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To swim efficiently, feeling the sensations of glide and speed, the swimmer needs to adopt a position which avoids the drag caused by the water. This position must be as aligned and stable as possible, to be sufficiently hydrodynamic.
Remember: fighting the water won't help you. When you're swimming, the water is always your greatest ally, so use it!
Okay, enough talk, let's get our muscles ready, and start transforming ourselves into human torpedoes!
Warm up for about 20 minutes to wake up your joints, muscles and heart rate. The aim is to start integrating maximum glide sensation using positioning exercises.
300 metres (50m crawl / 50m backstroke)
4 x 50 metres “arrow” dive start (let yourself glide as soon as you enter the water)
4 x 50 metres leg kicks on side (25m right side / 25m left side)
Don't forget to rehydrate during your rest breaks!
The exercises proposed here are swimming training exercises. They help you get a better feel for the water and allow you to adapt your movement to reduce the amount of water surface in contact with your body, in order to minimise hindrance to progress.
3 x 100 metres catch-up crawl
3 x 100 metres crawl (with 3 undulations in each underwater phase)
3 x 100 metres 3, 5, 7 crawl (alternate breathing on every 3, 5 and 7)
100 metres (combining everything: catch-up crawl / 3 undulations / 3, 5, 7)
Remember: don't forget to rehydrate between each set!
During recovery, prioritise muscle relaxation, focus on your swimming technique, feel the glide and disturb the water as little as possible. Using a snorkel will help you avoid drag from side breathing.
300 metres snorkel, splashing as little as possible
Give yourself a pat on the back! The workout is finally over! Two kilometres in an hour. Hats off to you! If you want to get stuck into a more substantial workout, you can adapt it to your desires and/or needs.
This kind of swimming training, focusing specifically on eliminating hindrances and drag, is very effective to help you swim faster, for longer, with the least possible effort.The better your alignment in the water, the less turbulence you will create, and the more efficiently you will swim!
Finally, don’t forget to stretch and hydrate yourself to prevent muscle aches the next day. And don’t hesitate to take a cold shower to increase circulation and speed up recovery.
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