i must be using the wrong keywords to search because I know this has been discussed, but…
First swim after “racing” Longhorn this weekend, and I tried swimming with an old bicycle tube tied around my ankles for the first time as i start working more on my form. I’ve taken lessons AND swam a lot more, so I went from ~41:00 last year to 34:5x this year, and was sick so held back a little. Based on team mates that i swim with, I’m probably under 34 healthy.
The morning’s plan was to do several 25’s on an interval as part of a transition set. I’d make it about half way before my legs sank to the point I was standing up in the middle of the pool laughing at myself. Is that typical? Is that indicative of not using my abs/core to hold my hips up? I also noticed that after a few tries, I my legs didn’t sink much if i swam a length breathing left, but never could breath right and not have my legs sink.
edit: wouldn’t sink if i breathed left after a few tries
Swimming with the band can be rough - and sinking is a common complaint. I would note that much of it has to do with your buoyancy, although the variation that you describe depending on your breathing side, seems like an indication that when you breath on the right you have issues.
It is an old swimming drill to isolate the upper body with a band, but it is usually incorporated with a pull buoy too to keep your legs up a bit. For a lot of guys that are sinkers like us, basically impossible to do any distance band work without a buoy. At your speed I don’t think bad work is the best choice for drills, better to incorporate your kick into different drills, rather than eliminate it. Band stuff is more for strenght work on an already good stroke, and if you are sinking within one lap, then there are definately some improvements in your front quadrant. I’m a sinker in the worst way, but I still can go a lot of laps with my dragging legs, but it is just a strenght exercise at that point, and I prefer to do that dry land…
I have a guy who does this, if you are like him then …
You need to activate and use your back muscles and a bit of your butt muscles to keep your hips extended. I am not saying this will make it easy, but it will stop your feet from dragigng the bottom while the rest of you tries to swim.
I see ti when he does sculling drills, it’s like he doesn’t know or thing ot use those stabilizer muscles. His torso stays flat and reasonably level but he ends up bending at the waist and he looks like an “L”.
thanks for the feedback. i’m planning to take some more lessons over the winter, but will at least keep trying this. I do do a lot of extra kick work, this is just one more angle of attack. Its nice not seeing empty bike racks when i get to T1, but there are still a few bikes missing.
i must be using the wrong keywords to search because I know this has been discussed, but…
First swim after “racing” Longhorn this weekend, and I tried swimming with an old bicycle tube tied around my ankles for the first time as i start working more on my form. I’ve taken lessons AND swam a lot more, so I went from ~41:00 last year to 34:5x this year, and was sick so held back a little. Based on team mates that i swim with, I’m probably under 34 healthy.
The morning’s plan was to do several 25’s on an interval as part of a transition set. I’d make it about half way before my legs sank to the point I was standing up in the middle of the pool laughing at myself. Is that typical? Is that indicative of not using my abs/core to hold my hips up? I also noticed that after a few tries, I my legs didn’t sink much if i swam a length breathing left, but never could breath right and not have my legs sink.
edit: wouldn’t sink if i breathed left after a few tries
Sorry bro, but it’s all about technique.
I can swim bands no worries at all. In fact, most of the time I swim with almost no kick at all. I give a very slight 2 beat kick as a mild balance to offset my less than perfect breathing technique.
In the beginning with bands, I found that giving an ever so slight butterfly kick was just what I needed to stay flat. I also found that if I followed my swim coaches advice to hold my breath deep into my gut, rather than upper lungs and mouth full of air, I moved the buoyancy point rearward and my hips and feet almost automatically popped up and I could swim flat in the water. Too easy.
Give those things a try and keep at it. You’ll get it and your swimming will improve.
Technique is the key. Try pushing off the wall with arms in the streamline position above your head, looking down at the bottom. Kick lightly holding your breath for about 20 seconds. Keep your lungs full of air, you will float and your legs will not sink. This is the first test to show you just how well you can float. Everyone I have do this pops up like a kork.
Swimming with bands is a challenge, but if your techique is correct, your legs should not end up on the bottom. If you layed a 8 foot long 2x4 board in the water and lifted one end a little, the opposite end sinks right? If you arm pulls are pushing down on the water to lift your head and shoulders, your legs sink. Chronic leg sinking is almost always due to the swimmer pushing down to lift the head to breath.
Take that first drill above, once you master it and can float while kicking, begin with no breathing and dog paddle focusing on pushing back, not down, then add a breath by rolling over, not turning your head, let the roll of your body let your face roll out of the water. Then add some no breath freestyle strokes focusing on pushing back, not down. Then add a breath by rolling your body without turning your head. In the end, you should only turn your head slightly, the roll of your body is all that is really needed for your face to clear the water for your breath.
You have to teach your self to push back, not down to allow the bouyancy of your chest and lungs to keep your body position intact. This is just part of the equation, but get yourself floating by allowing your chest (it has all the air) to stay low in the water and simply rolling from side to side to breath.
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Try pressing your chest into the water more while head is looking down. I always notice a buoyancy change but need to concentrate to maintain it. This technique seems to lift the lower half of my body higher.
I followed my swim coaches advice to hold my breath deep into my gut, rather than upper lungs and mouth full of air, I moved the buoyancy point rearward and my hips and feet almost automatically popped up and I could swim flat in the water.
What a revelation. I have been effing with bands once a week for a month now, struggling like hell. I tried this, and it makes an enormous difference. I never realized I was only using the upper part of my lungs when swimming. I can only do it at the moment holding my breath, but will definitely start working on belly breathing while swimming. Thanks.
I have found the single best mental image for me, that improved my swimming more than all other images combined, was simply to imagine I was swimming over an extension ladder about 12-18 inches under the water, the full length of the pool.
I simply imagine that I put my hand in the water, reach to the furthest rung of the ladder I can get to, then with my whole hand as a paddle, pull on the rung and launch myself forward. Repeat as necessary. The ladder idea means I don’t have too deep of a kick, for fear of kicking my shins or feet onto the ladder.
Works a treat for me at least, and other people I’ve told seem to have it work for them too.
