We got any swimmers here?

[garrett]

Just curious if anyone here spends time at the pool? Maybe could recommend some good instructional programs or the like. Ive heard things like total immersion might be a good place to start but just curious if anyone here was a rescue swimmer or similar.

Im at my pool about 5 - 6 days per week (hair has turned into a brillo pad) and would love to gather some pointers from the guys on the Hide.

 

[WunderDog]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I am a swimmer - though not right at the moment as I am headed for rotator cuff surgery on Tuesday. I swam in high school and college and coached for a few years. I highly recommend the Total Immersion program. I have had the opportunity to participate in two of their clinics and they are phenomenal. I think that those programs helped me become after a better swimmer after college than I was when I was training insane yardage. The other thing I recommend if you are looking to swimming for fitness, is finding a local masters swimming group. They are all over and some are more formal than others but they are a great way to get good training and stay motivated. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any more specific questions.

 

[garrett]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

great info, thanks wunderdog.

Anyone have any tips on doing underwaters? Im trying to work up to 50m but I am having trouble getting beyond 25m plus a push off the opposite wall

 

[223ai]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I swam competitively from 4th grade through High School, and received a scholarship to swim at TCU. Hit my trials cut in the 200 fly my junior year in college. Without question, I've never been in better shape in my life than when I was in training. After college, I pretty much stopped swimming, even masters, as I was just tired of it. I'm looking to get back in it...

I can't speak for Total Immersion, but I will tell you that you have access to some of the best masters programs in Seattle. Anyone will turn you into a more efficient swimmer.

Regarding your underwaters it takes three things: 1) practice 2) tight streamline 3) efficient dolphin kicks.

 

[Mike]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I was a rescue swimmer. Much of the training we did however wouldn't be practical in a pool except perhaps the sprint with fins. It's excellent interval training that shoots your heart rate through the roof.

I'm not overly familiar with total immersion for a fitness swim. If you're in the pool 5-6 days, I would think that varying your training will go a long way.

I have a good friend here who is an Olympic Gold Medalist (1984) in swimming and he's been able to show me quite a few things with stroke efficiency and breathing.

 

[PhrogDriver]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I've never done any competitive swimming, but have always been comfortable in the water. Recently I read through Total Immersion Swimming, and its definitely helped. But, it would probably help even more to attend one of their workshops.

Once you get your cardio up, try swimming while breathing every third stroke or every fourth stroke. Every time you breathe you increase your drag in the water and slow down, so if you can get by with breathing less often you'll definitely go faster. It may take awhile to build up to it, but its worth it.

 

[CSAR]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

Swimming is mostly about technique. You can "muscle" through the water but if you apply good technique and form, you can go farther with less effort/energy. For a 50 meter underwater swim, you'll need some technique as well the obvious cardio. First... DO NOT attempt it if you don't have a swim buddy to watch you. I've personally seen people pass out trying it. One good tip is to get to the bottom of the pool fast and swim as close to bottom as possible....I'm talking inches off the bottom. Think aerodynamics in the water. By swimming @ the bottom, you'll be forcing more of the water over you compared to forcing over/under you. Maybe you can get a buddy to video you swimming, it'll go along way in determining what you are and aren't doing correctly.

 

[TOPO-sniper]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I started triathlons a few years ago and got Emmett Hines' Fitness Swimming book. It explained the mechanics very well, has gotten me up to 1.2 mile swim portions of triathlon races. And I'm 47. Three years ago I could not swim one pool length without stopping to catch my breath. I was thinking of looking into Total Immersion to see if that would help get my endurance up for the Tampa Bay Frogman Swim in January - 3 miles.

 

[garrett]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

Great info, thank you guys. Ill look in to the masters program more, i know they meet at my gym once or twice a week.

 

[NRAShooter]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

You can't go wrong with a Master's Swim Program. The structured workouts with a coach are hard to beat. Be advised, this is serious mermaid territory so good luck and good hunting to you.

 

[300WSM]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swimshop/shop.asp?iCatId=3

This series is probably the best for beginner or intermediate.
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swimshop/shop_detail.asp?iPid=1501&iCatId=3

this one for advanced free.
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swimshop/shop_detail.asp?iPid=1921&iCatId=3

this one for advanced backstroke.
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/swimshop/shop_detail.asp?iPid=2361&iCatId=3

 

[Sgt Recoil]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Even-Faster-Ernest-Maglischo/dp/1559340363
great reference material

 

[Cuban Croc]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mike</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was a rescue swimmer. Much of the training we did however wouldn't be practical in a pool except perhaps the sprint with fins. It's excellent interval training that shoots your heart rate through the roof. </div></div>

I am w/ Mike on this one. I was a rescue swimmer and also swam in high school. Two different beasts. After a day w/rocket fins strapped to your feet...feeuck. I was walking around w/ice bags taped to my legs. Rescue swimming involes a lot more than swimming. It is more about making decisions...IMO.

If your swimming for exercise then swimming is great. I am doing my first tri in May and can't wait! I have been swimming a couple miles a week on my lunch break. Cardio is feeling pretty good...Sprints kick my ass more than distance. I am still trying to put it all together. I have been out of the water for a couple of years and just getting back into it.

 

[Cuban Croc]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PhrogDriver</div><div class="ubbcode-body">try swimming while breathing every third stroke </div></div>

Great advise. Don't lift your head out of the water...just tilt your chin towards the back enough to get your breath and keep on going.

 

[stiletto raggio]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I was a decent distance swimmer all the way through high school. The Army makes it hard to swim with limited pool availability and awful unit PT, but the Fort Carson pool was close enough to my building to get over there pretty regularly. Since it has been a decade since I swam regularly for exercise, I found that alternating 100s with set rest intervals was really helpful to get me back in the swing of things. Then I bumped it up to 200s, threw in some IM and kick sets and called it good. At most, I was swimming 3000 yards a session, but that was plenty to keep my heartrate elevated the entire time and my triceps swolen for two days.

I am going to see if there is a Masters program that would be compatible with my schedule, but I will probably have to go it alone for the most part.

As for underwater swimming, when I was doing 8000+ yards a day at the peak of swim season, I was able to do a full 50 yards (two 25s) and about half of a second length underwater. Cardiovascular efficiency was probably the biggest factor, since my body was used to making do with reduced oxygen flow. I have always been an alternating breather (three strokes per breath) and I think that helped a lot. So, in addition to JPipes' recommendations, overall conditioning will help a great deal.

 

[KJMOC]

Re: We got any swimmers here?

I wish I knew how to swim effectively. I can swim in the sense I won't drown if I'm in the water for a while and can get from point A to point B successfully but I've never learned the technical aspects of doing it efficiently or for fitness.