Perhaps some of you have read the great Malcom Gladwell book, “Outliers”. One of the pieces that Gladwell touches on is that successful people put in the work. They aren’t suddenly successful overnight, but rather they commit many hours to their sport, profession or skill. According to Gladwell the 10,000 hour mark seems to be the point at which a person becomes an expert in their ways.
So for the swimming world, how long does 10,000 hours take? Let’s follow through the life of a typical dedicated swimmer and see how the math adds up over time:
- Age 6: Joined year-round swim clubYoung age-group swimmers are limited in their practices and workout schedule. So from age 6-9 we will assume 1.5 hour workouts 3 times a week. The season is around 44 weeks long for these swimmers, totaling 198 hours per year.
In the 3-year span from age 6-9, the swimmer has totaled 594 hours
Age 9: Moved up to a new training group
As swimmers develop they move up within the club to faster and more dedicated groups. So from age 9-12 we will assume 2 hour workouts 4 times a week. In a 44 week swim season the annual total is 352 hours.
In the 3-year span from age 9-12, the swimmer has totaled 1,056 hours
Running Total (6-12): 1,650 hours
Age 12: Moved up to a new training group
Moving to another new group means more pool time. From age 12-15 we assume 6 x 2 hour workouts per week. The season is also extended to 46 weeks, totaling 552 swimming hours per year.
In the 3-year span from age 12-15, the swimmer has totaled 1,656 hours
Running Total (6-15): 3,306 hours
Age 15 and Beyond: Senior Level
Around age 15 swimmers usually decide that swimming is right for them. The typical week of swimming includes 5 normal 2 hour sessions every afternoon, 3 morning swims (1.5 hours each), and 1 long 3.5 hour Saturday practice. This total is 18 hours per week, which equals 828 hours annually for a 46 week season.
Cumulative Total at age 18: 5,790 hours
Cumulative Total at age 21: 8,274 hours
Cumulative Total at age 23 years, 1 month and 1 day: 10,000 hours
That is over 17 years of swimming!
I know my math is littered with assumptions. I haven’t considered swim meets, taper workouts, holiday training, or injuries. However, the data is still interesting to see and you should get the idea that it takes a lot of time in the pool to be successful. For example, if you miss just 10 minutes for each practice, then it will take you nearly 1.5 years longer to hit 10,000 hours!
It should also be noted that just because you are putting in the hours doesn’t mean that you are actually reaping the benefits. Swimming long sets with poor technique will only make you an expert in poor technique.
So is Gladwell right about the 10,000 hours? Maybe, but I know a lot of good swimmers (and Olympians) that started swimming at age 12 or 17 and nowhere near 10,000 hours. What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.
- Mark
The 10,000 hours number comes from 5 years at 2000 hours average work per year, I don’t think that corresponds to 10,000 hours of training. Training before physical development is completed isn’t as meaningful as training after physical development is completed and a very small number of swimmers have shown improvement 17 years after physical development is complete.
The 5 year rule is just a rule of thumb to begin with so the only take away is that success doesn’t happen over night and is a long term project.
Wow, I talk about this all the time. Nice to see someone else put these together.
I think the point is still great to make with impatient adults who come to swimming hoping to get faster in particular. They may be aerobic machines outside the water but have no technique. Swimming 2x/ week for 45 min. PART of the year, all by yourself (outside of a coached workout or Masters workout, i.e. your comment about long sets/poor technique) doesn’t give you a lot of room for improvement.
When you look at the 3x/week at 90min, for 44 weeks/year, for >1 year, you can start to talk about your consistency and what needs to get worked on. The other plan is a sure-fire way to get frustrated for most of the people that I see, and so I continue to reference “Outliers” !