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Diet-Fitness-General Wellness Your Thoughts?

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Anyone swim laps?

With us moving to the burbs over the spring and then having a kid, my health has taken a toll. To get back in shape I figured I would try to do some triathlon training along with some core weight exercises. I have never really swam laps before and it is really hard for me. The whole breathing thing I can not get down at all. Any pointers??
 
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THEWOOD said:
Anyone swim laps?

With us moving to the burbs over the spring and then having a kid, my health has taken a toll. To get back in shape I figured I would try to do some triathlon training along with some core weight exercises. I have never really swam laps before and it is really hard for me. The whole breathing thing I can not get down at all. Any pointers??
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Breath the same way you would when you run. Try not to take in too much air when breathing and exhale all of the air in your lungs when your head is in the water. It's tough but you'll start seeing that once you get in a rhythm, it come fairly naturally.
 
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THEWOOD said:
Anyone swim laps?

With us moving to the burbs over the spring and then having a kid, my health has taken a toll. To get back in shape I figured I would try to do some triathlon training along with some core weight exercises. I have never really swam laps before and it is really hard for me. The whole breathing thing I can not get down at all. Any pointers??
Click to expand...

I can't stand running so swimming is the best cardio I like doing. I don't have the endurance to swim laps over and over so I prefer more of an interval workout busting my ass down the pool to get my heart rate up and then kick back down the pool on my back to get more of a leg workout. Kind of a mix between sprinting and jogging.

There are a group of guys where I swim that swim 100 yard (I think HS pools are yards not meters) intervals with a 30 second or so break. I tried, but swimming over 50 yards in a row gasses me. I suppose I could slow down so I don't get gassed, but I feel like swimming faster is more of a workout. The consensus seems to be that intervals of some sort are better than just swimming back and forth nonstop.
 
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exhawg said:
I can't stand running so swimming is the best cardio I like doing. I don't have the endurance to swim laps over and over so I prefer more of an interval workout busting my ass down the pool to get my heart rate up and then kick back down the pool on my back to get more of a leg workout. Kind of a mix between sprinting and jogging.

There are a group of guys where I swim that swim 100 yard (I think HS pools are yards not meters) intervals with a 30 second or so break. I tried, but swimming over 50 yards in a row gasses me. I suppose I could slow down so I don't get gassed, but I feel like swimming faster is more of a workout. The consensus seems to be that intervals of some sort are better than just swimming back and forth nonstop.
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Eh, not really. Swam competitively from 5 years old til I was a senior in HS (was recruited by a couple of D1 schools, but I had lost the drive by that time, plus blowing out my knee in football my senior year in HS factored into my decision).

The guys swimming the 100M/Yd intervals are getting a better workout than you if you are looking for a good, full body aerobic exercise. Now, if you are killing it for 50M/Yds, then getting 10 sec rest, and hitting it hard again for another 50 over and over like 15 - 20 times, then I would say that you are getting a good workout. If not, then it is like doing a 1 minute sprint on a treadmill and walking away.

I have a really small pool in my back yard, so I bought a harness to "swim laps", and I go at a decent pace (about 75% of what would be full out sprint) for about a minute (normal time for 100M workout), rest 10 secs then hit it again. I do this about 15 times. Takes about 25 - 30 mins. Keeps me in decent shape.

Now, about the breathing technique discussed above: If you are swimming freestyle (crawl stroke) use your breathing side shoulder for rhythm. In other words, when you stroke with your non-breathing side arm, your head naturally will tilt the opposite direction for your breath (remember in through the mouth on the breath stroke, out through the nose on the opposite) let your shoulder of your breathing side arm kind of push your face back into the water. I would recommend doing this at a slow pace, or even standing in the pool while while practicing your stroke motion to get a feel for the rhythm. Also, don't forget to kick while swimming, as many do, or you will tire your self out trying to pull your body through the water with just your arms.
 
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Thanks for the advice. I really think this is going to take lots of practice. I swam today and kinda got better breathing, however I really struggle as I go further along. It is almost like I get scared Im not breathing and start grasping for air then all hell just breaks loose.

And yes, forgetting to kick is an issue. I was talking to my wife about me swimming during dinner and said it is really tough, you have to swim, remember to kick and breathe.

All in all it sure beats the hell out of running, I fucking despise running.
 
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Work on your stroke with breathing and kicking for now. Don't worry about speed. Trust me, if you are a beginner, you will get a good workout just trying to get everything coordinated while swimming.

One thing you may want to do now is learn the Breaststroke. It is a much easier "breathing stroke" than freestyle, and gives you the same overall workout. (Disclaimer: this was my best event in HS, taking the school record which stood for about 10 years, so I am biased towards this stoke over all)

Here are a some decent videos on technique:

Freestyle:


Heads up:


Breaststroke:
 
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