Cool Starts and Warm Hearts

Technique scoping review. Groundstrokes/serves: sequencing and EMG timing themes guide cueing and camera-based feedback.

80/20 (or pyramidal) isn’t dogma—use event specificity. Blend polarized foundations with race-specific threshold/CP work in the final meso.

HIIT still works for trained folks—dose wisely. Meta-analyses show performance gains in trained athletes; >8-week blocks favor strength outcomes too.

Vertical & horizontal FV profiling. Use CMJ/sprint profiling to locate deficits and predict change in jump/sprint with targeted work.

Max-strength vs. plyo vs. endurance for starts. Head-to-head comparisons show program choice changes block time & flight; periodize across the season.

HRV-guided meso design. Let HRV “earn” intensity days; keep volume with low-strain fillers when amber/red.

Serve kinematics map the big rocks. Meta-analysis identifies trunk/shoulder–hip separation, toss location, and knee/ankle work as key serve markers.

Swim+strength beats swim-only (≈2–2.5% gains). Integrate 2x/wk S&C with water sessions for modest but meaningful race-time drops.

Underwater dolphin kick = speed lever. Ankles/hip–core coordination and kick frequency are the biggest levers for UUS velocity—train ROM + stiffness + cadence progressions