Functional training is a training concept in which all the muscles of the body participate in the exercises.
The functional training program has become one of the most popular training systems in the world and in a very short time became a trend, first in the world, and then only in our region.
In functional training, human movement is divided into four categories: 1. Movement (change in the level of flow) 2. Pushing 3. Pulling 4. Rotation. These are the four pillars of human movement, so the exercises are also divided that way.
The term "functional training" means the concept of training that affects the simultaneous development of as many motor and functional abilities and psycho-physical traits as possible, as well as the entire physiology and optimal biochemical structure in the body.
Functional training will have a maximum effect on the development of motor skills (strength, force, coordination, balance, muscular endurance, speed, flexibility), on the maximum increase of energy potentials (phosphate, glycolytic and aerobic) and on the reduction of fat tissue (subcutaneous and visceral) and increase muscle mass.
A small but extremely important group of parents asked me to write this text so that it would be much clearer to everyone what needs to be done so that their children can be successful in competitive swimming.
Efficiency, speed endurance, but also explosive power and speed of rotation and strokes during swimming. These are terms that explain everything by themselves.
You See...
When children come to swimming school, they learn the most basic movements that modern swimming requires, depending on the style of swimming, and there are four of them.
In functional training, it is the phase of stabilization and muscular endurance. Each one lasts for four weeks and there is also an emphasis on the correct execution of movements during the given exercise. The next phase is the Hypertrophy phase, followed by the Maximum Strength phase and at the end of the Power phase. Each phase lasts four weeks. Each has its own volume, intensity, tempo of repetitions, exactly determined duration of rest between sets, number of sets and number of repetitions in a set.
What is important is that in functional training, when you master the first two phases, i.e. learn the correct patterns of movement in the exercises, you do not repeat them but move on. The training changes drastically in the following phases, because now the preoccupation is on stronger, faster and better quality movement in training.
It's the same story with swimming.
When you teach children the correct movements and they gain endurance, then you have to do a completely different type of training if you want these children to be faster, stronger and better at swimming.
Efficiency and speed endurance are also the first two phases in swimming and coincide with the first two phases in functional training. In general, it is similar in every sport. Swimming may require a little longer time to learn the correct movements, but the concept is identical.
With more correct execution of the technique, you will also have better speed. With longer and longer sections and interval training, you will get that swimmers can swim longer and longer at their highest speed.
As children grow, it is normal that their speed will also be better because they are also stronger and their height increases and their limbs are longer. This is all normal and it is normal that you will have more or less results that are within the framework for their age.
What you can find on the Internet are programs that are adapted to the age of swimmers and competitors.
What you will not find is something more than that.
Obtaining explosive power and stronger strokes with the arms, but also the highest possible speed, rotation of the arms and kicks during swimming is represented in the usual swimming programs, only within the framework of various variations of efficiency and speed endurance.
But the fact is that, just like in functional training, you have to train in a completely different way. In addition to the volume, you must drastically increase the intensity and training method.
In short, everything must be different in the following phases of training, if you want something more than average.
In addition, there is (OPT) optimal performance training (NASM) which systematically and progressively leads to maximum results and is very suitable for every sport, especially for swimmers.
Of course, I can't help but mention that the creativity of the coach and his feeling for the right choice of exercises and the design of the entire training program according to the competitor are of the greatest importance.
That's the only way to get a champion in swimming !
Depending on what the training goal is, a real coach must have answers to the following questions:
1. Which exercises are most appropriate for the movements you want to improve in your competitors (clients)?
2. Which exercises are not useful for the competitor (client)?
3. Which training intensity is most appropriate for the competitor (client)?
4. How many exercises should the competitor (client) do?
5. How many sets and repetitions should the competitor (client) do?
6. What should be the breaks between sets in training for a competitor (client)?
7. What is the volume of training, that is, how many sets and intensity of training is ideal for a competitor (client)?
8. How many days a week should a competitor (client) train?
This is a brief explanation of what is currently one of the most popular training methods in the world of both professional sports and recreational sports.
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