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Training and Physio Articles:

Welcome to our free swim and triathlon articles page!

Paul is a regular contributor to the TRI TALK FORUM and SLOW TWITCH FORUM where he gives free and balanced advice in response to people's queries about swim technique.

Whilst you will find the training articles beneficial for improving your knowledge of the freestyle stroke, we highly recommend the Swim Smooth DVD boxset as a far more efficient visual aid for helping you with your stroke development and combined with the 8-week interactive training program is sure to have you on your way to much quicker times!

Swim Smooth - your # 1 swim technique resource!

Topics:

Click on the topic links below for Paul's most recent contributions to both triathlon chat forums:

1. Breathing (including Injury Prevention)
2. Body Rotation - the key to a good stroke!
3. Avoiding Swimmer's Shoulder
4. Pool Swimming .vs. Open Water
5. Head Position
6. Training toys / aids
7. Getting the balance between pure technique work and aerobic conditioning right
8. Visualization and Stroke Timing
9. Developing a stronger catch and pull through
10. Stroke Rate .vs. Stroke Length
11. Leg Kick
12. Core Stability
13. Tumble Turns
14. Running Advice
15. Cycling Advice
16. Nutritional Advice (links to respective authors)
17. Article Archives (including Physiotherapy and Injury Prevention)

Bilateral Breathing, How & Why to Develop it:

1. Part 1 An opening discussion about the merits of bilateral breathing
2. Part 2 Looking at Elite Swimmers, the Open Water and a sample session
3. Part 3 Idiosyncrasies of a swimmer changing to bilateral breathing
4. Part 4 Should I be holding my breath when swimming?
5. Part 5 Developing a better roll to your weaker side with the "Corpse Kick" drill
6. Part 6 Effective Single Arm Drills for body roll and developing your bilateral breathing
7. Part 7 Where should my head be when I breathe? Using Popeye as a guide!

Body Rotation - the key to a good stroke:

1. The importance of a good roll and how to improve it! *

*whilst we currently have only one chapter discussing the merits of body rotation, you will see that this fundamental aspect of your stroke crops up in many other areas of discussion on this page, particularly with respect to injury prevention and the catch & pull phase of the stroke. See our topic on body rotation in freestyle in our 10 Steps Guide.

Avoiding Swimmer's Shoulder:

1. Part 1 With respect to balance and injury prevention
2. Part 2 5-tips to avoid shoulder pain by avoiding internal rotation of the shoulder
3. Part 3 Avoiding and dealing with "Swimmers Shoulder"
4. Part 4 Give me "the Bird" and I'll help you stop crossing-over!
5. Further guidance on avoiding Swimmer's Shoulder (3 simple tips)

The Difference Between the Pool and Open Water with respect to Technique:

1. Introduction and considerations
2. Common Issues regarding Open Water Swimming
3. The use of Wetsuits
4. Open Water Anxiety
5. More strategies to combat anxiety in the open water
6. Physiological Benefits of Drafting (Link to Peak Performance)
7. What factors will make me faster in the open water than pool?
8. Struggling to swim straight in the open water?
9. Our philosophy compared with 'others'

Head Position - some important considerations - we are not all the same!

1. Where should my head be positioned when I swim?
2. Having Goggle issues? Click here

Training Toys - what do you need in your swim kit bag?

1. Paddles
2. Pull Buoy
3. Bands
4. Kick Board

How should I be training with respect to technique, duration and intensity?

1. Hard Work .vs. Technique - what is the correct balance?
2. Training Intensity
3. Measuring and Calculating Pace Zones
4. Standard Aerobic Test Set
5. Calculating Critical Swim Speed (Link to Peak Performance)
6. High Heart Rate when swimming
7. Determining your Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds for all sports
8. Getting frustrated with swim technique training
9. Is there only one swim methodology to follow?
10. Swim Smooth - a balanced approach to coaching

Visualizing and Analysing our featured swimmer Bill Kirby's swim stroke:

1. Visualization (clip from the Swim Smooth DVD)
2. Identifying Front Quadrant Swimming
3. Idiosyncrasies of an Olympic Swimmer
4. Further Discussion on Front Quadrant Freestyle Swimming - what other methods are there?
5. Further Biomechanical Analysis of 2 world class swimmers
6. When we talk about a "biomechanical analsis - what exactly do we mean?

Catch and Pull-through Phase - developing your "feel for the water":

1. How Body Roll Benefits Catch and Pull Part 1
2. How Body Roll Benefits Catch and Pull Part 2
3. Enhancing your Feel for the Water - a session explained
4. Developing your Stroke Length and Catch - a session explained
5. Using the drill "1-2-strong stroke" to help smooth out your stroke Part 1
6. Using the drill "1-2-strong stroke" to help smooth out your stroke Part 2
7. How a simple drill like doggy paddle can help your catch
8. Would you ever still use the drill "Catch-up?"
9. The fabled S-Pull Shape - good or bad?
10. Sculling - what is it all about?

Getting the balance between Stroke Rate and Stroke Length right:

1. The Balance Between Stroke Rate and Stroke Length Part 1
2. The Balance Between Stroke Rate and Stroke Length Part 2
3. How to Measure your Stroke Rate
4. Using the Wetronome to work with Stroke Rate effectively
5. Determining your optimal Stroke Rate / Stroke Length balance
6. Swimming "maths" made easy

How to Improve your Leg Kick:

1. Should Triathletes use their legs to kick?
2. "Sea Anchors" - a drill to encourage you to develop your kick
3. Avoiding Foot Cramp Part 1
4. Avoiding Foot Cramp Part 2

Core Stability in swimming:

1. Mental Imagery - How to avoid "fish-tailing" in the pool

Tumble Turns - how to develop your flip-turn:

1. Learning How to Tumble Turn

Running considerations:

1. Keeping things in perspective when injured
2. Using the Galloway Method for your Long Runs Part 1
3. Using the Galloway Method for your Long Runs Part 2

Training for the bike:

1. Imagery Exercises to try for Strength Endurance training on the bike
2. Suggested weekly bike sessions
3. Determining your Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds for all sports
4. Sample Wind Trainer Sessions

Ironman / Training Nutrition Resources:

The reference articles below are links to the direct author and their work:

1. General Nutrition for Triathlon (source: Fuel Triathlon UK)
2. Reducing Stomach "Shut Down" (source: Gordo Byrn)
3. Drinking for Cycling (source: Endurance Coach)
4. Recovery Strategies for Runners (source: Endurance Coach)
5. Your first Ironman (source: Beginner Triathlete)
6. 5 Nutrition Strategies for speeding Recovery (source: Daily Train)
7. Preparing for a Half Ironman (source: Ken Mierke)
8. Keeping Your Immune System Strong (source: Velo News)
9. General Ironman Nutrition Strategies with Mitch Anderson (source: Powerbar)
10. Hyponatremia considerations (source: Rice University)
11. Salt and the athlete (source: Rice University)
12. Sodium, the missing link? (source: Wes Hobson)
13. 10 Essential Nutrients for Endurance Athletes (source: New Hope)
14. Lisa Bentley's Ironman Taper Tips (source: Nigel Gray Coaching)
15. A collection of Ironman Nutrition references from Tigger at TRI TALK

If you would like to post your own query, sign up with TRI TALK and fire away!

Physio Article Archives:

Detailed below are some archival articles written by Michelle on the topic of shoulder anatomy. Click on the banners to access the article (in PDF format):

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Please note, all Swim Smooth documentation is Copyright (C) 2006 Paul S Newsome (R) (C) 070570 Copyright Protection Services International.

All Images contained in the Physio Talk articles are courtesy of 1988 Anatomical Chart Co., Skokie, Illinois