Can you develop into a strong swimmer from never swimming in a years time? ?

Question

I'm interested in a military job (pararescue) that requires a lot of swimming. I'm 24, very athletic and have good strength. Is it possible to become a strong swimmer with no prior experience?

Answer 1

Yes.  With the right training, balance, breathing and technique you certainly can.  Swimming is not about"muscling" the water.  Swimming is about staying streamline and effectively moving through the water.  Work on balance first off and then breathing.  In the mouth on the side, out the nose slowly with your face in.  Remember not to lift as you turn to breathe.  This casues your body to lose balance and go on a slant.  You need to roll from the hips with your head down and chin tucked.  Kicking is crucial and you need to keep your kick up as you roll to the side.  (many people stop kicking when they breathe causing balance problems)   Good luck!  

Answer 2

If you are willing to put the time, training and research into getting to the level of swimmer you want to be, it is possible to do so in a year.  If there are written standards for the pararescue position, you should start by putting together a training outline to get to the point you want to be increasing the intensity and yardage as you go.  At the start of your training a lot more time should be spent on eliminating resistance and increasing propulsion (technique).  There is a good website that has videos of drills and sets to help you with this, it is www.goswim.com.  There are masters teams at a lot of pools that might be worth looking into.

Answer 3

not really not in a year. but a decent swimmer.