Bilateral breathing

I think this happens more than most of us realize (shortened stroke, less rotation) when you bilateral breathe. Plenty of my swimmers seem flatter and more crab like when we do bilateral drills. I think the assumption that you will rotate more when you breath to the otherside isn't always right. I think people actually rotate less because they are doing their bad side and they no longer extend out on the side they normal breath on. You equalize your rotation, but it doesn't always lengthen. I do think bilateral breathing is a great drill to focus on to even your stroke and to learn to extend more on both side if that is the purpose. I for one teach swimmers to breath to only one side when competing and training hard. Just looking statistically at the number of breathes you take breathing to one side vs breathing bilaterally, you stay aerobic much longer with more breathes.... common sense I would say.

I think this happens more than most of us realize (shortened stroke, less rotation) when you bilateral breathe. Plenty of my swimmers seem flatter and more crab like when we do bilateral drills. I think the assumption that you will rotate more when you breath to the otherside isn't always right. I think people actually rotate less because they are doing their bad side and they no longer extend out on the side they normal breath on. You equalize your rotation, but it doesn't always lengthen. I do think bilateral breathing is a great drill to focus on to even your stroke and to learn to extend more on both side if that is the purpose. I for one teach swimmers to breath to only one side when competing and training hard. Just looking statistically at the number of breathes you take breathing to one side vs breathing bilaterally, you stay aerobic much longer with more breathes.... common sense I would say.