By Bob Bowman

Swimming Technique April - June 2001 Feature Article

Formula for Success
Michael Phelps' recent world record in the 200 meter fly is a result of a developmental plan, set up by the coaches at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, which was conceived and implemented over the past five years.

The North Baltimore Aquatic Club has a long history of producing Olympic gold medalists, world record holders and scores of nationally ranked swimmers. Just last March, 15-year-old Michael Phelps became the youngest American male ever to set a world record when he clocked 1:54.92 for the 200 meter butterfly (LC) at the U.S. Nationals in Austin. Our tradition of excellence is a direct result of over three decades of work by Murray Stephens, NBAC's founder and director. Under Murray's guidance, we are developing a new club structure, which will allow our program to be competitive at the highest levels of the sport for the next 30 years. Michael's arrival on the international scene is a clear indicator that NBAC is once again poised to be a driving force in international swimming. There are five key elements of Michael Phelps' training program:

Attitude Development
Our mental outlook is one of the few things that we can truly control. NBAC swimmers are expected to view training as a privilege and to act accordingly. This year we are using the slogan, "The Solution Lies Within Us," to illustrate the fact that we must first look inward to find solutions to challenges. We encourage swimmers to develop problem-solving skills and to see our rigorous training sessions as adventures (not ordeals).

Incremental Technical Improvement
Improvement in stroke technique is an on-going, long-term operation. Years' (seasons') worth of small adjustments add up to large gains in performance capacity. Michael has made steady progress in bringing his strokes to a world-class level by targeting specific elements of each stroke to work on each season (e.g., breaststroke kick). By gradually refining and strengthening particular parts of each stroke, he has been able to sustain a rapid rate of improvement over the past four years.

Endurance Training
The most important ingredient in Michael's recipe for success is endurance training. He trains for the 400 IM, the 1500 freestyle and the 200 fly in that order. This base of conditioning allows him to swim a wide program of events and to swim multiple events in one session or day at very high performance levels. A distance-oriented base of training is the foundation on which his racing speed is built.

Specific Speed/Pace Training
All NBAC swimmers are expected to perform at racing speed for some portion of each practice. This may come in the form of repeats (50s,100s, 200s) or as sprints (25s). However, we insist that the times be achieved with proper technique and stroke counts. How the time is swum is just as important as how fast the time is swum. Our sets are designed to make the stroke respond in conditions similar to racing. We predominately use a short-rest, aerobic approach to develop our pacing skills.

Strength/Power Training
Most of our strength training is done on dryland. We use a variety of body weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats, medicine balls, etc). We believe that the dryland work must enhance our swimming performance, not destroy it. Therefore, weight lifting_which can be very taxing to the muscles_is not a major component of our program. The three main objectives of the NBAC dryland program are as follows: