Swimming. How to improve futher.

Guitarjon
Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been swimming now for a couple of months. I am a firm believer in not exercising for more than an hour or so as I feel you just burn muscle.

I have gradually got better at swimming, my stamina and speed has improved and I felt that I could have carried on today when I finished.

What could I do now? I am swimming 40 laps in 40 minutes. Should I aim to get faster or just up the time? I enjoy swimming so would like to keep going with it.

Replies

  • hyperkate
    hyperkate Posts: 178 Member
    Hi! Well done. I have just gone back to swimming twice a week again to mix up my workouts and am doing 50 lengths in 40 mins. I would say try to get your time faster. I used to be able to do 60 lengths in 30 mins so am working at getting my 50 lengths down to 30 mins then will up the time and change stroke etc. You are doing really well
  • Generalle
    Generalle Posts: 201 Member
    What do you do when you swim? I realise that it sounds like a dumb question, but do you use a pull buoy, or kickboard?
    On days that I swim, I typically do 10 lengths freestyle warm up, 10 lengths with arms only (using a pull buoy & paddles), 10 lengths with a kickboard and flippers, then 10 lengths freestyle with flippers - I tend to try and go as fast as possible on the last 10 lengths to really push myself. This takes me around 30 mins, with a total of 1km (not sure of the yards conversion).
  • freezerburn2012
    freezerburn2012 Posts: 273 Member
    www.swimplan.com

    What are you doing during your swim workout now? Just freestyle? Or, are you mixing in backstroke, breaststroke, kicking, etc?
  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    To be honest, I haven't given much thought into different techniques etc. I do breaststroke pretty much continuous for the whole 40 minutes. I think my biggest problem is technique. It was taking me a long time previously. I started at around 20 laps in 30 minutes and being tired. I now do an average of 10 laps per 10 minutes. I can see my stamina and strength has improved. I'll take a look into the swim plan thing.

    I'd love to do other techniques such as front crawl but I am embarrassed I might be a bit splashy. I have always been able to swim since a kid but in real life my technique is poor. Something I am working on but on a busy lane swimming session its not always prime opportunity to practice 'not splashing' lol.
  • freezerburn2012
    freezerburn2012 Posts: 273 Member
    Don't worry about being 'too splashy'! Everyone else at the pool is busy with their own thing.

    Total Immersion is a good book on how to learn how to swim freestyle.
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
    Personaly I'd set the first bar at 66 lenghts for the mile in about 55 min or less since you don't believe in working out for more than an hour at a time. (I did that last year, lap swimming at the college was limted to an hour, and that was my best) I also varied my technique, breast stoke, crawl, backstroke, kicks etc to break it up. Just be careful and pay attention when you swim and you won't be splashy.
  • dr_tina
    dr_tina Posts: 225 Member
    I swim laps as well, and I get bored just swimming for distance actually. HIIT with swiming is great where you do one lap as fast as you can then, take a 30 sec. break and then do it again. It builds your stamina a lot faster then lenght of time. Also, if you have not done so already, get some resistance gloves and fins, as well as kickboard. Way harder workout with increased resistance, as well as when you change up your stroke as well. My personal goal is to see how many laps of fly I can swim before my arms fall off, LOL :-)
  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    Personaly I'd set the first bar at 66 lenghts for the mile in about 55 min or less since you don't believe in working out for more than an hour at a time. (I did that last year, lap swimming at the college was limted to an hour, and that was my best) I also varied my technique, breast stoke, crawl, backstroke, kicks etc to break it up. Just be careful and pay attention when you swim and you won't be splashy.

    Quite like that 66 lengths in 55 minutes as my next goal. Think this is what I'm going to do next. Really though I do need to vary my techniques too. I know I swim much faster with a front crawl. Maybe I just need to work on that more so I become less splashy and more efficient lol.
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