When I swim freestyle continuously above my sustainable speed, the first thing which fails me is my deltoid - when fatigue set in I can no longer do a proper EVF catch and the exit is also affected as well.
However I've heard that the most used muscle in freestyle swimming is the lats, but I feel my lats only when I swim longer than 3k - by that time my deltoid have fatigued so much to the extent that it affects my swimming seriously.
What does the above symptom mean?
Miklcct,
I will comment on a couple of things:
a) I do NOT believe you need to do more tricep strength work - at this time. Everything about this thread suggests, to me anyway, that your technique results in the triceps being used in a non-efficient way. Your time would be better spent on technique instead of strengthening.
b) I am gonna speculate about your legs during your breathing - without seeing a video. My speculation is that you have excessive rolling onto your side when you breathe. If this is the case, your legs will open (I read this as spreading apart) to counter-balance your upper body rotation. To confirm this, if both of your goggles are out of the water when you breathe, you are rotating too much. When you breathe, keep one goggle in the water. Excessive rotation while breathing will reduce your distance per stroke and can lead to elbow first pulling as well as huge cross overs during the pull. These will lead to excess tricep fatigue.
c) Have you counted the strokes of other swimmers who are faster than you? In my opinion, this is an important learning opportunity. I get the feeling you think that increasing stroke count/length is ok if it comes with increased intensity or distance of the repeat. These are incorrect assessments if you think this way.
Watch a video of Caleb Dressel and try to swim like he does - not in terms of speed though. Try to emulate his technique. He is among the best at "holding" onto the water regardless of his speed. See what happens. :)
Good Luck
Miklcct,
I will comment on a couple of things:
a) I do NOT believe you need to do more tricep strength work - at this time. Everything about this thread suggests, to me anyway, that your technique results in the triceps being used in a non-efficient way. Your time would be better spent on technique instead of strengthening.
b) I am gonna speculate about your legs during your breathing - without seeing a video. My speculation is that you have excessive rolling onto your side when you breathe. If this is the case, your legs will open (I read this as spreading apart) to counter-balance your upper body rotation. To confirm this, if both of your goggles are out of the water when you breathe, you are rotating too much. When you breathe, keep one goggle in the water. Excessive rotation while breathing will reduce your distance per stroke and can lead to elbow first pulling as well as huge cross overs during the pull. These will lead to excess tricep fatigue.
c) Have you counted the strokes of other swimmers who are faster than you? In my opinion, this is an important learning opportunity. I get the feeling you think that increasing stroke count/length is ok if it comes with increased intensity or distance of the repeat. These are incorrect assessments if you think this way.
Watch a video of Caleb Dressel and try to swim like he does - not in terms of speed though. Try to emulate his technique. He is among the best at "holding" onto the water regardless of his speed. See what happens. :)
Good Luck
