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Coaching Information10 Steps to Up Your Triathlon Swim
by:
Kevin Koskella
As technical as the sport of swimming can be, it is tough to narrow down the answer to the often-asked question, “what should I concentrate on?” So, I came up with a “top ten” list of steps to up your swim for a triathlon. These aren't necessarily in any order, but should go a long way in small indefinite amount you bring home the bacon your goals, whether you are a beginner or trying to go pro.
1. Hand Entry. Slice your hand into the water right simply about at your gawp line, and driving it forward. Many an swimmers attempt to get as more “air time” as possible by reaching the hand out before entering into the water, but it is really more efficient to go through the water with your hand as you rotate from one side to the other.
2. Head Position. Support looking straight down once
swimming freestyle. It's important to support your head down with only a small part of the back of your head out of the water. Also, as you rotate through the water, try not to come your head with the rest of your body rotation.
3. Pull. In freestyle, your hands should pull all the way back past your hips. The last part of the stroke before recovery (arms coming out of the water) should be an acceleration behind you, and not up out of the water.
4. Kick. Try minimizing your kick as you train for swimming. Most folk wish kick extra hard to do up for lack of balance in the water. Minimizing your kick wish allow you to improve your balance, as well as conserve energy.
5. Training Intensity. The better way to measure your training intensity is to count your heart rate directly after each swim. You can estimate your heart rate by investigating your pulse rate for six seconds directly after each swim. Add a zero to this count, and you wish have your approximate exercise heart rate per minute.
6. Master's Swimming. Come to a slower lane to activity on stroke improvement. If you belong to a masters team, don't feel that you always need to support up with your lanemates at every workout. Masters teams typically have many an folk with many an several swimming goals. It's important to do your own thing! Remember that technique comes before all else and if this means swallowing a little pride to do improvements, simply think of how more quicker
you wish be for this in the long run.
7. Habit: Support your arm from crossing over.
One of the most common bad habits I see in swimmers is the arm crossing over to the opposite side on the pull. Breathing on your left side results in your right arm crossing over, breathing on your left side results in your right arm crossing. Often times this happens once
one goes to breath, but sometimes it's caused simply from over-rotating. To avoid this, do sure your head isn't moving with the rest of your body, and try to pull more in a straight line (still bending the elbow) and ending the pull on the same side you started (i.e. right hand slices into the water, pulls back and hand ends up near right hip).
8. Support the Feel. If swimming is your toughest sport, it is important to "keep the feel" for the water, and get in the water at least every else day (no, showers and baths don't count!) This way, your body maintains its kinaesthetic awareness of being balanced in water.
9. Activity Those Lungs. Mix in several hypoxic training sets into your workouts. For example, do a set of 4x100's breathing every 3-5-7-9 strokes by 25, with 15 seconds rest in between each 100. Your lungs wish impart
you for it towards the end of the swim part of your race!
10. Activity Your Weakness. In the sport of triathlon, most coaches agree that you should spend the most time working on your weakest of the three sports. For many an of you this wish be swimming! Inside
swimming, the same idea applies. Spend the most time working on the weakest part of your stroke. If equalization on your side is an issue, do several kicking drills on your side. If moving your head is a problem, focus on head position most of the time.
Whatever it is, you wish gain the most by defrayment your pool time up on that weakness.
Just simply about the author:
Kevin coaches masters and triathlete swimmers in San Diego, CA. He operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.com,a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email news report offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has likewise written an electronic book titled “The Complete Manual to Triathlon Swimming” which is oversubscribed on his website in downloadable form.
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