I am new to swimming (correctly) and working toward refining technique. I am swimming every other day for an hour (lots of breaks). Is this a sufficient amount per week or do I need to step it up a notch and go for more days per week or more time in the pool on the days I do swim?
Former Member
Originally posted by swim4fitness2
....I am swimming every other day for an hour (lots of breaks). Is this a sufficient amount per week....
For me every other day is ideal. I take lots of breaks too. Over the past 6 months I’ve bumped up my yardage a bit (from about 1700 to over 2000) so now I’m in the water almost 1.5 hours (as opposed to one hour). I’m mostly adding fly, so my break time has increased more than my swim time, but I’m really pleased with the results so I plug away. I make changes in my routine really gradual since I’m easily prone to injury (especially shoulders). I’ve averaged practicing about 4-5x/wk for over a decade now.
If I can’t successfully focus on my technique I feel like I’m wasting my time.
What’s right for you is what you can do without injuring yourself or letting your technique break down (getting crazy exhausted).
I think the time you are putting in is great.
A sustained intensity with heaps of good instruction is what's needed.Yardage of garbage wont do enough.
It's also a matter of patience and persistence....if you read..watch videos...video yourself...ask others...try to implement...refine the learning...and keep trying...you'll develop great technique...it will come together slowly at first and then in leaps....if you persist.
Most average swimmers either don't know they have poor technique or have no desire to improve it....If you have the desire then dont be satisfied with not knowing...learn what the techniques are...get heaps of instruction.
Shoulder flexibilty for rotation and stretching is vital in older people to swim well.....
