a lot less weight that you’ll be carrying in the water.

#20: Improving Your Technique (with Terry Laughlin from Total Immersion) Sep 19, 2013

We chat with Terry Laughlin from Total Immersion. Terry has developed a method of improving your swimming that has helped hundreds of thousands of swimmers and triathletes worldwide to swim smoother. He’s an expert at helping people fix the weaknesses in their stroke so they can move naturally through the water with grace and ease. In our chat with Terry he talks about:

How he improved the speed of swimmers in the ‘slow lane’ to being much closer to that of the ‘fast lane’ swimmers
Using the feel of the water to increase your speed rather than thinking technically about the stroke
The one thing you should focus on with your head position for more relaxed swimming

#19: Open Water Domination (with Oliver Wilkinson) Sep 19, 2013

We take a look into the world of marathon swimming. What motivates distance swimmers to do the huge miles week in week out? How do they prepare for big races? We talk with the 45km Manhattan Island swim world record holder, Oliver Wilkinson about:

Training for distance events and the number of kilometers he does weekly leading up to a big race
What he eats the night before to ‘carb load’ and how he refuels during a race
Finding the right stroke rhythm quickly
Which aspects of his technique he focuses on in training
How hard he works his kick in long distance swims
Dealing with the mental challenges in cold water and endurance races

#18: Sprinting Power (with Olympic medallist Andrew Lauterstein) Sep 19, 2013

In this episode we look inside the mindset and training regime of top level sprinters.

#17: Short Course Racing (with world record holder Peter Marshall) Sep 19, 2013

Our first US guest is a current world record holder and backstroke champion. Peter Marshall reveals how he broke three world records in backstroke. Like a lot of age group swimmers, Peter started out doing lots of miles in the pool. He was a distance swimmer in his early years but converted to a sprinter after making some changes to his training. In the podcast he chats about what changed in his program and how his gym workouts shifted focus. We cover race routines, psychology and developing power in the water.

#16: The Comeback Episode (with Olympic gold medallist Michael Klim) Sep 19, 2013

Wowza, what an episode! We managed to pry former world record holder and Olympic champion Michael Klim away from his busy schedule for an insight into his comeback. After a number of years out of the pool Michael decided to pull on the speedo’s for another crack at the Olympics, training for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

#15: The One About Injuries (With Australian Swim Team Physio Justin McEvoy) Sep 19, 2013

As you train more often you realise that injuries are common if you don’t do something to prevent them. Sports physio Justin McEvoy has been away with the Australian swim team treating elite swimmers such as Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Michael Phelps, Roland Schoeman plus dozens of other high profile athletes.

#14: The English Channel Episode (with Chloe McCardel) Sep 19, 2013

Being the second female and second Australian to complete a double crossing of the English Channel, Chloe McCardel is one of Australia’s best marathon swimmers. She’s won the prestigious 46km Manhattan Island race and is now gearing up for a triple-crossing of the English Channel.

#13: The One About Preparation (with Australian team swimmer Sam Ashby) Sep 19, 2013

Months of hard work go towards one big race. Long hours in the pool, thousands of kilometers and tens of thousands of arm strokes…all for a few minutes of racing.

#12: How To Win In Open Water (with Australian Open Water swimmer Sam Sheppard) Sep 19, 2013

Sam Sheppard is one of Australia’s best open water competitors. Whether it’s 1km or 10km, Sam is a fierce racer and a smart swimmer.

#11: The One About Improving Performance (with Wayne Goldsmith) Sep 19, 2013

When it comes down it, sport is more than just a physical battle. Five minutes of speaking with performance consultant Wayne Goldsmith and you get a sense of just how important the mental side of it is.

#10: How to have more energy at the end of a race (featuring Olympian Ash Delaney) Sep 18, 2013

In the first episode we chat with Olympic backstroker Ashley Delaney. He reveals:

How he got started in swimming by accidentThe one thing he changed in his diet to drop two kilos in weight and start swimming faster times in trainingSmall things he focuses on each lap that made him one of the best underwater kickers Australia has ever seenOne change that you can make in a race to conserve your energy and have more speed and power at the end of every race

Ash and I lived together for a year when he was in his final year at high school. He then moved to the Australian Institute of Sport to train and has now moved back to Melbourne, Victoria. Ash has won medals the the Olympics and World Championships in backstroke.

#9: The One About Epic Races (with Trent Grimsey) Sep 18, 2013

Trent Grimsey is an open water swimmer, he is an Australian team member and most notably he has recently broken the English Channel world record. He went 6 hours 55 minutes, breaking the old record by 2 minutes and 50 seconds. We chat to Trent about the Channel swim but also his training, technique and how he avoids injury doing so many km’s in the pool.

#8: Why Usain Bolt Travels With a Chiropractor (featuring Koe Davidson) Sep 18, 2013

On this episode of Effortless Swimming podcast, I have Koe Davidson who is a swimmer with me at PowerPoints and he is also a chiropractor. I have been seeing Koe for the last couple of weeks about a sore back, but going in to get that treated I have had a lot more come out of it than just that. I felt better in the pool, I have more power and I have felt a whole lot better just generally from getting treated twice a week.

#7: The One About Becoming Triathlon World Champion (with Russell Smith) Sep 18, 2013

Russell Smith is the current age group triathlon world champion in Olympic distance & Asia Pacific age group champion in Ironman. He has been using the Effortless Swimming Workouts as part of his training program. In this podcast, he will talk about how he is using the Effortless Swimming Workouts to succeed in triathlon.

#6: The One About High Performance Nutrition (with Steph Lowe) Sep 18, 2013

Steph Lowe is a Nutritionist, a tri-athlete training for the Hawaiian Half Ironman, she is about to complete her master’s degree in nutrition and she specialises in sports nutrition using natural food and ingredients. In this episode of The Effortless Swimming podcast, Steph will talk about high performance nutrition for swimmers.

#5: The One About Training Smarter (with Jeff Booher from TriDot) Sep 18, 2013

Jeff Booher is a triathlon coach who specialises in custom designed training programs. He works with all levels of triathletes from age groupers to professionals. He also leads a coaching team of 15 Tridot certified coaches who work with hundreds of athletes all over the world.

#4: The One About Running (with Bobby McGee) Sep 18, 2013

Bobby McGee has 31 years of coaching experience. He started intensely coaching triathletes in 2002. He has coached the Olympic champion in Atlanta in a marathon. He also coached some age group race walkers, some amateur race walkers to world titles and then the last decade has been full on with the triathletes.

#3: Why I Swapped Weet Bix for Bacon & Eggs (with The Natural Nutritionist Steph Lowe) Sep 18, 2013

We’re back for round two for the second podcast with my favourite nutritionist, Steph Lowe of TheNaturalNutritionist.com

Today we’re talking about the two big misconceptions about food. I’ve made some changes to what I eat lately based on misinformation I learnt when I was in school. Let’s get into it.

#2: The One About Swimming Easy (with John Konrads) Sep 18, 2013

John Konrads holds 26 individual world records and won the 1500 m freestyle in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He now coaches up in the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland. One of his mantras is “swim easy”.

In this podcast episode I will talk to John and see how we can prove how swimming can be “effortless” and easy”.

#1: The One About Raising Champion Swimmers (with Gary Barclay) Sep 17, 2013

Gary Barclay of TheSwimmingExpert.com is the author of Swimming for Parents – a book about how to best support your child in swimming. In this episode of The Effortless Swimming podcast Gary will talk about how to raise a champion swimmer.

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