Swimming help?

Question

I am not new to being in shape. I run 5 times a week, distances from 2 to 5 miles. I do push ups and pull ups every day. I eat healthy. I don't smoke. This has all been like this for years.

I go to the pool a couple times a week and I do laps. I don't try and go as fast as I can. I try for a nice pace opting for distance. The problem is that whatever I do, after a couple laps, I need to stop. I get too tired to keep going. I've been going for months and I am not improving at all. I am stagnant in my progress.

After I am done, I watch people while they swim. There is this one old guy. He is there before me and still there when I leave. He swims faster then me and swims a distance that is incomprehensible to me. I am 20 years old and in the best shape I have ever been.

How do I get better? How can I improve my form? How can I increase my distance? How can I increase my speed? How can i expel less energy and do more work in the pool?

Answer 1

What you describe is very common. It doesn't matter how strong and fit you are -- you have to work *with* the water -- not against it, because in a battle between you and a few tons of water, the water will always win.

You need to find someone who can help you with your stroke technique. Swallow your pride and ask another lap swimmer for tips, or ask someone on the pool staff if lessons are available.

In the meantime, you can check out videos here:

http://goswim.tv/

Or to get on the fast track to improvement, you could track down a Masters Swimming group in your area:

http://www.usms.org/placswim/

I promise you that your swimming experience will be more enjoyable if you improve your technique. Good luck!

Answer 2

ok, it depends HOW your swimming. in free-style, you need to keep your head in the water as long as you can, then, bring one nostril and a bit of your mouth to one side and take a breath, and repeat that until you get to the wall. when at the wall, go underwater, do a summersault, and push off the wall, spinning to swim forward. also, stretch before each time you swim, and keep practicing all your strokes. before you know it, you could be a super swimmer! back strokes, pinky in first, look over shoulder every now and then, kick off the wall, repeat. just keep practicing those two strokes first, then try the dog paddle and butterfly, oh and the dolphin. those three are the easiest. get the hard ones down first, that way you'll be ready for the easy ones!

Answer 3

you could talk to your docter.  i cannot tell you what exactly is wrong, but talk to your docter and probably keep doing what you are doing!  wish you luck!

Answer 4

well everything else you are doing should be helping you but for some reason its not. if you feel like you need to stop, just keep going, and from there, each day, keep going for a little longer, even if you have to go extremely slow

Answer 5

Eat carbs and protein before you swim and maybe join i swim team. I am on a swim team and we sometimes have to do a 1500m swim at meets. That is 62 laps of a regualr pool. Give it time and you will eventually work your way up. Try different drills to help you such as do laps with a futter board and just kick. or swim with fists. These are stuff we do at practices on my swim team and i made provincials.

Answer 6

you should just keep pushing yourself. don't stop when you get tired. just keep going a couple more laps. that way you'll start to improve. it doesn't matter how tired you are, just keep pushing yourself. that's what i do when i was trying to improve my distance. just push yourself. speed will come with endurance. don't give up.

Answer 7

Some of it might have to do with the way you are doing your strokes.  New ways have now come out that make the strokes alot easier to perform.  They are more effective and don't exhaust you so fast.

Answer 8

maybe try one stroke [like breast stroke] and just steadily swim at the same pace, and work up to the number of laps you want to achieve before you work on speed or different muscle groups?