In order for you to know how to swim properly, or how to use swimming as a tool for total body loosening, you must understand the muscle structure of cyclers and cross country runners.
But even before that… why do we even need swimming for? Is it any good?
Should we learn how to swim freestyle differently if we are flexible or if not? and in which swimming technique should we use?
When an athlete gets hurt and the doctors prescribes him rest (by the way, when your doctor tells you to get some rest after getting injured, you know it’s time to switch to a different doctor. But this is a subject for another article), he gets down. Personally, I can testify I would get clinical diagnosed depressed. The sports helps me concentrate, do well at work, keep my weight down and energy level up, as well as being a better husband and dad. It is only understandable I would get depressed if I couldn’t train.
The sport is my little piece of heaven(especially when having 4 kids), so I wouldn’t let anyone take it away from me. Swimming is great by itself, but also as a loosing up activity post cycling or running, or when we are injured and temporarily aren’t capable of running or cycling (in the next few swim WEST articles we discuss swimming as rehabilitation).
As our white muscle (fast twitching muscles) mass increases, we can lift heavier weights. However, it comes with faster sinking in the water.
I will go ahead and try to explain how the same movement in different sports can sink one down or float him up.
In order for understanding the table I would like to discuss specific gravity: body mass, relative to water mass. As specific gravity decreases, floating increases. Examples- wood floats, and metal sinks.
The shorter our muscles are (such as weights lifter muscles), the higher the muscle specific gravity (greater than 1 sinks in, smaller than 1 floats up).
It explains why cyclers or runners sink in, unless they stretch quite a bit at the end of each workout, or practice yoga, as part of their training program.
It is worth mentioning that women, of any sport type, float better. It is due to the beauty of the feminine body 🙂 , and lower specific gravity than a male body type.
Another reason is stretching the arms up. Cyclers and runners have their arms down most of the time, which decreases movement range of motion, and makes it harder to lift the arms up in a ballerina style.
80% of runners and cycles do not stretch at the end of workout.
After saying all of the above, I must say that personally I don’t like being told what I do wrong, and much rather to be told what could be done to get better:
I highly recommend you fill out the questionnaire in order to get you online WEST swimming technique program with a 50% off coupon >>>
This program is a great online program which will elongating your muscles,treat lower back, improving your conditioning level as well as floating ability. Elongating your muscles means making them more elastic, and lactating out much later in the race/workout, it also improves your cycling and running abilities- which is the most amazing thing about it.
Few tips for floating-
1. Stretch out your arms to the maximum, while touching your chin with your shoulder in every stroke.
2. Open up your fingers while swimming, and keep your palms loosen. It releases tension and keeps you going longer, without getting tired.
3. Keep your air in, and expire just before you’re about to take a breath.
4. Stretch your arms in a 35cm depth, and not on water surface. It makes it easier for your legs to float up, and prevent putting tension on your lower back.
*It is important to say that those points are only general, and it is recommended you undergo a specific diagnosis, in order to improve your technique and floating ability (and allow you to enjoy swimming of course).
*WEST technique treats thousands of people around the world, by loosing up their lower back, neck, and adjusting their stroke to their specific body type.
*At first, swimming could seem as a hard thing to do, for the cyclers and runners among you, but with only small changes of adjusting the proper swimming technique to your body type, swimming becomes very doable, as well as improving your cycling and running abilities!.
