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So, I'm a few weeks into swimming a couple of times a week.
In that time I've managed to go from nearly drowning at the end of 25m to doing a very stop start 500m metres today. I can get across 25m in about 25secs slowing to about 30secs after a bit. I'd imagine i'd be faster if I dropped say 90lbs 😆 , my technique isn't utterly terrible but room for improvement in a few areas!
It's a case of take a breather/carry on etc etc, breaks getting longer as I go, but I'm feeling more comfortable. Pools for me have always been about relaxation/playing around, first time really attempting to build up distance.
My first target I guess is just to keep at this 500m now? Swim more regularly 3/4 times a week if I can, then gradually reduce my break times down till I can swim the 500m in a oner? After that I'll re-assess what I should be doing.
Really just building up endurance at the minute. I'm mainly front crawl, can't do the breast stroke to save myself, and I started introducing a proper backstroke today(was interesting I felt comfortable with that tbh, front crawl is my main stroke though, but good for mixing it up I guess)
So anyhow, that's just my starting point. Tell me about your experiences? Anything really, I'm interested to read anything about swimming at the minute.
What was your starting point? How long did it take you to build up endurance/speed etc? And well, basically any other things you want to share, wire in I'm all ears!
Youtube for technique.
Keep flat, by feeling your feet break the surface every so often.
When your leading arm breaks the surface, reach forward as far as you can with it and glide a little.
Don't be afraid to breathe every other stroke if necessary, but if you do this make sure you always face the same end of the pool which forces you to switch sides each length.
Also, swimming is crap, get out on yer bike you live in Scotland FFS 😉
From talking to a mate once who was into swimming his advice to newbies was "Get a coach and learn the technique for the stroke you want to do, much more efficient than spending hours going up and down aimlessly"
Personally, I swim like a brick.
If you haven't taken the opportunity, see if they run some adults-only lane swimming sessions at your local pool? Swimming is quite technical too - so getting some help might help a lot in terms of improving your speed and endurance - many triathlon clubs run coached sessions from beginners to experts. I've seen people go from non-swimmer / doggy paddlers to triathlon GB-squad age-groupers
Ive taken up very light swimming of late to try and lose some weight and get some gentle exercise without destroying what remains of my knees. It's now the only form of exercise I can do until I get my knee operated on.
However, I've now discovered that breaststroke makes my knees ache, so I'm just using a float in front of me now, and paddling along. I like a bit of swimming backwards too.
I think the choice of pool is important, I use a small one that mainly is full of older people, so no hyper-fast swimmers kicking water in your eyes. I mainly go to relax and there is a nice jacuzzi too.
Got back into the pool March last year, I'm no way a prolific swimmer or in there every week but it's good after the bike int he gym and for when I want a more relaxing bit of exercise. Made it up to 500m breast stroke or back crawl without too much trouble 1km rolled along but it makes turbo trainers look like a WC DH race!! Next issue for me is getting over the boredom and finding enough time in the pool with some space
Slow it down and focus on perfecting your stroke. Seems like you might be going a bit fast and burning out? 500m isn't really a lot for a session, 25-30secs a length as a beginer suggests you might be going a bit fast and can't do more. After a few weeks 2km would be easily doable if distance was your goal, just slow it down, focus on doing it right and the distance, power and speed will build up fast. Do a few laps then take a breather if you need to, not point trying to do all your lengths in one go if you are trying to build stamina. As above, a coaching session/lesson (especially if a local authority pool, it will be cheap) is a good purchase and put you right before bad habits become ingrained.
When it gets warmer, try open water, you'll probably never get back in a pool again!
get out on yer bike you live in Scotland FFS 😉
Aye, troo! But only bike is an eeb(I strangely like that term now after hating it initially!) 😆 So I'm looking for supplementary exercise. I do have access to the gym too, thinking bit of rowing machine and some weights, just to mix things up. But I've only been in there once so far, loving the pool tbh, ye feel awesome for hours after you come out. Bit of badminton too.
Basically just trying to mix it up this year, least give myself options when interest reduces on one, jump into the other, instead of just doing one thing. Pool is where it's at at the minute though.
500m isn’t really a lot for a session
My fitness is honking though.
I've been there, could barely swim a length, but it does build up quite quickly as long as you don't let it burn you out. Instead of measuring distance, try starting with time. Swim for 5 mins, take 5 mins break, repeat twice. Next time up it to 7.5mins, then upto 10mins. Before you know it you'll be doing 20mins, resting a bit then another 20mins.
For starters don’t worry too much about your kick. If anything relax your legs so you don’t exert too much energy.
Learn a proper ‘catch’ stroke. YouTube has plenty of decent videos. Keep your elbows high in the water as you draw your arm back-don’t pull your arm underneath your body. A great technique is to imagine doing a pull up-your hands should be shoulder width apart-this is your optimum strength/efficiency ratio. As you pull through the water your hands should be this distance apart which should in turn keep the elbows high.
After that do a few lengths with a kicker board out front and practice your kick-I’m crap at it though at tire quickly!
started back twice a week in Sept. always been good at breaststroke so been focusing on crawl. realised my kicking action was knackering me actually pulling me back so started swimming with a pool bouy and just arms. went from 6 lengths to 1.5k in a couple of sessions. just bought some fins to try and improve my leg technic.
definitely slowing down works I breathe every 4 or 6 strokes now. used to be every 2.
I’ve been there, could barely swim a length, but it does build up quite quickly as long as you don’t let it burn you out. Instead of measuring distance, try starting with time. Swim for 5 mins, take 5 mins break, repeat twice. Next time up it to 7.5mins, then upto 10mins. Before you know it you’ll be doing 20mins, resting a bit then another 20mins.
aye that's kinda the thinking. But I'm thinking in distance rather than time.
I've got up to the 500m, but it's just in 25m bursts at the minute, I'm getting less tired at the end of the 25 now. So next target I guess is of 10 x 50m, then maybe 100m x 5. or something, think that might be a bit of a jump though but we'll see.
Thinking at the minute is to do that kind interval structure till I get to the 500m continuous, after that, I guess it'll just be like cycling and you can crack on from there, distance become less relevant and you just get on with it?
Technique is everything - it's much, much easier when you'r creating less drag.
JP
I go a couple of lunchtimes a week, work diary permitting. 1.5k takes me me about 25mins. When I started 5 years or so back I struggled to do more than a few lengths despite being a good swimmer as a kid, 40 years ago. I had some coached sessions around the swim smooth/ Alexander method and they were worth every penny. Definitely an activity where some focussed coaching makes a huge difference.
Technique is everything – it’s much, much easier when you’r creating less drag.
Aye, but lipo suction is out of the question! I'm working on the diet as well! 😆
lessons, I have thought about, but I think I'll get more benefit there when I'm not blowing out my arse completely!
Although you'd thinking blowing out yer arse might actually be beneficial for swimming, bit like a whale? 😆
Being fat isn't a hindrance in the pool, actually makes you more bouyant so it helps - I think anyway 🙂
Slow it down and focus on perfecting your stroke. Seems like you might be going a bit fast and burning out?
In theory this is great advice. In practice I can't seem to slow down; even when I consciously try, by the end of the length I'm out of breath and need a breather. Don't know why tbh (and realise it sounds dumb as ****).
molgrips
Subscriber
Being fat isn’t a hindrance in the pool, actually makes you more bouyant so it helps – I think anyway 🙂
I think there's probably a balance point were it become less beneficial, I suspect I'm well over that.
Lots of good thoughts in this thread though, keep them coming as it will influence my thinking going forward.
Slowing down a bit is probably good advice.
I guess it’ll just be like cycling and you can crack on from there, distance become less relevant and you just get on with it?
Yes, up to a point. I wouldn't spend much more than an hour in the pool, becomes too tedious for me, but you can get faster and squeeze more into that hour. You can do different drills, focus on different parts of your stroke, breathing etc. I'd never just go for a swim for several hours though like I would on a bike.
No other exercise makes me as hungry afterwards though. Which is a complete bummer when trying to lose weight and you need to pass a chippy on the way home!
Slowing down a bit is probably good advice.
Yes, slow your stroke rate down and focus on the glide. Try and do a length in as few strokes as possible - this helped me loads.
^^^^ that too, when I had some coaching I dropped from 22 strokes to 18 (25m without tumbleturns)
When multiplied over 60 or 80 lengths that’s a lot of free distance !
Aye stroke count, I'm loads. So sorting that is something to work on, will try that out.
Although I don't think I'll get it right down, while I am using pretty flat in the water, my belly probably adds a lot of braking force! 😆 But will keep the slow down and lengthen the stroke distance in mind.
Look at the belly seals have, then check out their swimming!
No no no no molgrips, if you want to learn to swim front crawl properly most definitely don't concentrate on the glide. If you do you will have a palm up situation causing drag. There is no glide phase swimming front crawl. Yeah it might feel easier but its not efficient and will be slowing you down.
just get some lessons right away, they can build your stroke up properly rather than have to re-build it once you learn bad habits.
Most people struggle to start with due to breathing. If you are not getting enough air you will be knackered and its why you have to stop. Get your self signed up to a course, however be particular which one. If you truly are a real begginer then a course doing all strokes will be good, it will give you more feel for the water. If you just want to learn front crawl and maybe have some tri aspiration, join a club that has a coached swim session.
Bottom line is never too soon to start getting some coaching. Even more important than being coached on how to ride a drop 😀
Get some lessons, youtube might give you an idea of what to do but without someone actually watching you you'll find it very hard to tell if you're doing it right or not. And I'd echo what others have said - if you're doing 25m in 25sec you're probably thrashing your way down the pool with little concern for technique. Slow down a bit, and at a minimum aim for 100m intervals before having to take a breather.
But join a group or do private classes, swimming is one sport where coaching is massively important.
As per bazzer: Sort your breathing out first.
You can go as slowly as you like, but if you're not getting proper breaths, you're going to get puffed out, desperate to get to the end of the pool and start thrashing your way to get to the end as quickly as possible. I was doing this, and I was given some great advice:
On the last stroke before a breath, breathe out hard, get rid of all the air in your lungs, so when you bring your face out, all you need to do is breathe in hard and fill your lungs up.
If you don't do this, you're just doing a quick out and in breath when your face is out, and probably only recycling half your air at best. hardly a surprise it feels a bit desperate and you need a pause at the end of each length.
When you're breathing's sorted, you can find a pace you can sustain, and then you can really concentrate on your technique, because everything else is under control.
You'll have to click to watch on YouTube as it won't embed. It's 1500 freestyle underwater which is fast and economical.
@nedrapier yep the bubble bubble breathe drill is great for making sure you have exhaled properly ahead of taking a breath.
A mate of mine has been swimming a fair bit recently and has been watching youtube videos a lot
He's gone from struggling to do one length without a rest to doing a mile in the space of about 3 months
Ok, I didn't mean glide as such, not like in breast stroke, and it's definitely not quicker or even easier - but I felt like it was a good way to learn how to slow my stroke rate right down, and learn how to glide through the water efficiently.
You can feel drag if you concentrate, sot that's what I try to avoid. I dunno what you mean by 'flat palm creating drag' though.
a mile in the space of about 3 months
That's still pretty slow though to be fair.
@Molgrips if you leave you hand out in front in a glide there is a tendency for your wrist to crack and the palm of your hand is sort of parallel to the pool wall if you see what I mean.
As I said before if people feel like they are having to frantically stroke then its generally because they are running out of air. Thats generally caused by not breathing out under the water. As soon as your face is back in the water you should be exhaling.
You want to increase you efficiency per stroke yes, but you don't really want to reduce your stroke rate. Good stroke rate and good stroke efficiency is fast 🙂
As said, technique. My wife went from not being able to swim to very decent front crawl in a couple of months with proper coaching (plenty of hours learning then practising various drills), and she swims more efficiently than the vast majority you see.
We used to do open water swim training together, there was a really noticeable difference with the fast people - they hardly look like they're trying. Good technique saves loads of energy and lets you breathe properly which lets you just swim away at a pace you can manage.
I'm not a complete beginner btw. I have been able to swim leisurely since I was a kid. But aye taking all on board, I also get what mol's was taking about with glide, i've been watching some videos too and I am trying to lengthen the stroke. Believe it or not I have slowed down a bit over the last couple of weeks but I could probably do with slowing a bit more. Breathing I'm not bad at starting to get more comfortable with the technique and breathing out under water, though I tend to prefer every 4 or 5 strokes to breath. Which I do guess means I'm going too fast?
My biggest issue is fitness though. Just a case of battling through that I think.
Interesting kick on that 1500m. I usually just go constant with the kicking.
Local Masters or Triathlon group would be my first port of call.
Masters swimmers will be a bit hard core unless they have an improvers section, look on the Scottish Swimming website for local to you clubs.
Triathlon groups more likely to have a wider range of abilities.
IME you'd be better on concentrating on smaller goals, as in trying to swim for 100m non-stop.
Great sport to get into, especially when it gets into the slightly warmer weather and you can get a dip outdoors. Probably not the Clyde though in and around Glesga!
I can't see the 1500m video, but most likely it'll be a six beat kick and the kick leg will be opposite from the pulling arm!
I just let my legs drag usually with a small flutter kick to stop them from sinking. If you're constantly kicking this could be the reason for you tiring, try using a pull buoy to focus on arms and a kick board for the legs!
I have jumped into water outdoors a few times recently, well gingerly edged my way in. Went in a pool up Glen Rosa last year. Water temp must have been about 13c. And I jumped in to the sea down ayr one august, guess about 15c. The later wasn't too bad. I prefer Gran canaria for the outdoor swimming. 😆
I think loch Lomond can be not bad some times, fell in kayaking up there once and it was fairly pleasant. Guess getting wet in the kayak for half an hour first helps acclimatise mind.
If you're fat or use a wet suit you'll get away with a 2-beat kick. Kick as you catch-pull on the same side. In the pool if I'm going well I use a 4-beat with a stronger kick each time I catch-pull (like the vid), the intermediate beats are just for balance. If I'm really taking it easy (and using the glide I shouldn't) I use a pathetic 6-beat.
Yes slow it down and focus on your stroke. I am a happy plodder in the pool, my mate is ultra competitive and has to win. It really doesnt bother me, her stroke is v efficient vme pushing my way through the water.
Lessons taught me alot, YouTube videos ditto.
Above all just enjoy swimming and you will want to do more, dont burn yourself out or beat yourself up about times. I stopped counting lengths and just swim by my stopwatch, 30 mins, 40 mins etc.
My tuppenceworth.
First work out what you are wanting from your swimming. To race, to do long distances, to get fit, to lose weight, to have fun or to impress the chicks ("Meet Mike, he swims like a fish"......if you're under 50 that may not mean much).
Get some decent lessons. I'm not a great swimmer but have some friends who are very good. They all say that small changes in technique can make a big difference to your speed/efficiency. These small things are not always obvious from a video, it often takes someone watching you to spot them.
Like a few folk have said, slow things down, it does make quite a difference.
Come the summer try some open water swimming. It's very different and great fun (bloody cold mind you!). Tri clubs are great for organising this.
Oh, and I've found that after a long cycle/run/walk swimming is a great way of loosening off. You don't need to do much, maybe a dozen slow lengths up and down the pool.