Many of you swim?
I never learned when i was younger, bar a few lessons in national school which ended up scaring me more than anything.
So learned a couple of years ago and started doing triathlons but i plow through the water, technique is brutal.
Recently started reading a book called total immersion, making my way through it, idea is that you streamline ur body and use gravity to push u rather than what i was doing just pulling myself with my good arm through the water.
Just wondering if anyone else has tried this? Any tips?
When your swimming front call twist your hand when its mid stroke so it enters the water like a knife.
Less splashing means more power. Turn you hips into the stroke as well so it's nearly like you are rolling into the stroke.
One of my favourite things is being on my own in a swimming pool doing lengths, total calm.
I can empathise with Mayo4sam. Taught myself how to swim and I can but it's a lot of effort and a right bit of splashing. Would love get a friendly lesson on how to swim with way described above.
Quote from: ONeill on January 16, 2011, 12:15:06 PM
I can empathise with Mayo4sam. Taught myself how to swim and I can but it's a lot of effort and a right bit of splashing. Would love get a friendly lesson on how to swim with way described above.
You'd think with you being a ringer for Duncan Goodhew you'd be a decent enough swimmer....
It's all about moving as smoothly as possible through the water, and as said above that will involve twisting your torso to keep your legs on a fairly level plane as you slice through the water with each arm alternately (for the front crawl).
I can't swim either. I wish I could but I'm scared of water...
brilliant website here:
www.swimsmooth.com
Breast stroke is the best - i can do 30 lengths easy. But of I try to do the crawl, I stuggle to do one complete length.
Any swimmers on the board?
Over the last few months , I've built up my lengths (25m) to the level I was at a few years ago. Now back doing 50+ Lengths a couple times a week.
I find it good for easing my twinges . Great for an all over body workout. Great for my head space as well
Quote from: AustinPowers on January 05, 2024, 09:48:55 PMAny swimmers on the board?
Over the last few months , I've built up my lengths (25m) to the level I was at a few years ago. Now back doing 50+ Lengths a couple times a week.
I find it good for easing my twinges . Great for an all over body workout. Great for my head space as well
Swimming is a great all round work out with no pressure on joints
What's your technique? Do you breathe both sides or just the one side? Did you retrain yourself or get lessons?
I know that sounds odd but swimming is all down to technique, good core strength and breathing.
Nowhere near the level I was at but to give you an idea what some club swimmers would be at is, 50 lengths would be the warm up.
After that you are swimming the various different strokes. Similar distances
Went to a swim club a couple of times to have a coach look at my technique, I was busted each time, they had different lanes for different levels.. the best swimmers just glide effortlessly through the water.
But, by in large, a great workout
Belfast ones call it the swimmers.
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on January 05, 2024, 10:16:17 PMQuote from: AustinPowers on January 05, 2024, 09:48:55 PMAny swimmers on the board?
Over the last few months , I've built up my lengths (25m) to the level I was at a few years ago. Now back doing 50+ Lengths a couple times a week.
I find it good for easing my twinges . Great for an all over body workout. Great for my head space as well
Swimming is a great all round work out with no pressure on joints
What's your technique? Do you breathe both sides or just the one side? Did you retrain yourself or get lessons?
I know that sounds odd but swimming is all down to technique, good core strength and breathing.
Nowhere near the level I was at but to give you an idea what some club swimmers would be at is, 50 lengths would be the warm up.
After that you are swimming the various different strokes. Similar distances
Went to a swim club a couple of times to have a coach look at my technique, I was busted each time, they had different lanes for different levels.. the best swimmers just glide effortlessly through the water.
But, by in large, a great workout
With front crawl , I can only breathe one side , every 4/6 strokes.
I taught myself to swim (eventually), so I probably do have my own style. However , I remember a few years back one of the pool attendants spotted me swimming, and said I was turning my head too much when breathing . He says , turn your body rather than your head. Took me a while to get used to but I do that now and it isn't as severe on the neck muscles
Normally I do 5 front crawl followed by a breaststroke recovery length , then 5 more FC followed by a recovery backstroke . I also do the other two strokes in order to work different muscles. Well , I'm assuming it does anyway!
Yeah 50 isn't that much , I regularly meet guys who do 100 daily. But after an injury-hampered year, I'm happy just to be hitting 50+ again. Next target is to be hitting 60 regularly
Taught myself to swim and always looked the water so grew up a decent, if far from text book swimmer. Drifted away from it for years but kids are doing lessons over the last couple years so used it as an excuse to get back at it. Did first sprint tri last year and aiming to do a full one this year. Swimming prob my strongest area.
Have tried to correct the breathing. In pool I was one sided and ever 4 strokes. But I find I get winded a bit in the open water and have tried to use both sides and going every third. Tough to teach old dog new tricks tho!! Much more natural breathing on my left. Did 1500m last night for the first time so was delighted to get distance up a bit.
Yeah, anything is better than nothing, keep telling my kids that, one has booked in Belfast half marathon the other did her first run around Botanic gardens today, she's busted but I'm really chuffed for her.
All about small steps, 50 lengths is fantastic, I started with 10 moved to 15 and so on. Wife thought i was swimming to get away from a shark! Like you perfected my technique, it's the small teaks that make the swim easier and shave the times.
I'm terrible at breaststroke by the way, worst technique ever and my wife makes it look so effortless!
Would love to be able to swim more!
I'm a fairly strong swimmer and did the bronze medallion back in the day but my technique is awful and I couldn't do much more than 4/5 lengths without being busted.
Tried to do a class last year to improve my technique but it was basically the same as my daughters class for 7 year olds and was way too basic.
I find myself looking at videos online to improve the stroke and it has worked to a degree I just need the motivation to start going a couple of times a week!