Swimming: 'pressing on your buoy' and back shape

Triathlon Forum
1

I am wondering if anybody else has to fight with this issue: due to genetics (I assume, as my dad and his dad are shaped exactly the same as me) my back is not very straight, especially towards the top (the S curve is more pronounced than in the average person, to give you an idea) which means that if I have my head in a neutral position, my chest is not as deep as it would be in a person with a straighter back, which causes my hips to drop. If I push down my chest to be in the right spot, then my head is way too low. In any case I can’t be as streamlined as I’d like to be, which slows me down even further.

Any ideas on how to improve this? Anybody else had to fight with something similar?

2

If I’m reading this right you have a lot of anterior head carriage?

Either way, your point is mute in swimming. A wide variety of shapes tranverse through the water some faster than others. If body shape made much of a difference in swimming, the entire women’s field with be at a major disadvantage. This isn’t so.

For swimming tips and recommendations, pick up Ernest Maglischo’s book Swimming Fastest at Barnes and Nobel. Its the bible of competitive swimming.

3

probably yeah, I always thought that this was an issue, as I see people swimming and their bodies are super streamlined and balanced, while mine is a lot less so (I either balance with my head quite submerged, or have my head in a ‘standard’ position but with my hips dropping)
.

4

Good stroke dictates that you spend the maximum amount of time on your side. You have a better reach and are more streamlined this way. Genetics shouldn’t be a big factor.

5

You ask a good question. The answer is that your shape is your shape. However, you can work on changing your spinal alignment. It takes time and a bit of LifeStyle (LS) change. You should try to focus throughout your days on sitting/standing/being as tall as possible. Check out Shane Goulds website in australia. Her posture has changed dramatically in just over 2 years. This will help.

The other issue is not a balance issue but a weight/gravity line issue. Without getting too confusing here (and kinda flying blind too as I cant see you in the water) you do need to work on where you carry your weight. Best way to find out is to place a kickboard on your chest and lay flat on it. (bottom of kickboard no lower than hip bones). Arms and legs in an “X” for stability and hold your breath. The object is to enhance your natural buoyancy with board and without forward movement (arms and leg to counter balance your weight issue). Being still is critical. From this you can practice moving your weight around (up and down your system) to change your position relative to the surface of the water. You will find an ideal location where the board will want to surface. This location needs to be identified and then searched for while swimming.

Good luck!

Dave

6

Think about swimming with fins. Fins are great way to get you to feel a natural body position and the proper swimming mechanics to swim fast. In competitive swim programs that start the kids out early (5-6 yoa), they have them swim most of the workout with fins. As an ex-swim coach for years, its the number one thing I would do to help an inexperienced swimmer.

An inexperience swimmer armed with fins, Ernest Maglischo’s book, and few swimmer friends to give a few pointers here and there—will become fast. Seen a few triathletes with no swimming background do it.

Good Luck.

PS We all know how important it is to swim purposeful workouts and emphasize proper mechanics, but many times its the same old same old once we get tired.

7

thanks for the tips, I would definitely like to change my posture (not only for swimming, I do feel self conscious about it in day to day life sometimes) but I always thought it was not in the cards given my family history.

I’ll have a look at the site (btw, what’s the URL? I couldn’t find it on google), and also do some more workouts with fins, thanks again.

8

Marco,

www.shanegould.com.au (should be)

There are a couple of pics there of her recently. You can see her engagment to her posture that was not there 5 years ago. Plus at 42 she swam the oly trials in Australia in the 50 fly. Pretty impressive. Change can happen. It just takes time. Using fins will do nothing. No offense. But seriously, that will just disguise the problem and nothing will change. And just like that post said, you will go back to your old habits. Making changes are not easy. Do them in small doses that help and then go do something else. If you leave the pool feeling better about what you did, you are more likely to come back. And look forward to it! That would be a good thing for everyone. Since most dread the swimming.

Best,

Dave

9

I used to think that my shape was my shape too. It’s not exactly true and it sounds like you have kyphosis.

Neck was bothering me something fierce and I went to see a physical therapist. Long story short is that your shape is largely the results of your muscle strength and your flexibility. And both of these things can be changed rather quickly.

I was 28 when this happened and had been hunched over for as long as I can remember with my mom telling me to stand up straight.

So I got with the guy and he first “mobilized my thoracic spine” a pretty crazy cracking my back operation he did. Then he went into stretching my chest out and strengthening my back. All this time I was wondering when he would fix my neck.

Then we moved on to the fact that when I was lifting weights I was doing lots of chest exercises makng my chest even stronger and hardly ever strengthening my back. It all added up to being way hunched over and then neck pain.

I thought he was full of it but did the exercises anyway, and I’ll be damm if it didn’t work. I was standing straighter, my arms moved out to the side, not just in front, looked better in a suit, all without really trying just doing the exercises and stretches.

I only wich I had known this when I was 14 rather than my mom just whacking me on the back.

I still have to stay on top of it, exercises twice per week and stretches the same same or I go back to where I was. And I’m still not the straightest erect guy around, but I am amazed at how well it worked actually.

So yes, you may have a genetic predisposition to kyphosis but there are some things you can do to fix it.

You may notice if you hang around swimmers much that older swimmers or swimmers from some clubs may still have the hunched over “swimmer’s build” with rounded forward pitched shoulders and hunched backs. But in most clubs the worked has gotten around and they work on it through their dryland training and you won’t see it at all.

As for pressing your buoy, if your head is in the right position then your body will probably be in the right position. I think the total immersion folks have gone this way in the new instructions, not so much the buoy but mostly your head. If you head is low your body will probably be horizontal.

10

Marco,

Not only do have a swimming issue you have a life issue.

As Kevin in MD said, you seem to have kyphosis. You have lost your cervical curve. Children very often walk and stand just like their parents because they think that this is the way it should be. My son walks just like I do. Your father may have been imitating his father and you, your’s.

Your posture will not get any better if you do nothing about it. In fact it will continue to get worse. Your head is not in alignment with your shoulders and is a weight constantly moving downward.

Find someone who does postural work which includes strengthen and stretching. You will feel better, walk taller and possibly swim faster.

DougStern

11

Re: What Doug Stern said

www.egoscue.com

You can buy Health through Motion for about $9 on Amazon. It has imensly improved my posture.