**Go Fast with Jessica Hardy**

 

Jessica Hardy, one of the world’s premier sprinters for freestyle and breaststroke, joins us this week to talk about – and show us – what she does to GO FAST.  Jessica will challenge us to think differently – to activate the muscles with dryland, to shorten the warmup, to spend up to 90% of training time going FAST, and to focus on high-level sprint skills and drills in the pool.  Don’t miss this one!

**Jessica Hardy: What Is Speed?**

For Jessica Hardy, speed is a combination of skill and instinct.  She trains for it by racing in practice, doing specific speed drills, and pushing her tempo to the limit.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1286-what-is-speed>

**Jessica Hardy: Training for Speed**

Jessica adheres to the 90/10 rule:  90% of her training is done at FAST speed; 10% at slow/recovery speed.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1289-training-for-speed>

 

**Jessica Hardy: Head-Up Freestyle**

Tarzan drill like you’ve never seen it before.  Jessica emphasizes extreme speed and tempo, to focus on the initial catch.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1295-head-up-freestyle>

 

**Jessica Hardy: Head-Up Breaststroke**

To train fast hands and fast feet, Jessica relies on Head-Up Breaststroke.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1306-head-up-breaststroke>

 

**Jessica Hardy: Freestyle Spin Drill**

In order to get a rate of .9 to 1.0 seconds per stroke cycle on freestyle, Jessica does Spin Drill.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1287-freestyle-spin-drill>

 

**Jessica Hardy:  #4 – Standing Arm Swing, Triceps**

To mobilize the triceps and shoulder muscles before swimming, Jessica uses Standing Arm Swings.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1084-stretch-4-standing-arm-swing-triceps>

 

**Jessica Hardy: – Child’s Pose into Cobra**

To mobilize the muscles in her arms, shoulders, and lower back, Jessica uses Child’s Pose into Cobra.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1097-stretch-17-child-s-pose-into-cobra-pose>

 

**BONUS:**

**#1: Arm Swings – Opposite Directions**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1081-stretch-1-standing-arm-swing-opposite-directions>

 

**#13: One-Legged Pigeon Pose**

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1093-stretch-13-hip-stretch-one-legged-pigeon-pose>

**Athlete Training and Development Strategies**

Glenn led a discussion with Jessica, a former Olympic swimmer, and other coaches about training approaches and athlete development. Jessica shared that she spent about 90% of her practice time at race pace and emphasized the importance of purposeful, engaging training rather than mindless yardage. The group discussed balancing maximizing an athlete's potential versus keeping them engaged in the sport, with Jessica and others noting that the key is providing a maximum potential environment while allowing athletes and families to decide on the risk-reward balance. The conversation also touched on the challenges of sprint versus distance training approaches and the need for innovative coaching methods that keep athletes motivated and technically focused.

**Land-Based Swimming Training Alternatives**

Glenn and Jessica discussed the future of swimming training, focusing on reducing pool time while maintaining effectiveness. Jessica shared her experience of doing most cardio, endurance, and strength training on land rather than in the pool, which Glenn noted aligns with the 20-hour rule and the approach used by Steve Hoffler. They explored how young swimmers (8-12 age group) were particularly impacted during COVID when structured alternatives weren't available, leading to a discussion about intentionally designing alternative training methods that focus on land-based exercises before introducing water activities.

**Swimming Training Approaches Discussion**

Glenn and Jessica discussed training approaches in swimming, with Jessica sharing her experience of giving maximum effort from the first set of practice rather than holding back. They discussed the challenges of pacing in longer races like the 200 freestyle, with Jessica noting that Dom's 145-meter performance stood out as particularly impressive. The conversation included details about Jessica's training sessions, which typically lasted two hours and included resistance work comprising about one-third of workouts, though she couldn't provide exact yardage due to her ADHD and the dynamic nature of the workouts.

**Swimming Technique and Drill Discussion**

Glenn and Jessica discussed swimming drills focused on speed and technique, particularly head-up freestyle and breaststroke drills. Jessica explained how water polo influences affected her freestyle technique, while Glenn emphasized the importance of swimming maturity in implementing advanced drills like head-up breaststroke. They also discussed pre-race preparation techniques, including forearm slapping to enhance performance, with Jessica sharing her experience of using this method at international competitions.

**Swimming Techniques and Coaching Insights**

The group discussed swimming techniques and training approaches, with Jessica sharing her experience returning to Masters swimming after shoulder surgery and her favorite breaststroke drills. Glenn and Aleks shared stories about coaching experiences, including Aleks's early coaching days working with Salo at UNC where he learned to make training more engaging and fun. Jessica mentioned her new mindset coaching business ([swimhardy.com](http://swimhardy.com/)) where she helps coaches and athletes, and the group agreed to continue their discussions at the next meeting which will start an hour later due to Glenn's camp schedule.


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June 9, 2026 - Jessica Hardy - SPEED!