Swimming Tips

Posts Tagged ‘Triathlon’

www.thumbsupswimming.com – This triathlon swimming training drill teaches you the proper way to rotate and keep your stroke out in front of you

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Wet suits are typically a personal choice in Triathlon competitions unless you are a member of a team that mandates a definite type of suits. Nevertheless, triathlon as a whole is an individual sport which allows participants to choose their personal gears, equipments and suits.

The major gears aside, the wet suit plays one of the major roles in helping you win or lose the game. Sometimes, it creates the make or break momentum. The mile you have earned during the swim period may be lost only because your wet suit failed you.

The best wet suits are those that fit snugly into the athlete’s body. This may sound easy yet the differences are told by the unique body build the racer has. People are often fooled by the impression that the wet suit does not fit correctly when all the while, it has the proper fit saying “the suit is too tight’.

Proper fitting can’t actually be given by standard measures. However, the general rule of thumb dictates that there must never be any leaks in regions covering the neck, arms and the feet. While most wet suits work on the principle of trapping enough layer of water between the skin and the neoprene (which by the way is the typical choice of material among racers), the space must not still allow a constant flow of water.

The fit tells it all. Most racers in the triathlon don’t get the advantages of wet suits because either the suit doesn’t fit well or they don’t wear it right.

When wearing your wet suit, on practice or during the competition, it is best that you leave your socks on. This will act as a lubricant for the entrance of your feet on the holes of your suit. To prevent your toenails from snagging or stretching the neoprene, a very delicate material, you can use non-petroleum products to make the removal easier during the transition stage.

Be sure that the crotch fits snugly as this may tell the difference. Without its proper placement, the upper part of the wet suit may fit poorly. Once you are comfortable with the pants, the next thing you would want to do is to secure the upper suit. It is just a matter of pulling it and sliding your arms into the holes.

If you are using a full wet suit, you must secure to it that there is no space between your armpit and the neoprene. Wetsuits are critical during the race. If they aren’t perfectly donned, they can create true differences. In most cases, they restrict your from moving freely just because the lower suit pulls the top from its proper place. Wetsuits are designed to be pulled easily into and out from your body, especially when you and the suit are wet.

It is best to leave your socks on if you are to wear the wetsuit. This will prevent the material from stretching due to pulling from your toes. Pull the bottom of the pants further until the crotch is snugly fit. This junction is critical so please do it carefully. If you are using a full-length wetsuit, you have to ensure that the dividing section between the lower and upper parts are placed on their respective positions.

Afterwhich, drive your arms into the armholes. Secure to it that the space between your armpit and the suit is just enough to let you move if you are using full suits. If however, you prefer to use Long Johns, you would no longer be bothered with the sleeves. Now the question arises, which works better, Full Suits or Long Johns?

If it is the advantage of speed that you like, you can turn to full suits. These work well for more experienced swimmers who can produce long but lesser strokes since full suits help conserve energy by cutting the water easier. Long Johns however, leave your arms free which can better help facilitate higher stroke counts. These also provide the feel of water.

If you have practiced enough, it is possible for you to wear or remove your wetsuit in less that 10 seconds during the race. After all, triathlon wet suits are designed to be taken in and off quickly. But whatever you do, never sit down while taking it off. This will add 5 seconds or more on your transition time.

The swim is the one thing that strikes fear into most beginner triathletes. Many veteran triathletes still struggle to be competitive in this event also.  The swim is a humbling experience for many beginning swimmers. Even the fittest athletes will be very winded after only a few laps in the pool if they have bad form.  The freestyle stroke is similar to a golf swing in that you could have all the strength and power in the world, but if you have poor technique, you will not be very successful.

Swimming isn’t natural for humans and it takes more practice to master technique as opposed to cycling and running.  Once you do master the technique, you will have a big advantage over other athletes who have not taken the time to refine their stroke.  Even though there are many parts of a swim stroke that can be off, there are a few major mistakes most people make that, when corrected, can make a noticeable difference in swim speed and energy expenditure.

Next time you go to the pool, consciously think about your stroke and try to figure out if you make any of these mistakes.

Head position:

This is, by far, the most common mistake I see in athletes.  The good news is that it’s also the one that gives the most benefit when fixed.  While swimming, people tend to lift their heads too much, especially when breathing.  When your head is tilted up in the water, you hips will drop lower in the water automatically. When your hips and legs drop in the water, you will create more surface area and will be plowing through the water instead of slicing through it like a torpedo.

Try to keep you head and neck in a neutral position, just like if you were standing straight up on land.  Your face should be pointed to the bottom of the pool (ocean, lake, etc.) and your eyes should be looking ahead.  You do need to see where you’re going, but look with your eyes, not your head.  Keeping your head down will make your body more hydrodynamic and will help you go faster while expending less energy.

Body roll:

The old school way of swimming was to swim with your chest and stomach pointing down at all times and use your arms and legs to propel you.  This is a recipe for shoulder problems, rapid fatigue, and slow swimming.  Your body is most hydrodynamic while on its side, so incorporating more body roll into your stroke could work wonders.

When you take a stroke and extend your lead arm, try rotating on your side.  When your right arm is extended, your chest will be pointing left.  A complete 90-degree rotation isn’t necessary, but rotate as much as you can while still feeling comfortable.  This should lift your shoulder out of the water and will make it easier to take your next stroke. When you do take your next stroke, you will rotate or “roll” to the opposite side.  Just imaging you are on a giant BBQ skewer while you roll back and forth.  This does not sound pleasant, but it is a good example of rotating on an axis.

This rotation will allow you to engage your core muscles, lats, and hips to generate more power and conserve your arms and shoulders.  It will also make it easier to breath without lifting your head and causing your feet and hips to sink.  Look up a few side-kick drill variations to help with feeling balance in the water on your side.

Kicking:

Focusing on kicking is not as necessary as some may think.  Relatively speaking, kicking does not apply that much forward force to swimmers and uses a lot of energy.  The last thing a triathlete wants to do is expend energy, especially in the legs, during the first portion of the race.  If you do kick, make sure you are kicking correctly. I only kick for balance purposes and get little, if any, propulsion from my feet.

A lot of times I see swimmers’ legs separating and flailing around, kicking way too much, and bending too much in the knees.  All this does is create additional resistance in the water.  Keep kicks short, legs close together, knees only slightly bent, and ankles limp.  Don’t point your toes unless you would like some calf cramping later in the swim.

Glide:

The swim should be smooth, fluid, graceful and almost easy compared to the pounding of the run and burn on the bike, but all too often people struggle most in the swim and are constantly battling the water.  Don’t battle the water by constantly windmilling your arms, but glide through it like a fish.

After every stroke, pause for a moment or two with arm extended while on your side.  With each stroke you also create forward momentum, which is wasted if you hurry to take another stroke before gliding a bit.  This is free speed; take advantage of it and save energy.

Hopefully you will be able to recognize if you are making some, or all, of these mistakes.  Don’t worry; these are not impossible to fix with the right drills and some practice.  A good coach would be even better since they will be able to see what you cannot.  Stop logging more miles in the swim, ingraining bad technique in your brain and muscle memory.  Make the decision today to fix your stroke and become a whole new swimmer.

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www.BeginnersTriathlonTrainingSecrets.com This video will give you insider word on swimming technique. Vladimir gives detail on how to get the most out of your stroke. This is great for a beginner in triathlon. Go to the site now to get more great info.

Best swim strokes to use for the race. Learn the proper swim stroke to utilize during the swim portion of a triathlon in this free online training video for athletes competing in a triathlon. Expert: Carey Kepler Contact: www.boundless-energy.com Bio: Carey Kepler avidly participates in triathlons all around the country, as well as trains other triathletes.