swimming breathing technique

[Tubehunter]

Do the Total Immersion course. It is all about changing your swimming technique at a fundamental level. They will look to teach you how to swim all over again basically. As le turbo said, it's primary goal is to make your style more fishlike so that you swim streamlined through the water rather than mechanically using your limbs to push water. It focuses on establishing balance using the most bouyant part of your body to elimante drag in your legs, whilst keeping your strokerate as low as possible yet maintaining your speed. Will change your whole mindset towards swimming.

[SwissVan]

I've just recently started practicing to breath on both sides and at first is felt very unnatural. It's slowly getting easier though and I can feel that I'm out of breath less often. The problem I have though is when I breath to the left, my right shoulder wants to fall and sink. I know I left my head to far out of the water when I breath and I have to practice keeping it lower in the water and just tilt the head sideways and not lift it. But I'm getting there so not stressed at the moment.

 

 

Other than not lifting your head, make sure your right hand is not slipping thru the water i.e. your elbow is lower than your wrist once your arm is in the water and the palm of your hand is looking down or slightly forward.

Your elbow should be slightly above your wrist and the palm of your hand looking back at the wall behind you so it pushes back and not downwards

 

EDIT: And check to see your hand(s) are not crossing over the centre line running thru your body when they are reaching out forwards, finger tips should be pointing forwards and hands roughly inline with your ears.

Edited May 13, 2012 by SwissVan

[Seeker911]

I find that pool swimming and open water swimming especially during races are 2 completely different animals. What is good for the one is not necessarily good for the other. I really cant imagine how breathing in the pocket is going to work very well during iron man or any sea swim unless the water is calm. You will be surprised to note just how much those heads popup to see and breathe during a ocean race.even the pros do it. They just do it better than I do.

[dracs]

Most of the pointers have been covered already, but in my experience the most important ones are:

- Just get comfortable in the water, you waste a lot of energy and oxygen when you "fight" the water.

- Practice breathing on both sides, even though it feels uncomfortable at first you'll adapt quickly.

- Practice hypoxic breathing - breathing every 5, 7, or 9 strokes. Ie do a set of a 100, where you swim 25 breathing every 5, 25 breathing every 7, 25 every 7, 25 breathing every 5

- And then just practice, practice, practice. The only way you will get good at swimming, is swimming!

No wonder you are dizzy, Lizzy!

[Disylizzy]

No wonder you are dizzy, Lizzy!

 

Hahaha... when I'm fit I can usually swim just over 50m underwater

 

But on a serious note though, it's good mentally knowing that if for some reason you can't take a breath when you need to, you'll still survive!

Edited May 11, 2012 by Disylizzy

[dracs]

Other than not lifting your head, make sure your right hand is not slipping thru the water i.e. your elbow is lower than your wrist once your arm is in the water and the palm of your hand is looking down or slightly forward.

Your elbow should be slightly above your wrist and the palm of your hand looking back at the wall behind you so it pushes back and not downwards

just got a really bemused look from our tea lady who walked past my office as I was trying to contort my apper body at my desk in an attempt to visualise what the heck you saying here!!

 

need pichas

[mon-goose]

Other than not lifting your head, make sure your right hand is not slipping thru the water i.e. your elbow is lower than your wrist once your arm is in the water and the palm of your hand is looking down or slightly forward.

Your elbow should be slightly above your wrist and the palm of your hand looking back at the wall behind you so it pushes back and not downwards

 

Thanks Swissvan. Will take note of this next time I'm in the pool

[SwissVan]

just got a really bemused look from our tea lady who walked past my office as I was trying to contort my apper body at my desk in an attempt to visualise what the heck you saying here!!

 

need pichas

 

LOL ja its hard to describe

 

Have a look here, see

 

Look at #3 Initial catch technique

 

http://www.swimsmooth.com/catch.html

[Bronabee]

@ Dizzy - snap!

 

I used to be a swimmer back in the olden days... I def don't breath on every third or fourth stroke...more like six or up... But that what works for me. Guess from my sprinting days.

 

I used to also be able to swim just over 50m in the pool.

 

My downfall is swimming straight, I'm terrible at that. I messed up my midmar swim by swimming all over the place.

[bigjoe]

The total immersion course is over a weekend, but it is only a saturday afternoon (from 13:00 - 18:00 if i remember correctly) and then sunday morning (8:00 - 13:00).

 

i managed to finish full IM swim in a decent time, with a total of 19km of swim training in the 3 months leading up to IM. i never swam more that 2.5km in my training...and i still managed the 3.8 (some say 5km ). Didnt have time to train like i wanted to, but i was still confident in my swim (and that i wont drown).

 

it is all about getting the technique right, staying calm and not "fighting" with the water. Saves energy and your shoulders from fatigue. it is also about having the confidence....

 

i still think it is the best money i spent....hands down. tried a swimming coach, hypoxic breathing etc. nothing helped like TI. having said that, everyone is different and what worked for me might not work for you.

[mon-goose]

Have been focusing hard now on my technique this last week and it's quite challenging to focus on all areas that need to be done right. Trying to focus on hand and arm postions on entry, pull through the stroke, avoiding the s shape pull, bending wirst and not knuckles, position of head, breathing is a lot to think about. But will get there. Found a very nice 1500m program that I used last night. Made the swim a lot more intersting and fun. pm me if anyone wants it.

[dracs]

Have been focusing hard now on my technique this last week and it's quite challenging to focus on all areas that need to be done right. Trying to focus on hand and arm postions on entry, pull through the stroke, avoiding the s shape pull, bending wirst and not knuckles, position of head, breathing is a lot to think about. But will get there. Found a very nice 1500m program that I used last night. Made the swim a lot more intersting and fun. pm me if anyone wants it.

I hear you on the challenging part! Reading what to do is easy, putting it all into practice (at the same time) not so easy... I decided to focus on breathing both sides and not lifting head right out the water for now. Will get to stroke later.

 

PM sent. thanks

[bigjoe]

I hear you on the challenging part! Reading what to do is easy, putting it all into practice (at the same time) not so easy... I decided to focus on breathing both sides and not lifting head right out the water for now. Will get to stroke later. PM sent. thanks

 

my personal opinion would be to focus on the technique, as this will help with your breathing.

[BLACKvoodoo]

When your mouths NOT underwater ..... INHALE!

[Klaus]

Found a very nice 1500m program that I used last night. Made the swim a lot more intersting and fun. pm me if anyone wants it.

 

Hey Mon-goose,

 

Can't seem to pm you from tapa talk. Could you possibly send me the program or post it up for us here. Getting a bit bored of the laps

[Disylizzy]

Virgin Active is "highlighting" swimming this month, and they have a program that they put together with different levels of fitness/experience:

1234VA swim digital programme.pdf

 

The also have some videos (I haven't checked them out yet though) http://www.virginactive.co.za/fitness/view/program/162#swim_programme