Big Z and others with experience. I have tired of running as my main form of exercise and I am trying swimming as a low impact alternative. The problem is, I have no Idea what a workout should look like. Big Z, I remember you saying that you started swimming a while back. how did you start? how long, what strokes etc...?
Any swimmers on the board with good advice?
I swim/swam a lot. How much swimming experience do you have? Can you swim 50 yards without stopping? Can you do a basic front crawl with your head in the water?
Good thing about swimming is that it has a steep learning curve. Once you get the strokes down and put the work in, you get better pretty fast.
Originally Posted by 1MNUte
Kahuna is a much better source for this than I am.
I've never been a strong swimmer, and the only reason why I started was I have disc issues and it's low impact.
If you have the option to take a class that's what i'd recommend. My training was a lot of youtube watching and a ton of practicing.
I only do freestyle, but I do mix up the speed i'm doing it in. On a typical day i'm swimming i'll try to get in 1200m-1600m and of that i'll sprint maybe half of it. The key to is is being consistent, the more time you take off in-between swims the harder it's going to be when you return. I've only swam once this week, i've been focusing on running so I know tomorrow when I get into the pool it's going to suck.
I'm not sure if Kahuna will see this or not, so i'll email him and see if he'll give you a better response.
Z
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively”
~Bob Marley
This exactly, i started back in August and had zero experience outside of swimming in a lake for fun. I'm still struggling with technique but it's getting better, you just have to put in the time.
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively”
~Bob Marley
I'm a very morbidly obese middle-aged man who started swimming in January 2012. My blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, resting pulse, and triglycerides were all heading towards TYPE 2.
I'm still morbidly obese, and a year older. But, my fasting sugar is 91, cholesterol is in the 170's, BP, yesterday at the physician's office was 122/78, and my resting pulse is between 56-64.
My doctor still can't believe how quickly I turned around. I went from water-walking 8 X 50 yards, taking a 2-3 minute breather every 25 yards, to swimming 13 x 50 yards with a count-to-ten breather every 75 yards (freestyle and breaststroke) in a year.
I haven't been able to swim for six weeks due to a rotator cuff impingement and a hellacious case of bronchitis. But, swimming has changed my life, and made it better. I recommend it to all if you can afford the membership to a pool.
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I spent a lot of time in the water growing up, but I never swam competitively or had any coaching regarding form. A month ago, I hadn't done any significant swimming for a decade. In the last month, though, I've been swimming several times a week to get ready for my first triathlon at the end of this month.
I've noticed the same thing as Virginia Ute and big z. I'm still slow, but I'm getting better every time I go to the pool. I would benefit greatly from some lessons, but I don't have the time for it right now. The internet and practice has taken me relatively far, though.
I started just by going to the pool and swimming ten laps, then twelve, then fifteen, etc. The last two times at the pool, I've gone for 25 laps. I can swim freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke, but I'm sticking with freestyle to get ready for the race. I kept it slow at first and concentrated on the elements of form that I learned on the web. I'm starting to pick up the pace a little now.
After a week if swimming laps I have to say I am impressed with what you have accomplished in a years time.
I am comfortable with all of the strokes (minus butterfly) so I have just been swimming laps until I am tired. Hopefully as I continue I will figure out when to push myself to do one more lap etc...
one thing is for certain, I haven't had a single shin splint yet.
Swimming is the toughest triathlon element to me. I'm a land lubber and had never been in a natural body of water with a depth over my head sans life jacket until last June (sprint tri, and the "natural" part of that is still debatable). Over time I've continued to get longer and faster in my workouts (my main set on Saturday was a 1600 done at a 1:58/100 pace - it felt relatively comfortable, although that's not fast by a good swimmer's standards). I don't fear drowning like I used to but there's so damn much to think about when swimming - every time I try to so something new I forget to breathe underwater, and that screws everything up.
The problem is that, more than any other endurance discipline, swimming speed (and, by extension, endurance) appears to be a product of form. Sure, there's lots of running form stuff out there, and heaven knows I've spent a lot of time working on mine. Same with cycling. But for either of those the gains are marginal to the actual cardio fitness. Swimming is a different beast entirely.
I swam one mile (actually 1800 yards) last night for the first time since scout camp as a kid. I'm pretty happy about that.
That is great! I started swimming again a few nights a week. I try to get in at least 1000 before the kids are tired and want to go home.
Pheidippides, my wife did a Sprint Tri a few years ago, and I helped her train. Prior to that she couldn't put her face in the water. She is like you, and is more comfortable running and biking than swimming. I was very proud of her accomplishment.
Interesting note: Nathan Adrian also ran that Tri. He was the first person out of the water, almost 3.5 minutes ahead of the second person. He was a joy to watch.
I hear using PVC pipe can really help with your form.
I swam 1.2 miles on Saturday - probably a bit more than that, even - in less than an hour. For two months of training, I'm very pleased with that. I still have a lot to do to improve my form and speed, but I'm progressing.
I haven't swam much recently, but I agree with all of the comments about what a HUGE difference form makes. While I'm no expert, some of the things I've learned are:
The more you are on a plane, the more efficient your swimming will be. Often this means getting your head down to lift your rear up. Sometimes it helps to stick some sort of floaty between your knees and not kick when you are just starting out - sometimes trying to concentrate on arms, legs, getting on plane, and not drowning all at the same time is a challenge. Removing one or two of those elements when working on form is OK.
Moving your arms and legs faster doesn't necessarily make you go faster - but it does tire you out faster. Concentrate on smooth. Try to glide. Stretch out and reach on each stroke.
You'll be surprised at how much difference jammers will make compared to swim trunks. Swim trunks are like big ole' drift anchors that keep you from moving very quickly. Jammers let you glide more easily. I'll still wear trunks now and then when I'm working on strength and don't mind an anchor - but when working on form, they make a HUGE difference. Well worth the purchase price.
I'm the only one updating his laps in the file. Which is good, cause SpaceGhost is farking ridiculous.
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
Good to hear you're back in action.
Yeah, I'm still coughing, but there's no rumble, pop, crack, hiss, or sputter when I breathe now, so I'm back in the pool. First day back was awful. I'm back where I was before now.
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
I am still swimming. Up to 700 meters three times a week. For all those that want a good way to swim. I highly suggest Total Immersion. It has helped me a lot.
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