Swimming to Up Your Workout Level

Take Your Workout to the Next Level with Swimming

If you like swimming you know that before hitting the water, you do your stretching on land. Cycling through parts of your body – arms, back, and legs – to activate muscles for a perfect swim. Then grab your goggles. Spring on the diving board. And scoot away in the pool. Though your workout is relaxing, you feel there’s more you can do in the pool than churning out endless laps.

Swimming is often a fantastic but overlooked full-body workout…

Want to take your water workouts to the next level? Be ready to improve your swimming technique a little. Even increase your swimming endurance. That way, you’ll get more out of your trips to the pool. There are plenty of tips that’ll point you in the right direction – making your experience extremely rewarding.

Transform Your Swimming Endurance

There’s much to focus on as a swimmer while trying to improve your swim workouts. And one of them is your breathing pattern. Effective breathing is your ticket to swimming faster and for longer. Because it enhances your energy and lowers your intensity. Getting you into a comfortable and relaxed breathing rhythm.

When your breathing pattern is more disciplined, you’re less likely to experience the hurried sensation shortness of breath elicits during a hard set. Often, in this scenario, you breathe hard with every stroke. Only to end up scrambling for precious oxygen instead of focusing on your water workouts. It’s best to use your breathing rhythm as a weapon. And you’ll ace any swimming technique you engage in.

Here’s how to practice effective breathing:

1. Start simple and progress slowly

Breathe in every four strokes you take. If this feels so challenging, try breathing every three strokes. Slowly progressing your breathing pattern every time you jump in the pool will improve endurance.

2. Warm-up your lungs

Prime your lungs for the water workouts ahead – on land – before getting into the pool. Doing this will prepare your lungs for the big challenge. Try and master breathing patterns during your warm-up. This will help get your lungs more warmed up.

3. Throw a pull buoy between your legs

Dolphin kicks consume a lot of leg energy. Best part? Your breathing pattern can remedy this when you throw a pull buoy between your legs. It’s so easy to hold your breath in water for at least five or seven strokes at a time when you add in pull sets.

Build Muscle Swimming

Taking your swim workouts to the next level keeps things in the pool interesting. Most importantly, it works for different muscle groups. To build muscle, however, you need to mix different swimming strokes for an incredible pool workout.

Choose the Muscle Group You Want to Work…

Best-known swimming strokes that work for different muscle groups:

Freestyle – Works core, shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings.
Backstroke – Works more core, hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders.
Breaststroke – Works all leg muscles and chest.
Butterfly – Works all muscles in the body, literally.

Mixing up your water workout routine is a great way to take the load off your joints. Even burn up extra calories while engaging every muscle in your body.

You can also add in pull sets and dolphin kicks to the list to avoid overuse injuries and fatigue. If you’re experiencing low-back problems, steer clear of breaststroke. Also, if you have existing injuries or joint issues, it’s best to avoid swimming strokes that will make things worse for you.

Perfect Your Swimming Technique

You now feel more comfortable in the water. You can even feel your swimming technique has improved a little, but you can’t see it. Well, it’s time to get guidance from a qualified swimming expert. And you can easily achieve this goal by taking swimming lessons to help improve your swimming technique.

Considering having lessons with a coach can make a huge difference in your swimming. And even take your water workouts to the next level. See, there are tweaks you’re not familiar with, but a qualified swimming coach or teacher can help you understand. Or better grasp in a short time.

Most newbie swimmers, and even higher-level competitive swimmers, think swimming faster requires a modicum of effort. That you have to try harder at a workout to achieve your goal. Yet all you need to do is reduce drag to reach great speed and more distance. A coach will teach you these tips and more.

Remember, jumping in the pool and churning up and down in the water will get your body so relaxed. You’ll even get fit while at it.

But you want more.

Enhance your endurance by starting slowly. Warm-up your lungs before getting into the pool. Breathe in after every four strokes. And don’t forget to throw up the pull buoy between your legs.

Do specific workouts that will help you build muscle. These include freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

And now perfect your technique. Let an experienced coach help you get expert moves tailored just for your specific situation.

These tips will help you move all the way to your workout goals.

Author Bio:

Nikos Vasilellis is the Founder of Nereids Aquatic Coaching and has a passion and love for aquatic activities which is combined with his care for helping others. Nereids Aquatic Coaching company helps children and adults overcome their fear of water by focusing on their individual strengths and helping them enjoy the aquatic environment.