Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin is one of the most naturally talented swimmers in the world.  At the age of 35, Anthony became the oldest individual Olympic gold medalist, taking the title in the 50-meter freestyle.  Not only did he win, he set a personal best time, showing the world that age is just a number.

To get to this elite level of success, high-levels of dedication and effort are required.  We sat down with Anthony to find out what his favorite FINIS tools are, and a set that he does to help train for the top of the podium.

The Swimmer’s Snorkel: A key product that every swimmer should have in their swim bag.  A steady yet strong head position is essential for sprinting, and the Swimmer’s Snorkel helps with that.  A good head position eliminates drag, helping you move through the water more efficiently.

The Axis Buoy: As a sprinter, a strong core is key to holding one’s stroke together at the end of a race.  The Axis Buoy is a great device that challenges your core more than your typical pull buoy.  By moving your center of balance down to the bottom of your legs, the Axis Buoy acts as an ankle float, thus engaging the core on a whole new level.

The Edge fins: These are the ultimate speed training fins, engineered to do it all.  They are designed to optimize training and efficiency by utilizing Smart Fin™ Technology, a proprietary combination of hydrodynamic vents and blade angle.  The vents allow water to pass through the fin, which eliminates drag and targets the hamstrings to build leg strength — essential for sprinters.

The Agility paddles: The strapless design of the Agility paddles forces the swimmer into an early vertical forearm (EVF) position.  The EVF position allows the swimmer to grab more water, which is important for swimming at high speeds.

Now that you know some of products Anthony uses to train for gold, here is one of his favorite sets that he does to discover new speed:

4×25 Catch-Up Freestyle Drill (using Agility paddles and Swimmer’s Snorkel), on 10 seconds rest

2×100 Freestyle with Axis Buoy, using it as a traditional buoy (in between upper thighs) for the first 50, then as an ankle float for the second 50, on 20 seconds rest

2×50 Freestyle, build up the first one, build down the second 50

3×25 Fast Freestyle (using Edge fins), on 10 seconds rest

Break for 1 minute

1×25 Fast Freestyle, for time