Loren Ward from Passion Fit believes that it is never too late to develop your swim no matter your age or experience level. Loren asked some of the teams’ athletes to share what they have learnt about swim progression, and how they apply themselves. But as Loren writes, a lot of these key learnings can be applied to all areas of your life.
The power of swim video analysis
Have you ever considered swim video analysis? Here coach Julian Nagi explains why it is helpful for swimmers to see footage of their swimming, and how you can build it into your training or if you are a coach – make use of swim analysis experts to help your athletes to develop.
An Introduction to Heart Rate Variability
HRV tracking is another tool that can provide an insight into how your body is responding to your training. Through measuring the variability in your heart rate, we can spot patterns in how well you are absorbing your training load and whether you need to push more or hold back.
Bone Density and Strength Training
Janette Cardy shares with us why strength training is important, especially for women, and what benefits it can bring for your bone density and muscle mass.
Why you should stop chasing outcomes in sport
Tom Ward from Passion Fit Coaching discusses in this blog why always being focussed on outcomes can lead to demotivation and disappointment. He presents an alternative approach and shares some of the techniques he uses with his athletes.
The Highs and Lows of Heart Rate Training
This is Part 2 of a two part blog by the Mountain Abandon coaches Nicolette and Pierre. While Part 1 discussed RPE, here Nicolette looks specifically at heart rate training, its use in ultra and trail running, and the importance of understanding your data.
Are you suffering from I.A.S?
Inhibitory Analytical Syndrome (IAS) is something coach Julian Nagi has come across many times in his decades of coaching all levels of swimmers. If you are someone who struggles to swim fluidly because you are concentrating too much on all the technique queues you have been given, then this useful article may help you to progress more quickly. As Julian says “We are imperfect as human beings, and we are definitely imperfect as swimmers. The key is to find the best stroke that works for you.” Rhythm, momentum and flow are the most important words in a swimmers vocabulary and Julian is here to explain why.
Choosing a wetsuit
Wetsuit technology has come a long way in the last 5 years, and for the majority of people, if your wetsuit is older than 5 years then investing in a new one will have a significant impact on your swim times. But how do you choose the right one for you?
Pool Swimming V’s Open Water
Xhale co-founder and hugely experienced triathlon coach Mark Livesey talks us through why for some athletes their pool swimming speed doesn’t translate to open water, and what they can do about it.
6 Golden Rules of Nutrition for Endurance Athletes
Caroline Livesey takes us through 6 Golden Rules for your day to day nutrition to help you get the most out of your training plan. While people are constantly looking for quick fixes to help with weights or energy management, as this article points out – if you don’t get the basics right you will never progress no matter how hard you train.
Training for a fell running season
Fell and trail running seasons are notoriously varied, long, and difficult to train for. Here coach and mountain expert David Taylor of Fell Running Guide takes us through ways of structuring your season and training to get the best from yourself in these arduous races. He covers picking races, strength training, common mistakes and how to juggle all the demands on your body.
Getting Started – Part 1
This is part 1 of our coaching resources – specifically for coaches and athletes using XHALE. Here you can learn about downloading the app, what the app can do for you, how to get started with onboarding athletes, and setting up their training programmes.