Stalling results

[CSLEE]

Hi guys, desperately need your advice and opinion for the followings:

My son has started serious training at the age of 8, since then his results improved for the following two years until the age of 10, I presume this is normal for a starter who goes into proper training and regular racing. He is now going to be 12 in June and I found that his PB stalls or hardly improves any more after the "peak" at 10, for eg. he lately swam his 10-year-old times for 50 n 100 fly in the national school competition, as far as the intensity of the training, he is training 6 times a week, so I don't think he is under-trained.

My questions are:

1. Presumably the young swimmers would always improve their PB until before they reach their puberty, so is it a pre-matured peak for my son?

2. He is like training 6 times a week with one and a half hour in water per session, does he need to increase the training session?

3. Does he need serious physical workout session like push-up, chin-up, stretch cord pulling or even light weight training now? if he does, how many times a week?

4. He has been under a coach for nearly 4 years who checks his strokes and techniques on a regular basis, does he need to change another coach who may have different way of coaching?

5. As I am on meatless diet, so my son only consumes small quantity of meat diet (chicken, fish, pork) at lunch as dinner is always vegetarian, it is advisable for him to start taking small quantity of protein supplement, like creatine? If he does, what is the quantity and frequency?

6. Is it proper for a 12-yo kid to start taking protein supplement? I have surfed this issue on internet but the advice varies and inconclusive, some said it was harmless but others not until the age of 18.

Look forwards to hearing from you all.

Thank you.

[CoachStuartMcDougal]

Hi CSLEE,

I was swim parent for 12 years and what you describe is a common regimen of over-training, and possibly why your son is experiencing plateau or stall.

This is an excellent article about Michael Andrew, 14 yo, 32 national records, possibly turning pro. Find out how he trains and might be very useful info guiding your son as swim parent: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mor...#ixzz2qVKfSmh4

Questions 5 & 6: Seek out a professional dietician that specializes in youth diets, sports nutrition. Their requirements are much different than adults.

Stuart
MindBodyAndSwim

[CSLEE]

Tq, Coach Stuart, read the article but of course it is beyond comparison for my boy and M. Andrew, but looking into that USRPT program now.