New to Swimming Laps

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  • KettleTO
    KettleTO Posts: 144 Member
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    Noting beats a stroke improvement/adult training swim program for improvement, focus and breaking the monotony of swimming laps. Plus doing the same thing as swimmers who are roughly the same speed saves you a whole truckload of lane rage. So much of swimming is about your stroke and efficiency (energy is expended propelling you forward rather than laterally). If that kind of program isn't an option, there are some good stroke improvement videos on youtube. I've been checking-in with some (and shoulder stability exercises) now that I've started back with a formalized training program after an injury.

    From my own personal observation, adults who didn't competitive swim as kids struggle most with body positioning. For men, it seems to be sinking legs. Working on body position so your legs are high and you are kicking from your hips rather than your knees, is more important than building strength in your pull. Men tend to have the upper body strength to pull themselves through the water despite the sinking legs. If my lane mate could kick more from his hips he'd smoke me. Of course, I would no longer be able to recover on the kick sets as much.

    Also don't be afraid of the other strokes. Try to at least incorporate some back and breast into your workouts to recruit different muscles and to break up the sets of free that everyone wants to do.

    Good luck.

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