Harnessing Power & Speed with Cam McEvoy, World's Fastest Man

Focus on swimming fast. Build strength within the stroke. Measure differently.

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SWIM NERD
August 15, 2023

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Cam McEvoy hasn’t done traditional training since 2020. After taking 12 months off, he got back to work - but training his way alongside Coach Tim Lane.

Since completely changing how he trains, he has blasted PB’s, become the first Aussie man to ever win the 50 Free at World Champs (21.06), and is now the favorite leading into the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Cam McEvoy is the Fastest Man on Earth.

How did he do it? Find out today at 10 AM EST on YouTube. Or, listen on Apple Podcasts.

Here are some of my takeaways from the interview:

Focus on Sprinting

One of the pivotal points Cam raises is the importance of sprinting, irrespective of your swimming level. Whether you swim 25’s, 35’s, or all out 50’s, the emphasis is on getting reps at race pace. Which means you need to know what you should be going at 15, 25, and 35 meters so that you can do it in practice.

You can do this with Jon Shaw’s Race Pace Calculator. It’s only available in LCM right now but check it out, it’s new and it is awesome. You simply enter your Personal Best (PB) time, your improvement % will define your Target Time (TT), and it will spit out your Meet Goals & corresponding Practice Goals with the Rating of Perceived Effort (RPE) table, and Front End Speed (FES) & Back End Speed (BES) targets.

Here’s an example of Cam McEvoy’s race pace speeds for 21.50 speed:

So, when he talks about doing 30’s at 21.5 pace, he’s aiming for ~12.3 seconds.

Build Strength Within the Stroke

Amplify your strength within the stroke - in and out of the water. The aim should be on increasing your weight-to-strength ratio. Wanna know true strength? Try doing a front lever. Cam uses calisthenics, gymnastics, and rock climbing in his dryland program. He’s especially good at pullups.

Swimming with resistance is a must. It's a proactive way to fine-tune your technique while training your power output in the water. Hard to believe Michael Andrew has never done any resistance work ever.

Shift the Measurement Paradigm

Traditional swimming progress is often measured by the yardage you cover in practice. The conversation steers towards a question of quality rather than quantity - how much swimming did you do at race-specific speed? Cam wants to continue to shift the narrative to focus more on intensity and speed.

Age Is Just A Number

Age need not be a barrier to achievement in swimming. Emphasizing sprinting, building strength within the stroke, and focusing on race-specific speeds can act as a turning point for older athletes. It's all about creating ripples of change, propelling yourself, and the sport of swimming, towards a dynamic, power-filled future.

Inspiring the Swimming Community

Learning from the past experiences, the trials, and the triumphs, is just as important as setting sights on future goals. Cam shares his journey and the knowledge gained along the way. His hope is that his story may provide direction for other athletes in similar circumstances, paving the way for them to optimize their tactics and strategy to improve.

Cam recognizes that he himself had the advantage of standing on the shoulders of giants, gaining wisdom and motivation from past trailblazers in swimming, including the two interviewing him. Moving forward, he aims to fill a similar role and inspire future generations of swimmers.

Swimming is not just about moving in the water. It's about understanding the water, the body's relationship with it, and how to navigate that relationship to reach your fullest potential.

Enjoy!

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