If you want to optimize your swimming skills, you should try to improve your technique and mentality, as well as be disciplined in your practice. However, the most important thing is to make sure your technique is correct, otherwise all the exercises you do will not give the maximum results. If you want to learn how to trim seconds, or even minutes, from your best times, see step 1 to get started.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Improving Your Technique
Step 1. Reduce the number of swipes
Swimmers often focus on being able to swim as fast as possible, instead of swimming through the water with as little friction as possible, which is actually a way to increase your speed. Remember that what is needed is the right skill, not just strength, to reduce the amount of friction. There are many ways to reduce friction, such as improving your balance or swimming with your body as long as possible.
Step 2. Improve balance
This is a surefire way to reduce friction. To keep you balanced, keep your body horizontal as you move through the water. This reduces the amount of water blocking your path and slowing you down. This method is especially important for freestyle, where you have to keep yourself from lifting your head too high while breathing or looking in front of you, which upsets your balance and causes you to kick harder to maintain a disturbed balance as your body becomes heavier towards you. the front of the body.
For the breaststroke and butterfly, this method is slightly different because your body position is not perfectly balanced
Step 3. Swim with the body as long as possible
Try to make yourself as long as possible while in the water, even if it sounds silly. The taller or longer you are, the less turbulence your body has to deal with so the less friction there is as your body moves through the water. For example, to get as high as you can while doing freestyle, you need to make sure that the arms that go up into the water are as fast as they can go over your head. Also, you should extend your arms as far as possible before starting to bend them down.
Think about it: if your body shrivels up instead of elongating properly, it will make it harder for you to move through the water
Step 4. Try to kick your feet efficiently
When kicking, don't break the surface of the water or move your feet too far below your midline, it all comes back to keeping your body balanced. If you don't, your body will lose its balance, resulting in more friction as your body moves through the water.
Step 5. Improve your body's drive
That's not to say you have to enlarge your muscles and strengthen them as much as possible, but make sure you train the mechanics of each stroke well so that you do it well. Keep in mind that about 10% of your swimming speed comes from your feet while the rest comes from your arms, so you should focus on doing each movement as best you can.
Step 6. Use the sides of your body
Don't be afraid to rotate from side to side further as you move your arm. This allows you to make better use of the large back muscles. In addition you also make better use of your shoulder strength. It will take some time to get used to the practice, but once you get used to it, you will have better control over your strength and speed.
Step 7. Don't forget your core muscles
These core muscles are in your back, hips, and torso and it's important to use them when you twist from side to side. You'll swim better and faster if you use these muscles, although it may feel a little strange at first when you focus on using your core instead of your arms and legs.
Step 8. Steady your arms
In order to maximize your speed, you need to make sure that your hands are straight with your forearms and facing your back. This makes it easier for you to move your arms back. You may have heard of this technique as the high elbow catch in freestyle, because you have to keep your elbows above your head to master this technique.
Step 9. Maintain a neutral head position
In order to swim as fast as possible, you should try to keep your head neutral throughout the movement. If you keep your head in this position, the amount of friction that arises is reduced and your movements are more efficient. If your head is not centered, you will tend to move to one side and will not swim as efficiently as possible. It could be that the wrong head position is the reason why you "sink", because the position of your hips and legs is lower than they should be. You have to look down, instead of up, to keep your body horizontal when doing the freestyle. Keep your neck relaxed so that your head and eyes are pointing downwards and this will allow your lower body to be elevated in the water.
If you're a more visual type of person, listen to this advice from swimmer Garret McCaffrey: "Imagine you're a whale with a hole in the neck and you need to keep the neck open so you can breathe, or you'll die. close the hole, you can't even breathe. You have to position your head so that your neck is in the right position."
Step 10. Stretch your fingers while swimming
By stretching your fingers slightly, instead of sticking them together, you create an "invisible web" of water that can help you exert 53% more force! The ideal distance between the fingers is 20-40% of the finger diameter.
Part 2 of 3: Swim Faster During the Race
Step 1. Avoid illegal turns
Even when you're not competing, you have to avoid this illegal turn, so it doesn't become a habit that you carry with you during the race. Don't miss touching with both hands during the race just because you didn't take enough time to practice this lap. Just like keeping your head in a neutral position, doing what you have to do during the race will allow you to swim faster.
Step 2. Approach the wall quickly
Many swimmers think that the wall is a place to rest, even if they only "rest" there for a fraction of a second. If you want to swim faster, you shouldn't do this. Although many of your fellow swimmers and competitors think this way, you have the option of not thinking this way and approaching the wall quickly, head down for at least two strokes in every stroke you do except the breaststroke. This allows you to beat your best time in the race as well as all the swimmers you're competing with.
Step 3. Make sure you kick at the break out or the moment where the swimmer breaks the surface of the water when just starting or just pushing against the wall
When pushing against a wall, make sure to kick hard to maintain the speed you've already achieved. For the breaststroke, doing pull outs or pulling your body forward with both hands can provide extra push. Continue to maintain a good position and you will also find yourself swimming faster than usual.
Step 4. Perform a dolphin kick underwater
If you're already using a strong kick, you can go even faster by kicking the wall with a dolphin kick. Kicking walls like a dolphin can get you moving even faster, and having a powerful underwater kick can increase your lung capacity and give you the kicking power you need to beat your best time in the race.
Part 3 of 3: Be Persistent
Step 1. Create a structured routine
If you are part of a team, your coach will provide you with a structured routine. But it's best if you have your own routine for times when you're training alone or when your team isn't in training season. Swimming in the pool for hours without a clear structure will not make you swim faster. If you have a routine that has elements of aerobic exercise, which means swimming for longer periods of time, as well as proper resistance training, which focuses on medium-distance swimming and with slightly more intense swimming, can help you swim more. fast. Your workout should consist of several elements, but the main set, or main part, should focus on endurance, speed, and muscle endurance. Here are some examples of structured routines you can try:
- 10-15% spent on a relaxing warm-up (4 x 100 m leisurely swim with 20 seconds rest between each distance)
- 10-20% spent on training and kicking (work the style for 8 x 50 seconds, with 1 kick with 15 seconds rest)
- 40-70% for main set (6 x 200 with 30 second rest" or "12 x 100 with 15 second rest)
- 5-10% for cooling down (relaxing swimming for 100 seconds)
Step 2. Join the swim team
Look for swim teams in your area, and look for information such as how much it costs to register, what time they train, and what equipment you need. If you haven't joined yet, practicing with a team will definitely make you swim faster not only because you'll have more motivation to train every day, but you'll also be practicing a lot more ahead of the race and will be working with a coach who can help you master it. proper technique.
- If you join a team, you have to be committed to coming to practice every day.
- Push yourself when you practice. Try doing a send-off by resting for 5 seconds. When you get the hang of it, try 10 seconds, 15, and so on.
Step 3. Enter a swimming race
If you join a swimming team, it means you will be participating in swimming competitions regularly. Don't be nervous, it's not about getting first place, it's how you beat your personal best time. Most swimmers swim faster during a swimming race than during training due to the high adrenaline factor. You can "trick" your body into swimming faster by participating in this race.
Step 4. Follow the swimming clinic
A swimming clinic can teach you a better position for your stroke, give you tips for getting more results, can help you dive and turn, and in general can provide a memorable experience. You'll feel more motivated when you meet other people who are just as passionate about swimming as you are. Some swimming clinics even invite Olympic athletes as coaches. Maybe a clinic like this is expensive, but many people dare to say that the money is worth the results.
Maybe you can also find a course or trainer who can record you swimming and they can provide valuable input so you can improve your technique. It's hard to know how to get better results without someone else watching your swimming
Step 5. Find more information about swimming
Watch videos and read books about swimming to better understand what it means to swim faster. There are many videos on YouTube about how to fix your stroke. In addition, there are many books on better stroke techniques. Try to find books like that, or books about the success stories of swimmers like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Missy Franklin to keep you motivated. While it's important to rely on your body to swim faster, it never hurts to engage your mind as well.
Step 6. Work out at the gym
While practicing swimming is important, you can also improve your speed by building a stronger body. Do cardio by running, training with weights, and doing sit-ups to work your core muscles. By having stronger abs and arms, you can move through the water more quickly. Plus, this kind of exercise can be a refreshing distraction after spending so much time in the water.
Step 7. Let others encourage you
If your friend is faster than you, you should set a goal to be faster than him. Keep thinking about it every time you train so that you work even harder. Swimming next to faster swimmers encourages you and helps you to be faster too. Just make sure the person swimming next to you isn't "much" faster so you don't feel shrunk.
Step 8. Prepare your mind and body
The whole physical exercise is useless if you feel too nervous or unmotivated. Stay focused and motivated during practice and fill yourself with passion on race day. Don't be afraid, instead think of the race as an opportunity to swim your best. Remember that what matters is your best time, not being the best swimmer on a team or in a race. This should motivate you to swim faster.
Tips
- Wearing a hat that pulls your hair back can also help cut your swimming time. This reduces the amount of friction created when swimming.
- Do not give up! When you first start training, you'll feel tired and feel like you're losing steam because swimming is good for you and your body isn't used to this kind of intense training. Give your body time. It may take you about 6 months to start feeling really comfortable while practicing, you just have to be patient.
