Water Walking

[Surfah]

I wish SpaceGhost were still here or at the very least didn't delete all of his messages because I'd like to revisit his posts on swimming. I've started swimming again. I even have some jammers. I swim twice a week and I am trying to get to the point where I can swim 1500m easy in <25 minutes. Right now I am doing 1000m (usually around 19-20 minutes) freestyle mostly working on form. It's pretty impossible to work speed and form at once.

[wuapinmon]

I wish SpaceGhost were still here or at the very least didn't delete all of his messages because I'd like to revisit his posts on swimming. I've started swimming again. I even have some jammers. I swim twice a week and I am trying to get to the point where I can swim 1500m easy in <25 minutes. Right now I am doing 1000m (usually around 19-20 minutes) freestyle mostly working on form. It's pretty impossible to work speed and form at once.

I'd argue that the you can't really get much faster without improving form. The fastest guys I see at the pool look like they're not really doing anything, and yet they do the breaststroke and zip by me doing my best freestyle. And, 1000m in 20 minutes is pretty good.

[Surfah]

I'd argue that the you can't really get much faster without improving form. The fastest guys I see at the pool look like they're not really doing anything, and yet they do the breaststroke and zip by me doing my best freestyle. And, 1000m in 20 minutes is pretty good.

When I swim for distance I try and emulate that Chinese swimmer Sun Yang. He glides through the water like nothing. So that is what I have been doing in the pool. I reach and roll from side to side like he does.

[BigPiney]

I wish SpaceGhost were still here or at the very least didn't delete all of his messages because I'd like to revisit his posts on swimming. I've started swimming again. I even have some jammers. I swim twice a week and I am trying to get to the point where I can swim 1500m easy in <25 minutes. Right now I am doing 1000m (usually around 19-20 minutes) freestyle mostly working on form. It's pretty impossible to work speed and form at once.

At the same time, yes. But you can do it in the same workout. Do some laps where you focus only on your arms, like doing a stroke and really focus on the extension and rolling your shoulders and hips and glide for 2 or 3 kicks after each pull. I had found this really helped with my form. Also doing laps where I only pull with one arm and then use the other arm coming back.

Then later do some sprints for speed. or a ladder.

[Surfah]

At the same time, yes. But you can do it in the same workout. Do some laps where you focus only on your arms, like doing a stroke and really focus on the extension and rolling your shoulders and hips and glide for 2 or 3 kicks after each pull. I had found this really helped with my form. Also doing laps where I only pull with one arm and then use the other arm coming back.

Then later do some sprints for speed. or a ladder.

Good tips. I am working hard on rolling my shoulders and hips and gliding, trying to get the most out of each pull. Having never been a competitive swimmer but always considering myself a strong swimmer I was pretty amazed at how poor my form was especially as I tried to sprint. This website has helped: http://paceclub.speedousa.com/ (Thanks SteelBlue and son)

[wuapinmon]

I'm up to 11 1/2 laps. The weight is still a yo-yo. But, I can now swim 575 yards in about 45 mins. One more length and I'll hit 1/3 of a mile. I still need breathers (90-120 seconds), but I can swim a lap now without a breather instead of just a length. I'm up to 20 pullups and 60 chinups now, but I don't know if I can do many more than that without it impacting my ability to swim.

[wuapinmon]

Monday, I did it. I went 12 1/2 laps. Goal reached.

[falafel]

Monday, I did it. I went 12 1/2 laps. Goal reached.

[Walter Sobchak]

I wish SpaceGhost were still here or at the very least didn't delete all of his messages because I'd like to revisit his posts on swimming. I've started swimming again. I even have some jammers. I swim twice a week and I am trying to get to the point where I can swim 1500m easy in <25 minutes. Right now I am doing 1000m (usually around 19-20 minutes) freestyle mostly working on form. It's pretty impossible to work speed and form at once.

still swimming? watch this:

[YOUTUBE]ZTQpF_mmg44[/YOUTUBE]

[wuapinmon]

I'm still swimming. I went this morning. 12 1/2 laps, 20 pullups and 60 chinups.

[Walter Sobchak]

I'm still swimming. I went this morning. 12 1/2 laps, 20 pullups and 60 chinups.

Excellent... keep at it. Work on the high elbow catch as illustrated in the video above. You'll be able to swim farther (and faster) with less effort. Google or youtube "high elbow catch". Lots of information out there.

Pullups are great for swimming. Chinups? Probably not so much. :shrug: If you hit the weight room at all, do some standing shoulder presses (or seated if you like) and some standing reverse flys. Those two exercises will isolate and strengthen your scapula(/scapulae?). 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

[Surfah]

Excellent... keep at it. Work on the high elbow catch as illustrated in the video above. You'll be able to swim farther (and faster) with less effort. Google or youtube "high elbow catch". Lots of information out there.

Pullups are great for swimming. Chinups? Probably not so much. :shrug: If you hit the weight room at all, do some standing shoulder presses (or seated if you like) and some standing reverse flys. Those two exercises will isolate and strengthen your scapula(/scapulae?). 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Thanks for that video. Something to work on.

[Eddie]

still swimming? watch this:

[YOUTUBE]ZTQpF_mmg44[/YOUTUBE]

Thanks SG - this is really helpful.

I don't swim as much as I used to. I let my gym membership expire a couple of years ago and typically only swim leading up to a tri I'm participating in. I know (and have accepted) that it's my weakest discipline in these events - but don't let it bother me because most everyone else is pretty slow too.

So when I do swim, it is pretty inconsistent and I typically spend part of the workout focused on form and then part of it just putting in time to build endurance. But it is infrequent enough that having and maintaining good form isn't easy. I've never seen the high elbow catch before - gives me something new to focus on.

[wuapinmon]

Excellent... keep at it. Work on the high elbow catch as illustrated in the video above. You'll be able to swim farther (and faster) with less effort. Google or youtube "high elbow catch". Lots of information out there.

Pullups are great for swimming. Chinups? Probably not so much. :shrug: If you hit the weight room at all, do some standing shoulder presses (or seated if you like) and some standing reverse flys. Those two exercises will isolate and strengthen your scapula(/scapulae?). 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

I'm going in the morning and I'm going to not worry about distance swum, but about getting that early elbow stroke feeling normal. As for the chinups, I do them in the water. If I could do them out of the water, I'd be the baddest badass on the earth. They're mostly for my vanity though, as a year of doing 60 at a time has increased the diameter of my biceps substantially enough that my wife asks to feel them all of the time.

[All-American]

I don't know, but no way water walking burns 1500 calories in an hour. Now the pace is going to make a big difference as to the amount of calories burned.

I don't know, but no way water going for walks melts 1500 calorie consumption in an time. Now the speed is going to make a big change as to the quantity of calorie consumption expended.

Huh.