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Basic Dryland Training with Santa Margarita Coaches Ron and Rich Blanc
By Michael J. Stott
A concentrated, ongoing strength and conditioning regimen provides a quality supplement to in-pool training, helping swimmers become stronger and faster.
This year, the Santa Margarita Catholic High School girls are Swimming World’s independent high school national champions. The boys are the 2021 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section titlists. Twice a week in-season, the team supplements in-pool training with hour-long morning workouts. Ron Blanc, co-head coach, hopes—schedules permitting—to increase that frequency in the school’s 6,000-square-foot weight room to three sessions per week.
This last season, Santa Margarita, guided by Ron and his brother (also co-head coach), Rich, followed a dryland training schedule that was divided into two four-week rounds.
Says Ron Blanc, “The first session of each round, we taught technique to the athletes, explained how each exercise would benefit their swimming and typically got in three rounds of each exercise. The following morning sessions, we ramped up to four sets of each exercise. In Round 1, there is a warm-up and three groupings of exercises. In the warm-up, we would do three times of each exercise. In the three groupings of exercises, we would do four times.
“The focus of each exercise is flawless technique, full range of motion, with a little rest in between exercises. We keep up an intense pace and complete everything within the hour. We did not focus on heavy weights or resistance.”
ROUND 1 (DONE THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF THE SEASON)
DAY 1
TRI-SET WARM-UP (2x)
1. Hip Hydrants (10x each). Keep back flat, raise leg to side to hip height.
2. Bird Dog (8x). Hip hydrant position, right arm and left leg extended, then left arm and right arm extended.
3. Superman W’s (12x). On stomach, chest off ground, move arms to W shape with elbows bent.
SERIES #1 (3x)
1. Goblet Squat (8x). Hold weight plates under chin, squat down until hips are below knees in between heels. Good back, “down-2-3-4-hold-2-up.”
2. Seated Squat Jump (6x). Sit on end of bench, swing arms down and behind, then explode up and land in trophy position, knees bent.
3. Bird Dog Reverse Side Lift (10x). On ground, hip hydrant position, 2.5 pounds, left leg extended; right arm rises up with weight to shoulder height.
Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.
[PHOTO BY GEORGIO SCALIA / DEEPBLUEMEDIA]
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FEATURES
010 THE OLYMPIC “QUADRENNIUM:” A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD
by David Rieder
Swimming World reflects on the last five years since the last Olympic Games in Rio and ponders the questions that lie ahead during the next three years leading up to Paris 2024.
014 A CANADIAN SURGE
by Matthew De George
Swimmers from Canada exceeded expectations at the Tokyo Games. And the Canadian delegation showed that the future is as bright as the present, with prolific young talents on both sides of the competition.
020 ISHOF FEATURE: AQUATOTS MURDER CASE—THE KATHY TONGAY STORY (Part 1)
by Bruce Wigo
It is doubtful that in the annals of aquatic history, there has ever been an example of abusive parents like the story of “little Kathy Tongay.”
024 EXPECT GREAT THINGS!
by John Lohn
David Popovici just turned 17 years old, but the Romanian sprint freestyler appears poised to follow a path to prominence.
031 NUTRITION: KNOW THYSELF
by Dawn Weatherwax
Knowing your body composition can help you swim fast and stay healthy.
COACHING
029 BASIC DRYLAND TRAINING
by Michael J. Stott
A concentrated, ongoing strength and conditioning regimen provides a quality supplement to in-pool training, helping swimmers become stronger and faster. Coaches Ron and Rich Blanc of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Southern California share last season’s dryland training schedule that helped his girls’ and boys’ teams become national powers.
030 WEIGHT ROOM COMMON SENSE
by J.R. Rosania
These “Do’s and Dont’s” are courtesy of exercise scientist J.R. Rosania, whose performance enhancement firm Healthplex serves multisport athletes worldwide.
034 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 5): MINIMIZING THE ARM RECOVERY PHASE
by Rod Havriluk
The greatest possible time decreases for additional swimming velocity increases are in the non-propulsive phases (entry and recovery). This article includes strategies to minimize the recovery phase time of all four strokes.
045 Q&A WITH COACHES RON & RICH BLANC
by Michael J. Stott
046 HOW THEY TRAIN MAGGIE McGUIRE & JACK NUGENT
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
033 DRYSIDE TRAINING: BACK TO BASICS (Part 1)
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
044 UP & COMERS: MARYJANE (MJ) NEILSON
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS & SPECIAL SECTIONS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
009 DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT FAMOUS GUYS WHO GOLF?
016 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
036 PREP SCHOOL DIRECTORY`
048 GUTTERTALK
049 PARTING SHOT
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