eBook, SprintSalo

Sprint Salo by David C. Salo, Ph.D.

Spanish edition of SprintSalo was translated in 2018 by Benito Velasco Castro.

Free ebook from the recently retired coach from University of Southern California

Get an eye-opening explanation of fast swimming and how best to put in your time in the swimming pool. Follow these workouts and you'll be amazed at the results. From Pulse Plots to creative swim sets, this book has lit the established swimming world on fire. Join the many avid followers of David Salo, swimming coach and scientist. Swim training needs to be fast. Dave's understanding of the sport and science gives you the tools to make a great impact.

  • Author resides in Irvine, California.
  • Page length: 96.
  • Former cover price: $12.95.
  • Format: 6 x 9 inches, paper cover with 9 line-drawings.
  • ISBN: 1-878602-01-2
  • Bookstore section(s): Swimming.
  • Original publication Date: 1989.
  • Now available as PDF free download.

Back Cover

"I have focused a great deal of attention on training concepts. To say the least, most of the concepts I have brought forth have been on the radical extreme in terms of what is the common practice. To be sure, these concepts have been challenged, not for the lack of experimental and theoretical evidence, but more for the lack of having produced a recognizable "elite" athlete. In order to provide some practical support for the training model, I extensively describe the details of the training program that i utilize." -- David C. Salo


Includes 48 practices, chapters on physiology as applied to swimming, and hundreds of workout design ideas.


Perfect for self-trained adult swimmers, triathletes, and coaches who want to know the latest trends as described with personality by a young, creative, scientist/ coach.

David Salo and Mark Rauterkus on the pool deck at USC.

David Salo on cover of American Swimming magazine

HIGH-INTENSITY, LOW-YARDAGE TRAINING - DAVE SALO, Head Coach of USC Swimming & Diving

"I began my coaching career in the same manner as most other coaches, i.e. accepting the training methods handed down to me. However, I was always intrigued with the concept of training 10,000 to 15,000 yards per day for an event less than 1/100th of that distance. 
Further, as I brought my athletes to newer levels of training distances, I found myself asking, "How does swimming slow for thousands and thousands of yards make them fast for a couple hundred?"
Finally I had to pose the question, "As a coach, shouldn't my goal be to see how little I have to train for peak performance?"
To put training yardage into perspective, consider the training of the 400 meter swimmer and the runner who competes in the mile event. Both events are performed in just under 4:00, therefore energetically they represent similar events. The swimmer will train on average about 12,000 meters per day. This distance is some 30 times farther than the event. The runner, by conventional wisdom, would need to train 30 miles per day (or more than a marathon) in order to achieve similar performance successes. Clearly, the runner would never consider such an extensive training regimen as this. It must be considered that because the swimmer simply can swim 30 times farther per day than the distance he will compete, may be the very reason why he does it, and for no other. Surely, the physiological principles which govern exercise adaptation would prove our present training methods lack sound justification.
As I discovered a more appropriate method of training for peak athletic performance, I found I preferred watching swimmers training 'fast'. The training required considerably less yardage, and as a coach, I found myself more involved in each training session. Aside from the physiological justifications for high-intensity training, I have found that each practice becomes a competitive experience which better prepares the athletes."
David Salo

Dave Salo on TV

Coach Dave Salo talking with a swimmer at a meet.

  • {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

    Surf & learn more

    Check out these other articles.

    Page [tcb_pagination_current_page] of [tcb_pagination_total_pages]

    >