Struggling with bilateral breathing

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

knelson — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:05:56 GMT

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 07:10:54 GMT

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

SwimMann — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 07:08:15 GMT

What happens if you breathe only to your weak side? Do you struggle in that case, too? If so, maybe you should try always breathing toward the same side of the pool so that you are alternating your breathing side every length. That will help you to improve your technique on your weak side and after a while you'll probably be able to breathe bilaterally better. If I only breathe to my left I still struggle but it's feeling a lot better since I've started practicing it, I used to only breathe on my right for a whole workout so this is a pretty big step. Today I did my warm-up with a 3/3 pattern, my main-set I breathed only on my right side, and for my cool-down I tried breathing only on my weak side (left). This seemed to be a good mix and my shoulders feel pretty good as well so I'm going to keep this pattern up for a while and see how I feel in a few weeks.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

sickfish — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 02:37:52 GMT

one of the biggest reasons that people struggle with bilateral breathing is because they don't exhale continuously under water This is my problem with bilateral breathing, too. I can inhale perfectly fine on my left, but first, I spend a bunch of time exhaling before I can even think about intake. I think it's because I'm used to starting the exhale phase while I'm rotating to my right, leading up to the breath. I also have this problem with butterfly :( I tend to have a loping stroke, and it doesn't work well with bilateral breathing Also this. But isn't part of the reason we have loping strokes because of the single-side breathing? Anyway, learning bilateral breathing is hard. There's a lot more to it than just turning your head to the left instead of the right. Seems like one of those things where if you can't do it well, you may as well not do it at all. As long as you can swim in a straight line and remain relatively injury-free, anyway.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

jaadams1 — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:38:07 GMT

You're in good company (e.g., Ledecky, Phelps, Lochte, etc., etc., etc.) The thing is, I did it first before them, so I credit myself for THEIR successes! :bolt:

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

gdanner — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:28:45 GMT

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. It would be interesting to find out if they never did bilateral breathing, or made the switch at some point. I feel like the majority of USA-S kids learn bilateral breathing, as I did. I don't think it's simply a matter of looking symmetrical, so much as developing your balance. Now I breathe 2/2, but I will often alternate which side I breathe on every 50 or 100. I will rarely swim an entire race only breathing to the left or right.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

Former Member — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:20:22 GMT

I've always had major issues with bilateral breathing. For some reason, I've always breathed to my left side, and instead of breathing every three I developed the habit of breathing every four because of it. At one point, I decided enough was enough and started doing the bilateral breathing. It was tough at first, but at some point it just sort of started working. I think it helped me to slow it down and figure out when it was that I was turning my head that allowed me to breath to the left. When I got that timing figured out, it was only a matter of training my other side to do the same thing. I'm also found that counting 1,2,3, breathe helped to even things out a bit I'd say it took about a month or so, but now I can do it without thinking. Just stick with it since it definitely gives you more versatility in the water.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

Former Member — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:33:35 GMT

According to this article from swimsmooth you need to stick at it for at least two weeks before it starts getting easier. I suspect it might take longer, though. They also say that one of the biggest reasons that people struggle with bilateral breathing is because they don't exhale continuously under water. Presumably this messes up your rhythm when you try to exhale and breathe on turning your head. You certainly don't want to be lifting your head, though. Breathe in the bow wave just as you would when you breathe to the right. I think it is also a flexibility issue, though and through years of breathing to the one side only your have become asymmetrically flexible. It is something I have decided I would like to try as well for the same reasons as you.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

Patrick W. Brundage — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:13:03 GMT

I tend to have a loping stroke You're in good company (e.g., Ledecky, Phelps, Lochte, etc., etc., etc.)

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

jaadams1 — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:34:45 GMT

I tend to have a loping stroke, and it doesn't work well with bilateral breathing. I have to really really think about it when I do attempt it though, usually only in my age group practices where the coach has us breathing every 3 or 5 or so. I usually start out like that, but I can get any real rythem to my stroke, and my speed suffers as well. I've swum breathing right side only for so long, and that's the way it's gonna be.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

Patrick W. Brundage — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:17:07 GMT

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.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

aqueoushumor — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:55:04 GMT

Keep practicing. I think bilateral breathing is better for your neck, better for your brain (kinda like using your nondominant hand for occasional tasks), and better for your breathing. You can try kicking on your awkward side to get your body used to being in that position. Also try doing side stroke on that side.

RE: Struggling with bilateral breathing

That Guy — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:30:32 GMT

what are some good tips Go back to breathing on one side. Bilateral breathing is snake oil.