Great interview. Love it when someone pours their heart and soul into something as Ari is doing. It may or may not work out in the end but it won't be for a lack of trying. Definitely impressed with how much his swimming has improved having zero swimming background. If we could all be as lucky to jump from 1:30s to 1:12s. lol
I enjoyed the video! I’ve been following his journey since around the time he started training with Lionel. As a professional coach it’s been neat watching his progress. This is the first interview I’ve seen that has exposed the why he’s been so successful and will continue to be so in anything he decides he’s passionate about. He trusts the process, researches and is willing to go for it while still always being honest with himself. I can’t wait to see you do some additional videos looking at his progression and giving critiques. Thanks for doing what you do and doing this interview.
Good interview. There's lots of work for swim coaches in the US for triathletes. Men at least. The women seem to be brought into the sport more from university swim teams while the men seem to be runners. At least in the US. In France, Vincent Luis was a swimmer first. Of course the US women (swimmers) have had more triathlon success than the men (runners).
I listened to this whole podcast/video hoping for an answer to one precise question. I found it very interesting in general, but did'nt get my answer. My question is: is that normal to start in swimming with times around 1:30/100 (yards ?). I find Ari's progression not only amazingly fast, but most of all I find his start incredible (to me, who is much much slower despite more experience swimming). I look at many seasoned triathletes around me, and Ari is already among the fastest I know. He started where many are right now after many many years swimming. I would now like to know if it is normal for a human being, in his twenties, to start swimming from scratch with times faster than 1:45/100m, and being under 1:15/100 after less than a year. It sounds to me like a huge huge amount of talent. Am I wrong ? On another hand, the most interesting thing, to me, in all the discussion was how much emphasis Ari put on fitness (instead of technique). As a runner/cyclist, he has a better engine than neary all swimmers, so I would have thought his focus would have been on technique, but for the most part of the video he kept repeting again and again he was doing such and such during his main set... He got that fast...swimming intervals instead of trying of, as this channel is named, swim effortless. Maybe I should stop improving my technique for awhile and do some speed sessions in the pool !
Great comment and questions! Just to put his general fitness that he brought to swimming, his tempo/moderate HR running pace is a low 5 min mile. The basic strength to weight ratio or overall fitness that requires is very exceptional. It obviously doesn't necessarily or immediately carry over to another technique intensive sport like swimming, but it goes a long way to giving a head start. There are practically no age group athletes not carrying significant extra weight compared to their theoretical optimum or with any elite speed background in any other sports.
So cool to see Ari’s progression over the year. I was watching theathletespecial when he started out with the bike vids and saw him slowly move toward triathlon as I started to take a greater interest in it myself. So to see him link up with Lionel and effortless swimming has been pretty awesome.
I love the breath stuff you guys talked about. Great lesson. I always unconsciously breathe every 2 before the wall but never thought why and definitely never done it off the wall. It's a great idea, makes a lot of sense. Thanks guys. Love both of your channels.
Good interview! The rate he's improving at is amazing, I'm 3 months in my swimming (or actually triathlon) journey at the moment and I feel like I've gone nowhere. I have a cycling (and running in a very distant past) background. It was interesting to hear him mention breath control as one of the issues he still finds. For myself... I find breath control to be the main issue as well. That much even that it's hard to work on other aspects of swimming since I'm fighting for air all the time. Today for the first time I managed to do a lap (25m) with breathing every 6th stroke. Practicing that makes my breathing every 2 strokes less panic driven. The funny thing is... I think I breath in equally hard whether I'm doing 6 or 2 strokes for each breath. I wonder if that is part of my problem... As I might essentially be hyperventilating when doing 2 strokes per breath... Anyone any thoughts on that? Thanks
If you take in too big of a breath, you will struggle to exhale it all underwater and this will throw your breathing out as it fills your chest up. Try taking in much smaller and faster breaths. Whichever side you breath, you shouldn't see your recovering arm coming over; your head should be nearly back in the water by this point or back in the water completely depending how fast you are.
@@CoachPursuit i've only been swimming 7 months now, basically started after being inspired by Ari, and i tried to do every 3 strokes up to every 6 when i first started, but i found that breathing every other stroke for 4 months really helped me just get used to the pattern and be less paniked in general. also swimming in open water only for my first 5 months of swimming i think absolutely helped because even though i was panicing a lot -- even at deeper waters or fish, etc, it forced me to learn how to be calm, so now when i'm in the pool its crazy easy. Aso, when breathing every 2 make sure to do bi-lateral breathing, which is switching which side you breath on, usually i switch every 20-40 strokes based on distance for the rep. this keeps you balanced strength wise, but for races or even bigger sets using your best or natural side is always smart. only in month six did i decide to start breathing every 3 or 4 strokes, but i think swimming is so much about comfort and 'effortlessness' so if you are paniking a lot even with a 2 breath, slowing things down and focusing on the breathing out under water and making that in and out breath comfortable is key. also, i started meditating 3-5 minutes everyday with the in and out breath of swimming (in mouth out nose, because is it a bit strange at first to help with the comfort).
you have my respect for putting in the effort - novice swimmer here and the breathing has been the problem as well - I've been experimenting a lot without much success - my pace and endurance hasn't been improving.
When having conversations about breathing patterns in swimming, I always ask the person whether they ever played a blowing instrument like a clarinet or trumpet. If the answer is “yes”, I am able to convey the art of controlled breathing in swimming. It’s a rhythmic movement that requires a measure of time. Of course bilateral breathing is important to make your stroke symmetrical, but it is okay to breathe every second or fourth stroke too. Your brain needs oxygen. Give yourself permission to be uncomfortable with the various breathing cadences. If you can stand it, do some 100’s where each 25 is a different breathing pattern. Try the first 25 breathing every nine strokes, second 25 every seven, third 25 breathe every fifth stroke then by the fourth 25, breathing every third stroke suddenly feels amazingly easy. Do several 100’s of that giving yourself 45-60 seconds rest. If you commit to that small set every time you go to the pool for your main set, your breathing will become easier. Also, once you have mastered that pattern, try 150’s each 25 - 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3 - yes, that will be painful, but it is something to aim to master and you will love yourself for that commitment to improve. You will improve. Another bilateral pattern worth doing is simply breathing every two strokes and switch where to breathe every 25. Lastly, once you feel confident in your bilateral skills, try siting by siting every third stroke while the extended arm remains extended when you breath/sight. Don’t be ashamed to throw in some breaststroke pulls when you breathe to sight. I hope that made sense.
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