I got an email today about bilateral breathing and the more I read it, the more it got me thinking. I do 99% of my breathing on the right side. In fact at last weekend's OW swim, the bouys were all left turns and the only time I made a concious effort to breathe to that side was around the turns (mainly to stretch my neck a bit at a point that made sense.)
After reading this blog as well as some other stuff, I might be convinced to make an efffort to breathe left for longer periods. Has anyone else trained themselves to breathe on their "bad" side and did you see any unexpected improvments like this guy did in his blog? www.feelforthewater.com/.../joel-uses-his-bad-side-to-come-good.html I realze that breathing every 3 strokes makes sense to keep balanced, but what about completely switching sides?
One of the keys to efficient swimming includes maintaining symmetry and balance in the water. You want both sides of your body to be equally strong and efficient. Bilateral breathing is an integral part of this concept. The ability to breathe on both sides is not only useful - allowing you to see what's on both sides of you as you race - but also ensures that you maintain an even distribution of proper technique and strength.
However, you need to be careful about how and when you use the bilateral breathing technique, especially if you are not fully prepared for it. Bilateral breathing can actually slow you down if you only use it during races instead of practicing it consistently during workouts. In order to use bilateral breathing as a strategy, you need to practice it such that it becomes more of a habit. Then, you can employ bilateral breathing whenever you want during the race to maximize its potential.
One of the keys to efficient swimming includes maintaining symmetry and balance in the water. You want both sides of your body to be equally strong and efficient. Bilateral breathing is an integral part of this concept. The ability to breathe on both sides is not only useful - allowing you to see what's on both sides of you as you race - but also ensures that you maintain an even distribution of proper technique and strength.
However, you need to be careful about how and when you use the bilateral breathing technique, especially if you are not fully prepared for it. Bilateral breathing can actually slow you down if you only use it during races instead of practicing it consistently during workouts. In order to use bilateral breathing as a strategy, you need to practice it such that it becomes more of a habit. Then, you can employ bilateral breathing whenever you want during the race to maximize its potential.
