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getfitrenee22
Posts: 44
starting a thread for everyone to share their favorite sets, drills, workouts, etc...
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Favorite drill of all time: dolphin dives, of course.
Most effective drill for me: tie game, freestyle zipper drill and free with balled fists0 -
Tonight I did one of my favorite sets:
4x (16x25: 1-4 drill, 5-8 kick, 9-12 drill, 13-16 ) each time through I switch strokes for some variety
And also sets of 8x25 alternating 1 fast, 1 perfect technique...almost like HIIT training for the pool0 -
I will get more into drills this year. Until the end of last year my sets were essentially 12 sets of IM with each 200m set comprising 50m of each stroke.
This year I'm concentrating on freestyle and for now swimming 2.5 km in 4 sets (lengths = 26 or 24 per set).
Later this year, begin on Sheila Taormina's Swim a Speed drills/ sets and will update!0 -
So I'm new to swimming. What are drills?0
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drills work on technique/form of the different swimming strokes...typically it makes the stroke slower while working on the drill but much more efficient when the whole stroke is put together.
for example, here are several drills for freestyle:
1. xx# of kicks on your side, lower arm stretched out in front (half streamline), upper arm resting on thigh, then take 3 full strokes & rotate to the other side to do xx# of kicks (i recommend that novice swimmers start with 12 kicks..this is great for learning bilateral breathing and balance
2. "catch-up" drill: hands are in a streamline, pull with one arm and then touch the extended hand, once the first arm catches -up, you can pull with the second arm...this uses TONS of leg strength...so really good for developing strong kicking skills
3. fingertip drag: forces correct arm position on recovery, as your hand leaves the water, the fingertips drag along the surface until they enter the water in front of you (normal hand entry)...this drill also works strong kicking, but emphasizes high elbow recovery & stretching out to the full extension before the hand enters the water.
you can likely youtube all these drills and get a better visual.
what other strokes do you like to swim?0 -
Thank you so much. Freestyle is what I should be swimming because of a knee injury so the above is very helpful. I'll have a look on YouTube to get a better visual like you say. No 1 is where I'll start.
I tend to panic about the breathing and do the 3 pulls before breathing so it's bilateral but still think I'm going to drown!!
My dreadful habit is to do breaststroke arms and breathing (that I can do easily) and freestyle legs, but I still need to remind myself to kick from the hip instead of the knees.0 -
Luckily for you Tamois, your breaststroke arms and freestyle legs is actually also a drill - one I do regularly!0
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Hates drills, precious. Hates them we does.
That said, I do them anyway. The fingertip drag one that @getfitrenee22 mentioned was incredibly useful to me to help get my water entry correct.0 -
gentlygently wrote: »Luckily for you Tamois, your breaststroke arms and freestyle legs is actually also a drill - one I do regularly!
its one we do often to help the arms move faster in breaststroke...you could also do a dolphin kick with breast stroke arms to undulate more (feel like a dolphin)0 -
here's another one to work on breathing:
3 freestyle pulls/3 back stroke pulls...kick is a steady flutter from the hips for both strokes. rolling onto your back helps you catch & work on breathing (blowing the breath out just like you would do underwater) but allows a bit of a break from your face being underwater...just remember to think "long" long body, long legs & reach on every arm pull.0 -
Such wonderful information. After watching people on YouTube and reading all this I'm a mine of information! I'll enjoy my swim tomorrow. Thank you everyone0
