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Wednesday Workout

3 x 200 swim (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke)

3 x 200 kick (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke)

6 x 100 pull (using kickboard as a pull buoy)

6 x 100 kick (easy, medium, fast, repeat)

6 x 100 swim (easy, medium, fast, repeat)

10 x 50 kick (sprint off first 15 yards)

10 x 50 kick (2 turn 50s, begin in middle of the pool, concentrate on fast turns)

10 x 50 kick (sprint last 15 yards)

400 easy

Wednesday Workout

This Wednesday Workout is a freestyle pyramid.

300 warm up

300 kick

20 x 25 (5 x 25 catch up drill, 5 x 25 fists drill, 5 x 25 zipper drill, 5 x 25 3/3/3 drill)

15 x 50 (25 easy, 25 fast)

10 x 100 (fast)

5 x 200 (negative split)

10 x 100 (medium)

15 x 50 (25 fast, 25 easy)

20 x 25 (kick)

300 cool down

Wednesday Workout

200 warm up

4 x 100 flutter kick with board

4 x 50 flutter kick on back in streamline position

4 x 100 freestyle

4 x 50 (first half of length sprint, easy length and a half)

4 x 50 (fast flipturns)

4 x 50 (easy length and a half, half length sprint)

200 cool down

Wednesday Workout

Firmly established as the trickiest stroke for swimmers to conquer, butterfly is commonly saved to learn last. A short axis stroke like breaststroke, butterfly relies on a teeter totter motion between hips and shoulders - the shoulders come up, the hips go down and vice versa. Often one of the biggest issues for young swimmers learning butterfly is their lack of upper body strength to "pull" their bodies out of the water for each stroke and breath. Butterfly, if done right, does not rely as much on upper body strength as it does on core strength. The teeter totter rocking is powered by the core, a core that helps to shoot the shoulders out of the water so that each stroke and breath requires arm strength primarily for the underwater pull (not the recovery).

In case you weren't sure, this Wednesday Workout is a fly day!

500 free warm up

10 x 75 (25 dolphin kick on back, 25 breaststroke, 25 dolphin kick on back)

200 breaststroke easy

10 x 50 fly drill (1 pull, 5 kicks, 1 pull, 4 kicks, 1 pull, 3 kicks, 1 pull, 2 kicks, 1 pull, 2 kicks...until you reach the wall and repeat)

200 breaststroke easy

10 x 25 breaststroke pull (using the pull buoy, allow your legs a slight dolphin kick)

2 x 25 fly sprint (take the least amount of breaths possible)

5 x 25 breaststroke pull and dolphin kick

2 x 25 fly sprint (take the least amount of breaths possible)

300 cool down

* Dolphin kick on the back is an excellent core workout. To really challenge yourself, try kicking in a streamline position on your back.

Wednesday Workout

Today's workout concentrates on the IM (individual medley). The IM includes each racing stroke: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle (in that order). There are 100 yard, 200 yard and 400 yard IM's. Today we will focus on building up to a 200 IM.

500 warm up

100 flutter kick (fast)

100 freestyle (50 fast, 50 easy)

100 breaststroke kick (fast)

100 breaststroke (50 fast, 50 easy)

100 backstroke kick (fast)

100 backstroke (50 fast, 50 easy)

100 dolphin kick (fast)

100 butterfly (50 fast, 50 easy)

200 IM (50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free)

If you're not tired yet, repeat!

Cool Down:

200 easy kick (choice)

300 easy swim (choice)

What is Swimmer's Ear? And How Does One Avoid It?

Swimmer's ear (Otitis externa) is an inflammation of the ear canal and outer ear. This infection is often treated with prescription eardrops. The predominant, and typically only, symptom of swimmer's ear is pain in the ear. Swimmer's ear differs from other ear aches in that the pain worsens when the outer ear is touched or pulled gently.

To help prevent swimmer's ear:

- Wear earplugs while swimming

- Dry your ears after swimming with a towel or hair dryer

- Use alcohol-based eardrops to clear water from your ears

- Don't use cotton swabs, which can scratch the ear canal and provide an infection site

- Don't swim in polluted water

- To avoid aggravating swimmer's ear, temporarily avoid washing hair or swimming

*Source: Wikepedia

Wednesday Workout

Welcome to 2011 and to Wednesday Workouts! Every Wednesday Physique Swimming will help you to achieve your fitness goals by posting a swimming workout. This week we're starting with a workout of medium difficulty. In all Physique Swimming workouts, please stress technique over speed.

100 free

6x25 flutter kick on front

6x25 flutter kick on back

6x25 flutter kick on side (alternate right/left)

6x25 sprint flutter kick with kickboard

100 easy

6x75 (25 catchup drill, 25 free, 25 catchup drill)

300 easy

Feel the Water, Scull the Water

Two weeks ago I introduced sculling to my Swim Yoga class. It was frustrating to many of my students because it was their initial attempt at sculling. When first sculling, you may feel like you're not moving and, unfortunately, that is EXACTLY why you need to scull. Sculling helps you to feel the water, to build sensory awareness.

A good sculling drill to start with is the kickboard sculling drill, as it allows you plenty of oxygen and doesn't distract you with the additional element of kicking. In this drill, you will sit on the kickboard and try to keep your upper arms motionless on the surface of the water while your lower arms (from the elbow to the fingertips) windshield wiper in and out. Keep in mind that this drill requires core strength. Sit up tall and tighten your abs. This drill can be as hard or as easy as you make it - challenge yourself by keeping your muscles taut.

Workout of the Week

300 freestyle warm up

10x50 flutter kick on side
10x25 flutter kick on back (sprint)

10x50 dolphin kick on front
10x25 dolphin kick on back (sprint)

100 freestyle easy

9x100 freestyle (slow, medium, fast, slow, medium, fast, slow, medium, fast)

100 breaststroke easy

9x100 IM (slow, medium, fast, slow, medium, fast, slow, medium, fast)

200 breaststroke easy

200 freestyle easy

Workout of the Week

100 warm up

2 x 50 flutter kick on back (arms at side)

2 x 50 flutter kick on right side (looking up, left arm leading and right arm at side)

2 x 50 flutter kick on left side (looking up, right arm leading and left arm at side)

2 x 50 flutter kick on back (arms at side)

2 x 50 flutter kick (6 on right side, 6 on back, 6 on left side)

100 easy

2 x 50 6 kick drill (6 kicks, 3 strokes, 6 kicks, 3 strokes)

2 x 50 3 kick drill (3 kicks, 3 strokes, 3 kicks, 3 strokes)

2 x 50 back stroke (concentrating on rotation)

100 easy

Physique Swim & Yoga Clinic

Swimming and Yoga: Two of the best things you can do for your body. Physique Swimming, in partnership with Abhaya Yoga, proudly offers a clinic to enhance participants' understanding of both practices. Our Swimming and Yoga Class emphasizes drills that focus on balance and breathe control, the foundation to each discipline. Combining perhaps the two healthiest forms of exercise, our class presents the perfect opportunity to make a long-term investment in your body.

Session Dates:
November 6 - December 13 (No class 11/27)

Yoga: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Swim: 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Location:
Claremont Preparatory School
41 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

Kick It Up

Kicking is fundamental to your stroke so it's important to push your kicking to the next level. When kicking with a kickboard, your feet will emerge from the water and kick air. Maybe not a lot, but at least a little. One way to get the most out of your kicking is to head to the deep end and do some vertical kicking.

You can tackle vertical kicking several ways. Breaststroke kick, flutter kick and dolphin kick are all options. First kick with your arms in the water. Then try crossing your arms across your chest. For a real test of spirits, continue kicking while your hands are above your head.

Who Needs to Breathe?

Breathing is an issue. First you get your legs kicking nice straight, fast little kicks. Then you get your arms moving up to the ear and down to your side with a nice rotation. You're pulling, you kicking, you're moving. And then you take a breath. It's easy for your stroke to fall apart when you're breathing. Check out these helpful drills to help your freestyle breathing.

The Triumvirate

When I was a USS swimmer, my coach would give us open ended drills. She'd say, "4x100 (swim, kick, drill, swim)" and it would be up to me to choose a drill. More oft than not I would pick the stereotypical catch-up, fists or 3-3-3 drill. Before I teach you these tried and true drills, let's look at a few under appreciated drills that deserve a bit more of our attention.

Slow Arm Recovery with Hesitation: This drill requires proper body position in order to balance with your arm paused out of the water. The body should be rotated onto its side with the shoulder and hip in line. It requires a strong core and kick and will pump your stroke up a notch by helping to nail down the basics of front crawl.

Quick Catch: The catch in freestyle is quite possibly one of the most important pieces of the stroke (hence the last posting on sculling). Aside from the kick, it is what really propels the stroke. So what would make your stroke faster? Well, a faster kick but, too, a faster catch. This drill is perfect if you are looking to speed up your stroke.

High Swingers: High Swingers is another excellent drill for developing proper body position. The arm cannot possibly swing up and around without injuring the shoulder if the body is not rotated. If the body is flat in the water, the shoulder will be pinched during this drill. It will definitely nip your little habit of under rotating in the bud.

How Do you Feel the Water? Scull It!

Louisiana State University Swimming and Diving Coach Adam D. Schmitt writes that:

Sculling is arguably one of the most underused swimming drills to increase good feel of the water and improve the initial catch and thrust of all strokes.

The hands are the key to sculling. A strong stroke starts with a strong catch in the water. To have a strong catch, or feel for the water, the hands need to be strong against the water. While you scull, take notice of how your hand is angled as well as the pitch of your hand (the downward angle). Slide only your hand back and forth in eight- to 10-inch sweeps while also tilting your hand to the appropriate angle.

Think of your hand as a canoe paddle. If you want to go sideways, you would pitch the paddle in such a way that would move you the best way possible. You will NOT go fast doing these drills correctly. This is sculling, NOT pulling! Keep your kick minimal and concentrate on propulsion just from the scull. Your hands and forearms will begin to feel the focus.

Don't scull near the surface. The surface of the pool is not where your stroke is most efficient in moving forward. Correct position feels a little awkward. It is like you are sculling over a big oil barrel, reaching around in an arch with your shoulder blades lifted up, elbows high and finger tips to the bottom of the pool.
Don't go for Speed. I mentioned before, with drills, you do not want to rush them. The point of the drill is to increase your hand strength and the feel and catch of the water.

Don't let your legs override the purpose of the drill. Don't use your kick for propulsion during sculling. Also don't allow your legs to drag down behind you. If body position is an issue, you can put a pull buoy on and let your legs float behind you staying even with the surface of the water.

Check out the video below for a helpful sculling drill.

Freestyle Kicking

Swimming is like a house: if the foundation is unstable, the house will fall apart. In order to develop a strong stroke, you have to develop a strong foundation. The foundation to your stroke lies in the body position and the kick.

Kicking on your side helps you to find your balance while practicing your kick. The key to a strong kick is flexibility in the ankles. The kick, which originates at the hip, has a slight bend in the knee and a pointed toe. When kicking on your side, reach one arm forward so that it rests at the surface of the water. Keep the other arm at your side. Your belly button should be facing the wall. Your knees should be facing the wall. Your toes should be facing the wall with a horizontal kick rather than a vertical kick. You can use two different heads positions, but I recommend looking at the bottom of the pool with the water hitting your head in the middle of your cap. To see Michael Phelps talk about kicking on one's side, check out the movie below:



You can also practice your kick in a streamline position. To learn about pop up breathing while kicking in a streamline, see the video below:

2010 Physique Swim Yoga Clinic, Sunday October 24

Claremont Preparatory School

41 Broad Street
Yoga 9:30am-10:30am
Swim 11:00am-12:30pm

The focus of the Swim Yoga Clinic is to raise awareness of balance and breath control to aid stroke development. By using basic yoga principals outside of the water, swimmers will learn a variety of drills that focus on and establish key elements of balance and breath control, which is the solid foundation that enhances all strokes at any level.

This clinic is the perfect opportunity to meld two beautiful and challenging practices. We hope you will be able to join us this fall!

Physique Swim Camp Song

This summer at Physique swim camp we have a new favorite song. Check it out!

Physique Swim Camp is Lots of Fun
We like to go out & play in the Sun
Swimming 2 times a day in the pool is cool
I'll miss swim camp when I go back to school

La la la la la la la la (sing 4 times)

We go outside and have a blast,
We come back in for arts & crafts,
We hunt for caveman in the park,
Look for aliens in the dark,
Fight the monsters up in space,
As aliens land on Battery Place.

"I don't want to go home!" kids scream "NO!"
'I wish I can stay!" kids scream "Yeah!"

Physique Swim Camp is Lots of Fun
We like to go out & play in the Sun
Swimming 2 times a day in the pool is cool
I'll miss swim camp when I go back to school

La la la la la la la la (sing 4 times)

Discovering the Freedom of Water

Although adults often bring long held fears with them to the pool, their achievements are some of the most astounding simply because of this. It is hard to overcome years of built up fear. But it can be done. It is done. And participating in this achievement, this growth, is terribly rewarding for a teacher. Below please find an article by Melina Slotnick titled "Adult Swimming Lessons: Discovering the Freedom of Water" that honors Physique's approach to teaching adult beginner classes..

Learn Their Story

During an adult's first lesson, take the time to get to know your swimmer before rushing into instruction and techniques. Students often come with luggage, weighing down their potential for success. If you don't take the time to know who they are, you may never get the opportunity to help them discover their freedom in the water. If is your responsibility to help unpack their luggage carefully. Ask them about their water history. "What was your motivation to learn to swim now?" "What's your story?" Share a story of your own experiences and honor them for the effort they made in just signing up for lessons. Recognize their frustration and offer them understanding your willingness to help them learn.

Establish Base of Trust and Respect

An adult non-swimmer has struggled with the embarrassment of not knowing how to swim their whole life. They have missed swim parties, water sports, pool time or safety and have arrived, with anxiety packed neatly in their bag. As their teacher, they do not know to ask. Offer them your constant watchful eye, and keep their safety your utmost concern. Encourage them to try but grant them 'permission' to step back and move at a slower pace. This is their lesson, you are simply guiding them.

Free Them From the Pressure to Perform

For an adult non-swimmer, water is intimidating and their natural inclination is to fight their way through it, or apply too much strength. They often set unrealistic or strict goals, unfortunately making the learning of a task more 'mission oriented' rather than a joyful discovery of how water provides us freedom. Helping them respect the simple fundamental tasks is the most important lesson of freedom.

Give Them Tools to Succeed

Play with the simplest of steps. The basic principals of balance, breathing, body position, relaxing, falling to a flat and feeling the water work with the body rather than against it is your biggest gift to a new swimmer. Be patient and find ways to connect with the person individually. You are making a difference in their life: you are providing them the opportunity to master fear.

Guide the Way

It is okay to challenge your new student with new skills. Explain the importance of what they are doing, and give them time to experiment and explore. What we swimmers love about the water is not the ability to swim from one end of the pool to another, but the freedom water gives us. The freedom to leave it all behind, to come to the pool with no luggage, no worries, no fears. We come to have fun. As a teacher...share your love of the water.