In addition to your tip number 3, I always teach my swimmers to kick without bending their knees to help their body position since bending their knees forces gravity to push legs underwater. Best accomplish like you did for tip #1 and kick with snorkel with face in the water. Also engages the whole leg and has more surface area to push down on during the kick. Didn't know about the 2-3 minute stretching thing though for tight hips, I'll have to have my swimmers do that and see if there's results. I have a few HS swimmers that have MASSIVE problems with tight hips. Keep up the good work!
Great video, loved it. (I don't swim often) I should at least once a week go to a public pool. Why, I'm here?? Well interests are getting my open water scuba cert. I met at the public pool yesterday with the team of people. The instructor, wanted us to do [8-lengths of the pool, without allowing your face into the water. Without stopping as well.] I did 3-1/2 and failed. The right after that, tread water for 10-mins. I pasted that. This is Sunday and by next Saturday coming morning, I need to, go to the pool at least once I'd say? And make it the where I pass 8-lengths, and not fail. Well keeping my face above the water from it going under. Any advice?? I've found Trickling, not to smart about swimming. [Maybe? short spurts inhaling and exhaling continuously, fast and or slow keeping relaxed, will help?? Love to hear from anyone. Thanks.. Sam
Aside from a proper body position in the water, one must focus on knee and ankle flexibility. Loose knees and ankles are the key to keeping legs from sinking while also creating a propulsive force. Kicks should be snappy, not choppy. If knees and ankles are rigid, there can be no snap. Generate power in the core and upper legs, keeping the knees and ankles loose so the power propagates through the lower legs, producing a whipping/snapping effect. With this snapping motion, even a lazy 2-beat kick will keep legs afloat. Runners have the most difficulty with this because running builds rigid knees and ankles. Most swimmers have very flexible knees and ankles. To develop core strength and ankle flexibility, use swim-fins. Do kicking drills in a stream line or with a kickboard in which you isolate your kick, using only the up and down motion of the foot, attempting first, to keep your legs up, then to move your body forward. You won’t go too far, too fast, but you will feel important aspects of the foot and ankles’s role in the kick. This drill works on dorsiflexion and plantar flexion strength and flexibility. It also work on kinesthetic awareness, in that you become aware of which movement raises and propels the body. Go easy and don’t overdo it. You can strain tendons, ligaments and muscles when using fins. A progression of this drill is to then isolate the kick, using only the knee and the foot. To build a solid and effective kick, one needs to know how each part of the leg and core plays a part in the motion. Warning- Do not become dependent on the fins. Use them for strength and flexibility training. Scale down to the shorter zoomer fins to work on speed and rhythm. Remove fins totally and incorporate kickboard and streamline kicking into all workouts. Yes, it will cut down your total yardage and increase pool time, but it will make you a better swimmer.
Hi Taten - Awesome stuff ?!! I can swim well with a pool buoy OR with fins OR with a swim belt ( which I call assists ) however when I take away the assist I don't get far that I fall apart. I have one goggle in one out, constantly exhaling under water., I believe I am a 6 beat kick - any thoughts ?
I wish I could do 64 minutes for the full Ironman. That's awesome! I definitely have "advanced" sinky legs. Going to keep working on getting my technique better. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you so much for your beneficial advices .....but the question is how much I have to swim every week to be faster than now .... Or in another word how much the exact volume every week
How does breaking the surface with your heels (while kicking on your stomach) translate to staying horizontal when you have to start rotating or turning to breath?
I do feel faster with a pool buoy, but without, it was told me that my legs are fine. But still l feel more exhausted without pool buoy and my pace decreases rapidly. I will try your suggestions and hopefully it will work out well, so l feel more comfortable. Thx for your videos!!!
I am not expert, but use caution stretching your hip flexors. I have weak hip flexors and stretching is the worst thing for me. Weak hip flexors can lead to low back pain (did for me), especially on leg day at the gym. There are simple strengthening exercises (basically pt) that helped a ton. I am going to try the kicking drills.
Just getting to swim efficiency with an ironman coming up in Sept. Fully agree with the "don't stretch weak hip flexors too much" advice. I've found stretching under load has a much great effect on flexibility and end-range strength. @kneesovertoesguy and his ATG split squats are the single most effective way to both stretch and strengthen that area - even though it seems like a quad-dominant exercise. If you focus on activating your hip flexors, it has a huge impact. Hope this helps!
If you are faster swimming with a swim bouy then your technique is off (ie you aren’t kicking enough). When I used to swim competitively, I had a bad tendency of using a pool bouy during practices. Reality of it was that I used it because it made it easier for me NOT because it was faster. When it came down to doing 10x100 yds @1:15, I dropped the pool bouy half way thru because my arms were getting fatigued and need to kick. A tip for you and watchers, focus more on gliding every stroke. If you drop your arms too soon and don’t glide, your whole body is gonna have the standard non-swimmer look and legs will drop naturally. A flex swimmers always did during warm ups and cool downs was to show off how sexy your glide was (ie don’t stroke as much).
