Swimmers advice please

I use Swimplan.com its gives you a schedule to follow and you can specify what strokes you do and what equipment you have available to you. Its free too. Swimsmooth is also a good site for technique pointers.
Can you get to a class, I find I can do far more when I'm being shouted at and its motivating with other people.

sleepwhenidie saluting is one of the drills i used to do when in a club. i was always told i didn't put my hands in far enough ahead of me and to almost try and push my hand forward in the water before i started pulling back to make sure i got maximum length out of each stroke. the aim is to swim a length in as few strokes as possible so each one has to be as effective as possible.

others excercises we did were catch up - leave one arm stretched in front till the next hand touches it, dragging a thumb up the side of your body. can't think of others right now.

That's the bit I would find hardest to match your time for too saz. unfortunately I am also not a va member so would be competing only against myself (and you, in my head ). I will let you know how I get on once I find a day to do it!

Enjoy your swimming wiifit. Quits babycham !

Go for it Sleep - i went into it thinking i would be happy with 45 mins so was v pleased. The comptetiton element certainly helped though as i have been nowhere near that run time since

wiifit If you don't want to cycle - then do an aquathon instead, swim then run. Use entry central for entering events. thugh there aren't many events on there yet for 2012 yeat there are a few coming on the site.

Cool...now I am trying to figure out when I can give it a go at my gym! Definitely wouldn't manage your time though!

Sorry also Wiifit for the hijack.

Sleep
it seems to me each method is equally valid as these are such technical points really,so quits?!!!

Wiifit I don"t think you necessarily need lessons as it"s such an expense.There are good books on swimming from which you could learn a lot by yourself if you have a friend who is a good swimmer and can check your strokes.

If you do get lessons I would definately see if your pool offers one - to -one.IMO a few of these as an adult could be more valuable than a whole course of group lessons as you can tailor what you want.

Anyway,hope you enjoy your swimming. To be fair,correct technique is not absolutely crucial in getting an aerobic workout or using the water as resistance anyhow!

Sleep, i was very chuffed, although transitions are not timed which helps enourmously

2.5k run: 0:11:36, 10k bike: 0:14:35 400m swim: 0:07:44

Wow saz that is impressive! What was the breakdown of your times for each part?

The zoggs website has downloadable training plans of varying levels of ability. They are great. You would have to learn to do breaststroke though to use them properly.

I did the supreme in 33.55. I definitely would like to beat that but unlikely i fear. Since doing it i have done loads myself though and still quite good fun although lacks the 'competitive' element

No, your hand is lower because as you reach you also push down slightly, it's not a flat reach out...we seem to have hijacked this thread btw , apologies wiifit!

Yes.At the furthest extent of the full reach you aren"t really pulling towards you,are you?You come to a catch point where the pull becomes most effective.

But surely this is the same if you extend to full reach just below the surface?

[ponders]...I see what you mean, but it always looks wrong to me when people put their hand into the water at full stretch, I think maybe there is most resistance in the pull when starting that far away...I am trying the movement now and you are really working your shoulder and arm hard (not your lats or hips) to pull it back from there IYSWIM? Probably your hand is better positioned for an efficient stroke at the point you pull back if it is submerged for the reach?

Oooh, i am a VA member too. This was the triathlon i did. I think they are repeating it sometime.

Sorry Sleep I"m a bit of a dinosaur - of the old school. I only know my tried and tested methods.

However I have looked at the video and I have to say it looks beautifully serene and graceful so I"m open to new ideas.

If the reaching out occurs just under the surface of the water though I wonder if this method would be quite as fast as you will be dealing with the resistance of the water in your arm reach - I understand that you would slice through but it seems more efficient in my mind to reach as you enter rather than after???

Hi Wiifitmama

Sorry, haven't read all the posts so someone has probably mentioned this but does your local pool run adult swimming lessons or have a Masters Club?

I was always a reasonable swimmer but decided I wanted to improve about 12 years ago so took some advanced lessons at my local pool. We did all the drills etc that you mention in your OP. It was only once a week but then I replicated the lesson in my fitness swims for the rest of the week. After a couple of terms I decided I wanted to take it to the next level and joined the local swimming club which met 3 times a week. This was really challenging but great fun.

I was only a member for a year or so as I moved away and found it easier to exercise in studio classes at work.

Ten years on (and two children later) I have realised how much I love swimming so I've just started taking advanced lessons again - really enjoying it and getting the motivation I need to improve again.

Sounds like you are doing really well though (I am in awe as only managing once a week swim at the moment)!

Yup, enter water, reach forward, propel through.

I understand that babycham, my point was more that the reaching forward occurs just under the surface of the water, rather than above it?

You need to get the power going by rotating through your core. As Hellhas said, the legs are for stability, power is through the core and the rapid underwater movement of your arms. When you arms are out of the water they should be relaxed and in a rest phase. I know that previously my arm muscles were all tensed as they came out of the water.

Good luck

Thanks hellhas, I remember I was also shown the "catch up" drill too. Must make an effort to do these more often, swimming is usually my "relaxing" workout these days so I am guilty of zoning out and churning out as many lengths as I can in 50 minutes .

Reaching out and pulling towards you = forward propulsion. The less you reach out the less you pull the water which causes your forward movement.