The Top 20 Rules for Faster Triathlon Swimming

Joel Filliol revisits the purpose of the Real Coaching Podcast and the Substack long-form series with accompanying episodes focused on simplifying endurance training into "world class basics." In this episode he expands on his 2012 article "Top 20 Swim Rules for Faster Triathlon Swimming," arguing that conditioning and frequency drive improvement more than traditional drills, and that athletes should build swim-specific fitness to hold technique, complete longer main sets, and handle higher stroke rates for open-water conditions. He discusses when to include quality, why not to overfocus on stroke counts or kick sets, and how to use bands, paddles, and other tools effectively without relying on them as a crutch, plus the role of dryland work, repetition, and a mindset of patience and enjoyment.

SHOW NOTES

00:00 Why Real Coaching

02:19 Top 20 Swim Rules

04:32 Conditioning Beats Drills

06:44 Drills and Motor Learning

09:21 Swim Frequency Wins

10:53 Long Main Sets

12:30 Mindset and Flow

14:54 Swim Fitness for Bike Run

16:36 Race Pace Skills

17:38 Make Every Swim Count

19:39 Stop Counting Strokes

22:41 Kick and Body Position

23:59 Band and Paddles Tools

29:42 Head Position Fixes

30:45 Short Reps and Stroke Rate

33:49 Keep Sessions Simple

34:54 Masters Groups and Tools

39:17 Dryland Strength Boost

40:16 Love Swimming Repetition

43:07 Wrap Up and Support

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Substack article: The Top 20 Rules for Faster Triathlon Swimming
Substack article: Risk and Reward
Substack article: Zone 1 is where the magic happens 
Substack article: Progression: A powerful training heuristic
Substack article: Don't be a January Champion