Swimmers, please help a newbie

[thebulldog]

So in a total impluse tonight spurred by DH we joined a gym tonight with a pool. He wants to get back into tris and i support this times a zillion.

Meanwhile my knee has been giving me problems so i will need to lay off running for a little while (princess 1/2 might be my last for a bit).

I know how to swim from one side of the pool to the other slowly...so i am looking for recommendations on workouts and how to maximize say a 30min workout.

This was so not on my list of things to do today.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[arch01]

Jan 22, 2014 22:02:21 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

So in a total impluse tonight spurred by DH we joined a gym tonight with a pool. He wants to get back into tris and i support this times a zillion.

Meanwhile my knee has been giving me problems so i will need to lay off running for a little while (princess 1/2 might be my last for a bit).

I know how to swim from one side of the pool to the other slowly...so i am looking for recommendations on workouts and how to maximize say a 30min workout.

This was so not on my list of things to do today.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

Rotary breathing and proper form? What are your goals for swimming... just get in a workout, do a tri, increase endurance, work on form?

[libbygrl109]

I recently started swimming lessons at my gym that focuses on proper form and breathing. Maybe yours has something similar? Just in the first 3 weeks, I've learned so much, and don't feel like I'm floundering as badly.

[Susie]

If they have adult swim lessons, that would be a really helpful place to start regardless of your specific goals.

[thebulldog]

No lessons that i know of yet. Might check elsewhere.
I would like to focus in breathing correctly and having better form.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[dmxm]

Maybe check out some Total Immersion videos online or other "how to" videos to get some ideas on form. I found the Total Immersion book to be helpful, too.

[thebulldog]

Jan 23, 2014 10:08:28 GMT -5 dmxm said:

Maybe check out some Total Immersion videos online or other "how to" videos to get some ideas on form. I found the Total Immersion book to be helpful, too.

Thanks!

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Even if they don't offer adult swim "lessons", check with the aquatics director or pool supervisor - most gyms have private lessons/coaching for a fee that you might find helpful. Breathing and form is something that's definitely better to work on under supervision, unless you're hyper-aware of your own form and know EXACTLY what proper form looks like (or at least, proper form at the moment).

If not, I'd look around for a place that *does* offer those types of lessons. You'll benefit immensely from in-person coaching/supervision.

[lasagnasshole]

You can check YouTube for lots of instructional videos. I did that when I started getting neck cramps and a coworker suggested I might not be turning properly while breathing. It's helped me a lot even though I haven't had the funds to get lessons.

As for maximizing the time, I'd start by just figuring out what you can do in that time and then set small goals to build on that.

Example: when I started swimming again after being away for years, I could swim 2 laps without resting. So I did 5 sets of 2 laps and then called it a day. The next day, I did 4 sets of 3 laps, so I added total distance and endurance.

I have kind of a routine going on right now for my weekday swims. I do a 5-lap warmup of 2 laps kick, 2 laps pull, and 1 swim. Then I swim 5 laps, rest, swim 10 laps. That's all I can squeeze in at lunch. I try to do a longer swim on the weekends. My longest so far is 50 laps. My goal is to be up to long swims of 70 laps by the end of February and then focus on speeding up my weekday swims so I can get a few more laps in.

I think your first few swims should just be getting used to swimming some and seeing what your baseline strength is. I wouldn't go in with a structured workout plan until you have a better feel of where you're starting from.