The cross-training routine that was previously posted on this thread had a variety of advice. Although quite a few people have mentioned to me that they prefer to swim, and don't really want to lift weights. That's understandable, but attempting to compromise I suggest these 4 critical exercises, 3xweek. This could take as little as 15 minutes, but will have significant impact on your swimming base times.
Here's why:
Ankle flexibility is crucial, as this is the anchor on your ship. Even if you don't improve power or strength, having your ankles flexible will reduce the drag and improve body position. So, I recommend a minimum of 6 minutes (3x per week), on the bike with your toes pointed. This is primarily to warm up the ankles as well as training the range of motion.
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Don't be discouraged if you can't do this next stretch right away. When I started 8 years ago I couldn't get my knees off the ground, and my SDK was ineffective. Just have patience, and after several months you should notice a gradual improvement. Not everyone is gifted with natural mobility in the ankles, but the good news is this can be earned. Try and hold the stretch for 3x20 seconds.
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Moving up the body line, core stability is critical for maintaining the right trajectory while swimming. Be sure to bring the elbow all the way around the knee, and tighten the core as you go through the motion. Pick a weight that enables you to do 3x12 reps on both sides.
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This last exercise is great for your core, but I've noticed it is also really good for the upper body, especially the catch phase of the stroke, as well as engaging the lats on the horizontal axis. Again, 3x12 reps, and these four exercises can be made into a short mini-routine that most aspiring swimmers should at least consider.
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Happy swimming,
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So I finally have my video on FLOSWIMMING here it is
100 free SCM - 51.60 which converts to 46.02 SCY
swimming.flocasts.org/.../65295
Right, EVF or Early-Vertical-Forearm, this is a description coined by coach Tom from this forum, who has been silent ever since a bunch of people disagreed with him... When you watch the video of Grant Hackett it appears to be EVF, but it really isn't. If you look closely, sure enough you can see a high elbow catch, but that turns into a horizontal follow through, which depends on the camera angle. Here are two video's, Hackett
www.youtube.com/watch
and Sullivan
www.youtube.com/watch
Alex, this link didn't open.
Personally, I've decided not to over-think in the vertical plane when I'm swimming anymore, and that has been incredibly helpful. Sure enough though, high elbow on the catch, but the hand and forearm "presses" around the front axis, and pulls towards the chest (left hand pitching past right armpit), the pull then switches into a pushing action and flushes down the body-line, fairly close to the chest/torso.
Also, it seems that at the end of the stroke the hand pitch changes when I focus on the horizontal path. It's almost as if my hand is sideways at the end, pitching right to left or the opposite, (like the rudder of a boat) instead of actually pushing backwards. This becomes a longer stroke and helps with the rolling hips. Technically, if you just focus on elongating the horizontal path this naturally changes your hand pitch at the end as you reach forward with the opposite arm.
Sounds good, keep me posted.
dont worry about that link, it was just a picture of a key hole, you know the type, semicircular uptop with a dove tail like shape coming from the bottom.... after watching hackett swim thats pretty much how his arms are moving.
the catch, with the high elbow being around the circular part of the key and the main pushing part of the stroke then following the bottom of the circle and into the dove tail shape ending past the hip.
going off your description that sounds just how i swim now..... not sure about how high my elbow is but i reckon i got a nice high elbow with a good bend in it, my forearm is pretty horizontal, pulling down the center of the torso, with the hand passing the opposite arm pit.
i tried to day in the pool to think about what my arms are doing more since i breathe twos im sure it goes to pot very quickly, and i have to say i definitely felt like my stroke was doing more for me i seem to have gotten a better feel for the water and am working it harder. getting a better Distance Per Stroke.
thankfully ive always had the long stroke right past the hips... i think ive had that part nailed since i was 14 so i know not to worry about that part. i believe you are right when you say the pitch changes...the hand doesnt go fully side ways, but its an intermediate angle, palm facing outward i think. feels quite natural to me anyway.
have you seen this ? this is mark foster's stroke.... he seems to keep his arms out to the side or at least hand in line with same shoulder...by the looks of it
www.youtube.com/watchwww.youtube.com/watch
this ones more for entertainment, but these little treadmill style pools look like a lot of fun and quite useful! i wish we had one. infact today i was devising a design for something like this...only better, with hi-speed cameras and glass bottom as well as sides. swimmer would wear little tags on key joints n their positions recorded and used to generated CFD models which can then be manipulated to see what technique works best and then feedback to the swimmer/coach, its fairly pie in the sky, but hey im an engineer and i was bored.
Right, EVF or Early-Vertical-Forearm, this is a description coined by coach Tom from this forum, who has been silent ever since a bunch of people disagreed with him... When you watch the video of Grant Hackett it appears to be EVF, but it really isn't. If you look closely, sure enough you can see a high elbow catch, but that turns into a horizontal follow through, which depends on the camera angle. Here are two video's, Hackett
www.youtube.com/watch
and Sullivan
www.youtube.com/watch
Alex, this link didn't open.
Personally, I've decided not to over-think in the vertical plane when I'm swimming anymore, and that has been incredibly helpful. Sure enough though, high elbow on the catch, but the hand and forearm "presses" around the front axis, and pulls towards the chest (left hand pitching past right armpit), the pull then switches into a pushing action and flushes down the body-line, fairly close to the chest/torso.
Also, it seems that at the end of the stroke the hand pitch changes when I focus on the horizontal path. It's almost as if my hand is sideways at the end, pitching right to left or the opposite, (like the rudder of a boat) instead of actually pushing backwards. This becomes a longer stroke and helps with the rolling hips. Technically, if you just focus on elongating the horizontal path this naturally changes your hand pitch at the end as you reach forward with the opposite arm.
Sounds good, keep me posted.
dont worry about that link, it was just a picture of a key hole, you know the type, semicircular uptop with a dove tail like shape coming from the bottom.... after watching hackett swim thats pretty much how his arms are moving.
the catch, with the high elbow being around the circular part of the key and the main pushing part of the stroke then following the bottom of the circle and into the dove tail shape ending past the hip.
going off your description that sounds just how i swim now..... not sure about how high my elbow is but i reckon i got a nice high elbow with a good bend in it, my forearm is pretty horizontal, pulling down the center of the torso, with the hand passing the opposite arm pit.
i tried to day in the pool to think about what my arms are doing more since i breathe twos im sure it goes to pot very quickly, and i have to say i definitely felt like my stroke was doing more for me i seem to have gotten a better feel for the water and am working it harder. getting a better Distance Per Stroke.
thankfully ive always had the long stroke right past the hips... i think ive had that part nailed since i was 14 so i know not to worry about that part. i believe you are right when you say the pitch changes...the hand doesnt go fully side ways, but its an intermediate angle, palm facing outward i think. feels quite natural to me anyway.
have you seen this ? this is mark foster's stroke.... he seems to keep his arms out to the side or at least hand in line with same shoulder...by the looks of it
www.youtube.com/watchwww.youtube.com/watch
this ones more for entertainment, but these little treadmill style pools look like a lot of fun and quite useful! i wish we had one. infact today i was devising a design for something like this...only better, with hi-speed cameras and glass bottom as well as sides. swimmer would wear little tags on key joints n their positions recorded and used to generated CFD models which can then be manipulated to see what technique works best and then feedback to the swimmer/coach, its fairly pie in the sky, but hey im an engineer and i was bored.
