subject: Learn How To Swim With 10 Easy Tips [print this page] As technical as the sport of swimming can be, it is tough to narrow down the answer to the often-asked question, "what should I concentrate on?" So, the Rock Star Triathlete Academy asked triathlon swim coach Kevin Koskella about his top tips for how to swim better, and he came up with a "top ten" list of steps to improving your swim for a triathlon. These aren't necessarily in any order, but should go a long way in helping teach you how to swim better for triathlon, whether you are just a beginner or trying to go pro!
1. Hand Entry. Slice your hand into the water right about at your goggle line, and drive it forward. When learning how to swim, many swimmers attempt to get as much "air time" as possible by reaching the hand out before entering into the water, but it is actually more efficient to go through the water with your hand as you rotate from one side to the other.
2. Head Position. Keep looking straight down when swimming freestyle. It's important to keep your head down with only a small part of the back of your head out of the water. Also, as you rotate through the water, try not to move your head with the rest of your body rotation.
3. Pull. In freestyle, your hands should pull all the way back past your hips. The last part of the stroke before recovery (arms coming out of the water) should be an acceleration behind you, and not up out of the water.
4. The Kick. In triathlon you want to keep you kick to a minimum. Most over kick in an effort to make up for lack of balance. Minimizing your kick will allow you to save energy as well as keep your balance.
5. Training Intensity. The best way to measure your training intensity is to count your heart rate immediately after each swim. You can estimate your heart rate by counting your pulse rate for six seconds immediately after each workout. Add a zero to this count, and you will have your approximate exercise heart rate per minute. Knowing your intensity, rather than just "exercising" is a very important part of learning how to swim.
6. Master Group Swimming. Masters swimming is a tool to teach you how to swim in a triathlon. One of the best ways to develop swimming like a swimmer is to swim like a swimmer. Masters swimming is a great way to develop the mind and skill sets to do this. There are many different abilities in masters swim groups so there is no need to feel like you have to be a great swimmer to join in.
7. Habit: Pull your arm back straight.
A common habit that many swimmers have is crossing there arm over their mid line which is an imaginary line that goes though you nose and straight down through your belly button. When this occurs the body will tend to zig zag though the water more making you go slower. To avoid this pull straight on through with you arm.
8. Keep the feel. Swimming is the most technical part of a triathlon skill wise. That is why it is key to keep a feel for the water. The best way to do this is through frequency. Aim to get in the water at least every other day.
9. Work Those Lungs. Mix in some hypoxic training sets into your workouts. For example, do a set of 4x100's breathing every 3-5-7-9 strokes by 25, with 15 seconds rest in between each 100. Your lungs will thank you for it towards the end of the swim part of your triathlon!
10. Work your weak spots. Work the areas of you stroke that are your biggest pit fall. You can figure out what these week spots are from a swimming coach or looking at your stroke on camera. Make the week area of your stroke strong will help you gain speed and efficiency.
Big thanks to Kevin for sharing these tips with the Rock Star Triathlete Academy!
