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A few general principles that we feel are important when training in a pool. There is no one way to approach things, but we have found great success with this type of philosophy.

The Kick Factor

Kicking can be a great help for some swimmers and a big hindrance for others. The general rule is that the shorter the swim the more important the kick is to performance. That being said, there are always going to be exceptions to the rule. While kicking can come naturally to some, for others it is a real challenge. We believe everyone given the proper frame of mind can become better kickers and thus be a better swimmer because of it. We suggest that if you have kicking issues you use a pair of small fins to help in the process. Besides improving your kicking ability and thus your speed, kicking is a great aerobic workout if you approach it the right way.

Training Cycles

When doing any type of training, rest can be just as important as doing stress type training. Adaptation to stress actually occurs during the recover phase. When training it is important to mix up how you stress the body, mixing up aerobic and anaerobic training, working on your kick, doing drill to improve your stroke technique etc.

Non Freestyle Training

When training for competitions such as bay swims or triathlons, freestyle is the foundation for improving in such events. Swimming other strokes can have value in that learning different ways of getting through water in an efficient manner can only help in the long run. It is not a necessity to swim non free, but it is an option that is out there. It is also a way to vary your workouts to add to the interest element. How much non free an individual should do is certainly up to each individual. For those that have aspirations to swim pool type competitions in non freestyle strokes, practicing those strokes quite a bit is certainly advisable.

Distance per Stroke vs Tempo

When swimming any stroke for any distance there is always a relationship between how far you go each time you take a stroke and how fast your arms rotate. There is no right answer for what the relationship is for each swimmer, and it most likely will change when swimming different distances. We advise experimenting with different ways of approaching this to see what works for you. Practicing going farther each stroke and speeding up your tempo will help with time and persistence.

Mindless Swimming

One of the things that tends to keep people away from training in a pool is the act of swimming without a plan. Swimming laps upon laps upon laps for the sake of conditioning, while beneficial for one's overall fitness level is not generally helpful to one improving in the sport. We advocate swimming with a purpose, which is not only more enjoyable, but you get more out of it as well. Learn to creatively spend your time in a pool and you will tend to do it more.