Swimming Training Program - Secret Tip Legs - Inertia

[theraceclub]

Work the legs. My brother-in-law made the Olympic Team in the 200 breast stroke one year after bilateral shoulder surgery. He trained by kicking only...and swam the best times of his life. The legs are under-appreciated for their value and contribution to swimming speed.

[theraceclub]

A six beat kick means that within a cycle (hand entry to hand entry) there are three down kicks with the right foot and three down kicks with the left foot. There are two arm strokes (right and left) that occur in each cycle. If one were to include the upkicks as well, there are really 12 propulsive efforts with the legs/feet during one stroke cycle, using a six beat kick. That is why the legs need to be in such great shape.

[theraceclub]

thank you. The legs are really a key to fast swimming...and they need to be trained very hard to sustain the effort.

[courageousdose]

Thanks for the clear explanations coach. Vertical arms-raised kicking drill attempted followed by 5 minutes of rescuscitation!

[theraceclub]

It is never too late to improve your kick and your core!

Gary Sr.

[theraceclub]

Yes...if you tend to overkick, the band is good to help keep the kick tight and narrow. Keep the pressure or force on the water in both directions at all times while kicking to get fast.

coach gary sr.

[theraceclub]

I agree. Each swimmer must use the technique that works best for both the distance of the event and the strength of the swimmer.

[theraceclub]

Glad we can help. The legs have to be in incredible shape to swim fast. Gary

[ferminlujano]

These past few day's, I was practicing swimming because I didn't know how to swim, But ever since I saw this video It gave me a demonstration on how I must swim.

[BlackThunder]

this video was a very good demonstration of just how important it is to have lower leg strength. I can swim freestyle fairly well, but my kicks definitely need improvement. I'm glad this video shows a person how to improve their kicking technique.

[theraceclub]

No. The knees should bend during the kick...but the right amount. Without bending the knees, one cannot generate enough power at the foot (where most of the force comes from) during the kick. Bend the knee too much and the frontal drag increases greatly, causing a significant slowing of the body.

[drjonnie]

I can't thank you enough for doing these videos Gary. I just keep thinking that knowing the information in these videos is the difference between being a swimmer and being a really fast active drowning victim.
Thanks again.

[theraceclub]

You need both legs and arms working with the core to swim fast...but the legs require more conditioning than the arms. The legs usually die first in a race.

[theraceclub]

Speed definitely effects drag forces, but maintaining a constant speed is a more efficient way to swim. Kicking well helps do that.

[robohippy]

Well, still learning to kick... One transition problem I have with the 2 beat kick, to the 3 beat kick is the count.... raspberry for right foot, lemonade for left foot. (Chloe Sutton says strawberry/blueberry). What I am trying to figure out, while swimming with the kick board, is how to get that 30 or so degree rotation in my hips, rather than the typical minimal wiggle in the hips, but very little actual rotation. What the little wiggle seems to do is that most of the kicking action is straight up and down. When doing the full stroke, the first kick may be straight down, but the other two are at an angle so you can raise the heel higher without it coming out of the water, so you actually get a little more range of kick, and a bit more power... Especially after learning about pronating my feet, my 50 yard lap time for flutter kick went from under 2 minutes to 1:30.... That going pigeon toed really helps swimmers like me who don't have the ankle hyperflexion that the elite swimmers have...

[theraceclub]

If you use a 6 beat kick for a longer period of time that a sprint, one must learn to soften the intensity of the kick. No one can sustain an intense 6 beat kick for more than about 400 meters...but get your legs in shape to keep the 6 beat. It is worth it.

[garyhallsr]

Very few swimmers work their legs hard enough to get them in shape. A great kick demands pushing the leg in both directions and at a very high rate of speed. It also demands extreme flexibility in the ankle and hyperextension of the knee joint...not naturally occurring situations. If you want to kick faster, work a lot more on kicking, ankle flexibility drills and the 'foot fibrillation' dryland drill. Our Race Club videos contain most of these drills to help you. Gary Sr.

[nerd]

Sir Gary, your flick of ankle drill is awsome now i know why it is your favorate one. my swimming is improving fast owing to your great swimming phillosopy and insightfulness.

[theraceclub]

Our pleasure...life is worth swimming.

[theraceclub]

Thanks for watching! It's not easy to improve your leg strength and will take a lot of hard work... keep at it and you'll start to see the results... good luck