Health / July 19, 2019

adventures in swimming + four sample workouts

Swimming is harder than most give it credit for. Sure, joint stress is drastically mitigated due to the lack of impact and break from gravity, but the water provides intense resistance and muscles in the arms, shoulders, abdominals, and legs are all recruited to create a full swim stroke. This Floridian summer averages higher morning temperatures and dew points than summers past (think 80 degrees by 5 am + dew points from 76-78 regularly), and since my last year of running involved non-stop, injury-plagued training cycles, I took both as a sign of reducing my running and trying other forms of endurance exercise. Swimming reaps great cardiovascular benefits, and most of all creates a soothed, relaxed, yet satisfyingly fatigued state once the workout is complete.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional swimmer. I began my more serious waterplay two months ago, and still occasionally have issues submerging my face in the pool. I assure you, however, that even with mechanical flaws and mental blocks, my swimming has improved tangibly since I first struggled to complete a 100m repetition without stopping. Presently, I know I can complete 600m comfortably sans a break. Probably more, too. So this advice comes not from a trained Olympian or triathlete, but a human being who learned solo and developed stroke paces with intent beyond mere survival.

One needn’t merely swim back and forth in the same boring mannerism to create a swim workout. As with any sport, drills and formwork are wise to incorporate regardless of skill or experience. Reps can be lengthened or shortened, certain aspects of ability targeted (endurance vs. speed, for instance). No one swimmer is the same and no one workout is the same. I find the longer, more moderately-paced workouts satisfying as opposed to hard and constant sprints – makes sense, considering my greater leaning towards long distance running – but I mix the latter in to give my body more variety and interest.

Confused with swim terminology? Below is a quick breakdown of some terms I utilize in my graphics. Read on following the glossary for the workouts themselves! All can be modified to fit any skill level by shortening warmups and cooldowns, reducing repetitions, and cutting out any segment which seems too difficult.

(PS: Curious about swim skincare? My morning skincare routine outlines how I retain moisture in my complexion from chlorine exposure while fighting acne and oiliness.)

SWIM TERMINOLOGY 101

Freestyle: The fastest and most common of strokes. The motion resembles a windmilling of the arms, accompanied by a fluttering kick in the legs.
Breaststroke: My favorite recovery stroke. Leg motion resembles a frog kicking, while the hands start in an open-palm, prayer-like position at the chest before pushing forward, then outwards towards both sides of the body.
Backstroke: Another good recovery stroke and for beginners who are nervous about submerging their faces in the water. Resembles a freestyle stroke, except the swimmer lies on his back and looks up towards the sky instead of into the water.
Kick: Using only the legs to propel oneself through the pool. A kickboard is utilized so the swimmer’s arms and upper torso are supported. Flutter and dolphin are two common kicking forms, with flutter being the most beginner-friendly.
Pull: Using only the arms to swim. Get yourself a pull buoy to hold between your thighs and stabilize the lower body. Strokes such as freestyle, breast, and fly are common in these drills.
Catch-Up: a drill in which one arm “catches up” to the other at the top of the stroke before the already-lengthened arm is permitted to begin its stroke. This teaches efficiency, a longer stroke, and more total body control.

WORKOUT #1: BEGINNER’S INTERVALS