Why Won't My Swim Improve?! | 3 Reasons You're Not Swimming Faster

[@gtn]

Is there something you've found has really helped improve your swimming? 🤔 Share it with our community in the comment section below! 💬

[@tinyrunner88]

Improving frequency has been the biggest thing for me. I got lots of great swim coaching from a young age so my technique is solid but moving from 2 to 3 times a week made a big difference. I know it’s frequency rather than overall volume as when I’ve spread the same mileage over 2 days I didn’t see the same improvement.

[@ngdawgs1]

I’m guilty of swimming for 40 to 45 min straight at the same pace. I guess I’m more worried about just getting out of the water then make up time on the bike and run. What has helped me is swimming against someone else. Makes me work harder and go faster.

[@jamiefuhrman403]

TriDot Pool School! They have multiple offerings and locations throughout the year and the coaching is top notch.

[@carlbyronrodgers]

Technique,hydrodynamics and flow.

[@dylancmiller]

Biggest game changer for me was counting my strokes and shooting for a lower count. I was stuck around 2:20 / 100 for months and dropped under 2:00 with that one drill

[@davidporter2828]

Yes, you are so right Mark. I started swimming last January (@60 years) and entered my first triathlon races as well, so I'm 14 months in now. Huge gains were made last year, but now I'm definitely stuck in terms of pace. And I have tried all of your suggestions! I don't want to lose sight of the fantastic progress made, but it would be nice to see a slightly faster swim time. 😀 The key for me is to keep getting in the water consistenly (3× weekly) and make sure enjoyment is part of the equation.

[@gtn]

Great to hear you've been making so much progress! You're definitely doing the right thing, keep practicing and enjoy it! You will get there! We have a video here on swimming drills 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn-Yfq2Xr9yhqMk swimming faster is mainly about technique so give them a try! 🙌

[@brianpmack]

"Getting faster is the entire goal." For the majority of people watching this video that will likely be true. The main goal for some of us is simply to build and maintain fitness while minimizing the chance of injury. Swimming the same sets week after week can certainly lead to boredom. The suggestions of changing up the sets, and working on strength and flexibility are applicable to everyone, regardless of their pace goals.

[@triroo107]

Maybe the BEST swimming video you guys have done. The Swim is most people dreaded event, finding a pace/ speed that meets your goal and working on your efficiency (stroke) to minimize the effort or energy spent to achieve that goal. the swim is the path to bike and run… where you need all the energy you can have, swimming sub 60 in an IM vise sub 75… thats is a ton of effort and maybe wasted energy.Varying pace in the Pool is a must and open water work is to build trust in your ability to relax and break the security of the lane lines and the Walls…. Thanks to Heather for showing a lovely swimming technique, it almost Swim Run season… Final 15 km is calling your name again….

[@gtn]

High praise - thank you! Good luck with the training 🙌

[@HighwayStarGR]

I was able to bring down my time from at around 2:30-2:35/min to 2:10-2:20/min and that was it. Since I started doing 70.3 events my main focus has been endurance and being able to make it in good standing out of the swim. 42-45mins on a 2k? That works for me, I’ll pick up the pace on the bike or run 😊

[@SBoots29]

Excellent. I was in a rut to pound on the metres and improve my breathing. I accomplished that and then my Garmin had to go in for warranty. That made me realize that there was more to just bumping the walls. I now do intervals with rest stops.Not everything needs to go on Strava. I never wanted to rest because that was meters not gained. Now that the breathing stroke is nailed down it is now time for the speed work not forgetting the technique that goes with it. In two weeks we will see what I accomplished. Cheers

[@gtn]

Sounds like you've found a much better balance that works for you! Let us know how your speed has changed in two weeks! 🙌

[@Marcel0BL]

My swimming is horrible. I'm always the last one out of the water. Kkkkkk I have noticed that my problem is the panic of the start or lack of proper warm-up. congratulations for the videos. they help a lot. hugs. marcelo from brazil.

[@Xplinter91]

3:08 "You need to work on improving your catch, your pull, your body rotation, body position, your breathing, and of course, your kicking." 🫡

[@alisonwilks302]

I learnt to swim for tri in 2010 . I have done 3 Ironman's and about 8 Half's plus all other distances . I went for a swim on Sunday after a long break and I swear to god I took away the pull buoy and nearly drowned !! I had no forward propulsion , I am unbelievably incredibly shit at swimming . Had my swim analysis at CLS and all they said was straightness and rotation . I demand my Jodie swallow swim video as she has always been my swim goddess and I love her technique ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@gtn]

Hopefully you get your swimming back to normal before long! How long was your break? 🤔

[@robohippy]

For some one who really wants to improve their mechanics/technique, you need underwater video footage. Even if your coach has a lot of experience, there is a lot you can not see from above the water, and can only see from under the water. There are some really fancy camera systems, like $15,000 or so, which have live feed so you can swim and take a look. I think some youngsters need to figure a way to do that with the typical Go Pro cameras. I swim overarm side stroke, probably the only one in the world who swims it seriously, and I see everything in the pool. That is how I coach myself.... No substitute for speed/power/sprint work. Also, I swim a lot of 'catch up' freestyle. Benefits your body rotation, and distance per stroke. I regularly do some lengths of the pool just to practice least # of strokes per length. This teaches you to maximize stroke distance, which essentially is 'efficiency'.

[@Human_478]

Very good information 🙏

[@MrBraindead101]

Thanks for another great video. I agree with the tips, particularly the first - swimming is all about technique. To add to that, there's no substitute for coaching to help iron out flaws. Having said that, the single thing which improved my swimming the most was increasing my stroke rate.

[@mimi_micha8815]

I got much faster since I learned freestyle swimming 5 months ago and slowly getting faster every time. Building up distance and speed with intervals.

[@bennymud]

the last 2 swim sessions I have been averaging 2.10 mins / 100m. witch i'm happy enough with. but id like to get it down a bit! i have invested in a pool boy and some paddles! hopefully these will help me!

[@bwheezer-kj8gs]

I appreciate the need for speeding up or slowing down some parts of these very useful videos, but it would be very helpful if you could indicate in the corner of the screen when that is happening and perhaps by how much. It gets difficult to get a feel of how my stroke rate compares with yours when it may be slowed down, or even speeded up. Same applies to some extent with the running demonstrations.

[@Dilja0001]

Breathing is so difficult to master, even with all the drills, still no improvment. I still swim around 3:12 Per 100m 😅

[@karolpawowski8300]

A few individual lessons helped me a bit at some point, but now I see that test results are getting worse. I think I have to go back and meet with the coach individually to check where I'm doing mistakes again and if they are the old one or there are something new to work on.

[@daviddawn9043]

Good easy tips

[@andreg1860]

I'm so stuck in my swimming!! Need more drills!!

[@JJBpilot]

Fist swimming. You will absolutely improve your high elbow catch. Otherwise you won't go anywhere!

[@saharmansha7839]

Please explain about biycecl swim or put video about it

[@jesuscruz836]

Are you watching Lionel, Sam?

[@ruslanyergeshev5216]

Nice goggles! What is the brand and the model?

[@gtn]

They're the Magic5 Goggles!

[@ngdawgs1]

Lol.. that intro is totally me 😂🤣

[@НурикОмарев]

2min per 100 meters is a pretty good pace! What else do you want?!!!!!

[@derspen]

I am struggling with the timing. It looks like I am swimming catch up. I am swimming a 3:30 per 100 m. I would be so contented swimming 3:00 per 100 m. I am training for the Olympic distance triathlon. I am doing fairly well on the bike and running.

[@paulwright1150]

I have hit a plateau at 1:30 css. The thing is that I’m doing Coniston end to end in June, Do I aim to get faster or put in the steady endurance?

[@ulfcarlsten1243]

My problem is my breaststroke. I learned swimming two years ago, now I can swim breaststroke for 200 meters. But I cant keep up with other swimmers, Im always the last one. How can I swim faster? (I am 78 years old).

[@notmyrealname6272]

Nice one. I found that watching videos specifically on breaststroke timing really helped me go a lot faster. The KZbin channel MySwim Pro has a great video on this but there must be millions. Honestly it made a massive difference for no extra physical effort. Worth a try?

[@darinhousenga3898]

I can swim 1.50 on hundred for little over mile but I can get down to 1.38 on a hundred but only for 750 yds and I'm shot. Is it my strength down or stamina and thank you for all your gtn video's I'm learning a lot on triathlon

[@gtn]

Glad to hear our videos are useful to you! Is there anything you'd like to see from us in the future that would be useful to you? 👀

[@darinhousenga3898]

@@gtn more cycling techniques thank you

[@sbyrstall]

What do you do if you find lap swimming so boring that no matter how you change training nothing makes it worth the effort?

[@gtn]

Sounds like a questions for #gtncoachescorner 🙌

[@amorr73]

Join a squad or swim with other people. This adds a lot of enjoyment to swim training for me. Also a squad under a coach makes your sessions more structured and you work harder than on your own.

[@nicoleliang7700]

Can you always get faster? How do you know if you have actually hit a plateau?

[@seulebrg]

So real - I am slower now than 2019...#DuathlonTransition

[@nightsfalling]

I feel my pace gets slower when I add more distance. Also, when I’m tired from a long run. I vary my workouts and see a bit of improvement some days but after a while, I get back to the same pace.

[@KlemenSuligojTri]

This is me right now

[@gtn]

Hopefully this video helps? 👀

[@riyabatra6013]

I am unable to get my head out for breathing in freestyle😢😢

[@TarmoLauri]

Improve your technique? Really?