Here are 5 top tips on how to swim for a triathlon. By applying these simple tips you will see big improvements in your swimming
1. Master¹s Swimming. Joining a Masters team can be a very good tool as you learn how to swim for triathlon. Move to a slower lane to work on stroke improvement. If you belong to a masters team, don¹t feel that you always need to keep up with your lanemates at every workout. Masters teams typically have many people with many different swimming goals. It¹s important to do your own thing! Remember that technique comes before all else and if this means swallowing a little pride to make improvements. Just think of how much faster you will be in the long run (or in this case, the long swim!).
2. Habit: Keep your arm from crossing over.One of the most common bad habits Kevin sees in swimmers learning how to swim 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 when one goes to breath, but sometimes it's caused just from over-rotating. To avoid this, make 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).
3. Keep the Feel. If swimming is your toughest sport, it is important to "keep the feel" for the water as you learn how to swim, and get in the water at least every other day (no, showers and baths don't count!) This way, your body maintains its kinesthetic awareness of being balanced in water.
4. Work Those Lungs. Mix in some 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 will thank you for it towards the end of the swim part of your triathlon!
5. Work 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 of you, this will be swimming! Within swimming, the same concept applies. As you learn how to swim, spend the most time working on the weakest part of your stroke. If balancing on your side is an issue, do some kicking drills on your side. If moving your head is a problem, focus on head position most of the time. Whatever your weakness may be, you will gain the most by spending your pool time improving on that weakness.
Many thanks to Kevin for sharing these tips with the Rock Star Triathlete Academy! For even more tips on how to swim in triathlon, along with free video and audio tips, just visit us at
http://www.rockstartriathleteacademy.com/howtoswim
