OT: Beginner Swimmer

[jimp1234]

Haven't done much swimming since I was a teenager(swam a bit on the swim team in Jr. High ), but my gym has a great pool and was thinking about swimming some laps as another aerobic workout. Any "swimming for dummies" books I should check out. Any fav goggles? Seems like there are even some prescription ones out there. Any good swimgear websites? Should I get a coach to look at my(pathetic) form to make suggestions as well as setting up a workout or just go out and do it?

thanx

-Jim

[cs124]

smart move, swimming is good for you.

can't help with the book, but i do recommend getting some technique coaching or stroke correction... coaching and bilateral breathing made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the sport and made me faster.

i use speedo swimwear and goggles.

if you have hair and want to keep it get a silicone cap and some good conditioner. ;)

[jimcav]

google it. however, unless you are doing triathlons or competing, you don't need a coach or any technique--if you are doing it for a workout, it is like going for a jog--you just do it.
swim technique is about maximizing efficiency, which is not the point of an aerobic workout. if you want to get better as a swimmer, sure, coach is a route. my advice, do lots of single arm drills, you need to get comfortable with the roll of your torso from side to side side--that is the most efficient position to glide. reach out , rolling to your side as you catch the water with the hand, envision your hand curling over a small barrell you are trying to capture to your elbow and push down past your thigh, now your other arm is going forward, and you roll to your other side as it enters the water, repeat, add flip turns
jim

[rnhood]

For a book recommendation, "Swimming Fastest" by Ernest Maglischo is probably considered the Bible of swimming, covering just about every aspect of the sport. Other books are beneficial for this, that & the other but, "SF" covers them all and, very thoroughly.

Before you go overboard with a coach, which you don't need at this point, join a local masters swim team. Check with your local YMCA and, they should be able to provide info or, see the link below. Also, most towns have a Tri club which, will swim a couple mornings a week, if not more. Swimming in these clubs will be very beneficial in establishing good techniques and training activities.

Like cycling, swim for enjoyment. If you go obsessive on it, you'll not enjoy it as much.

http://www.usms.org/links/lmscwebsites.php

[alancw3]

i have done a great deal of lap swimming over the last twenty years (5 days a week) while living in southwest florida. great exercise and a real complement to cycling.

i have used speedo goggles but felt that they did not hold up well. have tried other more expensive ones but found a real great buy on goggles at the local walmart store. they are aqua sphere "kaimen" model. like $13 a pair and last for like over two years using five days a week. on my second pair right now. i did see them on ebay also but were less expensive at walmart although this past time i bought them it looked like walmart was not carrying anymore as inventory was down and they did have another cheaper brand on the shelves. i got lucky and purchased one of the few remaining pair.

[OtayBW]

You might want to get hooked up with a bunch of Masters swimmers and do some interval, etc. training with them. Lap swimming gets old (to me) after a while.

[bozman]

check this out:

http://www.usms.org/

Lots of good information.

[caleb]

For a book recommendation, "Swimming Fastest" by Ernest Maglischo is probably considered the Bible of swimming

You may also look through the Total Immersion materials if you haven't swam much for a bit. It's geared toward developing balance and feel in the water. I think Swimming Fastest assumes you've already got good balance and feel in the water. So, you may wish to use them in tandem.

[Jeff Weir]

Masters is a real good option.

For gear try:
http://www.metroswimshop.com/

[Buzz]

Gear: Kiefer.com For googles I use the Aqua Sphere - Kaiman but the right googles really depend on your head and face shape.

Book / Video Instruction: Total Immersion - a good starting point for basics

Swimming is about a lot of technique. Akin to golf or tennis. Churning laps with bad form is counterproductive on so many levels.

Try to hook up with a coach versus joining up with a masters group. Masters swimming is all about fast hard laps and intervals. Good technique from the beginning makes swimming so much more fun. The better your technique the longer and faster you can swim. Then masters swimming can really take you to the next level.

Stick with it. It can take a few months of getting your head use to being in the water, getting your balance, executing a good pull, etc.

[deechee]

Another nod to Terry Laughlin's swimming books and videos. That said a coach will probably be more useful. I think Master's groups can definitely help you swim and improve but it all depends on the coach and group. I've been in great groups and mediocre ones - most groups will allow you to try a few sessions for free so you may as well see if its for you or not.

Goggles, I'm for the Aquasphere Kaimans. Best goggles, I've been using them for a few years now.

All I can say is just go out and swim. Swimming is one of those really annoying catch22's. You need good technique but you need to get a real "feel" for the water to understand the technique. The more you swim, the more you can really understand what you're supposed to be doing. Look at any varsity swim team. They swim 2x day, 5-6x a week. No other sport requires that much time. You need to get that "feel".

[andy mac]

i am going to go against some of the others suggestions here.

swimming is terribly technical. an unfit swimmer will smoke a fit person with poor technique.

if you are starting out i'd get off to the right start and get some stroke correction classes. much easier than trying to change down the track...


:beer:

andy

[Onno]

i am going to go against some of the others suggestions here.

swimming is terribly technical. an unfit swimmer will smoke a fit person with poor technique.

if you are starting out i'd get off to the right start and get some stroke correction classes. much easier than trying to change down the track...
andy

I agree with Andy. No matter how beginner a swimmer you are, some lessons and coaching will pay big dividends if you plan to swim regularly and for a long time. And why not. Swimming is a sport you can do for a lifetime. Getting decent technique also helps prevent the only real injury you can get from swimming--shoulder problems.

Good technique doesn't come instantly, but knowing what to work on, what you're doing wrong, etc. will give you a real sense of how to improve. And you can improve pretty quickly, and that makes it fun.

Doing laps in a pool is not the most exciting workout you can do. It is a nice change from other workouts, and it's wonderful when you're hurting from other sports. I find that the only thing that makes swimming truly enjoyable is a sense of swimming well, and of making incremental improvements in technique, speed, etc.

Good luck.

[DukeHorn]

For Christmas, I got a pair of prescription goggles. They have to have the same power on both sides (and they don't correct for astigmatisms), but I'm looking forward to trying them in the pool. I've been using a prescription scuba mask for open water swims and going basically blind in the pools.

[capybaras]

Definitely get someone to watch you and teach you how to do the strokes properly. Makes it more interesting - lap after lap can get boring and if you put in the time you won't want build up strong habits that are wrong.

And if your pool allows bring training fins. They are fun, make you use your legs more, keep your body high in the water so you can learn what it feels like to be up where you are supposed to be, and going faster is more fun! :banana:

[Acotts]

google it. however, unless you are doing triathlons or competing, you don't need a coach or any technique--if you are doing it for a workout, it is like going for a jog--you just do it.
swim technique is about maximizing efficiency, which is not the point of an aerobic workout. if you want to get better as a swimmer, sure, coach is a route. my advice, do lots of single arm drills, you need to get comfortable with the roll of your torso from side to side side--that is the most efficient position to glide. reach out , rolling to your side as you catch the water with the hand, envision your hand curling over a small barrell you are trying to capture to your elbow and push down past your thigh, now your other arm is going forward, and you roll to your other side as it enters the water, repeat, add flip turns
jim


I am going to have to disagree. Total Immersion destroyed my stroke. Do a masters class for two months and have the coach show you the basics. I think almost everythin I learned was contrary to Total Immersion. Swimming will be a lot more fun if you can keep a decent pace. DO a masters class for a little while. It will really be worth it.
-A

[ergott]

Interesting. I finished up my 3rd week in the pool. Morning riding has been getting to me (pre 6:00). I've subbed in the pool until nicer weather approaches and glad to have the rest of my body involved in getting in shape.

I have to talk the HS swim coach into meeting me in the AM to see what I'm doing. I have been using fins for dolphin kicks and a kick board for the legs. I do the breast stroke most of the time and I'm slowly transitioning to freestyle. I've used the buoys for my legs to do only arms and that feels weird, but I see the benefit. 4 laps of freestyle takes a lot out of me right now so I need to find a rhythm that doesn't feel like an all out sprint without feeling like I'm going slow enough to sink.

Eventually, I want to feel as comfortable doing freestyle as I am on my bike. I also wouldn't mind the figure that comes with a lot of swimming;-)

[ti_boi]

Haven't done much swimming since I was a teenager(swam a bit on the swim team in Jr. High ), but my gym has a great pool and was thinking about swimming some laps as another aerobic workout. Any "swimming for dummies" books I should check out. Any fav goggles? Seems like there are even some prescription ones out there. Any good swimgear websites? Should I get a coach to look at my(pathetic) form to make suggestions as well as setting up a workout or just go out and do it?

thanx

-Jim


Start Here my friend.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Swimming-James-Counsilman/dp/0689705832/ref=pd_sim_b_img_1/104-4366185-8991116

[TimB]

Have to agree with getting proper technique as a first step. As others have pointed out this will not only make you more efficient in the water, but help to prevent injury. Ask me - after 9 years of competitive swimming, I developed bursitis in my left shoulder that eventually forced me to quit. I had a 'hitch' in my freestyle stroke - a deep pull with my left are when breathing to the right side. It could/should have been corrected with bi-lateral breathing (if I had paid attention to my coaches).

It's important to learn good technique to begin with, as muscle memory will make it much harder to correct stroke technique later.

Use a pull-buoy and hand paddles. The paddles will help teach proper technique - if you feel your hands slipping through the water then you'll need to adjust. The pull-buoy will help with body position and isolate your arms. Lengths of just breastroke arms is a good thing.


Try to learn a variety of strokes, they will all use your muscles differently. Many places will offer individual stroke clinics if you're not interested in joining a Masters team.

[jimcav]

I am going to have to disagree. Total Immersion destroyed my stroke. Do a masters class for two months and have the coach show you the basics. I think almost everythin I learned was contrary to Total Immersion. Swimming will be a lot more fun if you can keep a decent pace. DO a masters class for a little while. It will really be worth it.
-A
as i never used them. but i know many who have and liked it, so it is a starting point (one of many). After years away from swimming, i went to a masters swim in san diego, and there was no coaching except some attention was paid to some very competitive types. the rest of us were left to just do the workout on the dry-erase board. but i can see how a good program or maybe just working with swimmers in the masters group could be great. I don't know what my technique I described follows--it was how i was taught in high school, and i completely forgot to mention breath to both sides. nothing worse in open water than being able to breath only to one side comfortably.

jim

[Spinner]

after a ten year absense, i've hit the pool again for laps. heretofore, i used barracuda goggles with success, although they are relatively expensive, it takes awhile to get the foam "formed" to your face and i had to wear them somewhat tight to keep a good seal.

when i started swimming again in december, i borrowed some "aqua sphere" goggles from my son who purchaed them for $16. these are the best goggles i've ever used. they have never leaked (including the first time out of the box) and they don't need to be cinched tight.

i received a new pair of barracudas for christmas and have yet to use them because the aqua sphere goggles work sooooooo well.

cheers.

[DarrenCT]

jim,

im in even worse swimming shape than you. in fact, i really don't know what the hell to do! :crap:

this summer im going to take a few lessons for the hell of it.

let me know how your doing

cheers
-d

[Acotts]

as i never used them. but i know many who have and liked it, so it is a starting point (one of many). After years away from swimming, i went to a masters swim in san diego, and there was no coaching except some attention was paid to some very competitive types. the rest of us were left to just do the workout on the dry-erase board. but i can see how a good program or maybe just working with swimmers in the masters group could be great. I don't know what my technique I described follows--it was how i was taught in high school, and i completely forgot to mention breath to both sides. nothing worse in open water than being able to breath only to one side comfortably.

jim


My bad. I am adamant about keeping new swimmers away from that program. I think it is a fine program if you are already a good swimmer, but it is a terrible place to start if you are a beginner. Triathletes love it because it is well suited for wetsuit swimming and in choppy open water. It is bad for everything else.

I think I learned almost all I needed to know about swimming in 2 hours with a coach (as part of my masters class). I will never be great, but I learned enough to hang on, not get injured and get fantastic workouts with the class.

All of a sudden, 1000 meters felt like nothing. I could just glide through and the occaisonal 4-5k class made me feel like a rockstar!

[Fixed]

bro i used to swim a lot (15000 yard a day )
swim is about tech. more like golf ..watch a fat out of shape cat kick some a. at the pool ..after you know how to swim use paddles they help with strength take the wrist band off and don't use a bouy you need to get on top of the water by yourself find you balance imho
cheers

[BobC]

Goggles are like saddles. use the ones you find most comfortable.

Does Hind still make Compy goggles? I used them 20+ years ago swimming in college. I think they were $5 each. They were the most comfortable things I ever found.

[rinconryder]

i am going to go against some of the others suggestions here.

swimming is terribly technical. an unfit swimmer will smoke a fit person with poor technique.

if you are starting out i'd get off to the right start and get some stroke correction classes. much easier than trying to change down the track...


:beer:

andy

+1. The few bucks you spend in getting a swim lesson will save you many headaches. BEfore you can hang with a masters group I would get comfortable with swimming first and then join a group. One or two lessons will give you some great stroke basics and it is better to learn how to swim properly to save your shoulders as well as just plain old be better.