What is USRPT? (See also Latest News)

For years swimmers and coaches have been guessing at the best and safest ways to swim faster. Coaches have copied techniques without fully understanding them, made claims without any evidence and even invented beneficial drills and equipment. 

The research shows that swimmers who train at higher intensities during practice have significantly greater improvements during races than swimmers training at slower speeds. Also, swimmers training at racing speeds are better equipped to handle the demands of racing. In response to these findings USRPT is a program designed to incorporate the maximum amount of race-pace swimming during practice.

USRPT, short for Ultra-Short Race-Pace Training, is an evidence-based training program/stroke curriculum developed by Dr. Brent S. Rushall for the sport of swimming. It is very important to note that USRPT is evidence-based and not a theory. While theories are mere speculation, the results of USRPT have been proven to be consistently superior to that of traditional swimming training.  Ultra-short intervals means you can say goodbye to lactate buildup, excessive fatigue and long recoveries

Ultra-Short

The term Ultra-Short refers to the brief and strictly monitored work and rest intervals that USRPT swimmers are required to hold. Swimmers training with USRPT are never allowed to rest for more than 23 seconds on any set. Training on such short intervals allows the swimmer’s body to maintain a low level of lactate in the blood while keeping a high level of glycogen in the muscles. This key feature gives the following benefits to USRPT swimming:

  1. Neuro-muscular patterning – Traditional swimming training depletes glycogen levels and as a result drastically hinders and/or prevents the neural learning needed for quality performances. USRPT remedies this flaw.

  2. Shorter recovery times - with shorter work intervals, shorter recovery times and shorter work intervals, the body is able to sufficiently repay accumulated oxygen debt (AOD) and restore the body’s energy systems in a relatively short amount of time.

There are various other benefits to a USRPT format such as deliberate practice sessions, organised practices, and a greater number of quality repetitions.

Race-Pace Training

The term Race-pace training is based on the not so recent discovery that the best way to train the body for an activity (especially a complex one), is to replicate that activity as closely as possible. This is known as the principle of specificity. With this principle in mind, USRPT swim coaches design sets with a very specific pace and race in mind which allows swimmers to develop an innate understanding and feel for specific races and it trains their body's energy systems accordingly. This neuro-muscular training is invaluable.