Swimming workout: Productive kicking for backstroke

This post is all about backstroke kicking and how we can get the most out of it. Many swimmers are poor kickers and as a result their performance is lowered. This workout will help you improve your kicking with some key points that you should have in mind when you swim backstroke.

Motivational quote 11

Image source: [1]

Racing rules for young swimmers

Everyone has seen swimmers who train well but melt under the pressure of meets, and everyone has seen swimmers who do not train well but who love to race. Personality determines how kids think about racing and how they think when they are racing really matters. For swimmers at this age two are the most important things when it comes to fast and consistent racing: confidence and competitiveness. Swimmers who work hard and smart in training, who are used to setting goals and working to reach them and who are getting better every day will generally be confident in their abilities. To nurture competitiveness, both coaches and swimmers should try to create a love of it and competing in practice. Swimmers should race all the time, and they must learn to take pleasure in the contest.

Forward and backstroke start drills

A lot of young swimmers have difficulty in learning how to make a proper start, they usually make a flat entry in the water or they are not as streamlined as they could. The same applies for the backstroke start as well. Many studies have reported that the entry and the underwater portions of the start make a huge difference and separate the fast starters from those who are not fast. As evidence, some of the best starting drills for forward starts focus on those aspects. These drills are:

Over and under dives

In this drill, swimmers dive off the side of the pool, over the nearest lane line, and they kick under the next two lane lines, surfacing before they come to the fourth lane line. This is a good drill for teaching swimmers to enter the water correctly and change their velocity from downward to forward quickly.

Motivational quote 10

Swimming workout: How to breathe forward in butterfly.

Today's post is another great swimming workout that will help you with the breath in butterfly. Butterfly breathing should be as low as possible and should aim to drive the body forward. If it's not done properly, it ruins the body's streamling and stops forward progress. This causes a great loss of energy, which is essential for swimming all strokes and especially the butterfly stroke.

Race tactics for the 200 fly event

The 200 butterfly is a 200 race like any other, so all the suggestions for this type of events apply here too. But swimmers and coaches alike know that this race has something special about it. Swimming a good 200 fly requires aerobic speed that can be maintained, which requires that you'll focus on this type of training. Some additional tips for the 200 fly race are the following:

General racing tips for age groupers

How one swims a race matters, and there are many ways to race poorly and spoil good training. Physiologically, an even paced race takes best advantage of a swimmer's energy resources. This is true for elite swimmers who are driven, mentally tough, and used to hurting and who will use all the energy they have. Fos age group swimmers though, this might not be the best tactic. For age groupers, mental state is a key aspect in swimming a good race. Often if they see that they are far behind the other swimmers, they drop the race and stop trying . It doesn't matter how much energy they have in their bodies, if they feel that they cannot win the race they have no interest in using it. Alternatively, if they think that they have a chance to succeed, they will give all they have and surprise everyone with their toughness.

Put on a swimming cap without pulling your hair (for women)

Swim caps primare use is to create less resistance in the water as well as to keep the hair out of the swimmer's face while swimming. They also help to keep the hair dry and protect them form the pool's chemical but they cannot do that completely. Most of them are made of either latex or silicone, which tend to stick to dry hair. Putting on a swim cap without pulling or snagging hair is a challenge. So, here are some tips that can help you avoid the discomfort and prevent you from damaging the cap.

Modify your aqua fitness lesson for different populations

Aqua fitness instructors should never assume that every participant in their class have the same fitness level. Neither should they assume that older participants need a gentle workout. What they should do is to observe their participants to see what they are capable of, and teach to those capabilities. Instructors should be ready to offer options for those who want a higher intensity level as well as options for those who need a lower intensity level from the rest of the class. 

How to start fast in an open water race

We all know that starting fast can give athletes a great advantage in any race. In an open water race where a lot of people are competing is even more essential because it will help you get a better place in the racing terrain. That means that if you don't start fast you will find yourself stuck in the middle of a huge group of swimmers without the ability to slip out of this situation without getting bumped or tripped and losing a great deal of time and precious seconds of your time. A fast start is also good for triathletes too, although many of them approach the swim as a warm up for the bike and wun work they have to do later on their race. A part from the psychological boost they'll get, keep in mind that a few seconds lead in swimming translates into a lot more seconds in the bike part of the race because cycling is much faster than swimming.

Sunday's motivational quote 10

Swimming workout: Find your balance point in breaststroke

I know that a lot of you enjoy a nice swimming practice on Sundays. So, I have a special workout for you that will help you find your balance point in breaststroke. Before you get into the water you would like to try a dryland exercise that will hep you get the feeling of the basic rocking motion in breaststroke. The exercise is called rocking drill (obviously you can find the same drill under a different name) and you lie on an exercise mat on your chest (prone). Then you alternately rock your head and chest up as you bend your knees and raise your heels toward your buttocks, then you rock you head and chest downward as you straighten your legs. I would love to hear your comments on the workout, and let me know what would you like the focus of the next workout to be. Enjoy!!!

Mistakes to avoid during the release and recovery in backstroke

Although the release and recovery in backstroke seems as an easy job to do, swimmers make many mistakes during these two phases of the armstroke that can lead to an increase in resistive drag or disrupt the rhythm of the stroke. These mistakes are: to bring the arm out of the water with the little finger up and the palm facing out, to bring the hand out of the water with the palm facing down, to initiate recovery by lifting the hand rather than rolling the shoulder up, and to swing the arm low and to the side.

Let's take a closer look to each one of these mistakes that can affect your swimming technique.

Low profile breathing swimming workout

A lot of swimmers, especially young ones and beginners, tend to rotate to much or they rise their heads up while breathing in freestyle. Swimmers who do that mistake lose balance and they don't swim straight which leads to neck pain and loss of speed. We all know that the better the technique the better we work out. With that in mind, I'll post various swimming workouts that will help you improve your swimming technique as well as challenge you aerobically. If you have any questions about the workout or the format that I'll use to write it, please make a comment or pm me. 

Leg cramps in swimming

A cramp is an involuntary, painful contraction of the muscles that does not relax like it should. Cramps that occur while swimming often originate in one of three places: your toes, the arch of the foot, or the calves, with the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calves being more common. The pain has a quick onset that is usually severe enough to force swimmers stop because of the tenderness they experience in their leg. A calf cramp will usually disappear on its own, but tenderness can remain even after the cramp vanishes.

Mistakes during the second upsweep in backstroke

We've already talked about mistakes backstrokers do during the entry, first downsweep, and first upsweep of their armstroke so it's time to move on to the second upsweep and discuss what can be done wrong during this phase in backstroke. Swimmers who use this phase of the armstroke for propulsion are prone to commit three mistakes. They may pitch the hand up, instead of back, they may press the water too long as the arm travels toward the surface, and they may pitch the hand in rather than back.

Sunday's motivational quote 9

Dolphin kick

The kick used in butterfly is called a dolphin kick because the legs move as one unit, like the tail of the dolphin. This kick is also used underwater during the starts and turns of butterfly, freestyle, and backstroke (and in the fly-back and breast-free IM transition turns) One dolphin kick consists of two parts: the upbeat and the downbeat and swimmers execute two dolphin kicks during each stroke cycle.

Common mistakes during the first upsweep in backstroke

We've already discussed the most common mistakes swimmers do during the entry (here) and first downsweep (here) of their armstroke in backstroke, so today it's time to talk about what backstrokers should try and avoid during the first upsweep of their armstroke. Some of the most common mistakes they make during the first upsweep are: pulling with a straight arm, sculling the hand vertically, and pushing up against the water with the palm of the hand.

Drag in swimming

Drag is the term used to identify the resistance of water to swimmers' movements through it. That resistance is caused by a difference in pressure between the water in front of and behind swimmers. Objects tend to be pushed from areas of high pressure toward areas of low pressure. Consequently, if the pressure of the water in front of swimmers is greater than the pressure behind, their speed will be decreased unless they can overcome the added pressure by stroking with greater force. The reduction in speed will be in direct proportion to the magnitude of the difference in water pressure in front of and behind the body.

What to avoid during the first downsweep in backstroke

The most common mistakes that swimmers make during the first downsweep in backstroke is trying to push back against the water before the arm is deep enough and wide enough to make an effective catch. This mistake can take two forms: swimmers puh water down or they push water to the side.

Sunday's motivational quote 8

Madam Butterfly

Mary T. Meagher (born in October 27th, 1964) is an American swimming legend and one of the greatest butterfly swimmers ever. In 1979 she broke her first world record in the 200m butterfly and was ready to race for her first Olympic medals at the 1980 Games in Moscow. However, Meagher, along with the rest of the United States Olympic Team, never gor her chance due to the American led boycott of the Games.

Psychological benefits of swimming

Swimming is a fun activity and it provides a multitude of mental and physical benefits. Adults who engage in swimming are healthier and happier than people who live a sedentary life. Swimming may prolong life. According to research, swimmers have lower mortality rates than runners, walkers and those with sedentary lifestyles. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk for developing life threatening health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. So, what can senior and younger swimmers can gain mentally from swimming?

News from Swimming and more

Hello swimming lovers,

I've decided to drop the news column and provide you with a better way to learn swimming and other water sports related news. I've used paper.li to create a newspaper with fresh news from the aquatic world. Please follow this link and subscribe. The news will be published in a daily basis; feel free to make suggestions on what you would like to read on this newspaper or not.

http://paper.li/f-1379012394

Cheers

Aqua fitness for children

Obesity is becoming a significant health care concern for children as well as adults. The level of physical fitness in children has declined significantly, and the prevalence of obesity is rising rapidly. A decrease in physical education programmes, afterschool activities, and outdoor play combined with the availability and convenience of unhealthy fast foo increase the risk for children to become obese, unfit, and consequently unhealthy. Many fitness leaders and physical educators are concerned that children are not as active as they should be. Exercise can provide the same benefits to children as to adults, and water is an ideal environment for tempting children to play and be active. Most children love the pool and water activities.

Backstroke to breastroke turn

The back to breast transition is the turn where the most time is won or lost of any other turn. The two most common ways of performing this IM transition turn are the traditional open turn and the crossover flip turn. Generally, the crossover is quicker off the wall, but the push off is not as powerful, so the two turns even out in the end. Furthermore, unless the crossover is done precisely, the likelihood of a disqualification is fairly high. The crossover is much harder to teach and perform and should be taught to seniors swimmers.

British Swimming planning to reduce ITC'S

After a £4,000,000 funding cut, British Swimming has again had to further reduce its Intensive Training Center program. After cutting the Stockport ITC altogether in the spring, and reducing funding to the other ITC’s, the BBC is reporting that Swansea and Stirling ITC’s are on the block next.

In February, the Loughborough and Bath ITC’s were given four year renewals on “more cost effective terms,” while Swansea and Stirling were contracted just through the end of 2013. The Intensive Training Centers are funded training opportunities for elite athletes.

Common entry mistakes in backstroke

The backstroke armstroke can be divided into eight phases: the entry and stretch, the first downsweep, the catch, the first upsweep, the second downsweep, the second upsweep, the release and exit, and the recovery. Some people divide the armstroke stroke in less phases, but you'll notice (when these series is done) that it's the same description. During these phases swimmers can make mistakes that will cost them time and energy. Today, we're going to talk about the entry mistakes in backstroke and what to avoid.

Sunday's motivational quote 7

Original photo: [1]

Dawn Fraser's story

Dawn Fraser (born 4 September 1937) is an iconic Australian swimmer and a former politician. She was the first woman to win gold medals in the same event (100 m free) in three consecutive Olympics (1956, 1960, 1964). From 1956 to1964 she broke the women's world record for the 100 m freestyle race nine successive times, and her mark of 58.9 sec (1964) was unbroken until 1972.

Breaststroke underwater pullout sequence

The underwater pullout sequence is a great equalizer of breastsroke races and it's used during the breaststroke send away (breast start, breast to breast turn and back to breast turn in IM). Even poor breaststrokers who streamline well, have a strong butterfly pull and kick, and can fake a single compact breaststroke kick can compete on the walls with the fastest swimmers, and they will have eight to nine fewer meters to swim.

Tips for perfect open turns

We have already discussed the key points of the freestyle (here) and backstroke (here) turns. So, today we are going to give some tips for a perfect open turn. There are five variations of open turns, four of which are similar: breast to breast, fly to fly, and the individual medley (IM) transition turns of fly to back, and breast to free. The fifth kind, the back to breast IM transition turn, is performed differently and will be analyzed in an another post. 

When doing these four variations of an open turn keep in mind the following:

FINIS partners with Under Armour

A couple of weeks old news but really interesting and very good for swimming and swimming industry. FINIS partners with Under Armour, read the statement from the FINIS' blog.

FINIS, a world leader in technical swimming products announces a partnership with Under Armour Inc., an innovative performance brand specializing in apparel, footwear and accessories accross numerous sports. Moving forward, all FINIS teams will be able to utilize the full range of Under Armour's product offering for their team members, to keep them comfortable on the deck and for training out of the pool.

Common mistakes during the insweep, upsweep, and release in freestyle

This is the last post on the mistakes during the armstroke in freestyle series and it will cover the insweep, the upsweep and the release. You can find the rest posts of these series here (recovery and entry) and here (downsweep).

Types of strength for swimmers

Swimming is not a sport that gives immediate gratification. When a person comes into competitive swimming without a base of athleticism, a great deal of time and energy must be devoted to building that base, to prepare the person to take on the rigors of training for competitive swimming. In contrast, when these qualities are already present, a swimmer is able to excel faster. A swimmer who comes into swimming with an athletic base in place is able to concentrate on developing solid swimming skills, gaining swimming experience, and swimming fast.

The Russian Rocket

Aleksandr (Alexander) Popov, known by a variety of nicknames - "Sasha", "The Russian rocket","Ice Man", and "Big Dog"- is a Russian former Olympic gold medalist swimmer and he is regarded as one of the greatest sprint freestyle swimmers of all time. Popov took up swimming at the age of eight at the Children and Youth Sports School, and at that time, he was afraid of water, but his father insisted on him taking swimming lessons. Popoc started out as a backstroke swimmer and switched to freestyle only in 1990 when he joined Gennadi Touretski's squad. He later moved from Russia to Australia to be with his coach.

Sunday's motivational quote 6

What can go wrong during the downsweep in freestyle

Today we're going to discuss the mistakes that swimmers usually do during the downsweep in freestyle. The most common of them are to drop the elbow, to maintain the arm in an extended position, to slide the hand out to the side too much, and to slide the arm out to the side too little.

Tim Jones is the new Head of Performance Pathway for British Swimming

Tim Jones has been appointed as the Head of Performance Pathway for Swimming. Jones, a former international swimmer, have been working within the sport for more than a decade, working as Director of the High Performance as Loughborough for UK Athletics and most recently at British Gymnastics. Under his tenure British Gymnastics had its most successful cycle and the 2012 Olympic Games were the most successful ever for the sport.

Common mistakes during the recovery and entry in freestyle

As you already know the armstroke in freestyle is divided into seven parts: the entry and stretch, the downsweep, the catch, the insweep, the upsweep, the release and the recovery. Today we're going to discuss a few common mistakes that swimmers do during  the recovery and the entry. Making these adjustments is important to improve your technique. 

Swim straight in open water swimming

Learning to swim straight is a crucial aspect of open water swimming. It could shave minutes from your swim splits and without even putting on a greater effort. It can be really frustrating to find out that you spend all your time developing your swimming fitness and technique but this effort didn't pay off because you couldn't swim straight. Just consider that if you swim only 350m more during your open water race (because you couldn't swim straight) you'll end up swimming for about seven more minutes, which can make a huge difference in your performance. 

5 tips to avoid sinking legs

Dealing with sinking legs is a major challenge for beginner swimmers as it adds huge amount of drag. The extra drag from this low body position slows swimmers down dramatically and  can be really frustrating because swimmers can't enjoy this activity. The prevailing theories that begginers have on sinking legs typically revolve around: 

• I'm sinker.
• I'm a weak kicker.
• I'm not going fast enough.

AOC says no more punishment for relay team

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) will not impose any further sanctions on the Australian men's freestyle realy swim team for the use of the sleeping medicine Stilnox in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics.  Swimming Australia issued six swimmers fines and a form of suspended sentence when they were accused of violation an AOC ban on Stilnox. The substance had been banned by the AOC weeks before the 2012 Games over dependency fears.

Types of tapers

Taper is the period of training prior a major swim meeting during the season. Taper starts immediately after the most intense training has ended, and the swimmers continue with reduced training that will supposedly allow them to recover and superadapt. Up to this day there are three categories of tapers that competitive swimmers use.

Four easy steps to freestyle [video]

Today's post is about freestyle and how to learn it for the beginners or improve it for intermediate swimmers. It’s something I wanted to post for a long time now but since the swimming facility in my home town was closed for eight months it was impossible. In the following video I present 3 freestyle drills that will help you learn how to breathe properly and how to move your body during this stroke. Before you start practicing these drills you should be able to balance in the water and can put your face in the water.

Neck pain in swimming

One of the most common injuries in swimming is neck injury. Although swimming is a low impact exercise, it depends heavily on technique. That means that swimming badly will affect not only your speed and efficiency but will also lead to pain and stiffness. Neck pain and headache can be the result of several factors associated to your technique. Swimmers who suffer from neck injuries feel a constant, dull ache that may be present in the back of the head, top of forehead, behind the eye, in the temple region or less commonly, around the jaw or ear. Usually associated with neck pain, stiffness and difficulty turning the neck. Other symptoms may be present such as numbness, dizziness, nausea or light headedness.

Aqua fitness equipment

According to the Aquatic Exercise Association there are five types of equipment that professionals can incorporate into their aquatic programmes. All professionals should know the proper use of equipment, which means understanding the function, purpose, limitations, properties, safety factors, and biomechanics of the equipment.  

Lyles takes charge as New Zealand national high performance coach

Swimming New Zealand has hired David Lyles, the head coach of the Shanghai Swimming Team, to be their new National High Performance coach. Lyles was the head coach of the University of Bath swim team from 1997-2005. After that role, China brought him in to lead the Shanghai Swimming Team, which also included duties with the Chinese National Team. Lyles swimmers had been selected for 5 of the 6 last Olympics Games and he has also put swimmers on the Chinese National Team for the 2010 and 2011 World Championships. He also trained two out of the four members of the bronze winning relay team (4x200 m free) at the 2012 Olympics Games.

Sunday's motivational quote 5

EnergyAustralia announces FINA and IPC teams

With the EnergyAustralia Swimming Championships just over, the Australian Swimming Federation announced the teams that will represent Australia at the 2013 FINA and IPC World Championships in Barcelona and Montreal respectively. Michael Scott, Swimming Australia Director of High Performance, said: “We’ve seen more than 20 athletes produce personal best times to gain selection for this year’s FINA and IPC world championships and that’s a really promising sign. We’ve got 86 days until we compete for Australia in Barcelona and the challenge now is to improve further on the standards that athletes and coaches have set themselves this week.  The next stage is about being professional in everything we do including enhancing the performance culture of the team.”

Mental preparation for swimmers

According to Mike Edger mental training is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. A lot of coaches and swimmers avoid to use mental training as they feel that it has nothing beneficial to their performance to offer them. As we all know great performances is a combination of technique, training, nutrition, and psychology. So I say that developing a mental preparation routine will only help swimmers improve their performance.