Swimming! Im doing it wrong!!

alathIN

I started swimming as a 44 year old. This was my progression:

Step 1: for about 6-7 weeks, I was getting one swim lesson per week and swimming on my own at least two other times each week. It took about 6-7 weeks of pretty regular practice and coaching before I had my first "breakthrough" and could swim continuously (ie not having to stop at the end of the lane to breathe and recover)

Step 2: joined a swimming group and swim with them as often as I can fit it in - 2x/week minimum; 4x/week is really best. Coached, structured workouts - with some technique feedback especially feedback on how your technique is breaking down when you get tired - is roughly 10,000x more productive than just swimming on my own

Step 3: just this year, I entered some swim events that some of my group members were competing in. Much like signing up for a 5K or a half marathon, having an event on your calendar is a big motivator to practice more frequently. Had a lot of fun and made a great deal of progress in a relatively short time.

So start with the lessons, then look up usms.com to find a masters affiliated group.

gina_nz_

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

Maybe because swimming breaststroke is harder as you expend more calories than freestyle? Also some people don't have the correct technique or maybe haven't been taught how?

Where I swim people either do breaststroke (older generation) or freestyle. I swim all styles but mainly freestyle as I find it is great for doing long-distance endurance swimming. (with a few lengths of breaststroke or backstroke to mix it up).

billprice005

One thing I get people I'm training is to just practice breathing. With something supporting your legs/trunk float and hold on to the side of the pool. With your face in the water, exhale and rotate to the side to inhale. You even try kicking while you practice breathing. This may be too basic for you. I've given this to beginners who have trouble putting their face in water or people who try to breath breaststroke wise by raising their head out of the water instead of rotating to the side.

Good luck

Alexadance

Bump
????

snowflake954

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

I can only tell you why I do more freestyle than breaststroke. It's because it's easier passing people in the lane. I've got long legs and the breaststroke kick takes more room. i have to shorten it up often when I've got someone near me so I don't kick them. Freestyle takes less room and is faster for me.

Slacker16

For the breathing:

Let your head follow and lean (a bit) into your movement when you extend one arm forward. This should rotate it so that your face comes out of the water while keeping your neck and back straight.

How often you breathe depends on your aerobic capacity (and coordination, tbh). I think most people breathe on every other stroke. This can make you deviate a little since you always breathe on the same side, but that shouldn't be a big problem in a pool and it's enough air to fuel your swimming.

Breathing every fourth stroke is hard unless you have excellent aerobic capacity. Breathing every third stroke is probably best for balance since you alternate sides, but I've always found it tricky to coordinate :embarassed:

Kst76

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Kst76

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

Maybe because swimming breaststroke is harder as you expend more calories than freestyle? Also some people don't have the correct technique or maybe haven't been taught how?


.
Where I swim people either do breaststroke (older generation) or freestyle. I swim all styles but mainly freestyle as I find it is great for doing long-distance endurance swimming. (with a few lengths of breaststroke or backstroke to mix it up).

Yes, the old folks swim some version of breaststroke but I have not seen them swim it the "competitive" way if you know what I mean.
This is how I do it. People usually leave me alone in my lane ,...lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5OWdsumgwk

MaggieGiamalvo

One thing I get people I'm training is to just practice breathing. With something supporting your legs/trunk float and hold on to the side of the pool. With your face in the water, exhale and rotate to the side to inhale. You even try kicking while you practice breathing. This may be too basic for you. I've given this to beginners who have trouble putting their face in water or people who try to breath breaststroke wise by raising their head out of the water instead of rotating to the side.

Good luck

OP -- I used to teach infants to adults and this is great advice! ...especially since the breathing is one of your biggest issues. Break learning the stroke down into steps... arm and breathing rhythm (while holding onto the side of the pool), flutter kick (using a kickboard), arm positions (using a leg float), and put it all together. You could do this on your own. But, 1 or 2 private lessons could go a long way, too.

MaggieGiamalvo

I'm an ok swimmer. I have the technique but I'm not very fast. I swim 2000 meters breaststroke in one hour. Free style is harder to do without a 15 second break every 50 meters. I need to work on that.

But my question is, why do almost everyone I see do free style I hardly ever see people doing breaststroke?

Even though I used to be a lifeguard, taught swim lessons, and swam a ton, I always preferred the breaststroke because I had a hard time getting the timing down for the breathing for freestyle (I would get light-headed), so breaststroke was easier to do. I'm pretty sure the excessive amounts of laps I did with the breaststroke is what contributed to my knee problems, though. (From all the quick rotations at the knee.) Freestyle seems to be easier on the body, for extended practice.

auntiemsgr8

Sorry I have no advice for you

I have not been in a pool in years but want to get back to it to hopefully make my legs stronger for running. The local running store where I am learning to run also does an 8 week swimming program. I hope to participate this summer but will read through all of these posts to get some ideas to start now. Thanks for asking the question.

snowflake954

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Just got back from the pool. I swim 40 minutes and never stop. I'm 59, and everybody else (even the younger ones) seem to stop alot. It means you don't have your breathing down. If you have to stop do 10 breaths up and down to get your lungs used to the rhythm of breathing under water. Another help may be you're not expelling all the air in your lungs underwater. If I'm distracted (have too many people in my lane) and find I'm short of breath I start expelling more air out of my mouth underwater. It works well for me. Also most people try to swim as fast as possible--with alot of splashing. It's better to slow down, get your rhythm down--a smooth, sleek technique is best--and don't stop. If this old lady can do it, you sure can.

ashenriver

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Just got back from the pool. I swim 40 minutes and never stop. I'm 59, and everybody else (even the younger ones) seem to stop alot. It means you don't have your breathing down. If you have to stop do 10 breaths up and down to get your lungs used to the rhythm of breathing under water. Another help may be you're not expelling all the air in your lungs underwater. If I'm distracted (have too many people in my lane) and find I'm short of breath I start expelling more air out of my mouth underwater. It works well for me. Also most people try to swim as fast as possible--with alot of splashing. It's better to slow down, get your rhythm down--a smooth, sleek technique is best--and don't stop. If this old lady can do it, you sure can.

I do not agree completely that if you cannot swim many laps that it is because of your breathing, though it can totally factor in. For me it is about endurance. Similar to running, you cannot run a marathon out of the gate, you have to build up your endurance and training to get you there. In the last few weeks since I have joined Masters plus swimming on my own, I have gone from being able to swim 50m continuously to swimming 400m or more continuously. My breathing methods have been the same, but my endurance has built up since I challenge myself every time I swim to swim more. My goal is to be able to swim 3000m (3km) without stopping.

I also learned last week that freestyle can be any stroke but front crawl is usually always used because it has the fastest swim time.

dixiewhiskey

What kind of pool are you swimming in? 25m or 50m (olympic size)?

Kst76

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Just got back from the pool. I swim 40 minutes and never stop. I'm 59, and everybody else (even the younger ones) seem to stop alot. It means you don't have your breathing down. If you have to stop do 10 breaths up and down to get your lungs used to the rhythm of breathing under water. Another help may be you're not expelling all the air in your lungs underwater. If I'm distracted (have too many people in my lane) and find I'm short of breath I start expelling more air out of my mouth underwater. It works well for me. Also most people try to swim as fast as possible--with alot of splashing. It's better to slow down, get your rhythm down--a smooth, sleek technique is best--and don't stop. If this old lady can do it, you sure can.

Yes, with freestyle I don't think I have my breathing right. It's getting easier though so im getting better.

snowflake954

Like I said, breaststroke is easy for me. I get a great work out of it. But yea, I have to be the only one in the lane or I kick people.

I want to be better at freestyle. Maybe my freestyle technique is not that good. I see people swimming lap after lap without resting. I have to rest every 50 meters. Im looking at the video of M.P and he makes it look so easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax77_hHq9Dc

Just got back from the pool. I swim 40 minutes and never stop. I'm 59, and everybody else (even the younger ones) seem to stop alot. It means you don't have your breathing down. If you have to stop do 10 breaths up and down to get your lungs used to the rhythm of breathing under water. Another help may be you're not expelling all the air in your lungs underwater. If I'm distracted (have too many people in my lane) and find I'm short of breath I start expelling more air out of my mouth underwater. It works well for me. Also most people try to swim as fast as possible--with alot of splashing. It's better to slow down, get your rhythm down--a smooth, sleek technique is best--and don't stop. If this old lady can do it, you sure can.

Yes, with freestyle I don't think I have my breathing right. It's getting easier though so im getting better.

Best of luck to you. Stick with it and you'll see results. I always watch the better swimmers to pick up some ideas---one can always improve.

culo97

Lotta good tips for newbies. Thanks

dbmata

It means you don't have your breathing down.

Nope. It can be a factor, but that's not what that means.

moxiept

Great info here. Saving for later! :flowerforyou:

blackcloud13

Great thread; saving for reference!
I'm learning to swim too, with the idea of doing a triathlon. Leaving is this late to learn is definitely a bad idea - so good that you're battling it now!

Not much to add to all the above. The Swim Smooth, site is great. Also I've found the Total Immersion Series useful. A coach is good for giving you feedback on what you are actually doing, thus speeding up your corrections. And YouTube has a load of really good videos.