Hi everyone,
I have spent the last 13 months taking swimming lessons twice per week and practicing at my gym's pool almost daily, but I'm still having trouble. I'm hoping I can get some pointers that might help.
I've been lifting weights for about 20 years now and have pretty muscular legs. And they just don't seem to want to float. I can kick hard to get them to float, but then, I can barely swim freestyle halfway across the pool because I get so out of breath. I have had a lot of trouble learning to breathe, but lately, it has been getting better. I still don't think I'm getting full breaths in, but at least I'm not swallowing water every time I try to breathe anymore.
Anyway, my swimming instructors have been saying that my technique looks great; they haven't been able to offer any tweaks to help me over the past couple of months. But I still can't swim across the pool. I just don't see how I can kick as hard/fast as I seem to have to - just to stay on top of the water - and only inhale every 3-4 arm strokes.
It is starting to get pretty frustrating. Have you run into this yourself? Is there anything you can recommend that might help me?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Kicking is an essential skill to learn as part of an effective swimming technique. It is not only important for balance, but - if done correctly - aids with propulsion and lift, helps increase distance per stroke and can take some of the burden off of your shoulders and arms.
I think you might be facing two issues: a lack of core strength which is not allowing you to keep your hips at the surface of the water, and an inefficient kick. After 13 months of practicing, you should have been able to learn how to maintain proper body position, which means that something is still missing. You might want to consider getting a second opinion on your stroke technique.
You need to focus on developing a consistent, efficient kick and the core strength to be able to hold a horizontal body position in the water rather than getting into more advanced calculations about distance or sprint-style kicking. Burying one's head in the water rather than keeping a neutral head position is often used by swimmers who lack a strong kick and core - and it is only a temporary fix.
There are quite a few drills that will help strengthen your core and your buoyancy in the water - such as side kick, kick @ bk, scull kick, rotation kick and many more. If you are going to use fins, I would recommend using them sparingly, as they tend to cause pain in swimmers with inflexible ankles and are often over-used as a crutch to avoid developing a proper kick.
Wish you the best of luck!
Kicking is an essential skill to learn as part of an effective swimming technique. It is not only important for balance, but - if done correctly - aids with propulsion and lift, helps increase distance per stroke and can take some of the burden off of your shoulders and arms.
I think you might be facing two issues: a lack of core strength which is not allowing you to keep your hips at the surface of the water, and an inefficient kick. After 13 months of practicing, you should have been able to learn how to maintain proper body position, which means that something is still missing. You might want to consider getting a second opinion on your stroke technique.
You need to focus on developing a consistent, efficient kick and the core strength to be able to hold a horizontal body position in the water rather than getting into more advanced calculations about distance or sprint-style kicking. Burying one's head in the water rather than keeping a neutral head position is often used by swimmers who lack a strong kick and core - and it is only a temporary fix.
There are quite a few drills that will help strengthen your core and your buoyancy in the water - such as side kick, kick @ bk, scull kick, rotation kick and many more. If you are going to use fins, I would recommend using them sparingly, as they tend to cause pain in swimmers with inflexible ankles and are often over-used as a crutch to avoid developing a proper kick.
Wish you the best of luck!
