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Tom Rushton on Building Athletes: Coaching Philosophy, Training Zones, and Race Strategy
"I think being patient with a sense of urgency is the biggest skill in coaching... you want them to develop and be faster, but you can't rush that process." - Tom Rushton
SWIM NERD
September 27, 2024
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Tom Rushton on Building Athletes: Coaching Philosophy, Training Zones, and Race Strategy
Tom Rushton, one of the most accomplished and innovative coaches in swimming today, recently shared his thoughts on coaching philosophy, training methods, and experiences with top-tier athletes. Known for his work with swimmers like Siobhan Haughey, four-time Olympic medalist, and his role in the International Swimming League (ISL) with Energy Standard, Tom’s approach to developing elite athletes is both unique and highly effective.
In this interview, Tom opens up about his career, training techniques, and how he prepares athletes for success at the highest levels of competition, including the Olympics. Here are some of the most valuable takeaways that coaches can apply to their own training environments.
Key Takeaways for Swim Coaches
Tom Rushton’s interview is packed with valuable insights that any swim coach can apply to their own athletes, whether at the grassroots or elite level.
Here are a few of the things that I took away…
Using Rock Climbing For Strength Training
“I think going to the climbing gym is a great method of strength training for swimmers because it's all body weight. A lot of it is tension within your body and holding yourself in certain positions. Breathing becomes important. I like that type of thing.
Biggest Skill in Coaching
"I think being patient with a sense of urgency is the biggest skill in coaching... you want them to develop and be faster, but you can't rush that process."
9 Energy Zones - Don’t Forget SPEED
“We have white, pink, red, orange, blue, green, purple. And then we also added gold because sprinting is very important. Gold is like an extra level of speed, which I think most training systems lack.”
Enjoy!
Time Stamps:
00:00 Hello Tom Rushton 01:15 Being a Dad 02:00 Paris Olympics 03:00 Bouncing around 06:30 D2 500 Free Champion 10:00 Dad’s Influence 12:15 Coaching Philosophy + Energy Zone Training 20:00 Suiting up in practice 30:49 What is Dean Boxall doing? 32:00 Siobhan training with the boys? 33:20 Specialization 38:15 50’s in LA? 40:40 Siobhan 2028 43:15 How do you write and save your workouts? 45:00 Weekly schedule 46:35 Recovery 49:30 Lifting 52:30 Coaching education 55:15 Thanks Tom
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