Articles by Olivier Poirier-Leroy

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Why Your Dolphin Kick Needs More Hips (and Less Knees)

Elite underwaters aren’t just the result of kicking hard—it’s in the hips. Here’s why you should UDK from the hips, not the knees.

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How Stroke Length Drives Sprint Freestyle Speed (and the Right Way to Improve It)

Stroke rate gets a lot of the attention in sprint free, but how much water swimmers can hold with each stroke is where the chlorinated rubber meets the road.

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The Metabolic Cost of Extended Dolphin Kick Breakouts (and How to Use Them in Training)

What happens when you extend your underwater breakouts? Here’s a look at the metabolic implications for training and racing.

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What is a Good Stroke Rate for Sprint Freestyle?

Wondering what qualifies as a good stroke for sprint free? Learn how elite sprinters balance stroke rate and stroke length for maximum speed.

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A One-Hour Paddles and Chute Workout for More Power

Feel the need for peak speed in the water? Here’s a one-hour swim workout heavy on resisted sprints for building max power.

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Does Reaction Time Really Matter for a Fast Swim Start?

Does reaction time matter for a fast start? Not as much as swimmers think—here’s what actually moves the needle off the block.

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Why a Strong Kick Is So Crucial for Sprint Freestylers

A powerful kick is essential for a fast sprint freestyle, and not just for propulsion. Here’s why your legs matter more than you think.

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Try this Sprint Set for Improving Coordination and Gear-Changing Skills

A blistering 50 freestyle is as much about control and coordination as it is power and effort. Here’s a set to fine-tune stroke control on race day.

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A Tempo Set to Help Swimmers Build a Stronger Stroke

Looking to level up your stroke? Here’s a tempo set that will challenge you to squeeze more strength and speed from each stroke.

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How to Unlock More Sprint Speed with Dryland Priming

Dryland priming is one of the best shots of nitro in the sprinter’s toolkit. Here’s what it is and how to drop it into your sprint prep.

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A Kick Set Designed to Drive Whole-Stroke Freestyle Swim Speed

Looking to build a bigger motor in your freestyle? This progressive freestyle kick set has your name written all over it.

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When Dolphin Kick Speed Crashes (and How to Boost It)

Frustrated with uneven dolphin kick speed? Learn where decelerations happen and how to reduce them for faster underwaters.

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A Pro Tip for More Explosive Freestyle Breakouts

Breakouts can make or break your sprint freestyle on race day. Here’s how freestyle kick can slow you down and how dolphin kick breakouts keep speed.

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How to Use the Power Rack to Build Power That Transfers to Racing

Using the power rack to build sprint speed? Here is a power rack set for building power that translates into race day speed.

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3 Training Strategies for Faster Underwaters

Underwater dolphin kick feeling a little stuck? Here are three variables to play with at practice to unlock your underwaters.

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