Exercise to Become a Better Swimmer

If you find yourself getting out of breath before you finish a lap, maybe you need to try some new techniques in the pool. This guide will help you to improve your swimming easily.

Dry Workouts

1. Do other exercises/sports besides swimming to build muscle and endurance. If you're going to be serious, you should devote all your free time to this. When you're not swimming, and not at work or school, bike, run, or do a similar sport. Soccer is great, and you can try gymnastics/acrobatics if you are feeling confident.

2. Perform a variety of exercises every morning and evening that suit your style.

* Breaststrokers and flyers should be doing a lot of leg exercises, squats, squatting jumps, and weight exercises, but don't use weights that are heavier than you can handle. Start out light and work your way up.

* Freestylers and backstrokers should concentrate on their back and core muscles, and a little on their arms. Do the plank (get down on your toes and elbows, similar to push up position, and try to keep your body as straight and rigid as possible, and hold for a few minutes) a lot, as it is great for abs, back, and obliques.

Wet Workouts

1. Work with a coach whenever possible.

2. Pay attention to your breathing. Don't breathe too much. When racing, freestylers should be taking no more than 7 breaths every two lengths for short distances like the 50 and the 100, and for longer distances they should be breathing every 3 to 5 strokes. Breaststrokers should breathe every stroke, and flyers should breathe every 2 to 3 strokes. Flyers and freestylers should never breathe inside the flags.

3. Reach as far forward as you can during your stroke. If it helps, pretend that you're four, and you can't reach the cookie jar, and you really want a cookie.

4. Kick hard; pretend your legs really tickle, and you just want to get rid of the tickly feeling.

5. Remember that when racing, the wall is your only friend, and that during a race, your sole objective in life is to reach the wall. Nothing else matters.

6. You can also pretend that a shark is out to get you and you need to get out as soon as you can, this will make you swim a LOT faster.

Tips

* Always have drinking water available.

* At a swim meet, only eat things that will replenish the chemicals in your body but not be too heavy. IE: trail mix, dried fruit, etc.

* Before racing, think about your race. Don't talk to anybody, think about everything you practiced, and concentrate.

* If during practice there is someone better than you, because they are older or have more skill, you should ask them for pointers and tips, as usually it is taken as a compliment, and you will seldom be turned down.

* Shave your body hair, arms, legs, chest, and have a short haircut, this will make you more streamlined and you will flow better through the water.

* Practice your turns at the wall, nothing saves more time than a good turn, ask someone who's more professional than you to give you some tips, and or show you some of they're techniques.

Warnings

* Never use weights that are too heavy for you, as you will hurt yourself, no matter how big your muscles are. Start with light weights that are easy and work your way up.