Today on the GMM podcast we have 50 freestyle Olympic and World Champion Cameron McEvoy. This sprint star, known as The Professor, has done more than win medals, he has revolutionised training in a way I don’t think we can turn back from.
Cameron, a graduate from Griffith University with a bachelor’s in physics and mathematics, trusts the data and it has rewarded him. This isn’t just another training conversation, Cameron shares the far edge of human performance and what it takes to move water at top speed. The results are undeniable, and the ripple effects are going to change how the sport thinks about sprinting.
Here’s the best part: Cameron isn’t keeping this to himself. He’s documenting it. Right now, his film is in the can, being edited. It’s coming soon, and SwimSwam will drop the release date as soon as we get it. Best of all, this won’t be behind a paywall. It’ll be free to watch on YouTube.
In this podcast we cover, and this is a taste:
- Aliens (yes, little green men) – I had to ask that question because of a famous Cameron quote.
- Weight Training & Power Blocks since Paris – And how long Cameron pushed his power block (meaning little to no swimming).
- Swimming Blocks – How much Cameron swims in total and how little he actually swims slowly (warmup).
- Cameron Business – And why he didn’t seek endorsements after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
- Cameron Lifestyle – Marriage and fatherhood and how he has leaned into peers like Adam Peaty and Caeleb Dressel.
- Cam’s Upcoming Sprint Training Doc Film – Why he’s producing it and what went into the production.
- LA2028 – His intentions to compete in LA and beyond, and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics is not off the table.
If I missed any topics or questions, share in the comments. When Cam drops his documentary film we will unpack that media and pick up your questions.
Follow Cameron McEvoy on Instagram here.
Follow Gold Medal Mel on Instagram here.
Many thanks to Swimoutlet.com for their 13 years partnership and support of this swimming news and media.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
Loved this interview, Mel. Two points you made I think need to be explored more.
You said something like, “I would love to see you have a business model” behind his content strategy. Me, too. And who better to teach them than you? Especially in light of Ben Proud’s financial rationale for the EG, we need more avenues for clean swimmers to make $€£.
Second, can you do a GMM where Braden interviews you? You dropped your protein content and lifting references and your pursuit of PBs. As a guy a couple years older than you (I remember watching you tear up the age group record books when we’d come down from VA to NC), I’d love to… Read more »
Also curious what those mobility gains he was talking about were.
It’s hard as hell to stay limber at his age, but sounds like he was somehow not just maintaining but increasing mobility. I’m maybe more interested in what they were doing there than anything else.
He is working with Matthew Smith, who has posted some of the stuff they were doing together on his Instagram
ugh i gotta make another instagram account just to follow this stuff.
Thank you!
The biggest question I have for this type of thing is – how much is he paying The Andrew Family in royalties??
EXTREME USRPT BAYBEE!!
Just kidding, I do actually have a question and that’d be like, what kind of swimmer does this work with? It seems incredibly unlikely that you’d be able to start training this way as a preteen, there’s too much skill development stuff you’d have to do first. (Which, McEvoy was clearly one of the most talented swimmers you can be in that regard – 47.0 ain’t no joke – so he had more than the basics down.)
Just was all really interesting in general, I actually have never strength trained like he… Read more »
Love the idea of mini documentaries and streaming training. I got into rock climbing a few years ago, well after my competitive days of swimming, and found it an amazing compliment to swimming for many reasons. The need to focus on micro “beta” and an incredible level of body awareness, the mental fortitude of failing on your “project” route for days or weeks while feeling fulfilled with the process of learning, and also the accessibility for new entrants into the sport via all of the incredible YouTube mini documentaries. Maybe the only thing more solitary than swimming is climbing by yourself in the woods for weeks or months, but the rock climbing community has managed to create incredible 10-20 minute… Read more »
Yeah, the Australian swimmers are our beloved and nemesis so McEnvoy is an Olympican and World Champion leading the World for now and inspire others to do what he is doing to be successful!!!
Would have liked Cate, or maybe Bronte to have given this training plan a go…
Or the Enhanced Games…
I mean Cate just went 24.7 like cold turkey a month ago, maybe it’s not too late lol
Cate should join McEvoy program.
Along with Sjostrom, she’s the most naturally gifted female sprinters of the last 20 years.
McEvoy program will correct her in the area of strength, which her coach never paid attention to.
Didn’t Dana Torres won silver in the 50 free in Beijing aged 38? I definitely don’t think it’s too late and wouldn’t be surprised if Sjostrom defends the 50 free in LA (19years after her first world title lol)
Yup.
And I 100% think Cate Campbell is more naturally talented than Dara Torres.
She should join McEvoy program and laser focus on 50 free. It’s not to late for 2028 LA
Probably should’ve focused on the 50 before Paris.
Oh hrm damn they are similar.
Campbell had injury issues the end of her career, yes? Wonder if just doing this kind of thing would alleviate them.
Dara Torres was 41, and in 2012 as a 45 year old she was a trials finalist in the 50. I think she came in 4th.
I like the focus on mobility and strength, which I feel like is something “USRPT” totally neglects.
Technically, McEvoy is doing ultra-short training at race pace, but it’s not a branded, one-weird-trick training method. It seems like his team is playing around, collecting lots of data, and seeing what works.
He also swims a single race: 50 free. He literally has to do 3×50 free for the entire meet. MA was trying to do 200IM. And 100 fly. And 100 Breast. and other 50s. There’s no comparison.
There is totally a comparison in that both philosophies reject traditional volume training and opt for short repetitions and high intensity. Maybe MA was always biting off more than he could chew though, those events are all pretty different from each other.
Like captain bubbles pointed out, I don’t think his gym routine was as sophisticated either, and he was always doing weird stuff with keto diets and the like.
And there’s a reason they call McEvoy the professor as someone else has also remarked, his technique is incredible, and when he breaks it down it’s clear how articulate he is about the movements he makes and how much thought he’s put into it.
Not saying that MA… Read more »
💯
Michael Andrew is naturally gifted, but his training, his technique, and his method is, let’s be generous, less sophisticated than a program like McEvoy is doing.
Michael Andrew was swimming 7-10km a day. Cam says here that his sessions are about 1km, 4x a week.
I don’t know why people are obsessed with thinking MA rejected traditional volume just because it says Ultra Short in the title. He swam 3 round of 30×50 every night and 3 rounds of 30×25 every morning.
MA basically done traditional training compared to what Cam does.
He was NOT doing 7-10km a day, no shot
One thing I like to know, but you cannot test it or research it very well. The longer swims and training that Ryk, Tom, Cam, George B (at Bolles during HS), have that helped them or hurt them in the long run (big perspective)? What would the results have been for them during their very late 20’s through their mid 30’s have been if they had not done the longer swims earlier in their careers?
Rick “Rocket” DeMont
That’s what I always ask! Cam replied to me via insta once saying he does not think that 47.0 happens without it and that this method is geared more towards starting it at 18-22 if the focus is just 50’s. I believe he said there are some coaches trying it younger and I guess we will see the results in the long run. Obviously seems like the 50’s would get faster, but for how long?