How to learn to swim faster. Is swimming fast crawl easy? Learn how to learn to swim properly crawl or fast swimming technique How to improve your swimming time

Workout for the best fifty dollars crawl

The 50m sprint initially engages two of the three energy systems available to the human body. Accumulated and anaerobic energy are the two main ways to deliver the substances necessary for explosive strength (adenosine triphosphate) to the muscles. However, at the very end of the 50-meter distance, when the outcome of the swim is almost certain, aerobic energy begins to act. Therefore, this system is also important in the sprint race.

All three energy transmission systems have the ability to adapt to their surrounding circumstances when they are stressed for a period of time in those circumstances. This means that in order to improve anaerobic systems, an athlete must train under stressful circumstances. The same is true for the aerobic system.

The supply of stored energy (ATP and creatine phosphate) with maximum implementation lasts approximately 8-10 seconds. It is difficult to say exactly how much more of this resource can be generated by training the body in stressful situations (alactic training) or using creatine (which is very controversial), but the amount of this energy can definitely increase. Alactic swimming training consists of repeating the maximum load for 8-10 seconds so that the body does not need to start producing ATP, after which there must be a proper recovery time for the accumulation of a new store of stored energy. Recovery time is approximately 30 seconds.

The development of another anaerobic energy system, the production of ATP (anaerobic glycolysis), which begins to act after 10 seconds of maximum exercise up to about a minute, occurs through the so-called lactate training. Such workouts include max-load repetitions for longer than 10 seconds (about a minute) with enough interval so that the aerobic system does not have time to start. This rest interval is usually 1-3 minutes, depending on the duration of the maximum load. This part of the anaerobic system is not improved by increasing the rate of ATP production, which is equal in the amount of trained and untrained muscles, but it is improved by improving the ability to store lactic acid. The release of hydrogen ions as a product of anaerobic glycolysis lowers the pH of the body. Lactate training improves the ability of muscle cells to excrete hydrogen ions. Human body has a very poor tolerance for pH changes (oxidation) and if the body becomes too "oxidized" then muscle contractions are greatly weakened. Athletes know this feeling all too well...

The quickest and easiest way to raise your pH and bring it back to neutral is to increase your breathing rate by exhaling more carbon dioxide. That's why swimmers don't have to breathe a lot at the start of a race, but the closer they get to the end, the faster the pH drops and oxygen starvation (or carbon dioxide supersaturation) occurs.

Since the aerobic energy system (aerobic respiration) comes into play towards the very end of the 50m, swimmers must develop this system as well. Too much a large number of training to develop this system can be detrimental to a sprinter's technique and can change muscle composition to increase the slow fibers that are essential for endurance. Usually sprinters devote the very beginning of the season to the development of aerobic systems, and in the middle and towards the end they are mainly engaged in anaerobic exercise.

All three human energy systems can develop depending on the characteristics of training, but the fact remains that the mass and composition of the muscles largely depend on the luck (or bad luck) of the sprinter. The predominance of fast fibers means the ability to generate significantly more force than slow fibers. Types of fast muscle fibers do not recover as quickly as slow ones, so sprinters cannot maintain high speed for a long time. All swimmers have a certain amount of both fibers, which determines their ability. Over time and during training, one fiber can be converted into another.

Swimming is unique in that it presents the paradoxical relationship between muscle mass and speed. Because of the unusually sensitive relationship between a swimmer's body structure and drag, bigger doesn't always mean faster. In fact, at distances over 50 meters, more, even if it means stronger, very often means slower. Power training in swimming is one of the most controversial topics, because it is full of paradoxes and oddities.

Finally, due to the significant contribution of footwork to a swimmer's speed, there are a number of exceptional sprinters (from the word exception) whose muscles are not necessarily composed of fast fibers, but they swim very quickly. Yes, the speed of kicking with a practiced technique can determine a very good result in a sprint.

In conclusion, if your goal is to become a better sprinter, then no matter what anatomical and physiological qualities you are gifted with, first master the high-octane sprint technique. Then, train your anaerobic systems, not forgetting about aerobic (in moderation). You will need all three. Next, build strength out of the water, but don't pump over. And finally, work on technique fast feet, they will most noticeably improve your result.

The article was prepared and translated by the site using materials from the resource: SwimSwam.com

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Learning to swim without the use of assistive devices for an adult allows strict discipline, the study of basic theory. It is recommended to start independent development of the practical side of swimming only after familiarization with safety precautions and rules of conduct in the pool.

You can learn to swim at any age. The only obstacles for an adult to achieve the desired goal may be prejudices and fears. Getting rid of them allows a clear understanding that swimming in the pool and in the open water brings not only pleasure, but also has a beneficial effect on health.

Swimming lessons on a regular basis contribute to:

  • development of the respiratory system;
  • training of the heart and blood vessels;
  • stimulation of metabolic processes;
  • strengthening the muscles, immunity and nervous system.

You should start learning to swim in a shallow pool or open water. The legs should feel solid support, the head and shoulders should be above the water. Feeling completely safe and gaining confidence allows the presence of a person who knows how to swim well.

An alternative may be classes with a qualified trainer. Attendance at special classes is not prerequisite You can learn the basics of swimming on your own.

How to breathe correctly?

Learning to swim crawl, the movement of the legs is biting and fast. The more intense the blows, the greater the speed develops. Breaststroke requires a different movement technique, reminiscent of the movement of a frog in water. It is easier to learn how to move your legs, mastering the breaststroke, holding your hands either on the side of the pool, or using a special board that supports the swimmer on the water.

How to learn to swim crawl and breaststroke?

The easiest to learn for a beginner swimmer is the crawl. It is not very difficult to master this technique. They lay down on the water with their faces, begin to sort out alternately with their legs, lowering and raising them. At the same time they wave their hands. First, one of the hands is brought forward, lowered into the water, and the palm folded in the bucket is stroked towards the thigh. Perform the same movement with the other hand.

Swimming crawl, the air is taken into the lungs for every second stroke. To take a breath, the head is first taken out of the water and then turned towards the moving arm. Take in air with your lungs as much as possible. It is impossible to swim for a long time without a sufficient level of oxygen.

Breaststroke is a little more difficult than crawl, but you can master it quickly enough. The main thing to consider is that the movements when swimming with a breaststroke should be synchronous and similar to those made by a swimming frog. It is more difficult to learn how to swim with a butterfly. It is recommended to master this technique with experienced coach. The specialist will demonstrate the movements by his own example and check the correctness of their implementation.

Sports swimming requires special training. TO professional career it is almost impossible to prepare an adult swimmer. Appropriate trainings and loadings have to begin since the childhood.

Swimming in the pool

Swimming in the pool is good not only for health, but also for the figure. Regular classes considered effective way release of energy from fat accumulations. What matters is not only the amount of time spent in the pool, but also the effectiveness.

In order for training to be as effective and safe as possible, you must follow a few simple recommendations:

  1. Exercising on an empty stomach;

Water pressure on the abdominal cavity during swimming is high. If the stomach is full, it is fraught with problems with digestion. There should be 2.5 hours before training, and after training - an hour later.

  1. Train between 16.00 and 19.00;

In the morning, the body is not yet ready for heavy loads, and in the evening, on the contrary, it needs a good rest. If you do it in the mornings or evenings, the training will be less effective than the training done during the day.

  1. You need to visit the pool at least three times a week;

Regular classes are the key to stable results. Constant training accustoms the body to loads, the muscles quickly remember the acquired skills in swimming.

  1. Put on a rubber hat, remove jewelry;

Prolonged exposure to water on the roots negatively affects the condition of the hair, and jewelry can be lost.

  1. Take a warm shower or warm up;

Warmed and prepared muscles allow you to make your workout more effective.

  1. Wear rubber slates.

Walking barefoot on wet tiles can cause injury.

The health benefits of swimming are invaluable. The immune system people who regularly visit the pool is strengthened. They are much less likely to suffer from heart disease, colds and other ailments, are not subject to depression, always arrive in an excellent mood, do not suffer from obesity, have good muscles and proportionately developed body.

I propose a personally invented method of how to quickly and easily learn to swim.
Worked fantastically well for me at the time.
In my youth I swam very badly, only like a dog or with saplings I could swim 20 meters at most, then I was exhausted and went to the bottom.

After I figured out how to learn, I immediately came to the water and immediately swam.
And he swam for a long, long time, without getting tired at all.
The training at my home in the room before it took one hour or even less.

An important point is that you don’t have to disgrace yourself in public, you can just learn at home.
You don't need a coach, nobody at all.


So, we take two stools, put them in the form of a bench in the middle of the room.
We lay down on them with our stomach, so that our arms and legs hang down.
On the floor in front of the face we put a picture with phases of the "breaststroke" style. Here is an example like this:

This picture lacks the truth, descriptions of when to breathe in and out.
But in principle it is clear: where the head is above the water - a quick breath. When it descends into the water, exhale slowly.

These movements need to be stupidly memorized, finished off to automatism, always along with breathing. And that's it.
The speed of movements can be seen on some thread of the video like this:

But in general, the speed can be varied within fairly large limits, you will still swim.
The main thing is to repeat everything in a coordinated manner and breathe correctly!
You can lower your head lower or higher, it doesn't matter.
Hands can also row in different ways, this is also insignificant.

It is important to feel this cycle on a stool: we lie down on the water, face into the water - exhale, then we rake / raise with our hands upper part torso up and take a breath -> straighten your arms forward and at the same time push with your feet. At the same time, we completely relax and exhale into the water. We slide freely, rest and exhale directly into the water. Then everything repeats - hands raise their heads out of the water with a stroke, inhale and so on.

It is also important that the push with the legs is effective - then there will be time for relaxation-sliding. To do this, it is necessary that the feet at the time of the push must be perpendicular to the movement. The more effective the push with your feet, the more time to rest.

After such a self-learning procedure, I then came to the water, pushed off with my feet, “lay down” in a slide on the water as in the first picture, and immediately swam almost professionally. That's right, straight away. Without any pillows, circles.
I couldn't believe it at first, I can't express these feelings. Before that, I suffered for years, but here it turned out to be so simple and easy.

Exactly from that moment I now swim just like I walk. I mean, I don't get tired at all. I can swim for hours without the slightest fatigue. The only limit is the water temperature.
Now the idea that you can swim, get tired and drown is perceived in the same way as walking, getting tired, falling down and killing yourself on the asphalt. That is hard to understand ;)

An important disclaimer - I haven't told anyone about this method yet.
I don’t know how my way of self-learning will work for others.

And I have no idea, maybe it was invented before me. Anyway, I have not heard anything about such a method.
But what I've seen coaches teach in swimming pools is no good.

Be that as it may - why not try if you don't know how to swim?
The main thing is not to jump to the depth right away, otherwise there is no risk;)

The off-season is the perfect time to work on your technique. Whether you're planning to take a short break after a long and challenging season, or you're already hard at work preparing for the next one, you'll definitely want to work on the items below, as the list provides a list of tips to help you improve your crawl technique and make your swimming more efficient.

I agree that even the best coaches in the world are unlikely to be able to compile a single exhaustive list of technical guidelines that guarantee you unconditional success, but the 10 tips below include everything basic elements, which you always need to keep in mind when swimming freestyle (or as it is also called by the people - crawl). With a little bit of effort, and perhaps a couple of tips from an experienced instructor or fellow swimmer, following these 10 tips will allow you to know all the basic tricks of perfect front crawl technique by heart. I do not rule out that you already own a couple of them, or perhaps you are just learning how to swim correctly. In any case, no best moment do your technique than right now. I advise you to take one technical element per week and give it your maximum attention in each workout. After learning one technical element, move on to the next, but do not forget about the previously learned. Thus, in ten weeks you will not only achieve a significant improvement in your own swimming technique, but also gradually stop constantly thinking about how you swim, since the entire base will be developed gradually over several months, brought to automatism. Instead of overloading yourself with a thousand different little things and aspects at once, you will consistently work on your technical base, adding more and more new parts of it over and over again.

  1. Head position in crawl swimming.

Body position in the water is perhaps the most important aspect of effective swimming; and from the position of the head, it just depends on how exactly your body lies in the water. Look straight ahead so that the edge swimming cap was just below the surface of the water. neck and upper muscles the backs should be relaxed, giving the body the most extended position, parallel to the bottom of the pool; the head itself should be tilted forward at an angle of no more than 45 degrees. If you push your head too hard against your chest, you will create additional water resistance and make it much more difficult to move. This mistake will also drastically change the position of the whole body, drowning the torso and failing the hips. Accordingly, if you raise your head too high, the head will again create additional resistance, and the muscles of the neck and upper back will soon become overstressed, causing additional fatigue and discomfort.

2. Stretch forward when swimming.

During each of your strokes, try to stretch your arm forward as far as possible. Many inexperienced swimmers start the catch by putting their hand into the water right in front of their head. You don't need to do that! Concentrate on having your arm touch the water at a distance of about 30-40 cm from the head, and then extend another 10-15 cm by straightening the shoulder. This is a short movement involving shoulder joint(imagine standing and trying to reach a high ceiling) will help make your stroke longer and smoother, as well as maximize water capture.

3. Rotation of the body when swimming crawl.

The rotation of the body is closely related to the mechanics of sequential forward movement; alternately rotating the body around the axis, you contribute to the removal of the shoulder forward at the end of each stroke. When your right hand fully unbends, stretching forward (and left hand already almost out of the water, starting the next stroke), the body should turn to the right. This means that all Right side your torso should be completely submerged and facing the bottom of the pool, while your entire left side should be fully facing the ceiling. With the next stroke, your torso turns to the left, changing its position by 120 degrees. Imagine a grilled chicken rotating on a sword not in a circle, but back and forth, this is how your torso should work during each new stroke.

4. "Eights".

Sequentially moving forward, you pull your body up with your hands, trying to grab as much as possible. large quantity water. Everyone knows that the most short distance between two points is a straight line, but in swimming, the last thing you want to do is stroke your arm in a straight line (this is difficult and inefficient). Instead, when crawling, try to lead your hand in a line that looks like the English letter S (a slightly longer way to complete the stroke); both hands should move so that their trajectories together resemble a figure of eight or an hourglass silhouette (8). At the beginning of the stroke, the arm is extended forward, away from the body. At this point, keep your elbow high. As soon as you grab the water with your palm, bring your hand back to the body, in a curve, towards the navel; then stretch it to the thigh and take it out of the water again.

5. Bring the stroke to the end.

When your arm finishes drawing the figure eight underwater, it should extend along your torso behind you; so that thumb was opposite the buttocks along the line of swimming trunks. Toward the end of the stroke, many swimmers also begin to bend the elbow and move the arm out of the water without completing the stroke. You don't need to do that! By shortening the stroke, the swimmer not only begins to move more slowly, but also wastes a large amount of useful energy, making more strokes into the pool (essentially skidding in place).

6. Sprinting, fluttering crawl footwork.

Performing kicks is extremely energy-intensive, especially in relation to the last segments of the swim distance (especially long ones). Proper and powerful footwork is essential in sprinting, but no matter what your specialty, striking technique is essential to know and execute correctly as it is one of the foundations of efficient and fast swimming. Too often, swimmers themselves create water resistance by kicking the wrong way and reducing their own speed dramatically. Fluttering percussive footwork is a fast, powerful movement of both feet up and down. Try to create as little foam as possible by keeping your feet below the surface of the water (not too deep). The legs should change position depending on the inclination of the torso during axial rotation. Be careful not to let your feet dangle in different sides as the body rotates. Keep your feet together, in line with your entire body, and don't let them go beyond the horizontal line of your shoulders and head (imagine swimming through a hole in a car tire, keep your feet together close enough not to touch the inside edges of the hole).

7. Crawl stayer cross-leg work.

Stayer shock work with legs differs from sprint work in that it is rather not aimed at development high speed movement, but to maintain the chosen rhythm. In swims of half a kilometer or more, it is best to use crossover kicks, in which you cross your ankles every stroke (or through the stroke). Cross kicks come naturally for some swimmers, while for others they are very difficult. Try both techniques and see how you feel. Remember that cross kicks are less energy intensive and are very useful on long and over long distances, but almost do not contribute at all speed dial speed.

8. Head position during inhalation when swimming crawl.

When turning your head to inhale, make sure that its tilt does not exceed 90 degrees. The mistake of many swimmers is that they turn their head at an angle of more than 100 degrees, showing almost the entire face (both eyes) above the surface of the water. You need to learn how to keep your head parallel to the surface of the water so that one eye is above the surface and the other is below it. There is no need for a deeper turn of the head; in addition, it will require a lot more effort from you and increase the resistance of the water, destabilizing the position of the torso. Also, in no case do not raise your head forward, as some beginners do. The only case when it is worth doing this is the water polo crawl, which is partially used in open water swims for orientation in space. In all other cases, your swimming will be like driving a car with an anchor attached to the bumper)

9. Breathing patterns in crawl swimming.

Of course, it is best to inhale on both sides (bilateral breathing). It does not interfere with the stroke and helps maintain a balanced body position. Swimmers who only inhale to one side are at risk of developing a bad habit by performing uneven, one-sided strokes, and during competition, bilateral breathing helps to keep track of opponents on both sides of you. In open water, bilateral breathing will allow you to swim straight; inhaling on one side you will swim in an arc, beveling the trajectory of movement to the left or right. Force yourself to inhale on both sides. This will give you solid benefits!

10. Starts and finishes in crawl swimming.

Most athletes neglect the importance of start and finish. Even as you push off the rail for the next rep, try to keep your body as streamlined as possible with your arms extended over your head in a V-shape. Finish each rep with a few powerful strokes, accelerating toward the rail rather than stopping by momentum drifting your head up off the ground. Be perfectionists in everything, pay attention to your every move. Remember that we learn with every repetition, and if you carelessly start and finish in training, all this will sooner or later carry over to the competition. Above all, remember that the more streamlined your body position is when pushing off the rail, the more you slide and the less you have to swim!

By and large, to achieve results in any sport, you need three things: be persistent, persevere and not skip workouts. If we add specifics, then we are talking about three pillars of training: technique, volume of training and its intensity, that is, structure. All three elements are related, but the fundamental one is correct technique- without it, the hours spent in the pool will be of no use.

The main advantage of swimming is the participation in the process of almost all the muscles of the body and the active involvement of the respiratory system. This consumes a large amount of energy, so swimming in the pool is called one of the most active species fitness for weight loss. However, in addition to the desire to lose weight, swimmers have another goal - to learn how to do it well.

This is where the secret of technique lies: in water you can easily use up all your energy and not get results that you can be proud of in front of you. Many people face this problem, lose motivation and eventually give up swimming because they cannot see tangible results.

A matter of technology

Errors in swimming technique will become the factor that reduces not only the very speed of movement in and under water, but also limits the ability to overcome long distances. It is important to understand that only the correct work of the limbs, correct position bodies in the water correct breathing will push forward. Mistakes lead to floundering, where you simply try to stay afloat and fight the water to keep from drowning.

There are three ways to learn this technique: difficult, long and fast. The first - the most inefficient - theoretical. You can read articles and books about swimming, or watch others swim. If this method suits you, get down to business and make sure that you understand what is written correctly. It is a little easier to learn from training courses: from videos or online swimming schools.

Of course, the fastest way to master the technique is to train under the supervision of a professional trainer. Effective, but, as a rule, expensive, and there may simply not be a trainer in the nearest pool. But the result personal training will come pretty quickly - a professional will notice and correct all errors. One of the training options is group training, as a rule, they are cheaper.

A good option would be to enroll in a swimming school like Moscow's I Love Swimming or T.E.M.P. are both group and individual sessions with special control of technology and general development amateur athletes.

In addition to motivation, the coaches of these schools will give you all the technical knowledge about two important things: forward arm movement and stroke. These are the basic elements of swimming, on which all the technique of moving in water for any style is built, and, of course, they ultimately affect the speed. If you do not master these nuances, you will have to work hard with your legs and spend all your energy on pushing, losing strength over any significant distance.

How much to train?

The volume of loads is an equally important part in developing your ability to swim long distances and develop as a swimmer. In fact, you will not need to spend in the pool every day, especially as in other types of fitness, the muscles will need rest for their development and recovery. In order to "drive technique into the muscles", select 2-3 days a week in which you can consistently work out.

There is no ideal number of classes and cannot be, it all depends on your goals and capabilities. If you manage to swim 4-5 times a week, the results will come faster, but in this case, you will need to take care of sufficient rest and not burden the body with serious workouts in the gym in the remaining days.

Remember that cats can also swim, but in order to do it effectively and with health benefits, you will need to learn the technique and follow all known rules. For example, food and drink: you will need proteins for muscle growth, enough carbohydrates and plenty of water - in the pool, moisture loss goes unnoticed, so always keep a bottle on the side, you can use isotonic.

Beginners, as a rule, require more training, with experience it will be possible to devote time only to honing the technique. The result usually comes after a few months of training, so you can count on noticeable progress after 4-5 months of training under the supervision of an instructor. You can swim your first kilometer in a couple of months - hundreds of graduates of amateur swimming schools testify to this.

Intensity of classes

Some believe that training in the pool is different from any other in its structure. That is, they think that the process is as follows: come, change clothes, put on a cap and goggles, and swim until the time runs out. Meanwhile, there are also warm-ups, cool-downs, sets, and reps with rest between sets. Coaches also make plans, and one workout per week or week is different from the others.

As a rule, a warm-up is the same warm-up of the muscles, only it happens in the water. You just swim hundred meters at a low pace, it takes the same 10-20 minutes as in the gym. You don’t need to work on a specific muscle group here - just swim at a comfortable pace. Approximately the same amount of time it takes basic movements and repulsions, the rest of the time - sets with approaches for 100-200 m and a rest between them up to 30 seconds. At the end of each workout, 5-10 minutes should be spent on a hitch - swimming at a very low rhythm and stretching "on the shore".

It is important to always remember that you come to the pool not just to swim, you have a goal - to increase the speed of the track. Therefore, the sets need a serious approach. Some will be focused on long-distance endurance, others on sprint intervals on the ability to accelerate.