Swimming fast and efficiently takes practice. Swimmers never finish tweaking their strokes regardless of their age and coaches continually evolve training methods. Most lap and open-water fitness swimmers use freestyle because it is the most efficient and fastest stroke. Swimming the stroke correctly means building skills from the outset. Wasting energy on lateral motion or excessive arm and leg movements means you slow down quickly and tire easily. Build your skills up from the basics to make every stroke count.
Foundation Techniques
Step 1
Push off from the pool wall, facing down, and glide as far as you are able. Stretch out your arms straight in front and squeeze your arms against your head, clasping your hands together. Squeeze your legs together, and point your toes. Your goal is to make yourself as streamlined as possible to minimize water's resistance. Repeat the push off, this time blowing air slowly out as you glide.
Step 2
Push off from the pool wall, this time on your side, with one arm extended and the other by your side. Bring the arm resting at your side forward though the air, elbow bent, and enter the water pinky first. Take a stroke with that arm and rotate your body in that direction. Take a breath as your face emerges above the water.
Step 3
Add a flutter kick to your side push off and glide. Practice your basic stroke for your first sessions, focusing on stroke technique. Rotate your body every time you take a stroke to swim on your side. Keep your head low in the water, aligned with your spine.
Interval Training
Step 1
Locate the pool clock, and note the time. Swim one full lap at a moderate pace and then check the time again. The time elapsed represents your comfortable pace, and you can base your time or interval workouts on that number. Interval workouts vary the length and pace of swim sets you perform during a workout and they help improve your stamina and technique.
Step 2
Perform a warmup swim of 4 X 100 m free. Swim the warmup at an easy pace. Swim a main interval set of three repetitions of 200 m free at your pace or 3 X 200 m. Grab a kickboard and perform 2 X 100 m flutter kick. Leave the kickboard on deck and put the pull buoy between your thighs. Pull, or swim only using your arms, for 300 m. Warm down with an easy 100 m swim for a total workout of 1,600 m.
Step 3
Return to the pool for your next workout and increase your effort by 10 percent the following week. You can swim faster, longer or both, but avoid pushing yourself too hard. Using good technique should be your focus during training. Kick on your back with long swim fins to stretch out your muscles at the end of workouts.
Things You'll Need
- Kick board
- Pull buoy
- Swim fins
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