RETRO “Don’t cry for me Arhentina...”

RETRO: 02.11. 2010

“Don’t cry for me Arhentina...”

In the recent years ... decades actually (since the 80’s), I have advocated a new approach to swim training – a new concept called "BEST", which is an abbreviation for 'Biomechanical Efficiency Swimming Test '.

The main requirement of the BEST formula was related to the ability to count, without errors, the number of swimming strokes. Recently, a variety of devices (wristwatches) appeared on the market, and they address this need very well.

In these conditions, I believe that 'my struggle' to promote the BEST concept should end, and this article is the last on this topic on my blog.

I am absolutely sure that 21st century technology and knowledge to conduct training scientifically, using computers, will very soon be available.

I hope I still have several years left, to be able to witness these ‘dreams’ come true.

I wish you success and I’d like to end with the famous phrase: 'to hear only of good things'...

prof. Mircea Olaru, 17.09.2010, Bucharest, Romania

Please open here and here...:

Dear Sirs,

I am 74 years old, 60 of which were spent near the swimming pool, about 50 years of coaching with some modest successes... I've become interested by your activity, which I think can become a model for other organizations too...

I'm going to trust the discernment you must have, after so many successes, and I want to tell you about an idea that has no material end, and is not meant to bring a profit, but it can clarify the approach in reaching performance in swimming and other sports as well

Many years ago, around 1980, I've developed a new concept for swimming efficiently; initially, I started from a famous ancient quote 'festina lente' - and then I noticed that it works well for competitive swimming too.

As I was behind the Communist 'Iron Curtain' that prevented any contact with the outside world, my idea didn't reach the West at that time; it was completed in 1983 and published in the Magazine for Physical Education and Sports (no. 3/1983) in an article entitled 'The Biomechanical Efficiency Swimming Test (BEST)'. The article had a simple point - the efficiency of a swimmer is given by adding the number of strokes he needs to swim 50 meters with the number of seconds taken by this swim.

Going forward on this idea, I've tried to apply it to training children this way - as I was given the opportunity: I've asked them to swim as fast as they could but with the fewest number of strokes; surprisingly the children started to swim better, and ended up winning swimming competitions.

Then I had the proof that my concept had a practical utility, and I started to promote it... In 1995 I've discovered that American coaches (Hines, Hanulla, Maglischo, and recently also Bob Bowman / M. Phleps) had also independently arrived at the same conclusions. However, my formula is can be particularized for every swimmer, by taking his or her physical characteristics into account (see attachment, BEST definitions)

All this time, I've always been aware by the fact that the counting of the strokes had to be done automatically somehow... I tried to contact important companies, such as Speedo, in this respect, with little success, but last year, in UK, a company launched the Pool Mate watch that advertised this feature. I purchased a watch immediately, but was a little disappointed by its stroke counting accuracy and consistence...

Finally, I'm waiting that either Pool Mate improves and becomes the watch I've dreamed of since the 80's (accurate stroke counting), or that others understand my concept, its usefulness and the need to have such a tool for stroke counting - of course other features can be added such as wireless transmission of data to the coach, allowing real time feedback, etc.

With such support, the BEST concept could reach its true potential, and the training could become more scientific and better focused on optimal results.

Thank you,

M.O.

iata traducerea: "Exercitiile de vaslire si timp sunt un mod excelent prin care inotatorul poate sa isi gestioneze lungimea vaslirii, si sa inoate la cel mai inalt nivel de eficienta. Exercitiul nostru pentru Delfin presupune inotarea Distantei de 50 m si Numararea vaslirilor; la sfarsit se compara timpul cu numarul de vasliri - si scopul este de a avea numarul vaslirilor cu 10 mai mic decat timpul in secunde: daca inotatorului inoata distanta in 30 de secunde, numarul de vasliri ar trebui sa fie 20."

Michael Phelps: 18 vasliri, 28.2 secunde

Definiţii BEST, Les Definitions du BEST,

The BEST Definitions, Der BEST – Definitionen

!/. Tehnica corecta inseamna eficienta de miscare in apa… “testarea eficientei biomecanice la inot”(best) se calculeaza astfel: adun ‘timpul’(‘t’) cu ‘vaslirile’(‘v’) suma lor o scad dintr-o valoare constanta (‘k’)(aleasa aleator = ‘100’) + indicele personal de alunecare (ipa). adica - { 100+ipa } – { timp + vasliri } = ...... p.best

1. La tehnique corecte de la nage implique l’efficience du mouvement dans l’eau.

’’Tester l’efficience / l’efficacite biomecanique dans l’eau’’ [ The Biomechanical Efficiency Swimming Test – B.E.S.T. ....] ce calcule comme suit:

- aditioner le temps (’T’) au les mouvement (par 50m) (’M’), la somme se deduit d’une valeur constante (’K’)[choisie aleatoire, par ex. = 100 point] + l’Indice Personel de Glisse (I.P.G.) c’este a dire, la formule:

[100 + IPG ] – [ ’T’ + ’M’] = ...

offre le meilleur resultat, (points BEST).

1/The corect swim-technique means the efficiency of the movements in the water; it can be calculated by this way: add the number of the seconds and the number of the stroke-cicles (by 50m) and this sume will be extracted from the other constant sume provided from adition of the one constant value (K) (100) plus the Index of the personal Gliding (IPG)

!/. *Die korrekte Technik setzt eine effiziente Fortbewegung im Wasser voraus...”Testen der biomechanischen Effizienz beim Schwimmen” (best)

Diese wird wie folgt berechnet: wir addieren die zwei Werte (Zeit und Züge); die Summe wird aus einer Konstante „k” abgezogen ( „k” wird per Zufall ausgewählt = „100”) + persönlicher Gleitindex (pgi).

D.h. – { 100+pgi } – { Zeit + Züge } =....... p.best

2/ Obiectivitatea conceptului si a formulei ‘b.e.s.t.’ rezida din urmatoarea logica: ‘adun doua marimi, (timpul / ’t’ + vaslirile / ’v’) care au sens descrescator, - dupa care, le scad din constanta {‘100’ + ‘ipa’} si obtin (facil + repede / mental way ...) valoarea prestatiei in apa’

2. La logique du BEST et son objectivite:

J’additionne deux valeurs, deux quantites , le temps T. et le mouvement M. (des cicles de bras – pour Libre et pour le Dos 2 bras alternative, pour Brasse et pour Papillon une cicle concomitente, seulmant), les valeur qui ont un sens (desirable...!) decroissants et apres je deduis de la valeur constante (anterieur calcule) [ ’100 + IPG’] et j’obtiens (tres facile et vite / by mental way...) la valeur de la prestation dans l’eau.

2/The objectivity of the ‘best formula’ results from this new exercise of logic: ‘we add two value (time+stroke), this values have their sense descendent (!)…, and, after we substrate this sum from one constant value (accidentally (k) = 100 + ipg points)’.

in this mod we can obtain (very easy, by mental way) the supreme value of the swimming efficiency.

2/ Die Objektivität des Konzeptes und der Formel „b.e.s.t.” baut auf die folgende Logik auf: „ wir addieren zwei Gröβen, (Zeit + Züge), die einen absteigenden Sinn verzeichnen. Diese werden nachher von der Konstante { „100” + „pgi”} abgezogen. Das Ergebnis (einfach + schnell / mental way...) stellt den Wert der Leistung im Wasser dar.

3/“indicele personal de alunecare” (i.p.a. / este ca un kard-annual) ‘L.’ + (k) – (kgr. + Q), in care - ‘L.’ = lungimea maxima a corpului / pluta ‚(k)’= o constantă cu valoare 100 puncte ‘Kgr.’ = greutatea in kilograme / + ‘Q.’ = diametrul/cm. subaxilar in expiratie profunda – the “index of personal gliding “ (i.p.g.)

3. L’indice de la Glisse dans l’eau (IPG) este une valeur constante, comme un card banquare, qui le calcule annuellement:

’L.’ + (encore une ’K’ de 100 points, aleatoire...!) la somme se deduit d’une autre somme resulte par addition de ’Kgr.’ + ’Q.’, c’est a dire:

[ L. + (K) ] – [ Kgr. + Q ] =

la valeur anuelle plus constante de IPG en points....

’L.’ – longuer maximale du corp entierre

(la possision fondamentale de nage - planche de flotation du corp sur le ventre ou sur le dos verrifie sur terrre);

(k) – une ciffre constante, aleatoire, d’une valeur de 100 points;

’Kgr.’ - Kilogrames du corp, sur terre;

’Q.’ – le diametre en cm. de la cage thoracique en expir profonde, et le resultat de cette formule que l’on nomme – Indice Personel de Glisse (IPG) dans l’eau, avec ses point et d’une valeur constante, annuelle.

3/The index personal of gliding (ipg) is lake a ‘credit card’ (the validity is minimum one year): with this ipg we can organize the series of the race in perfect ‘faire-play’ (indifferent of the sex or age) the competitors with same or appropriate values will be introduce in the same series …the periodical calcul of this ipg formula is found with regarding to the hydrodynamics principle (reynolds+froude),

so: ‘’from the value of the maximum longer of the body (ventral float position)(L.) / in additions with another accidentally value constant (k=100), we will substrate the sum of the nr. of kgr. (weight) with the Q. (nr. of cm. of the circumference of the upper thorax in deep expiration). ‘L.’+(k) – ( ‘kgr.’ + ‘q.’)

3/ „Der persönliche Gleitindex” (p.g.i./ ist wie eine Kreditkarte, die 1 Jahr gültig ist (kard-annual)). „L” = die maximale Körperlänge / ventral float position; „k” = eine Konstante mit dem Wert von 100 Punkten; „kgr” = das Gewicht in Kilogramm / + „Q” = Durchmesser/cm des oberen Brustkorbabschnittes bei tiefer Ausatmung

4/ aplicabilitatea ‘annual kard-(ului)’(ipg – index of personal gliding ), indiferent de sex si chiar de varsta subiectilor…, este data de faptul ca criteriile alese, pentru folosirea sa ca instrument de departajare / organizare a intrecerilor de inot sportiv , sunt cele induse in selectia naturala:

# cu cat un corp este mai lung (l.),

# cu cat un corp este mai usor, (gr.)

# cu cat un corp este mai ingust (q.)

cu atat mai eficient pluteste, aluneca sau inainteaza !

4. L’application (calculation) annuelle du kard IPG –non peliee du sex, genne, et de l’age du suject (!), sont donnes comme une unique critere pour departager / organiser les eventuellle competitions (des series avec une real ’fraire-play’) de concurs de ’excelence tehnique de nage’ par 50m, car ce sont les criteres induits par la selection naturelle:

- plus que le corp est long .....

- plus que le corp est leger....

- plus que le corp est etroit ....

cet corp peut glisse et avance plus bien, plus efficace !

4/The valability of the index personal of gliding (ipg) results from that – all criteria selected to make the series for the challenge was selected from the normal natural selection:

when the longer of the body is big…

when the weight of the body is light...

when the frontal section of the body is small

the float, the gliding and the swimming speed will be more efficiency to advance better with one correct technique !

4/ Die Gültigkeit des „kard-annual” (pgi – persönlicher Gleitindex), unabhängig von Geschlecht oder Alter der Angewiesenen..., ist darauf zurückzuführen: die Kriterien, die ausgewählt wurden, um zu bestimmen, inwiefern die „annual kard” als Instrument zur Unterscheidung von Leistungen oder Veranstaltung von Schwimm-Wettkämpfen verwendet werden kann, gehen auf die natürliche Auswahl zurück:

je länger ein Körper ist (l.),

je leichter ein Körper ist (kgr),

je schmaler ein Körper ist (q.),

desto effizienter wird er schwimmen, gleiten oder sich im Wasser fortbewegen.

Numararea ciclurilor de vaslire se poate face in mod liber (vizual) sau cu un ‘counter’ mecanic / electronic (?!) care sa simplifice contabilizarea mentala si deci a unor eventuale erori (variante) prof. M.Olaru, 2005.

Bibliografie selectiva:

1/M. Sgrumala, I. Bidoaie –

‘Proiectarea navelor mici, Ed. Tehnica, Buc. 1978, p.17,

(Principiul Reynolds – Froude, bibl.: Saunders, N-York, 1957))

2/M.Olaru –

INOT – manual metodic, Ed. Sport-Turism, 1982, p.184,

3/M.Olaru –

Rev E.F.S. nr 3/1983 p.49 "Testarea eficientei biomecanice la inot'.

4/M.Olaru –

Rev E.F.S. nr. 2/1987, p.27 'Ierarhizarea numerica a prestatiilor inotatorilor'.

5/M.Olaru –

'Să nu ne temen de apă', Ed. Sport-Turism, 1988, p.90, sport-book

6/M.Olaru –

Note de curs-inot, Univ. Ecologica Buc., Ed. Universitara, 1991, p. 123

7/M.Olaru –

Afise editate de FRN & Canada Swimming Natation,1995, color, 4000 ex.

8/E.Hines –

'Fitness Swimming', Human Kinetics, p.27, ('Swimming Golf'), 1995.

9/D. Hannula-

“ Coaching Swimming succesfully’’, p.78 ( Minimum-Nr-.swims),1995

10 / M.Olaru –

Rev.'Stiinta Sportului', ed CCPS, nov 1999, Referat - ‘Un nou concept in pregatirea inotatoriilor'.

11/ M.Olaru –

‚’Despre inot… cu Mircea Olaru’,CD+4 postere, ed. SSE, 2007, 1000 ex.

12/ M. Olaru –

referat la sesiunea de comunicari a Univ. Spiru Haret, Buc, 2008

‚’Testarea eficientei biomecanice la inot’

13. E. Maglisho – ‚

’Stroke Counting Drills’’, from Swimming fastes, Hk Book ,2003

.. asta-i un 'bonus'...
cea mai interesanta inventie legata de apa sau , mai bine zis, de inot:

Also as a 'bonus'....:exactly the same principle but applied to travel on wheels on the ground, the move may be the author of a new propulsion, like 'bike'.For the opinion of fans 'inventions and innovations' ... that I was a little tired, "At the 'poor man' ... deh, you know ...." !
Tot ca 'bonus'....:
exact pe acelas principiu,dar aplicat la deplasarea pe roti, pe sol, aceasta miscare poate fi autoarea unei noi propulsii , gen 'bicicleta'.

Aviz amatorilor de 'inventii si inovatii'... ca eu m-am cam saturat; "la omul sarac..., deh, stiti voi ...." !