why YOU are wrong about MICHAEL ANDREW

I sit down with @TheSwimsuitGuy to talk about Michael Andrew and more specifically the last 50m of his 200 Individual Medley. Most people think he struggled so much at the end this race because he doesn't train hard enough but Sonny think it is purely Michael Andrew's freestyle technique.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

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[matthewpohlman]

Completely agree. It's all about the freestyle stroke count. In the WR swim Lochte took 33 strokes and Phelps took only 32! Andrew took 37 when he swam his best time.

[ooflord]

I dropped a solid 3-4 seconds in my 100 free by switching to a gallop stroke. There’s no question Michael Andrew can improve and break that world record.

[meghdaniellama]

Finally people debating about technique or stamina.

[JamieK]

You can tell he tightens up by the time he hits the free leg of the 2IM. I think he works harder than any swimmer those first 150m, so if he backed off a bit and worked on his endurance a bit and worked on that gallop stroke like you guys were talking about I think it would all come together for him on that event.

[sarawawa]

I think Michael Andrew gives swimming the mood we need and the against the grain training we need to see. He's brave AND talented to take a risk to do something different than the typical swimmer. He benefits the swimming community in so many ways. Keep going Michael! Let the "haters" hate and work that talent, prove them wrong with your actions and of course praise God. 😉

[shelbytraining]

I want to see him train for and swim the 100/200 free and at least go 48 low/1:48. His best times being 49.4 and 1:56 is just not good enough.

He can train USRPT and keep everything else the same but just use those events as development for the IM.

Imo he needs to gallop for that but if he can prove that he can get to those times without I'd be surprised but I think it would be good enough.

[sethaldrich]

I hope he swims it in Paris! I wanna see Marchand, Shun, Foster, and Andrew race just like that Athens 2free in '04

[Nashvegas]

Would enjoy watching Michael try a more efficient freestyle stroke.

[davidguthrie]

You guys are smart. If MA and PA approached this as purely a fitness issue they’d never overcome a technical problem. You’re right to point out that his kick goes MIA at the end of some of his 100 races sometimes, like the 100 fly. That puts even more stress on the arms when they can handle it the least. One thing I’d add is that it’s not a matter of lifting the recovery arm higher out of the water on his non-breathing side. The high arm recovery is totally dependent on body rotation, which is also the source of power. I think if Michael focuses on rotation and relies on his core for power on the last 50, he will be able to sustain the speed he needs. They were working on straight arm recovery for the 50, so he knows how to rotate effectively. His raw power is astounding. He may very well be the most powerful guy in the pool, bar none. I would love to see MA crush the last 50 and the WR!

[gianpolignano]

Do you think Biedermann developed the gallop stroke as a method of his vaunted final 50/100 blitzing of the opposition?

[kurthanson]

rather than train for a multitude of events I think the event clash is a blessing for the first time we’ll see a more targeted approach from MA it’s the 50m free & 100 breast in this campaign - will narrowing his focus make him better or worse?

[travisanderson]

If we’re looking at it from MA’s viewpoint, and using USRPT methodology, the issue would be both technique and training, because the two go hand in hand in USRPT. The technique is what is needed to go the pace, and it is constantly being challenged and refined through the stress of training.

We’ve seen (and MA agreed) that training USRPT 200p helps his 100m events, and gives him the best ever 150m in the 2IM, but doesn’t translate to what he needs to do to finish that last 50. IMO, he just needs to adjust his training cycle and include some USRPT focus for the 400m/500y FR, where he can work on refining those elements of FR technique you guys discussed over longer distances and higher volumes, and that WR is his

[labirintin]

It's his Stroke & Technique, his personal Mark! We don't care comparing with others! Good luck to all!

[benjesse]

Can you do a world class 50 free while potentially adjusting technique and mileage for the 200IM?

[camilovargas-cd]

Brett I think you made good points to validate the technique issue. The same reason MA is not as good in the 100 free vs the 50 free is the same reason and it gets magnified in that last 50 free of the 200 free. He can't swim fast fatigued because if he breathes he is not fast.

[raphaelsariman]

I see this in my 10 year old son when he swam the IM. He always struggles at the last part. It's not that he's not fit. He is very fit.

[nickbaker]

Thorpe still has the fastest last 50 in a 200 IM ever and he only went 2:00 in that race. Although he was obviously capable of much faster

[theraceclub]

I see Michael pretty often in Coronado. He is a great guy and works hard in his anaerobic way. He is extremely talented...arguably the most talented swimmer out there. It is not about technique, nor is it about training that will help Michael finish the 200 IM. He is simply not anatomically nor physiologically equipped well for the 200 m events. Virtually all of the greatest 200 IMers, past and present, including Phelps, Lochte, Marchand, Casas....are all middle distance swimmers. None of them are or were sprinters. Michael is a sprinter and built as a sprinter. He can train up to the 100 (if he chooses to)....but not the 200. Michael's muscle composition is more fast twitch than slow twitch fibers. He also has more girth and drag. Fast twitch fibers have no mitochondria...which means they can't use the oxygen, even if you gave it to them (BTW. he doesn't help this issue by breathing every other on the fly and 33 breaths per minute on his breaststroke legs). By the time he has put forth the effort of getting to the 150 faster than any other human being, his pH has dropped below the redline. Meaning, he becomes a rock. Muscles almost stop working when the pH goes that low. He has no choice. That is the way his fast twitch muscles work. That is also nature's way to help keep us alive. No amount of training nor technique will change that much.
As for his 100's, more aerobic training and longer (than 50's) anaerobic sets would likely help that. A better comparison with Michael is with Adam Peaty in the shorter breaststroke events. Adam (also a fast twitch swimmer) was the fastest 50 breaststroker in the world at age 19 but it took him a few years before he could handle the second 50 to set the WR in the 100. His WR (56.9) set was 60 SR going down, 62 SR coming back. Michael is pretty close to Adam in the 50 breast (26.4 vs 25.9) and swims that race at a 64 SR. In the 100, Michael swims it at a 42 SR. Why? Because he hasn't trained the right way to hold 60 going down and coming back. That takes a different kind of training.
Adam gave up the 200 long ago, even though he was pretty fast in it, because he knew he was not built for it. Michael should do the same for the 200 IM....or any other 200 for that matter. I am sure Usain Bolt could have run a pretty fast 400 m, but not like he ran the 100 and 200 m. Stick with the events you are best equipped to do. For Michael, that is 50's and 100's.
He can try to trick his body into believing that the 200 IM is really just 4 x 50 sprints with very short rest, but his body wakes up at the 150 and says "NO!...This is really a 200...not four 50's". End of race.
Gary Sr.

[MultiGreatescape]

Training and technique, another key component is mental application.

[carnoustieclaymoresmeetsec]

Would love to see a full flow, no event filler, Duncan Scott go H2H with Michael Andrew on 2IM. It's the blue ribband for me.