Starting to swim...ADVICE PLEASE :)

commotionstrange
commotionstrange Posts: 73 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All,

So I grew up swimming, so I know HOW to swim...but it's been ages since I did very much of it. The last time I tried to do laps, I got winded after only one or two lengths. Front crawl was the worst for getting my breath, but I could do breaststroke for awhile.

I'm looking to add swimming in once or twice a week to augment my other exercise (generally ballet classes), but I don't really know where to start in the pool. Usually I bike, but it's getting late in the season and the trails aren't maintained in the winter, so I need some more cardio!

So I'm wondering, are there any simple drills, techniques etc. to get me going? I don't really have access to much equipment other than a flutterboard since it's a public pool. Should I alternate strokes? Stick more to breaststroke because I can at least keep going? Does all the stopping and starting with front crawl make it less effective?

Any swimmers out there have some advice for me? Any help is appreciated!
Thanks :)

Replies

  • nickhuffman74
    nickhuffman74 Posts: 198 Member
    Most important tip: dont drown!

    Sorry had to :)
  • Julie3ang
    Julie3ang Posts: 96
    I used to teach water fitness. There are things you can do to add resistance. They have water weights and belts so you can do aerobic moves in the pool. Treading water will help get your breathing better. Remeber, resistance is opposite in water.
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    Yah you could definitely start with some water aerobics classes if you are not feeling comfortable with the lane swim yet. They have them free with the price of admission at the pools in my city - deep water and also aquasize. They will get your cardio up, work out your muscles, and get you more comfortable in the water again.

    For lane swimming, I would start out with what you are most comfortable with and work up from there.
    For me, front crawl is relatively easy.. so I mostly do that but I have slowly been adding more and more lengths of butterfly to my routine because that actually tires me out and gets my heart rate up. I've also tried to do more and more lengths in a row, rather than resting after every couple. So start with your breast stroke and give yourself a goal (i.e. 10 lengths in a row). Take a 30 second break and then do 2 lengths of front crawl. Then repeat. As you go more often, challenge yourself by upping the amount of front crawl or increasing the lengths in a row you do!

    Just work your way up basically, and you will be back to your former glory in no time!
  • FoxyMcDeadlift
    FoxyMcDeadlift Posts: 771 Member
    Im not a swimmer, im more a runner, but i like to swim every now and then, im a good runner, but not a great swimmer. With my pool, 64 laps is a mile, i'll swim a mile, and say that the last 2 of every 10 laps should be front crawl.
  • FrostyBev
    FrostyBev Posts: 119 Member
    A year ago I couldn't swim more then a lap without having to stop and catch my breath. 50 pounds less and 1 year and my longest freestyle non-stop swim was 3.25 miles in 1h:53m... I averaged around 2-3x's swimming a week.

    This is how I did it -

    1 - The body is lazy and will naturally try to stop you. For the most part you can trick it into keeping going. The way I tricked my body was switching to a resting stroke. You already mentioned you do better with Breast stroke. Other great resting strokes are side stroke and elementary back stroke... Swim 1 lap of freestyle and instead of stopping to catch your breath immediately switch to the most restive stroke of side stroke... next switch to breast, then back stroke. You'll find that you've now gone 4 laps without having to stop... As you build up your endurance trying replacing back stroke with front crawl and then replacing side stroke... Eventually increasing how many laps you do.

    2 - Wear goggles... I see so many decent swimmers not wearing goggles and it boggles my mind. :)

    3- Once you have your endurance built up to swim at least 10-15 laps then really start to focus on technique. :) I constantly ask for critiques on my swims and focus on improving at least one thing on every swim.

    4 - Enjoy it. :)
  • commotionstrange
    commotionstrange Posts: 73 Member
    Thanks guys! This is really going to help I think.

    I like the idea of 'tricking' my body. Dance is a lot like that as well, you're always doing something different, so I feel like I can keep going for ages. Running/swimming have seemed hard because you just keep doing the same thing. If I keep switching it up, then maybe I'll be distracted from only thinking about how tired I am :P
  • JBHawaii
    JBHawaii Posts: 94
    There really isnt any trick here. Just start swimming. Find a masters swim class in your area and they will help improve your form and efficiency and then... just do it!

    good luck
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
    I was a swimmer my whole life (including two teams in high school)- swimming a mile nonstop used to be EASY for me! Then I stopped, gained about 70 lbs, and when I picked up swimming again I was tired and achy after ONE lap!

    Just keep up with it- your body will adjust and your strength and endurance will improve. Maybe start with two laps, a 30 second break, another 2 laps, etc. Kind of like Couch 2 5K for swimmers.

    Personally I like freestyle best (I think that's the same as front crawl) but honestly, any stroke is good- even doggy paddling is better than nothing :) So go with what you enjoy!

    If you get tired but don't want to stop, maybe tread water in between laps- you're still moving but it's a chance to catch your breath. At one point my fiance and I both lost weight even though we had made no lifestyle changes but we were playing in the community pool almost every night, just treading water and tossing a frisbee around, or diving for things we'd throw to the bottom of the pool.
  • TheNEWMonicaB
    TheNEWMonicaB Posts: 129 Member
    Like you, I also grew up swimming and know how to swim well, but had never done it for exercise. I started taking water aerobics in the evenings over the summer at the local aquatic center. I LOVED it and still do it 1-2 times per week, but the fall session started and the evening classes went away. I had to find something to replace them since I was loving the water and did not look at it as a chore. I decided to try lap swimming in the competition pool (the center has 3 pools). The 1st day, I was terrified and feared that everyone would be staring at me and thinking that I did not know what I was doing. I "took the plunge" and literally jumped in and started swimming. I realized that no one was paying 1 bit of attention to me and was into their own routine. The 1st day I could only do 12 laps and I felt like I was going to die. As of now, I am up to 28 laps in 28 mins (70 laps is a mile) and I alternate between breast and freestyle. If I am exhausted, I will do backstroke to "rest." I tried for a while without goggles and you definitely need to get some. A swim cap helps too. Good luck!!!
  • SASSYnCHICago
    SASSYnCHICago Posts: 98 Member
    I'm not sure where you are located, but here in Chicago the YMCA has a great class called Strike Development and I took two sessions of the class so I could become a better swimmer as I never did lap swim and needed to learn to do a recent Triathlon. Our city park districts also offer classes, and we have many certified swimming facilities.
    From my personal experience it took awhile to get down the breathing so I could do more than a few laps without feeling exhausted and breathless. I picked up my heads and didn’t breathe out in the water (blow bubbles), and then you need to inhale air when you head is out of the water – I felt like I was gasping for air every time I picked my head up, and holding my breath in the water. I do a three stroke count to alternate sides to breathe with only my head tilted (90 degrees) not lifted. The first few laps are the hardest for me to try to get myself into a rhythm, so I take a break after a few laps and then start fresh.
    I am swimming about 3 times a week and it really has helped my whole body become more tone. The best thing to do is to relax and go slow, than build up your endurance over time. If you go 2 laps now and need a break take it. Swimming does tack practice so make sure you can have access to pool at least 2-3 times a week.
    Websites:
    http://www.active.com/swimming/Articles/10-Elements-of-a-Perfect-Freestyle-Stroke-Part-1.htm
    http://www.swimsmooth.com/breathing.html
    http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/freestyle-swimming-technique.html
  • commotionstrange
    commotionstrange Posts: 73 Member
    Thanks for those links, they're really helpful! Wish me luck :)
  • nphect
    nphect Posts: 474
    navy seal workout:

    week 1: swim continuously for 15 minutes
    week 2: swim continuously for 15 minutes
    week 3: swim continuously for 20 minutes
    week 4: swim continuously for 20 minutes
    week 5: swim continuously for 20 minutes
    week 6: swim continuously for 25 minutes
    week 7: swim continuously for 25 minutes
    week 8: swim continuously for 30 minutes
    week 9: swim continuously for 35 minutes

    note: try to do 4-5 times per week and your goal is to swim 50 meters in 1 minute or less
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
    All the above is great! I recommend paying attention to technique from the very beginning: 1/to avoid swimmer's shoulder pain 2/learn good habits from start (it s much easier than to have to unlearn, then relearn) 3/to gain speed over time 4/to help with breathing efficiency. Yeah, I did all 4 points wrong so now I'm sharing what I learned from my mistakes.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    here are 50 swimming work outs.

    http://ruthkazez.com/50swimworkouts.html

    this is a good write up about beginners swimming http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Priscilla/Triathlon_Swim_Training_For_Beginners_Dec03.htm

    keep in mind, that many unexperienced swimmers think they are getting a better work out than they are, because of oxygen deprivation, not actually because they are working out.

    however you have said you are an experienced swimmer. is that because of lessons, or have you ever swam competitivly?
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    When you're doing the front crawl stroke learn to breathe from both sides.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Intervals are the best way to build cardiovascular fitness. Do a lap of freestyle (front crawl) and then do a few laps of breast stroke to recover. Repeat several times until you have completed the number of desired laps or the desired workout time. As your fitness and endurance increases, you can increase your work interval time (freestyle) and decrease your rest interval time (breast stroke).

    I have been trying to swim once a week with a goal of about mile - 32 laps. One of my favorite workouts is a reverse ladder:
    1 - 8 lap set (freestyle to warm up)
    1 - 7 lap set (backstroke - intervals)
    1 - 6 lap set (sprint freestyle 1 length - recover breast stroke one length)
    1 - 5 lap set (stroke drill 1 length, kick drill 1 length - alternate front, back, breast, back, front)
    1 - 4 lap set (100 IM, 100 reverse IM)
    1 - 3 lap set (back stroke sprint)
    1 - 2 lap set (free style sprint)
    1 - 1 lap set (breast stroke to cool down)

    Total = 36 laps

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