I'm 29 and never learnt to swim. Felt kinda ashamed so I've been swimming with a coach for 3 months now and I'm making heaps of progress. My end goal is a 70.3 so wish me luck lol.
I learned last year at 57 after nearly drowning twice as a kid. It was much more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Took me months to get into the deep end. I finished the season with an Olympic distance tri in open water concurring my biggest fear.
I've started to swim 3 months ago, with a really bad technique, I could bearly do 50 - 100m in brest stroke without a pause. I've been watching your videos and really gave it a try, focusing on technique. In 3 months I've managed to go as far as 2300m in freestyle at an average slightly below 2 min / 100m, I am super thankful for all the content you are providing us! Now chasing the below 1:45 100m :) I plan to go in open water in march or april, as in May I will have my first half Ironman, so by then I should be doing decent in swimming, at least I hope so. Thanks and cheers from Vienna!
I've heard the 30 minutes after eating thing comes from parents wanting a break from needing to supervise their kids after lunch. Dunno how true it is, but it's an amusing thought.
I learnt to swim last year as a 45 yo. I could not swim four strokes when I started. I’ve just done my first Olympic tri and booked for my first 70.3. You can definitely learn to swim as an adult.
Definitely gets better. Something that helped me was actually doing a longer slow swim. Just doing 100s in the pool made me feel like I was trying to get a workout, and I didn't have enough time to focus on technique. It also helped me realize that a couple 100s wasn't really as hard as I made them out to be.
I took up duathlon at 38 coming from a 400mtr hurdles background, dreamed of triathlon so learned to swim at 40 did my first GB age group euro champs at 45 so it’s never too late to start and now I can swim with my wife on holiday 😊
Harder you try, slower you go. Just relax into it, be smooth, measured and accurate and the speed will come almost accidentally. Matches the old saying - Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
If I am swimming hard and not hydrating, I can drop 5 pounds in an hour plus a bit. Then I start to cramp. Don't like cramping.... PH to the rescue! I quit using a kick board years ago in favor of a snorkel. Under the 'practice like you swim' idea, my kicking laps are with body rotation, getting top side shoulder out of the water, and linking the rotation from one end of the body to the other. I also concentrate on full extension of the arm in front, and pull the other arm back into more of the entry/recover position. The catch up drill is similar, but you are using a full arm pull. Using fins helps you swim at the same speed you are used to, but you can use your arms more in a slow motion movement. This allows you to focus more on full extension, and full length arm pull. Funny thing I discovered while driving around in the summer with the windows open. I had my arm and hand out the window trying to feel what is the optimal finger spread position. On a side note, I started rotating my palm side to side, and found that what I thought was perfect hand/palm position, was not so perfect at all. I noticed this is a common issue with most swimmers. Mostly, the thumb tends to be rotated a bit far forward, and the little finger is too far back. Not usually too bad, but 10 or so degrees off of what I had thought was 'perfect'. This is easiest to feel at around 70 mph. If you are sensitive, 40 to 60 works also. I also don't use the pool/pull buoy. While I do think it will help you get the 'feel' of proper body position, you do not want it to be used as a crutch, and you are better served by keeping your head down and "suck in your gut like you are trying to put your belly button on your spine". Heard that from a Speedo coach, and love it....
The breathing out through the nose might stem from new swimmers not used to the feeling of water in their nose when they turn their head to breathe. I used to breathe out through my mouth and, right before my turn, switch to my nose to avoid that feeling.
Regarding "you don't sweat when you swim". The "chlorine smell" of a swimming pool isn't actually caused directly by the chlorine. It's caused by a chemical reaction between the chlorine and bodily fluids like sweat and…well, urine.
@Coaches Corner. I agree that just doing continuous laps may not be advantageous but what happens in open water? In the pool I can improve my technique but does that translate into being able to swim for 2000 meters plus in open water non stop? At times I swim non stop for 1500 meters in pool just bumping the walls to simulate stamina. Is this wrong?
That dont eat own is a litle bit treu. 3:05 . I need to eat allot evry evening. Becouse I like to do long distances. And if I dive in straight afterwarts it is not a good feeling. But it is no problem to eat somme thing tiny before ore wile you are swimming.
My wife keeps trying to persuade me that swimming butterfly will give her a huge broad shoulders. In fact, she just doesn't want to learn the stroke. 😂😂
Lots of people from northern states think it's a good idea to jump in any body of fresh water here in florida for a swim or throw a stick in the water for their dog to fetch. Gators...
They would give you a better time, but as far as I know, you can not. There might be some edge cases, but it would be a safe bet to assume they are not allowed.
@@neilmcgurk2227 lol But actually, the 3 cigarette burns I treated with vit e healed up w/o hardly any scaring. The two didn't apply the vit e to are still dark angry scars all these years later. Not exactly a perfect scientific test, but good enough for me to swear by.
"You have to learn a flip turn" is something that annoyed me a lot. I can turn just as quickly without it and walls aren't there in 99% of the triathlons (I enjoyed one triathlon where the swim part was done in a pool) so it's just a technique from the nice-to-have category
You've created a myth within a myth 🤣. Like you say, you don't need to flip turn but they are significantly faster than a touch turn if done correctly.
You definitely do get wider. It’s a bit misleading to say you won’t - swimming is not quick and there are faster ways but for sure you do get wider shoulders over time, though limited
@@desroin true I omitted saying that; front and side deltoids won't grow much but chest size and back width as you say, resulting in shoulders spanning wider
The reality is if you eat within half an hour of exercise you'll go into your session with too much insulin in your system (your body becomes far more sensitive to insulin when doing exercise), if you dont have enough glycogen stored in your liver to deal with this you'll have a hypoglycemic event and that will be the end of you session. That's why top athletes wait up to 3 hours after eating to train.
Did this video help you bust some of your swimming fears? 🏊🏻
I'm 29 and never learnt to swim. Felt kinda ashamed so I've been swimming with a coach for 3 months now and I'm making heaps of progress. My end goal is a 70.3 so wish me luck lol.
Im learnt at 27 and 70.3 its my next goal too
I learned last year at 57 after nearly drowning twice as a kid. It was much more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Took me months to get into the deep end. I finished the season with an Olympic distance tri in open water concurring my biggest fear.
What an awesome accomplishment!!
My dad learnt how to swim at 64 and competed in his first triathlon at age 65 where he swam his first open water.
I've started to swim 3 months ago, with a really bad technique, I could bearly do 50 - 100m in brest stroke without a pause. I've been watching your videos and really gave it a try, focusing on technique. In 3 months I've managed to go as far as 2300m in freestyle at an average slightly below 2 min / 100m, I am super thankful for all the content you are providing us! Now chasing the below 1:45 100m :) I plan to go in open water in march or april, as in May I will have my first half Ironman, so by then I should be doing decent in swimming, at least I hope so. Thanks and cheers from Vienna!
I've heard the 30 minutes after eating thing comes from parents wanting a break from needing to supervise their kids after lunch. Dunno how true it is, but it's an amusing thought.
I learnt to swim last year as a 45 yo. I could not swim four strokes when I started. I’ve just done my first Olympic tri and booked for my first 70.3. You can definitely learn to swim as an adult.
I'm 47 and just learning... its difficult but getting there
I learned how to swim last year at 47 too. It get’s better.
Definitely gets better. Something that helped me was actually doing a longer slow swim. Just doing 100s in the pool made me feel like I was trying to get a workout, and I didn't have enough time to focus on technique. It also helped me realize that a couple 100s wasn't really as hard as I made them out to be.
I took up duathlon at 38 coming from a 400mtr hurdles background, dreamed of triathlon so learned to swim at 40 did my first GB age group euro champs at 45 so it’s never too late to start and now I can swim with my wife on holiday 😊
Harder you try, slower you go. Just relax into it, be smooth, measured and accurate and the speed will come almost accidentally. Matches the old saying - Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
I'm thinking about it like running. There's no sense in going out and only doing lap repeats. I like the idea of longer slower swims.
Regarding fitness vs technique, fat is also buoyant, muscle sinks.
Biggest myth in swimming? Fog-less goggles
It's like looking for the holy grail!
If I am swimming hard and not hydrating, I can drop 5 pounds in an hour plus a bit. Then I start to cramp. Don't like cramping.... PH to the rescue!
I quit using a kick board years ago in favor of a snorkel. Under the 'practice like you swim' idea, my kicking laps are with body rotation, getting top side shoulder out of the water, and linking the rotation from one end of the body to the other. I also concentrate on full extension of the arm in front, and pull the other arm back into more of the entry/recover position. The catch up drill is similar, but you are using a full arm pull.
Using fins helps you swim at the same speed you are used to, but you can use your arms more in a slow motion movement. This allows you to focus more on full extension, and full length arm pull.
Funny thing I discovered while driving around in the summer with the windows open. I had my arm and hand out the window trying to feel what is the optimal finger spread position. On a side note, I started rotating my palm side to side, and found that what I thought was perfect hand/palm position, was not so perfect at all. I noticed this is a common issue with most swimmers. Mostly, the thumb tends to be rotated a bit far forward, and the little finger is too far back. Not usually too bad, but 10 or so degrees off of what I had thought was 'perfect'. This is easiest to feel at around 70 mph. If you are sensitive, 40 to 60 works also.
I also don't use the pool/pull buoy. While I do think it will help you get the 'feel' of proper body position, you do not want it to be used as a crutch, and you are better served by keeping your head down and "suck in your gut like you are trying to put your belly button on your spine". Heard that from a Speedo coach, and love it....
The breathing out through the nose might stem from new swimmers not used to the feeling of water in their nose when they turn their head to breathe.
I used to breathe out through my mouth and, right before my turn, switch to my nose to avoid that feeling.
Regarding "you don't sweat when you swim". The "chlorine smell" of a swimming pool isn't actually caused directly by the chlorine. It's caused by a chemical reaction between the chlorine and bodily fluids like sweat and…well, urine.
Thank you for all these tips, Cheers from Mexico City!!!
It's also a bit like fight sport... Technique and accuracy = speed
@Coaches Corner. I agree that just doing continuous laps may not be advantageous but what happens in open water? In the pool I can improve my technique but does that translate into being able to swim for 2000 meters plus in open water non stop? At times I swim non stop for 1500 meters in pool just bumping the walls to simulate stamina. Is this wrong?
That dont eat own is a litle bit treu. 3:05 .
I need to eat allot evry evening. Becouse I like to do long distances. And if I dive in straight afterwarts it is not a good feeling.
But it is no problem to eat somme thing tiny before ore wile you are swimming.
Just back from a disk replacement and swimming is great. It's helping me loosen up but the turns and speed aren't great.
My wife keeps trying to persuade me that swimming butterfly will give her a huge broad shoulders. In fact, she just doesn't want to learn the stroke. 😂😂
Lots of people from northern states think it's a good idea to jump in any body of fresh water here in florida for a swim or throw a stick in the water for their dog to fetch.
Gators...
That chlorine smell, that’s chlorine reacting with urea, coming from people’s sweat (hopefully not anything else) in the pool.
Can you use webbed gloves during a Triathlon race? If so, do they work and give you better speed/time?
They would give you a better time, but as far as I know, you can not. There might be some edge cases, but it would be a safe bet to assume they are not allowed.
What happened to your schnoze mate? Vitamin E will help prevent a scar
Is that another myth? 🤣
@@neilmcgurk2227 lol
But actually, the 3 cigarette burns I treated with vit e healed up w/o hardly any scaring.
The two didn't apply the vit e to are still dark angry scars all these years later.
Not exactly a perfect scientific test, but good enough for me to swear by.
"You have to learn a flip turn" is something that annoyed me a lot. I can turn just as quickly without it and walls aren't there in 99% of the triathlons (I enjoyed one triathlon where the swim part was done in a pool) so it's just a technique from the nice-to-have category
You've created a myth within a myth 🤣. Like you say, you don't need to flip turn but they are significantly faster than a touch turn if done correctly.
And any pool based Tri swims I have done have flip turns banned. Only place flip turn is used is on the club swim. Even then not everyone uses them
I’ve heard a myth that you shouldn’t try to swim with a masters as a beginner triathlete- any thoughts?
What's on your nose?
Man I wish swimming gave me big shoulders 😂
You definitely do get wider. It’s a bit misleading to say you won’t - swimming is not quick and there are faster ways but for sure you do get wider shoulders over time, though limited
@@tobias3581 Dunno, been doing this for two years and they're still rather slim ^^'
The delta muscle does pop out quite nicely though 😅
@@desroin true I omitted saying that; front and side deltoids won't grow much but chest size and back width as you say, resulting in shoulders spanning wider
Myth i found out recently High elbow means elbow high in the water
Hey Rudolf what happened?
What happened to your nose 😮
Is getting my bike or keys stolen at the pool a myth??
Good I breathe out with my mouth, it’s easier.
The reality is if you eat within half an hour of exercise you'll go into your session with too much insulin in your system (your body becomes far more sensitive to insulin when doing exercise), if you dont have enough glycogen stored in your liver to deal with this you'll have a hypoglycemic event and that will be the end of you session. That's why top athletes wait up to 3 hours after eating to train.