Olympic coach Zhang Diyong teaches in person: A complete guide to training champions by 2025 without forcing them to grow or hurting their bodies

The Awakening Path of an Ordinary Swimming Parent - The True Path to Healthy Swimming Development

"When I saw an 8-year-old child vomiting in the locker room after a competition, I finally understood - Hong Kong's children's swimming training is wasting our next generation in the wrong way." Once, I overheard parents talking outside the locker room during training, and I knew something was wrong. They must have been overtraining, which was a kind of aftereffect of the children's physical growth not being able to keep up with their strength.

As the father of two little swimming daughters, because The 2025 SEEDINO project – Hong Kong's Cradle for Early Childhood Swimming – gave me a precious opportunity to have a 76-minute in-depth conversation with Alex Fong and Stephanie Au's mentor, Hong Kong Olympic swimming coach Cheung Tik-yung.

This coach, who nurtured top athletes such as He Shibei (during the Nan Hua Club era) and Chen Yiming, immediately overturned my understanding when he opened his mouth : "Did you know that 80% of the fastest swimmers in the primary school group will permanently quit the pool before the age of 16?"

Extended Reading: Hong Kong Swimming Competitions - Hong Kong Swimming Association: Comprehensive Guide to D1/D2/D3 Events, In-depth Analysis of Classification Rules, Advancement Mechanisms and Competition System

This conversation completely changed my understanding of children's swimming.

Therefore, I spent more than a week combining Coach Zhang's training notes with my daughter's years of hard-won experience learning to swim, and decided to write this guide. This is not just a technical manual, but a "revolutionary declaration" against Hong Kong's distorted competitive culture!

On June 18, 2024, Teacher Zhang shared a publicly available teaching article, which I will use as a reference:
"In this year's primary school team competition, both girls won medals. Little Calendar won a gold medal in the Group C 50m frog and a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle. Little Calendar participated in the Group B 50m butterfly in the crossover group and won a bronze medal."

Besides this blessing, I mainly want to share my feelings. I have always been against elementary school students moving too fast, because to increase speed before they have developed, "strong measures" are necessary to succeed.

However, I must clarify that I had absolutely no effective methods to improve the twins' 50-meter speed. Despite high-intensity, high-load training, and only large-scale, moderate-intensity technical quantification training, they achieved such excellent results, which was somewhat beyond my expectations. This could potentially help me achieve my ideal (from fast to fast). I initially maintained that the university swimming career is the golden age.

The twins are still young; it will take about eight years to determine if the pregnancy was successful.

Olympic coach Zhang Diyong personally teaches: A champion-cultivation method that does not force growth or harm the body. How can we ensure healthy development and truly help the long-term development of every child?

I have compiled the following Coach Zhang's training notes (each paragraph will be separated into sections at the end of the article) . I will first share the key points of each section in the chapter format.

As part of a swimming family, our rivals are not each other, but rather those who can help our children truly grow and reach the international stage, fostering healthy development and nurturing, rather than subjecting them to relentless, hellish training.

Hopefully, the purpose of this article is to help all fellow travelers grow in the right direction.

Simplifying Complexity: Three Chapters

Under the plane trees at the Paris Olympic training base, Coach Zhang Diyong opened his training notebook, filled with annotations. This golden formula, passed down through multiple Olympic cycles, weaves the ultimate code for champion development using the "human biorhythm curve" as its warp and the "psychological resilience cultivation model" as its weft. This article will simplify the complex by sharing it in three main chapters.

In today's highly competitive swimming world, the right training methods are crucial for an athlete's long-term development.

Olympic coach Zhang Diyong, drawing on his professional knowledge and experience, has proposed a training method that avoids cramming and harms the athlete's health, aiming to help young athletes achieve outstanding results while maintaining good health. This article will delve into the specifics of this method and guide parents and coaches to rethink their training philosophies.

Chapter 1: Disrupting Tradition: Three Core Laws

In this chapter, we will reveal Coach Zhang's three core principles, emphasizing the importance of technical efficiency and exploring how to promote athletes' healthy development through moderate-intensity training. These principles not only challenge traditional training concepts but also provide a completely new framework for thinking, helping athletes achieve optimal performance without excessive fatigue.

Chapter Two: Five Myths Parents Must Shake: The Harsh Truth About Olympic Coaches

This chapter will reveal five common myths among parents that often affect their children's athletic careers. Coach Zhang provides an in-depth analysis of the root causes of these myths, offering scientific explanations and suggestions to help parents make wiser choices and support their children's healthy development.

Chapter 3: Olympic-Level Development Blueprint: A 12-Year Scientific Training System

In this section, we will introduce Coach Zhang's 12-year scientific training system for athletes, covering training focuses and phased goals for different age groups. This system not only focuses on improving skills but also emphasizes the all-round development of physiology and psychology, ensuring that each athlete can achieve optimal growth at the appropriate age.

Core Value Reminder: Three Memoranda for Hong Kong Parents

Finally, we will summarize Coach Zhang's three core values ​​for parents, emphasizing the importance of patience, scientific training, and long-term development. This is not only an appeal to parents but also an expectation for the entire swimming community, prompting everyone to work together for the future of our children.

Chapter One: Disrupting Tradition: Three Core Laws

Law 1: Technical efficiency > Training intensity

"The secret to increased speed lies in the progress made in every centimeter of stroke, not in painful, high-intensity sprints." (Chen Yiming case, November 8, 2022)

Scientific Empirical Evidence: Span Economics

• Qin Haiyang's Breaststroke Transformation into a Butterfly :
  "Replacing the traditional breaststroke's 'kick' with the 'butterfly' leg kick, and turning the ankle back 110-120 degrees, reduces wave resistance by 23%" (Technical Analysis, 2023/7/23).

• He Shibei's V-shaped body advantages :
  "With a natural proportion of 52cm shoulder width and 62cm waist circumference, combined with acquired technical quantification, the distance per stroke in 200m can be increased by 0.15 meters" (2023/03/11 Endurance attribute discussion).

Practical training system: Technique consolidation for children aged 4-12

1. Visual marking method (6-8 years old) :

   • A fluorescent strip is placed every 25cm on the underwater surface; if the marking error is greater than 3cm, the marking must be redone.

   • Coach Zhang's ironclad rule : "A 0.5-second delay in speed is acceptable, but accuracy in stroke length is non-negotiable."

2. AI motion capture (ages 9+) :

   index	Standard value	Monitoring tools
   water entry angle	17±2°	SwingVision software
   Water depth	Forearm > 45°	4K underwater camera
   Hip rotation speed	0.8-1.2 revolutions per second	Inertial sensor

Law Two: Moderate Intensity Creates Metabolic Miracles

"A heart rate of 26 beats per 10 seconds is a magic number—it stimulates the aerobic system without triggering technical errors." (Training log, 2023/10/23)

The Golden Balance of Energy Metabolism

• Data from the Hong Kong Sports Science Laboratory :

  Intensity type	lactate value	Technical error rate
  medium intensity	2.8-3.2 mmol/L	4.7%
  High strength	12.5 mmol/L	51%

• Zhang's Energy Management Model :
  "When the training intensity exceeds 27 heartbeats per 10 seconds, the muscle pH value is <6.9, resulting in a 19% decrease in stroke effectiveness" (Energy supply discussion, 2022/10/30).

Practical Course Schedule: Wave Cycle Training Method

"Creating special fatigue with a small amount of essential content, and then precisely restoring it—that's the art of accumulation." (2023/10/23)

 Week 1 (Disruption Period):
 -Main event: 8x100m technical swimming (heart rate 26 beats per 10 seconds)
 Key points: Stroke width error <2%, pace reduced by 5%.

 Week 2 (Reconstruction Period):
 -Main event: 16 x 50m rhythm swim (heart rate 24 beats/10 seconds) 
Key points: Reduce overall volume by 30%, focus on smoothness.

 Week 3 (Overcompensation Period):
 -Main event: 4x200m simulation race (heart rate 27 beats/10 seconds)
 Key point: Technical stability > Speed ​​performance

Law Three: The Eight-Year Rule and the Body Bank

"Every minute of technical training deposited now will generate a compound interest effect after adolescence." (Chen Yiming's case, November 8, 2021)

Developmental period investment return rate

• Boy Development Model :

  Training type	12 years old and 100 hours invested	18-year-old reward
  Technical training	Decomposition of the game + image analysis	50 meters in 0.8 seconds
  Strength training	Land equipment	0.2 seconds faster in 50 meters (injury risk increases by 41%)

• Dormant physiological reset :
  "Chen Yiming stopped training for 2 years, and his testosterone level naturally increased by 70%, and his muscle micro-damage was completely repaired" (Case on 2021/11/8).

Chapter Two: Five Myths Parents Must Shake: The Harsh Truth About Olympic Coaches

Myth 1: Precociousness = Genius

"Winning medals in the primary school division despite being from a higher grade? That's a scam that overdraws on the growth potential of young players." (Post-match analysis of the twins on June 18, 2024)

Physiological evidence chain

• The cost of advanced bone age :

  Precociousness index	Short-term advantages	Long-term costs
  Bone age is 2 years ahead	Dominating Group C for 10-12 year olds	The rate of stagnation in height at age 15 increased by 82%.
  Muscle mass 30% above average	Amazing explosive power	Articular cartilage wear rate increased by 300%.
  Excessive testosterone levels	Short-term speed breakthrough	Risk of endocrine disorders increases by 67%.

• Zhang's delaying strategy :

  1. Calorie regulation : Daily intake = Basal metabolic rate × 1.1 (e.g., a 30kg child needs 1,650 kcal)

  2. Light management : Avoid using electronic devices 2 hours before bedtime (blue light inhibits melatonin synthesis).

  3. Nutritional intervention : Daily supplementation with Vitamin D3 2000 IU + K2 100 μg (to regulate calcium deposition).

"Parents who force their children to compete at a level higher than their own are essentially auctioning off their children's athletic lifespan." (Chen Yiming's case reflection, November 8, 2021)

Myth 2: Medals = Success

"The smiles on the academic podium may be killing the real Olympic medals." (Training log, October 23, 2023)

Decoding the Champion's Growth Timeline

• He Shibei's data model :

  age	Training Focus	50 self-study results	200 self-driving score
  10 years old	Technology Quantification	28.03 seconds	2:11.43 Second
  15 years old	Aerobic expansion	25.38 seconds	1:59.94 seconds
  18 years old	Specialized Breakthrough	25.70 seconds	1:57.96 seconds
  22 years old	Olympic level	24.09 seconds	1:51.67 seconds

"True champions remain unknown until they turn 18; they accumulate compound interest at the bottom of the pool." (Endurance attribute discussion, 2023/03/11)

Learn more: Siobhan He's most comprehensive data sharing: A complete record of her personal time from 2007 to 2024

Parent Action Guide

• Performance evaluation matrix :

  index	Weight	Assessment tools
  Technical stability	40%	Underwater photography + AI analysis
  Span efficiency	30%	Number of strokes per 50 meters
  Speed ​​performance	30%	Competition Results

Myth 3: Pain = Progress

"Coaches who make kids train until they vomit aren't training champions; they're creating sports refugees." (August 21, 2023, "A Millionth of a Second of Joy")

Lactate threshold trap

• Children's unique physiological characteristics :
  → The lactate threshold of children aged 8-12 years is only 60% of that of adults (4 mmol/L is the limit).
  → Over-threshold training led to a 37% increase in the apoptosis rate of growth plate chondrocytes.

• Zhang's training comparison experiment :

  Group	Training mode	12 years old 50 self	16-year-old retirement rate
  High-intensity group	Three anaerobic sprints per week	29.1 seconds	68%
  Zhang's Group	Heart rate 26 zone training	30.5 seconds	3%

"Trading 1.4 seconds for a child to gain 10 more years of athletic life is a ridiculously good deal." (Chen Yiming's case, November 8, 2021)

Myth 4: Stopping training = regression

"Chen Yiming's miraculous resurgence after a two-year hiatus from training proves that the body needs strategic rest." (2021/11/8)

Dormant physiological reset

• Endocrine system reboot :

  index	Before the suspension of training	Dormant period	After retraining
  testosterone levels	425ng/dL	572ng/dL	721ng/dL
  Muscle micro-injury	Level 4	Level 1	Level 2
  Stress hormones	38 μg/dL	21 μg/dL	29 μg/dL

• Zhang's dormancy formula :
  "After each 18-month cycle, the number of mandatory rest days = age × 2. For example, a 12-year-old child needs to interrupt for 24 days."

Myth 5: Skill = Talent

"High-level technology is calculated, not a gift from heaven." (Analysis by Qin Haiyang, July 23, 2023)

Technological Quantification Revolution

• The breaststroke butterfly transformation project :

  1. The ankles should be turned back 110-120 degrees (90-100 degrees in traditional breaststroke).

  2. The proportion of propulsive force from leg drive decreased from 40% to 15%.

  3. Arm stroke efficiency increased by 27%.

• Training system :

  age	Daily technical training volume	tool
  6-9 years old	45-minute breakdown of the game	Float + Resistance Band
  10-12 years old	60-minute quantitative tour	AI motion capture
  13 years and older	75-minute special tour	underwater metronome

"He Shibei's V-shaped figure is a gift, but her sub-1 minute 53 second 200m freestyle is due to her daily 2000m technically quantified swimming." (2023/03/11)

Parent Action Toolbox

Self-assessment: Is your child caught in a misconception?

1. [Number of awards received in the past year > Age × 1.5]

2. [ ] Weekly anaerobic training volume > 30% of total training volume

3. [ ] Bone age detected is more than 6 months ahead of actual age

4. [ ] Morning resting heart rate > 75 bpm

5. [ ] Annual technical film analysis <10 times

✓ Select ≥3 items: Immediately start training mode adjustment

Coach's Perspective: Zhang Diyong's Five Soul-Searching Questions

1. "Can you accept your child not winning any medals before the age of 15?"

2. "Would you be willing to spend three years recording the stroke width data every day instead of the seconds?"

3. "If science proves that speed now will lead to injury in the future, what would you choose?"

4. "When other parents are showing off their medals, can you maintain your silent training?"

5. Are you ready to become the "outlier parent" in Hong Kong's swimming revolution?

Chapter Three: Olympic-Level Development Blueprint: A 12-Year Scientific Training System

Phase 1: 6-12 years old, the "Technology Capital Period"

"Spending five years honing your skills is like depositing compound interest principal for a breakout during adolescence." (Training Log, October 23, 2023)

Training Philosophy: Quantifying Every Centimeter of Progress

• Zhang Jiao's Decomposition Training Method :

  1. Single-arm focused swimming : 3 times a week, 40 minutes each time (50% of training volume).
     → Freestyle single-arm breakdown: Enhance the high elbow catch angle (maintain 45±3°)
     → Breaststroke single-arm stroke: Fix the shoulder rotation trajectory (reduces ineffective movements by 15%)

  2. Vertical leg kick training : 15 minutes daily (with a 0.5-1kg sandbag).
     → Improve ankle flexibility (dorsiflexion angle > 70°)
     → Enhance core anti-rotational capacity (pelvic sway <3°)

• Technical monitoring system :

  tool	Monitoring indicators	Qualification Standard
  Underwater 4K photography	water entry angle	17±2°
  Inertial sensor	Hip rotation speed	0.8-1.2 revolutions per second
  AI analysis software	Span error	<3%

"We'd rather slow down by 0.5 seconds than compromise on the millimeter-level precision of every stroke." (Training record of twins, June 18, 2024)

Phase Two: 13-16 Years Old - "Metabolic Expansion Period"

"He Shibei's wisdom in training 200 speeds from 400 lies in building an energy reserve pool." (Endurance attribute discussion, 2023/03/11)

oxygen engine construction project

1. Mitochondrial proliferation program :

   • Training module :
     → Variable-speed long swim: Alternate between "3-minute heart rate zone of 26 + 1-minute heart rate zone of 22" within 60 minutes.
     → Super slow swimming: Slow down your 2000m freestyle pace by 20% (focus on the continuity of your movements)

   • Nutritional support :
     → Supplement with 20mg of PQQ coenzyme daily (to stimulate mitochondrial biosynthesis)
     → Take 10g of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) within 30 minutes after training.

2. Vascular network expansion plan :

   • Hot and cold alternation therapy :
     → After training, perform a cycle of "38℃ swimming pool → 24℃ cold water bath" (10 minutes each time).
     → Increases capillary density by 17% (increases oxygen transport efficiency)

   • Blood flow restriction training :
     → Low-intensity arm-rowing training using an inflatable cuff (pressure 40-80 mmHg) → Induces a 230% increase in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion.

Actual test data: He Shibei's breakthrough model

"Athletes in the 400m freestyle are naturally a step ahead in the 200m freestyle—because their energy bank never runs out." (2023/03/11)

Phase Three: 17-22 Years Old - "Specialty Explosion Period"

"The four years of university are the golden age for swimmers; all patience will be rewarded during this time." (Twin Girls Development Outlook, June 18, 2024)

Anaerobic Transformation Science

• Chen Yiming's Burst Model :

  index	Refresher training month 1	March	Physiological mechanisms
  50 self-driving score	25.1 seconds	23.7 seconds	Testosterone levels increased by 70%.
  Span efficiency	0.88 meters/stroke	0.95 meters/stroke	Neural recruitment efficiency increased by 41%.
  lactate threshold	175 bpm	188bpm	Buffer capacity increased by 3.2 times

• Training system :

  1. Threshold sprint training :
     → 8 x 50m sprints (rest ratio 1:3)
     → Strictly control blood lactate levels within the range of 8-10 mmol/L

  2. Event simulation system :
     → Wear a resistance parachute (increases load by 15%) during start and turn training → Use virtual reality (VR) to recreate the sound and light stress of the Olympic arena.

Nutritional Management: Fuel Formula During Peak Period

The physiological code of Olympic athletes

Gene expression regulation

• ACTN3 gene advantages :
  → Fast-twitch muscle fibers account for >65% (average 45-55% in normal individuals)
  → Calcium regulatory protein activity increased by 32%.

• EPO receptor sensitivity :
  → Red blood cell production efficiency is 18% higher than normal.
  → The time for which blood oxygen saturation was maintained above 95% was prolonged by 27%.

"Innate genes are like a lottery ticket; training is the way to cash in the prize." (Analysis of the Technological Revolution by Qin Haiyang, July 23, 2023)

Coach's Perspective: Zhang Diyong's Art of Cycle Design

Wave cycle training method

"Creating special fatigue with a small amount of essential content, and then precisely restoring it—that's the art of accumulation." (2023/10/23)

• Three-cycle module :

  
  

   Week 1 (Metabolic Disruption):
   -Main event: 10x100m technical swimming (heart rate zone 26)
   -Target : Lactate accumulation to 3.5 mmol/L
  
   Week 2 (Supercompensation):
   -Main event: 6 x 200m rhythm swim (heart rate zone 24)
   -Target : Increase mitochondrial density by 8%
  
   Week 3 (Specialized Conversion):
   -Main event: 4 x 50m sprints (heart rate zone 28)
   -Target : Increase neuromuscular efficiency by 12%

Risk Management: Preventing Genius from Burning Out Prematurely

Early warning system for precocious contestants

• Bone age monitoring : Annual X-ray of the left hand (TW3 scoring method)

• Hormone profile analysis :
  → Testosterone level > 50 ng/dL (under 12 years old) → Initiate suppression regimen → IGF-1 concentration > 400 μg/L → Adjust calorie intake

• Joint health index :
  → Ultrasound examination shows glenoid labrum thickness <2mm → Pause butterfly stroke training

"Protecting a player from being destroyed by their own talent is more important than training ten champions." (Chen Yiming's case summary, November 8, 2021)

Core Values ​​Reminder - Three Key Notes for Hong Kong Parents

Value 1: Time is the best coach.

"I never sign the report cards of 10-year-olds; I only care about their stroke progress curve and their morning resting heart rate ." - Zhang Diyong's 2022 Training Notes

Value Two: Pain is not a medal

"While other kids were vomiting in the locker room, my athletes were analyzing Qin Haiyang's breaststroke butterfly technique - that's Olympic-level training."

Value Three: The Paradox of Slow is Fast

"It is far wiser to spend 8 years training a 50m freestyle swimmer who can swim 23 seconds than to spend 3 years training a 28-second swimmer – because the former will swim under 22 seconds at the age of 22, while the latter will retire at the age of 16."

"When my students win Olympic medals at the age of 22, those primary school champions have long since disappeared from the pool. This is not a prophecy, but a script written in the blood and tears of Hong Kong swimming, unless we change it now."

The above content is a compilation of key points from Coach Zhang Diyong's articles over the years, including:

2024/6/18

In this year's primary school finals, both girls won medals. The youngest, Yan-xi, won a gold medal in the Group C 50m breaststroke and a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle. The youngest, Yan-fei, participated in the Group B 50m butterfly and won a bronze medal.

Besides offering congratulations, this post mainly aims to share my thoughts. I've always opposed the idea that elementary school students shouldn't be too fast, because to increase speed before puberty, drastic measures are necessary.

However, I must clarify that I didn't use any harsh methods to improve the twins' 50-meter speed. There was no high-intensity training, no heavy-load exercises; only extensive technical training at a moderate intensity. The fact that they achieved such excellent results was somewhat unexpected. This makes it possible to achieve my ideal (from fast to fast). I firmly believe that the swimming career during university years is its golden age.

The twins are still young, and it will take about eight years to prove whether the relationship is successful.

2023/10/23

1. High level of technology
2. Moderate intensity training
3. Theoretically speaking, extreme intensity training and competition can be harmful to the body.

The above three are the topics; below is the discussion for your reference. If you have different ideas, please feel free to discuss and exchange ideas.

For the past few years, I've been researching how to quantify and increase the overall workload while conducting technical training. I believe the key is to increase the amount of technical training by 26 heartbeats (10 seconds), which means increasing the intensity to moderate levels. This can improve both cardiopulmonary function and specific technical skills.

Maintaining a high level of technique during training requires being in good condition. Excessive fatigue makes it impossible to maintain a high level of technique during training. Under extreme fatigue, technical distortion is inevitable. This distortion primarily manifests as a decrease in the efficiency of each stroke, while the frequency remains unchanged. Decreased stroke efficiency is one of the main reasons for performance decline.

In addition, I'm practicing a new way of thinking: the main focus of training is recovery and accumulation, rather than high intensity and heavy load. I use a small amount of concise training content to create specific fatigue, and then recover from it. The key here is to grasp the wave pattern and cycle. If you grasp the wave pattern well, the formation of the cycle will be most effective.

Another key point is to pay attention to the formation, disruption, and restructuring of the internal environment. A good internal environment equals high aerobic capacity; high aerobic capacity equals strong overall athletic ability. Maintaining a stable and favorable internal environment over the long term is crucial for improving swimming performance.

The result is that it creates a virtuous cycle, like a snowball rolling downhill, getting bigger and bigger. I also strive for good results when I was younger, but the premise is positive stimulation: while building a solid foundation in technique and endurance, I try to improve my speed. Improving speed depends mainly on specific technical skills, not on high-intensity speed training and heavy workloads.

Therefore, never use destructive means to achieve short-term results, but rather adopt a cumulative approach. Everything in the world has a cumulative process, and accumulation is, in particular, perpetual. As the saying goes, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs is unacceptable.

August 21, 2023: A fraction of a second of joy

Chen Yiming won the gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle at the Hong Kong 2023 Championships, which just concluded yesterday. Although the result was average, it was his first gold medal, and his joy was indescribable. It was undoubtedly a spur and encouragement, and he needed motivation to continue moving forward.

Chen Yiming is 20 years old this year, which is the starting point of his swimming achievements. In the Asian Games trials in April this year, he lost his qualification for the Asian Games with a time of 0.2 milliseconds in the 50m freestyle. At that time, he was very disappointed and frustrated. I tried my best to comfort him, saying that he had already swum a personal best, which was an excellent performance. He should congratulate the person who beat him. He should not be discouraged by defeat, but take it as motivation to continue to work hard.

I've now made a promise with him that after he graduates from his university in the UK next year, he'll return to Hong Kong to continue training for two more years, aiming to participate in the next Asian Games. My passion for swimming training has only grown stronger. I now have a group of young swimmers under my wing, most of whom won't reach the top level, but yesterday's final event of the championships—the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay finals (where we both finished fourth)—was filled with the support of parents from eight different families. The atmosphere was incredibly lively and exciting.

People cheer and encourage their children as they strive for success; this is the spirit of sports. Through training and competition, children gain stronger willpower and unwavering belief, overcoming difficulties and striving for success. Only one gold medal is awarded for each event, and standing on the podium represents only a select few. Most people are focused on participation, competing against themselves, and finding immense joy in it.

I'll stop at nothing to get things done; I'll even resort to cruel methods to instill hatred in people, thus motivating them. This has two advantages:

1. If I don't reach the 99% target, I will accept it calmly.
2. The motivation generated by hatred is unexpectedly strong and may very well achieve one's ideals.

Personally, I don't care about the methods; as long as I do it well and don't break the law, I'm fine with that. I completely disregard personal gains and losses. Life is short, and I probably have another ten years to enjoy the pleasure swimming gives me. Let's enjoy it to the fullest!

Learning Experience (July 23, 2023)

This morning was the first event of the World Swimming Championships, and also my first lesson. For every swimming coach, it is very important to learn advanced techniques from the world in major international competitions.

This morning's competition saw Qin Haiyang, the most outstanding swimmer, from the Chinese breaststroke team. In the 100m breaststroke preliminaries, he entered the semifinals with a relaxed and effortless performance, finishing first. Besides his excellent form, his breaststroke technique particularly caught my attention. He hadn't previously competed with this technique; his previous technique heavily emphasized the leg kick. Now, he minimizes the role of the leg kick, channeling the saved energy to his arms, thus significantly improving the efficiency of his technique.

I believe that adopting butterfly stroke techniques for breaststroke is the most scientifically sound choice. The key to breaststroke technique is drag reduction; reducing resistance is equivalent to increasing traction and propulsion. Reducing drag primarily involves leg technique, replacing the breaststroke kick with butterfly leg movements. The difference lies in the difference between a kick and a push; a push is a foul, but you simply need to rotate your ankles and use the butterfly leg technique.

I predict that Qin Haiyang will perform normally in the 100m breaststroke final, and his time should be around 57.6 seconds. This result should give him a chance to win the championship.

Every Olympic Games and World Swimming Championships is a great learning opportunity. Although I can't watch them live, I can still learn a lot from watching them on TV. Let's exchange ideas when we have the chance.

2023/03/11 Let's talk about the attributes of swimming

Swimming is a sport that primarily relies on endurance, a concept that qualified coaches would not and cannot deny.

The basic definition is: high-intensity exercise lasting less than 6 seconds does not require endurance, because the energy used within 6 seconds is the energy already present in the working muscles (ATP + CP), and does not require the breakdown of energy by the body's energy system for energy supply.

When the existing energy in the working muscles is exhausted after 6 seconds, the body's energy supply system is mobilized to break down muscle glycogen and protein to synthesize energy for muscle contraction in order to support sustained exercise. Therefore, this step involves endurance.

(I won't go into detail about the classification of endurance and the process of energy transfer; you'll understand it clearly by reading theoretical books.)

Below, I will use He Shibei as an example, hoping it will be helpful to everyone. I was recently delighted to hear that He Shibei won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle with a time of 4:05.84 at a competition in Florida, USA, achieving the Australian Games A standard. While this 400m freestyle time doesn't rank among the top three in the world, it is of great significance. Below, I will explain the reasons behind it.

I remember meeting He Shibei at the training ground last June or July. I asked her for technical advice, and she was very open in our conversation. I was very satisfied with her answers to my questions, which proved that my new concept was basically correct in general. The topic was about technical efficiency and the relationship between static and dynamic forces during swimming.

From her explanation, her training was a process of quantifying technique. After I consulted her on technique, I also gave her a suggestion: to strengthen her endurance training in the 400m freestyle. If she could swim a time of around 4 minutes and 4 seconds, it would be crucial for her to compete for gold medals in the 100m and 200m freestyle at the Paris Olympics, and she should even swim the 800m freestyle, temporarily abandoning her specialized training in the 100m and 200m freestyle.

She said that her coach had the same idea. After that, she started swimming the 400m freestyle in short course competitions (it's unclear whether she swam the 800m freestyle). She seems to have swum it once. On her first long course swim, she broke the Hong Kong record with a time of 4 minutes and 8 seconds.

Her performance in this competition in Florida, USA, is sufficient proof that her past training, which focused on aerobic endurance, has been highly effective. The significance lies in the fact that at the Paris Olympics, the 200m freestyle gold medal is practically guaranteed, and the 100m freestyle gold medal is also 99% assured.

Using He Shibei as an example aims to demonstrate the importance of endurance in swimming, as well as the scientific basis of technique in speed. He Shibei, in her early twenties and already at a world-class level, needs to further strengthen her endurance training to improve her performance in her main events, the 200m and 100m freestyle. Let's look forward to He Shibei winning Olympic gold medals in the 200m and 100m freestyle at the Paris Olympics.

Finally, we hope that swimming coaches, athletes, and parents in Hong Kong will broaden their perspective and emphasize both endurance training and technical skills. Although competition in school sports is fierce and often beyond their control, there are still choices to be made.

2021/11/8

This student's name is Chen Yiming. When he was in the first year of secondary school, he looked just like a primary school student. He was short and thin. Although he had a good feel for the water, he was always one step behind his peers.

At that time, I thought: this child needs to be "nurtured" slowly, and he might be quite good once he grows taller and bigger. Therefore, I developed a long-term training plan for him, focusing first on improving his skills and aerobic endurance. During his seven years in secondary school, the focus was mainly on nurturing him. Hard work pays off, and by the time he finished his DSE exams, he had grown to 1.8 meters tall.

Due to the pandemic and the college entrance examination, he stopped training for nearly two years. After he finished the DSE, he started training with me for a few months. In the Hong Kong Swimming Championships, he swam the 50m freestyle in 23.7 seconds and won the silver medal.

This result surprised me greatly and taught me that for talented children, training from a young age should not be rushed. High-intensity anaerobic training should be avoided, and the focus should be on technique and aerobic endurance training. Before a child's development, they should be given sufficient nutrition (for aerobic endurance) to help them grow strong and healthy. It is essential to ensure that the child's body develops in the best possible condition, which is very important for the child and their swimming performance, and is also the greatest gift for parents.

Chen Yiming is now studying at a university in the UK and continuing his swimming training. For Yiming, the formal training to improve his skills has just begun. This is a golden four-year training period, and he is expected to achieve excellent results in short-distance events.

I've been pondering a question: Hong Kong swimming achieved unprecedented success at the Tokyo Olympics. How can we continue this glorious achievement? Besides receiving strong government support, shouldn't our grassroots coaches also focus on long-term development from a young age, rather than resorting to short-sighted, forceful methods that only seek immediate gains, in order to cultivate world-class swimmers?

Although most coaches know these principles, putting them into practice is very difficult. Just like the recent long-course age group championships, in order to compete for team rankings, each swimming club went all out, and the key was to train superstars in the 10-year-old and 12-year-old groups to win precious points.

I've always held firm to my beliefs and trained with myself, and I generally started to see results after I turned 13 or 14. As everyone knows, a swimmer's golden four years are from 18 to 22, which is the four years of university. Many things are easier said than done, but I will persevere and continue to work hard.

2022/11/2

There is currently no instrument that can measure the energy output during swimming training. I would like to offer my humble opinion on what methods coaches use to measure the energy output of each movement, for your reference. Please feel free to criticize any inappropriate points.

I think we should first use technology as the standard to measure the output power of energy. Stroke width plus frequency equals speed! Assuming each stroke is 1 meter wide and takes 1 second, then in 10 seconds you will have traveled 10 meters.

Additionally: With training, each stroke can reach 1.1 meters, maintaining the same frequency. This means 11 meters can be covered in 10 seconds, increasing the energy output per stroke by one unit. Furthermore: With each stroke 1 meter and a frequency of 0.9 seconds, 10 meters can be covered in 9 seconds. In this case, the output per stroke remains the same, but the energy supply speed is increased, requiring the supply of 10 units of energy within 9 seconds.

Furthermore: with a stroke length of 1.1 meters and a stroke rate of 0.9 seconds, swimming 11 meters would take only 9 seconds. Assuming each stroke travels only 0.5 meters, the energy output per stroke is only 5 units of ATP/CT. If each stroke travels 0.8 meters, then the energy output per stroke would be 8 units.

From a training perspective, a stroke of 0.5 meters per stroke at a frequency of 0.8 seconds is a decent speed, and it reduces energy expenditure, making it relatively energy-efficient. To improve competition performance, the first step is to improve stroke efficiency.

If you swim 50 meters (hypothetically, not definitively) in 30 strokes and take 30 seconds, to improve your time to 29 seconds, the best approach is to reduce your stroke count by one stroke while maintaining the same stroke rate. Since the energy required for each stroke is increased, initially your physical capabilities may not be sufficient to sustain the full 50 meters, only 15. At this point, quantified technical training is necessary to improve your physical abilities and meet the energy requirements for a 50-meter 29-second time.

As I mentioned in my previous article, speed comes after technique and heart rate, which is inevitable. Because training increases the output of each stroke, the frequency must be slowed down to complete the training volume, resulting in a slower speed and a faster heart rate.

However, through training, the body's functional level is improved, and the energy supply mechanism is optimized. This increases the energy supply, and once the needs are met, the stroke efficiency remains unchanged, the frequency can be increased to the predetermined target, and speed improvement is a natural consequence.

The concept of quantitative technical training was taught and inspired by Coach Xu Guoyi. In recent years, I have been pursuing the essence of quantitative technical training, which is extremely complex and difficult. However, I will persevere to comfort the spirit of Xu Guoyi in heaven.

2022/10/30

Power generated from energy

The force generated is kinetic energy, therefore kinetic energy does not require energy. Swimming technique must make good use of the kinetic energy generated by the force.

The discussion topics I raised went unanswered. Was I just being presumptuous, or were they just wild speculations, or were they just rambling nonsense? I've been exploring new methods for quantifying technical training.

First is technique, second is heartbeat, and third is speed. In my exploration and reflection, speed is placed last, which is quite different from traditional training. Perhaps my propositions will not be accepted or rejected; we can only discuss them again when I feel I have succeeded. I hope my colleagues will share their opinions and explore new paths together.

In sports training, the heartbeat is passive, while the nervous system is at the highest level. Only when the nervous system sends commands to the muscles can it determine how many muscle fibers are engaged, and only then can it decide how much energy to provide. The amount of energy supplied defines the nature of the training content. The heart rate during aerobic training is generally below 26 beats per 10 seconds, while the heart rate during anaerobic training is generally above 27 beats per 10 seconds. 26 to 27 beats per 10 seconds is the anaerobic threshold heart rate.

The heart rate I mentioned during exercise mainly depends on the training plan designed by the coach, a scientific combination of three training methods to achieve good results. This is a brief introduction; I'm not sure if it's accurate, please offer your feedback and corrections. Furthermore, discussing each of the points mentioned above in detail would require a lengthy discussion.

During training, the anaerobic threshold is reached when the amount of lactic acid produced in the body equals its ability to eliminate it. When the amount of lactic acid produced exceeds the amount eliminated (measured over a unit of time), lactic acid accumulates in the working muscles, which is anaerobic training. The muscles become acidic, their contractile force decreases, and their speed slows down.

Anaerobic training has a direct effect on improving competition performance, but excessive anaerobic training can lead to excessive fatigue, causing a decline in various functional levels, and competition performance will stagnate or even drop significantly.

A scientific combination of three training methods (aerobic, anaerobic threshold, and anaerobic) can mutually reinforce each other, resulting in twice the effect with half the effort. However, everything has its limits. No athlete can improve indefinitely, constantly progressing until breaking a world record. In a competition, in an event, there can only be one champion.

The most important thing is that every athlete participates. During training and competition, their willpower is strengthened and their bodies are made stronger. A strong will and a strong physique are extremely important for life.

2022/9/19

This student went to study in the UK, participated in competitions there, and achieved excellent results. Although his grades were average in Hong Kong, I provided him with extensive technical and general aerobic training, which helped him build a solid foundation. Everything has a cause and effect.

Actually, I think that being a coach doesn't necessarily mean training Olympic or Asian Games athletes to be considered successful. Although this student isn't famous and his grades aren't particularly high, he achieved satisfactory results. You can see how happy and confident he is from the smile on his face, so as his coach, I'm also happy and gratified for him.

As coaches, we mostly face students with average abilities; this is the difference between the majority and the minority. Talented students are extremely rare, like Ho Sze-pui, who won two Olympic silver medals for Hong Kong and broke world records. Or Stephanie Au, who participated in four Olympic Games and made a tremendous contribution to Hong Kong swimming.

Most ordinary swimmers, who are not qualified to represent Hong Kong in competitions, still train and compete very hard. They have their own set goals, strengthen their will and determination through swimming training, face difficulties without being discouraged, persevere, and forge ahead, laying a solid foundation for their lives.

Society is made up of millions of individuals. Every child participates in various sports training from a young age to strengthen their muscles and bones and build their willpower, so that the whole society can develop healthily and vigorously.

2022/1/17

(Private video sharing, the following is a text transcript)

Although this little girl's backstroke technique is not very mature, she has mastered the basic movements perfectly, especially her shoulder rotation, which is quite exaggerated. I specially designed the training movements to achieve this.

I think the shoulder rotation is the most important part of backstroke technique. You must practice this movement from a young age because it involves a lot of up-down and left-right movement of the bones above the chest. If you practice it from a young age, you can fully utilize the leverage force of up-down and left-right pulling when you grow up.

Conversely, if one does not fully rotate their shoulders when practicing backstroke from a young age, the bones above the chest rarely move up, down, left, or right. As they grow older, the muscles around the bones develop and become fixed, resulting in a movement that cannot be pulled up, down, left, or right. This leads to a loss of leverage and an inherent deficiency and regret in improving backstroke performance.

2022/1/4

Swimming is a sport primarily focused on endurance. In my opinion, training for swimming is about training endurance, and the importance of endurance in swimming can be described as "as the tide rises, so does the boat."

Judging from the recently concluded World Short Course Championships, the men's 1500m freestyle champion is also a world champion in the ocean. After winning the world championships in the 100m and 200m freestyle, He Shibei entered the 400m freestyle at the World Championships for the first time and won a bronze medal.

Looking at the examples of these two individuals, both achieved success through their superior endurance. One won the 1500m long-distance championship due to his advantage in ultra-long distances, while the other won world championships in the 200m freestyle (where he had an absolute advantage) and 100m freestyle after significantly improving his aerobic endurance.

The level of aerobic endurance is a good indicator of athletic ability. Aerobic endurance training can improve the function of the cardiovascular system; as the saying goes, "Where there's energy, there's strength; where there's no energy, there's weakness."

Endurance training can be categorized into several types: high-intensity endurance training, moderate-intensity endurance training, low-to-moderate intensity endurance training, and general aerobic endurance training, each with its own uses. I believe moderate-intensity endurance training is the most effective, while other types can be used in combination, with moderate-intensity endurance training being the main focus. Moderate-intensity endurance training is relatively fast-paced, allows for a large number of repetitions, and has a faster recovery rate.

Generally, two problems will arise during training:

1. Overtraining.
2. Insufficient training.

Both overtraining and undertraining are inadequate; achieving the perfect balance requires our focus and research as coaches. My previous articles have been misunderstood – some believe that training doesn't need to be so intense or strenuous, and that a relaxed approach will result in faster swimming in races – this is unrealistic! I advocate for scientific training methods and the rational and effective arrangement of training sessions.

Use your coaching intuition to sense the athlete's condition and adjust the training plan accordingly to achieve the best results. Sometimes, adjusting the training is more important than high-intensity speed training.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses only about a hundred herbs. Everyone graduates from university on the same starting line, but twenty years later, some become renowned doctors, while others remain unknown. The main difference lies in their diagnosis and prescription. By observing the symptoms, certain herbs are added or subtracted, and each time the additions and subtractions are different. Although the basic ten or so herbs remain the same, the therapeutic effect is remarkably good.

(I also found some of the comments helpful, so I'm sharing them here as well.)

1. Joe
High-intensity training dehydrates the fascia, making recovery difficult and even damaging muscles. With moderate-intensity training, athletes can concentrate their mind, energy, and attention on the movements, feeling the body's connection to the water. This allows the technique to be deeply ingrained in their minds, transforming them into technical athletes rather than purely physical athletes. After technical improvement, strengthening physical training leads to outstanding swimming achievements.

2. Cui sir
Improving lung capacity extends athletic lifespan. To excel in the 100-meter dash, you must master the 200-meter; to achieve a good 200-meter time, you need to excel in the 400-meter, and so on! This is a winning strategy, and coaches should align their training methods accordingly!

You're absolutely right! Endurance is important, but be aware that if you're good at the 400-meter dash, your 50-meter dash might be relatively weaker. In the long run, swimming the 400-meter well will definitely help your 50-meter dash later on.

3. Cui sir
Good aerobic endurance ensures good performance in the later stages of the race! It also leads to faster recovery, especially in the preliminary rounds, semi-finals, and finals! If recovery is weak, you won't be able to recover by the time of the finals.

4. Zhou Sir
The key point, according to Zhang Jiao, is that parents need to be patient so that children can develop patience! If everyone rushes to learn quickly and doesn't learn to swim fast immediately, even the best talents will be wasted.

Using technique to train endurance can also lead to great speed.

2021/11/14

After watching Zhang Yufei's journey to victory, the biggest inspiration for me was her coach. When he first took over Zhang Yufei's coaching, he established a three-year plan: the first year was for technical improvement, the second year for enhancing her abilities, and the third year for achieving a breakthrough. As a result, she won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. I believe the coach deserves the most credit. Without the coach's three-year plan, Zhang Yufei would certainly not have undergone such a transformative change.

The three-year plan focuses on technical training in the first year. Without high-level technique, any improvement in ability will be futile, and breakthroughs will be impossible. The key point I want to make today is: in all sports training, the decisive factor is the coach; the athlete is merely a product in the coach's hands. Like a work of art, while the materials are important, if the creator is a second- or third-rate craftsman, the artwork will lack vitality.

Even if a top master creates with ordinary materials, imbuing their work with artistic life will make it priceless. Another important lesson is that technique plays a decisive role in competitions; without top-level technique, there is no top-level skill. Even top competitors like Zhang Yufei spend a year refining their techniques.

Looking back at Hong Kong's level, do we need more time to train technique? Especially for junior swimming teams, it takes 3 to 5 years to train technique, and only after the technique reaches a high level should they then focus on ability and intensity training.

Further updates

This article has been compiled over a month, and I believe the above content is sufficient for everyone to learn from. That's all for today's sharing. This article will be regularly updated with the latest insights from Zhang Jiao to maintain the timeliness and authority of the content.

In addition, Coach Zhang will be starting a toddler care program (with a brand new venue and swimming lines). To learn more, please stay tuned for the latest news from our SEED CLUB, or contact me privately on Xiaohongshu/Threads.

That's all for today's sharing. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments. See you next time, bye-bye!

Benice Cheung