When in your stroke cycle do you breathe and how do you know when to breathe?
DougStern
As a beginner swimmer, I am probably wrong, but for me it is as I am extending my left arm forward and kind of gliding, I rotate my head to the right and catch a breath.
If I am breathing on the right side, when my left hand hits the water?
I breathe to my right side. When my left arm is fully extended and just starting with my pull and my right arm is (I guess recovering) starting on its way forward.
When I start swimming, I extend my arm and breathe as I start to flex my arm getting ready for the pull. After a short while, I extend my arm and breathe while I glide. Once I get the breath, that serves as a cue to bend the arm to begin the catch.
I always breathe every other arm stroke and always on the left. I always feel like I get a much stronger pull with the right arm. Most likely it just feels that way since I have slowed as I breathe and I just get more resistance against the water as I try to reaccelerate.
I am quite certain this is all wrong.
I start to breathe as my hand that was pulling underneath exits the water. my other arm is extended in front (I have the worlds slowest turnover). My face basically follows the hand as it moves towards the front of my body, as my biceps pass my eyes I begin to roll so that my face ends up in the water.
We have had 83 lurkers and only 5 responses. Let’s get some participation here.
DougStern
If breathing on the right, strart to move your head to the side as your right arm is pulling back through the water. You should be finishing your breath as your R arm exits the water. As your R arm moves forward, before your hand enters the water, your upper arm will naturally push your face back into the water. Practice this as you read this at your desk. I did, so I could write it down. Only 2 people saw me.
I breathe on my right, every time my right hand begins to pass my face on its recovery. The rotation to breathe actually starts as my hand begins to exit the water. My left arm has already begun its pull and is going deep. My head remains fairly deep (left eye still under water) - my mouth is barely above the trough made by my head and I suck air in right under my armpit. I exhale underwater, mostly through the nose unless I’m sprinting, then it’s also out the mouth with a lot of grunting going on.
I begin to breath to my right when my right arm finishes the stroke (right before it comes out for the recovery phase). Head starts to roll back in when the hand passes it.
Same with my left, only when my left arm finishes the stroke.
Am I right?
I’m doing the same thing as desert dude, breathing as my pulling arm exits the water and then rotating back onto my stomach as it re-enters the water.
It is interesting that others respond in terms of their breathing timing relative to the arm on the same side as they breath. I never gave that timing any thought. I breath as I get my maximum rotation which is as my hand exits the water.
Then again, this is probably all wrong too.
I am quite certain my timing would be very different if I had a propulsive kick. When I wear zoomers, everything goes much easier and more quickly.
Also, how many of you blow out your air while your head is in the water?
I used to not do this (to a large extent), and when I started I found I was able to swim longer distances with much more ease.
When you are swimming freestyle, your arm stroke makes the shape of a question mark under water, starting from the point where it enters the water. Usually you start your breath as your hand is coming to the curve in the question mark and you breathe while you hand is making the straight part of the question mark and coming out of the water at the bottom of the stroke and put your head back in the water as your arm is reaching back to the top of the stroke entry place.
As far as when to breathe, do you mean frequency? That is usually a personal preference, but if you can get in a rhythm of breathing every 3-5 strokes, that works for most people and keeps your stroke even and relaxed.
I think (I am sitting here doing air freestyle in my cube) I start to rotate my head when my arm on the side I am breathing to is starting to bend at the elbow. When my head is fully rotated to the breathing position I have one arm all the way forward and one all the way back.
I do blow my air out underwater and I breathe mainly every 3rd stroke.
We have had 83 lurkers and only 5 responses. Let’s get some participation here.
Hey, I’m thinking, I’m thinking!
I honestly couldn’t tell you. It’s automatic. I’ll be in the pool later today and I’ll see if I can’t pin it down.
When part of the stroke should I be breathing?
When in your stroke cycle do you breathe and how do you know when to breathe?
Funny how everyone assumes Doug is referring to swimming (oh I can’t beleive I typed that)! Sorry just finished reading the latest updates to the Tri pickup lines thread and could not help myself!
I breathe when it feels natural. I can’t think of it right off the top of my head, but I will note it the next time that I swim.
BTW, thanks for the pinkie tip a week ago. I have been using it and I think my arm exits the water faster.
Related (I think) follow up question for Doug. At the end of swim workout I have a red mark from my chin stubble rubbing against my shoulder, kind of south of my collar bone/on my upper pect area (right side from right side breathing). What strange quirk in my stroke would cause this?
Breathing:
For me it’s quite simple, a quick turn of the head to the right to inhale just as I’m starting the pull with my left hand – immediately after the catch. Or the same to the left as I start the pull with my right hand. I always exhale under water.
Farting:
Just prior to the flip turn. This helps dissipate the gas faster. Otherwise, I end up swimming half the length of the pool with a bubble in my suit. I can see, however, how this might be an advantage to someone who has problems with bouyancy.