2 days this week I was able to swim freestyle without breathing every stroke of my right arm ... yeah. So now I can breathe every other stroke of my right arm. Every now and then I need to do a double, meaning: take a breath at the next stroke before go 2. I guess the best thing is to work in a breath on the other side so I don't have to go as long without air.

I consider myself pretty fit but I'm still stopping after every lap to rest and breathe. Any suggestions? Should I slow down?

Another swimming issue I have is my left arm/shoulder is sore. Since I'm breathing all on my right side I "think" I ma reaching out too far with my left arm, or there is something about how I'm lifting it out of the water, too far maybe. Anything come to mind?

I'm currently working on a regular 500 meters, that's 20 laps. I know it's not much but I have to start with something. I can get the 20 laps done in a little bit over 30 minutes. Last night I felt like I could have easily done another 4 laps.

So I'm working on my breathing, stroke technique & distance. Yes, the pool is an official 25 meeter pool. BTW: I never swam freestyle or these distances before. In college I had to swim a mile (and other things) to get into the YMCA SCUBA class but there was no restriction on stroke style or time limit. So I'm really happy about this progress I'm making.

I do not think there is anything wrong with breathing every stroke. I noticed that Phelps breathed every stroke when he was swimming multiple events in the same day during the Olympics. It will help you keep your heart rate down and regulate your breathing. The more you swim the easier it will get. I found that mixing in some intervals into swimming workouts helps me increase endurance and speed.

Try a couple of warm up laps then swim 25 meters as fast as you can, followed by 25 meters of recovery. Repeat 6-8 times. Then do some cool down laps. After doing this for a couple of weeks, you can time your 500 meter swim to check your progress.

You can then work up to sprinting 50 meters or 100 meters followed by a 25 meter recovery. The progress will come quickly.

Good luck!!

Rotator cuff problems are common in the swimming world. You may find as I did, the problem is not the reach out of the water, it is the pull underwater. The way to ease the pressure on the rotator cuff is to make your pull underwater shallower; bend the elbow and pull your hand along closer under your body. Don't forget to stretch the shoulder after you are completely warmed up.

To work on breathing, use a leg float and just do an arm pull and try concentrating on alternating your breathing on each side.

good concrete info guys thanks

I breathe every right stroke, when swimming if you are not breathing often enough you get a lack of oxygen fairly quickly. I was told by my coach that you want to breathe every stroke... Also I think that you are having to stop so often because you aren't breathing enough

I can breathe every fourth stroke for two miles. I am not a speed demon though. I know I am supposed to breathe every third so that my head is opposite, but my neck doesn't always agree. It is in my plans of getting a coach to work on my stroke once I get past the bad gastrocnemius muscle pull.

+1 on Bending your elbow through the stroke. Here's one way to think about it. Your entire arm is the "paddle" pulling you through the water, not just your hand. The entire undersurface of your arm sould be pussing water. This also happens to keep your sholder straight out. Also, you're correct that if you are breathing to your right, you may be reaching accross your central axis with your left arm. THis way my major problem in 4 years of college swimming.

interesting breathing notes

about reaching, I was saying I thought I was stretching my left arm to far ahead not across

You are most likely pushing down through your pull to help your breathing. Very common in swimming. Key is when hand enters the water to make sure you have rotation to your left side sweep the arm from your elbow to your hand towards your hip then finish your pull. Some good drills to learn swimming with your hole arms is to swim with just your fist. Concentrate on using your forearm to pull the water. Also another thing is to not think about pulling your hand through the water but rather anchoring your hand and pulling your body by our arm.

interesting, can't wait to try this tomorrow, I would go tonight but I'm picking up some new tires at REI!

I used to hate swimming. I got back in the pool four weeks ago (after a year off). Last winter during a two month period was when I taught myself how to swim with tips from a friend and advice from BF. One of the best things I did early on was learn to breath every third stroke so I could alternate sides. I'm a bit obsessive compulsive and I don't think I'd be able to swim more than a couple of laps just breathing on one side. I think I'd ****z-out or something. It be like only pedaling with one foot. Breakthroughs have been happening on a daily basis now, and I'm addicted.

1st week:
swam 2 days-(25yd pool) 1x15 intervals; that is-- 1 lap rest and breath, another lap, rest and breath etc.
Completely wiped me out.

2nd week:
swam 2 days- 2x10; that is 2 lap intervals with a minute of rest between. and a 5 minute rest after the 10th lap.
Feeling better, made a mental note to eat a little more earlier in the day. Felt remiss that I didn't get another day in.

3rd week:
swam 3 days- 2x10 intervals; decreased the rest gap between intervals.
Mental note to slow down and focus on form and stroke

This week:
swam three days (4 by the end of the weekend)- 3x10 intervals (1 minute breaks) w/ 10 minute stretch and rest at 1/2 way point (15th lap). Including the breaks I'm getting done in 50 minutes.
Mentally and physically I feel amazing in the water. I haven't practiced a kick-turn yet but I don't care.

Next week's goal:
Add another 10 laps (40 total)
Complete within an hour
focus on leg movement, efficiency and over-all body posture.

So my point is, keep at it and the improvements should be exponential. I'm coupling this with weight-training one night a week, a weekly 5k run, and a fair amount of cycling.

Wow, I can't believe "****" is a censored word. --> zaps

Scubachisteve - right on man! I mean about the workouts!

Thanks, dude. Keep it up, yourself!

hey wait a second I just realized I don't fully understand your nomenclature
in weight training, I'm doing a regular 5x5, that's 5 sets of 5 reps. What did you mean by a 2x10 (literally)

thanks

Sorry, I have mine reversed. 10 Reps of 2 laps.

Currently I'm swimming 10 Reps of 3 laps (in about 40 minutes). With a fair amount of rest after the 5th rep. Except for last night when I bonked after 20-laps. The failings of the woman next to me made it feel like an open-water swim, so it was much harder to focus on my pace and form.

Oh OK, thanks. 10 sets of 2 laps would be a good progression for me. I feel silly stopping after every lap.

Reg: open water - don't know what I would without that line on the bottom ... :-)

You guys are counting a lap as two lengths..right?

+1 on the shallow stroke with a bent arm to reduce shoulder pain. I've been lap swimming for 22 years and if my stroke gets off I get shoulder pain. Had to take 9 months off once whn the pain wouldn't go away.

The thing that helped me most was my wife telling me not to kick so much. I can swim with my arms, a good roll, and minimal kick just as fast as before and using a lot less energy.

My personal breakthrough came this week. I broke my upper arm Oct. 12th. Got it out of the immobilization device Dec. 15th. Couldn't move the shoulder more than a bit.

This week I finally swam 1500 meters again. Did it three times during the week 30:00, 29:20 and today 28:52. That's pretty good considering everything. I'm a 59 year old age-grouper and at best last summer was only duing 27 and change.

My arm still hurts a bit, but it makes me concentrate on technique and I am staying pretty flat in the water. Using more of the "Total Immersion" roll than normal on my bad arm side, but overall, I'm HAPPY!

TysonB

Yep. 1 lap = 50 yds.

You put us all to shame!

a lap is just one 25 yard length, like a racing lap is one time around a track, or running one time around the track

Hopefully you've heard of the book "TOTAL IMMERSION" by now. If not, you MUST read this book and do the basics drills if you want to improve at all. It won't make you swim like a pro, but it fixes the most common beginner errors of having incorrect body position (feet below head), which will severely limit your ability to swim long or fast. If you're in good aerobic shape, but can barely survive 8 pool lengths, you really, really must read this book.

Yes Michael Phelps breathes every stroke, but he eats 12,000 calories per day too. Swimmers are always trying to increase lung capacity. Try laps alternating every 3, every 5, etc... or do 5 breaths per lap, 4, etc... and just to put breath into perspective I am not very good but I can do 50 yards without a breath.