I admit it…I am an Olympic junkie. I used to stay up late to watch the ‘84 games which were held in LA almost 25 years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. I love watching the competition and I have found myself watching even the obscure events like Fencing and Badminton. No matter what the event, the side stories of the athletes competing and the struggles that some have endured are just as fun to watch.

Dara Torres is a 41-year-old swimmer competing in her 5^th Olympic games, with her first being in 1984. Not only is it remarkable that she is going for number 5, but the fact that she is 41-years-old and is a medal favorite is the most remarkable thing. You see, when you are 40 years old, you are not supposed  to be able to compete at that level. When you are over the age of 35, you are considered “old” in Olympic years. Torres seems to be getting better as she gets older and her swimming times prove this. Over the years, her competitive times are decreasing, which means she is getting better and faster.

How can this be? At 41-years-old she can’t be getting better, can she? Well the answer is obvious, she is, but the answer to the other question is not so obvious…how?

I did some research on this 41-year-old phenomenon and found out just how she trains. I think you will see that her training is nothing revolutionary and nothing new, however, she has been smart enough to focus on what is important and allow her body to fully recover. This approach has helped her peak and become better than she has ever been.

Dara’s training focuses on the follow aspects:

• Fewer Workouts.

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  • Torres has decreased her volume considerably during this Olympic quest. She does not over train, she does not do what isn’t necessary, she does what needs to be done and then she is finished. Although this sounds like common sense, you would be surprised how many of my clients and athletes feel like they need to put in 2-3 hour training sessions and train 7 days a week. Torres is proof you don’t need to do more than necessary. In fact, less has been better. There is more research that supports this type of training. Recently, I have backed off while training my athletes. They are doing less volume, shorter workouts (but focused) and more recovery. The result of this type of training change has been incredible performances, better training sessions, and seasons that are injury free.

• More Strength Training.

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  • Torres is a swimmer and traditionally, swimmers do not focus on strength training too much. Dara has worked out, outside of the pool this time around. She has obviously seen the light in this regard. I have touted the importance of being strong and strength training to my athletes (and anyone else that would listen) for years. I hold strength training up there with the most important areas of training for any sport or activity.
  • Dara Torres has spent a lot of time in the weight room. Her routine consists of full body, compound movements like squats, dead lifts, presses and pulls. She understood that single joint movements like arm curls, are a waste of time for her.
  • Core training…I cannot overemphasize the importance of having a strong core for any athlete. Dara works her entire core religiously, Core work is essential for anyone that wants to be a good athlete or have an easier life. If you are not working your core in some way or another, you are going to have physical issues moving through life with be that much more difficult.
  • Torres also worked on stability exercises that developed the strength around her joints. She understood that being 41 meant that her joints are not as forgiving as they once were. Spending time on joint stability is incredibly important for everyone, but more so for people that are over the age of 35 and training with weights.

• Recovery.

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  • One of the biggest areas that Dara has worked on, this time out is her recovery. Recover is much more than just resting. Torres used soft tissue work almost daily. Deep tissue massage, Active Release Techniques and other soft tissue work was a must for her, and her results have been remarkable. If you are not incorporating soft tissue work into your training regiment, then you are missing a major component of your training and your results will probably not be as good.
  • I mentioned rest, as not being the only thing that needs to be considered for recovery, but it is just as important. Dara knows that she needs plenty of it to succeed. I argue with athletes all of the time about the lack of rest that many of them get during their training cycles. Staying up late, not incorporating naps into your day and never taking time off, are not good practices for success. You would be surprised at how many people do not follow that advice and suffer the consequences from lack of good recovery. Sometimes less is better.

There are a lot of points to taken from an athlete like Dara Torres, but I think the major thing for people to focus on is that age should not be a factor for what you want to do. If you have a goal, no matter what your age, it is achievable. The big lesson is although you can do it, you just might have to work at your goal a little different than you did when you were 18. More rest, more focused routines, better recovery methods, and incredible desire will get you where you want to be. My advice to all of my over 30 athletes is always the same: Do some kid of soft-tissue work in the form of massage, foam rolling, ART, etc…, work on joint stability at all times, and work on getting stronger…full body strength, by doing compound movements such as squats, dead lifts, presses and pulls.

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