Swimming/breathing tips

[gunnamatta bay]

several years ago I was at sutherland pool complex watching Ian Thorpe train. At the time his leg was in a cast but he still cut through the water like a fish.

 

[Twizzle]

he apparently did a 28 second 50 metres just using the kick board

he was an amazing swimmer

 

[gunnamatta bay]

he apparently did a 28 second 50 metres just using the kick board

he was an amazing swimmer

Best way I can describe it is gliding through the water with hardly a ripple.

 

[Different kind of Rabbit]

My two bob:

- There is no set in stone rule about correct breathing. Some people go every three strokes, some every two and I breathe with every stroke of my right arm. (sometimes I mix it up and breathe with every stroke of the left just for balance on alternate laps)

- The tip above about slowing down is a good one. I used to struggle big time until I realised that I was swimming every fifty like a sprint. When you go for a couple of k's run you don't start out sprinting do you? Same goes for swimming. Just try to get into a comfortable rythm and go with that.

- Breathing out is a big factor. Try to push the air out of your lungs explosively with each cycle. The less air in your lungs at the end of the cycle, the more you take in with your new breath.

- If I have a long break and then come back to swimming I work on 20 laps being the magic number. I try to work my way up to being able to do 20 laps non stop, slowly. When I am unfit I may only be able to bust out 12 or 13 so then I just do the remainder breast stroke. Next session I push myself to improve that number. When I eventually do get to 20 in one hit, I time it and from then on, I just try to improve the time. If I do 20 in good time and still feel good, I do some more. But once I get up to that magic 20, I don't swim less than that whenever I hit the pool. After that I may go with a kick board or flippers for a while as well.

- Make sure you warm down.

 

[Chook Norris]

very good point made, try to swim slow to perfect your stroke

 

[Paullyboy]

I'll chip in here as well, I used to get really buggered after about 400m, which drove me insane because I was always able to run for pretty muchas long as I wanted without getting tired and looked at people who stopped as being soft. As per the advice above, one day I got told to just slow right down to a pace that felt embarrassingly slow - but in reality it enabled me to swim for much, much, much greater distances.

It's definately a great bit of advice (assuming you have a semi-descent technique to start with).

 

[carcharias]

if you cannot swim with your face in the water I strongly suggest lessons.

 

[watatank]

Try and look forward (rather than down) when you swim. That should make breathing easier when you roll your head to the side.

 

[sooperdooper]

It is all about body position.
You need to be quite flexible and be able to get your body in a streamline position.
This will make you faster ans swim easier.

 

[Tom155]

as posted earlier there is no set way for breathing some do it every 3 strokes some do it every 2nd and other choose to breathe every stroke whatever is comfortable

Remeber to use your legs

 

[Apey]

Did a short swim today. Slowly getting better. I go for air on the 3rd stroke. My main trouble seems to be whenever my rythm gets thrown off I struggle to get back in it. Also need to work on my kicking. Sometimes I barely kicking focusing so much on the strokes so much.

Haha I always do that too. Feel like the biggest idiot when I realise I've hardly been kicking the whole time.

I lifted my head to my right every 2 strokes when I used to do laps a fair bit.

 

[GuardDog]

im not a strong swimmer and can tread water just fine when wearing board shorts,but as soon as i have to tread water in camo uniform minus boots and socks i struggle to do it for 2minutes,..i get there but only just
one of the lads approached me afterwards and told me that the flutter technique im using is too tiring when fully clothed and should practice the egg beater method,.has anyone got tips on this method?i dread this swim test every year

 

[watatank]

egg beater method is what water polo players use...bend your legs, have both feet are rotating towards the middle (so right foot would be anti clockwise, left is clockwise)...like an egg beater. and your hands are more or less doing the same thing, held out in front of you.

hope that helps.

 

[GuardDog]

egg beater method is what water polo players use...bend your legs, have both feet are rotating towards the middle (so right foot would be anti clockwise, left is clockwise)...like an egg beater. and your hands are more or less doing the same thing, held out in front of you.

hope that helps.

thanks is this what u use when ur treading water?cant wait to use the pool at work on night shift and try it fully clothed

 

[GuardDog]

egg beater method is what water polo players use...bend your legs, have both feet are rotating towards the middle (so right foot would be anti clockwise, left is clockwise)...like an egg beater. and your hands are more or less doing the same thing, held out in front of you.

hope that helps.

thanks 4 that i will try it on night shift in the pool at work while fully clothed

 

[watatank]

Yeah i use that method. When i was learning to swim treading water was tiring for me...swim teacher told us how to do the egg beater and that helped so much.

just something to add you should probably be in a kind of seated position (like on a chair). i.e. legs bent, feet in front of you.

 

[Paullyboy]

I know a lot of people suggest the egg-beater is best for treading water, but I personally find that to be one of the most draining as you are continually using all of your legs/arms at the same time and none are ever resting. I'm a believer in alternating constantly between arms and legs to keep you afloat and personally think that if you were required to stay afloat for an hour (or longer), this would be about your only chance.

 

[Cletus]

I can do a few laps of freestyle but breaststroke is so much easier breathing wise.
My advice: swim breast stroke.

 

[God-King Dean]

I think I'm getting some breast stroke tomorrow night.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Cletus]

Don't forget to do some butterfly as well GKD.