Van Mathias REVEALS Low Yardage Training That Broke the 50 Breast AR

Van Mathias REVEALS Low Yardage Training That Broke the 50 Breast AR

From Night Swim Podcast by Dax and Elvis

May 4, 2026 · 1h 43m

About this episode

Van Mathias discusses his training methods and journey to breaking the American record in the 50 breaststroke.

Van Mathias (IU Director of Operations & American Record Holder in the 50 Breaststroke) joins Night Swim for a raw, in-depth conversation about his incredible comeback!From working full-time, training on low volume/high intensity (heavily inspired by Cam McEvoy), crushing weighted pull-ups & Olympic lifts, to setting the American Record in Norway — Van breaks down exactly how he did it Topics Covered: • His exact weekly training split (speed endurance, dryland, lifting)• How he went from “just staying in shape” to American Record holder in months• Sodium bicarb experience, mindset on borrowed time, and racing philosophy• Training with Coach John, the guinea pig experiments, and what’s next (Pan Pacs, 57 in the 100 breast?)• Life as a swimmer + Director of Ops (feeding 90 athletes, jail cell office, etc.)Van is one of the most interesting stories in American swimming right now. Don’t miss this one!🌙 Night Swim PodcastWhen the pool lights go out, the real talk begins. Hosted by Dax Hill (NCAA champ, Texas Longhorns legend, high-performance technique guru @Reykli) and Elvis Burrows (Bahamian Olympian, national record holder, founder of Burrow's Best swimmer hair and skin…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dax Hill, Elvis Burrows

Guest: Van Mathias

Topics covered

  • low yardage training
  • American record
  • swimming comeback
  • training philosophy
  • athlete management

Keywords

  • 50 breaststroke
  • American record holder
  • training split
  • speed endurance
  • dryland training
  • Olympic lifts
  • mindset
  • Pan Pacs

Sponsors

Swimnerd

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Indiana University

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