Archive for June, 2009

The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD. Discover the secrets to improving your swim technique, avoiding painful injuries, and shaving minutes off your best triathlon times to date!The sport of triathlon can definitely keep you very busy! Between work, workouts, family, etc., often it is difficult to actually relax. Many triathletes I know are “type A” personalities, and feel like they constantly [...]

The “S” Curve Too many times I have heard swimmers ask me, “should I do the ‘S’ Curve when I pull?” The “S” Curve has been a method, created by the Red Cross, of teaching a swimmer how to do the “proper” pull in freestyle. However, this is not exactly correct. First, there are many things you need to concentrate on and learn in freestyle [...]

Masters swimming offers some wonderful benefits such has the social and motivational aspects of a group, and a coach to give you structured workouts and occassional feedback. However, masters workouts have their downside for many swimmers! If you do belong to a masters group, make sure you are not overdoing it. If your stroke technique is slipping because you are trying to “keep up,” [...]

In this episode, we cover: How should you eat for your best body and most energy for training? References: Tri Swim Coach Newsletter with 5 free online swim lessons: http://www.triswimlessons.com Workouts for Working People book, by Mark Allen & Julie Moss Tri Swim Coach podcast comments: Open up iTunes and type in ‘Tri Swim Coach’ in the search field. Click on the Tri Swim Coach podcast [...]

If you’re swimming on your stomach, you will need to change this bad habit! Triathletes need all the energy they can get, and learning to swim on your side rather than swimming flat in the water will allow you to reserve your energy for the main part of the race. If you’re a stomach swimmer, you are using a lot of muscle to power through the water- as well as burning fuel you will need [...]

Many swimmers enter their hands into the water properly and extend the arm out in front, but then put up a “stop sign”, where their hand curves up in front of them and actually pushes against the water in front of them, causing a slowdown or pause in their stroke. Make sure that you are slicing your hand into the water and extending it straight forward, with your palm facing the pool [...]

On freestyle arm recovery, it seems logical to lift your arm out of the water, and reach as far as you can through the air before putting your arm back into the water to start your next pull. It may come to a surprise to many people to find out that this is inefficient! Reaching through the air and slapping your arm down into the water can result in improper body position at the start of the next [...]

This was from my experience swimming at the Endless Pool at Triathica Academy Triathlon Training Center in Irvine last month. Check it out! For southern California locals I highly recommend checking out the training center and getting videoed. SUBSCRIBE GET 5 FREE ONLINE SWIM LESSONS BY SIGNING UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER! Name: Email:

You may decide that after reading several swimming books, practicing drills and workouts in the pool on your own, joining a masters swim team, and even ordering The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming online, that you need a little outside help to get your swim where it needs to be for a tri. You’re normal! Unless you have a little swimming experience under your belt already, it may be [...]

You are not alone! This is a very common problem among freestyle swimmers. Practice these drills to overcome this and improve your stroke: 1. Kick on your side with your arm extended. Belly button should be pointing directly at the wall, eyes at the bottom of the pool, hand extended. When you need air, roll onto your back and grab a few breaths before going back to head down. 2. Shark Fin Drill. [...]