After swimming around 4 years, primarily breathing to my right side I thought I'd attempt to mix in some bi-lateral breathing to my practices to help develop a more symmetrical stroke.
I'm struggling hard-core. Each time I try to breathe to my left I lose a lot of momentum and rhythm to my stroke. I breathe too late, I lift my head too much, which drops my legs, I scissor kick to maintain balance and generally become a mess. I have improved slightly but still struggle bad.
Right now I'm attempting my entire workouts with a 3 breath pattern but I'm thinking of switching it to 3 breaths on warm-ups/pull-sets/cool-downs and than breathing comfortably on main-sets/sprint sets.
Has anyone tried bi-lateral breathing after being a one sided breather for a while and if so what are some good tips to becoming more efficient at it?
It depends upon what your goals are. If you are looking to swim fast, take a cue from the Olympians and do not bilateral breath. If you want to swim symmetrical, do it.
I'm trying to swim faster and trying to break myself of a ~40 year habit of bilateral breathing so that I only breathe to my left. I am struggling in the same way you are struggling but with the opposite problem. Good luck.
It depends upon what your goals are. If you are looking to swim fast, take a cue from the Olympians and do not bilateral breath. If you want to swim symmetrical, do it.
I'm trying to swim faster and trying to break myself of a ~40 year habit of bilateral breathing so that I only breathe to my left. I am struggling in the same way you are struggling but with the opposite problem. Good luck.
