PhD, Associate Professor O.E. Ponimasov^{1, 2}
PhD, Associate Professor V.V. Ryabchuk^{1, 2}
PhD, Associate Professor Yu.A. Titarenko^3
1Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg
²Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, St. Petersburg
³St. Petersburg State Fire Service EMERCOM of Russia, Saint Petersburg

Keywords: technical and timing aspects, training cycle, youth crawl swimming, physical qualities, technical and physical fitness, combined training technology, motor skills.

Background. Competitive progress in modern beginner swimming is known to depend on efficiency of the special training systems with a special priority to the technical progress harmonization in every aspect including the movement coordination qualities with the age- and biological-growth-specific variations in junior swimming sport (A.I. Krylov, E.O. Vinogradov, 2017). Modern training systems are designed to secure fast and harmonic progress in every general and special physical quality to provide for good individual technical and tactical progress for competitive success. It is common knowledge that high competitive progress in junior beginner groups may be achieved by prudent training systems that combine due physical fitness and technical and tactical progress facilitating tools, with a special emphasis on the individualized precompetitive training service.

Objective of the study was to develop and test benefits of a new harmonized technical and physical fitness model (also referred to as the combined training technology) in application to junior (9-10 year old) crawl swimmers.

Methods and structure of the study. A key concept of the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model was to efficiently integrate the technical and physical fitness training elements to facilitate, on a staged basis, competitive progress in the junior special crawl swimming groups, with three stages of the model designed to (1) master technical basics of the core swimming style; (2) excel the swimming technique; and (3) individualize and make versatile the swimming techniques. The new harmonized technical and physical fitness service was implemented based on the progress facilitating institutional and practical training service provisions to guarantee the training stage specific goals being attained as follows:

Stage 1 goal was to successfully master every technical element conditional on the good prior physical fitness, with elementary technical progresses tested and harmonized with due attention to the individual physical qualities and individual swimming technique specifics.

Stage 2 goal was to further harmonize (keep in synch) the technical and physical progress elements of the training service to secure the techniques being excelled based on sound sport-specific physical qualities, with a special emphasis on the technical efficiency and stroke control and strength elements.

And Stage 3 goal was to individualize and secure versatility of the swimming style based on the advanced and focused physical fitness and precompetitive training service. A special priority at this stage was given to the motor skills synchronizing, stability and versatility plus the special speed-strength endurance training elements with the workload stepping on an individualized basis in the precompetitive training periods. This training stage was designed to ensure at least Class II-III qualifications for the junior swimmers.

We sampled for the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model testing experiment the 9-10 year old swimmers (n=33: 18 boys and 15 girls) from the beginner special groups trained at the Olympic Training Center for Swimmers; and split up the sample into Experimental Group (EG) and Reference Group (RG). The RG was trained as required by the standard crawl basics mastering program for sports schools compliant with the valid Federal Sports Training Standard for junior swimming sport.

To effectively test progress in the model testing experiment, we used the test systems yielding numerical test data with variability analyses to keep track of the synchronized technical and physical fitness progress and special physical quality variations. Technical progress was secured by reasonably varied specialized synchronized and combined training tools, with the tests providing reliable feedback data flow on the synchronized technical fitness progress to timely make necessary adjustments to the training service on a reasonably individualized basis.

Results and discussion. The progress tests found the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model being beneficial as verified by the improved movement hydrodynamics and special physical fitness test data plus good progress in the technical aspects of swimming. The new harmonized technical and physical fitness progress algorithms were found efficient as demonstrated by the subsamples’ progress in every technical test: see Tables 1, 2.

Table 1. Pre- versus post-experimental technical and physical fitness test data: girls’ subgroups

Note:  *р≤0.05

Table 2. Pre- versus post-experimental technical and physical fitness test data: boys’ subgroups

Note:  *р≤0.05

As demonstrated by the experiment, the general rhythm of movements and stroke cycle structure was tested to improve in the EG, with a special progress in the work phase and preparatory phase times. The progress was achieved by focused technical trainings with special training tools and swimming practices. The swimming rhythm ratios in the EG were tested to grow significantly higher than in the RG – partially due to the RG trainings traditionally focused on a parity of the working phase and preparatory phase in the swimming motor skills. As a result, the EG was tested with a significantly higher stroke strength with more efficient and prolonged movement control.

Progress of the movement hydrodynamics in the EG was secured by a special emphasis on the physical qualities and technical elements harmonizing aspects and efficient stroking kinematics. As a result, the EG demonstrated a special progress in the stroke length, pace control and swimming technique efficiency and effectiveness, with the more rational structure of the swimming cycle. The RG progress in these elements was lower since the traditional training system still gives little attention to the relevant training aspects.

The new harmonized technical and physical fitness model testing experiment showed benefits of the new training system that helped efficiently synchronize the technical and physical training elements for the fast technical progress of the junior sample. Success of the new model was interpreted to be due to the special emphasis on the efficient integration of the key technical elements and progress in the key sport-specific physical qualities to facilitate motor skills mastering and further excellence for stability and reasonable versatility of the individual techniques and tactics and, hence, for competitive successes.

Conclusion. The study data and analyses showed benefits of the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model for application in junior swimming groups – as verified by the fast and higher progress of the EG and formal sport qualifications in the core swimming style based on a sound technical toolkits and special physical qualities building and physical training service to lay a good foundation for progress in the future sports careers.

References

1. Bulgakova N.Zh. Swimming. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 2001. pp. 78-80.
2. Kolmogorov S.V., Kochergin A.B. Rating swimmers’ technical performance. Breaststroke. Plavanie. 2010. No. 1 (4). pp. 42-48.
3. Krylov A.I., Vinogradov E.O. Swimming technique correction based on dynamic characteristics of stroke. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2017. No. 4 (146). p. 102-105.
4. Ponimasov O.E., Ryabchuk V.V. Indirect indicators of swimmers' working capacity. Teoriya i praktika fiz. Kultury, 2016. No. 1. pp. 71-72.
5. Shtamburg I.N., Ponimasov O.E., Grachev K.A. et al. Economization typological combinations of applied swimming technique in military school cadet training. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury . 2016. No. 2. pp. 16-17.
6. Mooney R., Corley G., Godfrey A., Osborough C., Quinlan L.R., OLaighin G. Application of video-based methods for competitive swimming analysis: a systematic review. Sport Exerc Med Open J. 2015. Vol. 1. N 5. pp. 133-150.
7. Schnitzler C., Seifert L., Alberty M., Chollet D. Hip velocity and arm coordination in front crawl swimming. Int J Sports Med. 2010. Vol. 31. pp. 875-881.

Corresponding author: o-pony@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and test benefits of a new harmonized technical and physical fitness model (also referred to as the combined training technology) in application to junior (9-10 year old) crawl swimmers.

Methods and structure of the study. A key concept of the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model was to efficiently integrate the technical and physical fitness training elements to facilitate, on a staged basis, competitive progress in the junior special crawl swimming groups, with three stages of the model designed to (1) master technical basics of the core swimming style; (2) excel the swimming technique; and (3) individualize and make versatile the swimming techniques.

Results and conclusions. The progress tests found the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model being beneficial as verified by the improved movement hydrodynamics and special physical fitness test data plus good progress in the technical aspects of swimming. The new harmonized technical and physical fitness progress algorithms were found efficient as demonstrated by the subsamples’ progress in every technical test. The study data and analyses showed benefits of the new harmonized technical and physical fitness model for application in junior swimming groups – as verified by the fast and higher progress of the EG and formal sport qualifications in the core swimming style based on a sound technical toolkits and special physical qualities building and physical training service to lay a good foundation for progress in the future sports careers.