Boot camp Melbourne

However, even if you don’t live near the coast, you can always hightail it to a pool. No matter
where you do it, swimming is one of the best forms of exercise on the planet.
It’s a total body workout that involves the arms, legs, back and lots of muscles we don’t ordinarily
use, and at the same time it’s low-impact and easy on thejoints, which is why it’s often recommended
as part of recovery from injury, and as a complement to other forms of training.
And as an added bonus: it’s a great way to burn fat. Now, we’re going to assume most of you can swim.
If you can’t, take lessons or have a friend teach you. And with summer on its way, it’s the perfect time
to get back into swimming. If you’re training for upcoming triathlons or ocean swims, or you want
to swim purely for fitness, this guide will give you the basics to make your sessions count. Read on for
all you need to know on how to make the most of your time in the pool, including tips on improving
technique, increasing your endurance, and using the right gear.

Take your swimming to the next level

 

Just because you can run a half marathon or do 200 crunches without breaking a sweat,
don’t think you can easily do 1km in the pool. “People can be running fit or do sit-ups
up the wazoo, but that doesn’t mean they have the fitness for swimming,” says Stephen
Badger, head of Badger Swim School at North Sydney Olympic Pool.
     But before you start clocking up the kays, get your stroke assessed by a swim coach.
“Anyone who can already swim and is getting into a fitness regimen should have their
technique checked in the beginning,” says Badger.
     Like golf, “correcting your stroke early on will prevent injuries and bad habits,” he says.
Take your time
Resist the temptation to go hell for leather from the get-go. “Don’t start out too hard.
Build up gradually, or your technique won’t hold together. Finish with good technique at the
end of a session, so you won’t have to reteach yourself next time,” says Badger. How will you
know if you’re pushing too hard? “In the first few weeks you should feel tired, but not
exhausted, after a swim.”
Get into position
Remember, as a kid, choking on water as you tried to make it from one end of the pool to the
other? In the majority of cases, beginners struggle most with their breathing. “If you fix that that,
it will impact onstroke and body position,” says Kevin Charles, head swim coach at Bayfit Altona
in Melbourne.
     But if you can hold your own in the water, what’s most likely slowing you down is your body’s
position in the water. If your head is too high it will create resistance, and your legs will sink,
increasing drag as you swim.
     Swim and triathlon coach Troy Fidler recommends that by “pushing your head and chest down
into the water, you can improve your streamlining which helps get those sometimes troublesome
legs closer to the surface. Look at the tiles below your nose – not out in front,” says the three-time
Australian Triathlon champion.

Master the Flip Turn

1. Make sure your last two strokes before you get to the
wall are strong ones. Finish them with your hands by
your thighs. Make sure your head is pointing down.

 

 

 

 

2. When you start this move, think of it as an underwater
sit-up, as you try to touch your toes, while keeping your
hands and elbows close to your body, not out wide.

 

 

 
3. At this stage you should feel your legs and hips
gliding toward the wall, as your upper body moves
further to almost complete the turn.

 4. Bend at the knees while bringing your heels towards
your bottom. Keeping your upper body parallel to the
surface of the water, let the momentum swing your legs.

5. With your knees bent, push off from the wall. Don’t
plant yourself there – keep it fluid. And make sure your
feet are at least shoulder-width apart, if not more.

Lane Etiquette. Pools have rules. Learn them before you dive in.

     When you’re cruising on the highway, there’s nothing more annoying than
getting stuck behind a Sunday driver in the fast lane, or having a Mark Webber
wannabe driving up your arse in the slow lane. But for the most part, people drive
in the lane that most suits their preferred speed.
      Pools operate in a similar way – there are designated lanes for the various speeds,
strokes and equipment you can use. So before you dive in, look out for signs posted
up at the end of the lanes at which lane you should be in: slow/medium/fast, freestyle/
breaststroke/backstroke, etc. Here are some other things to keep in mind for the pool:
1. Shower before getting in.
2. Don’t just jump right in. Take a moment to gauge how many people are in your lane,
and an appropriate time to enter the water. Even then, don’t dive in. Slip in feet first.
3. Stay to the left, pass on the right (depends on country).
4. If you have longer hair, wear a swim cap.
5. If you’ll be leaving your equipment at the end of a lane between sets, write your
name on it to avoid mix-ups.
6. And do your fellow swimmers a favour: if you’ve got a bandaid that might not
last the distance, remove it before you dive in.
 

Drills and Thrills
Working structure into your sessions will help keep things interesting,
and improve your time and technique.

Doing the same stroke at the same pace for an entire session might bore you to death.
Make the most of your time in the pool by giving it some structure. “A simple structure
could be warm-up, technique, main set and cool down. Breaking the session into these
parts will help you maximise the time you have and provide more benefit thanswimming
continuously for 30 minutes – though occasionally a continuous 30-minute swim may be
beneficial if preparing for a particular event,” says swim coach Troy Fidler.
      Fidler created the table below as a guide, which you cut out, laminate and keep at
the edge of the pool during sessions. (Note: the main sets “are the hardest part of the session
and should be done at threshold – that is, hard but consistent,” he says.)

 

time	warm-up	technique	main set	cool down	total
30 mins	(200m swim, 50m kick) x 2	4x50m stroke count on 10secs rest	4x50m stroke count on 10secs rest	4x50m stroke count on 10secs rest	1500m
45 mins	600m every 3rd lap breathing every 5 strokes	4x100m (25m clench fist, 50m free, 25m build)	5x200m on 20secs rest	300m continuous pull	2300m
60 mins	(200m swim, 200m pull) x 2	16x25m (25m left, 25m free, 25m right, 25m backstroke)	300m on 20secs rest, 3x100m on 10 secs, 300m, 6x50m on 5 secs	Fin set – (100m swim, 50m kick with board) x 4	3000m

 

Get the Gear! Swimming Gear and Equipment

Fins can create bad habits if used incorrectly. If you go for stroke
correction, ask the instructor to teach you how to use them the right
way. “I prefer long fins for adults,” says Stephen Badger. “They
increase ankle flexibility, and help with stroke correction as you can
concentrate on technique. Use them once or twice a week.” Try the
Vorgee Tech Long Blade Fins (from $39, depends on size; vorgee.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The humble kickboard is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to
improve your kicking. “They’re good for doing isolated kicking sets, but
sadly they’re sometimes ignored byswimmers due to their dislike of
kick,” says Troy Fidler. The Zoggs Kickboard ($29.99; 02 9453 2000) is
a tried-and-tested board, designed for training. Tip: write your name
on it in texta, to prevent mix-upsat the pool.

 

 

 

 

 

“Paddles are used to place more emphasis on increased upper body
strength,” says Kevin Charles. Speedo BioFUSE Power Paddles
($44.95; speedo.com.au) have a large surface area to help create
resistance while practising your stroke. They come with two strap
designs, so you tailor the fit. “Just make sure your technique is settled
before you start using paddles,”says Stephen Badger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you place a pull buoy between your legs (and squeeze to hold it
there), your legs become almost weightless, freeing you up to work
your upper body. “Pull buoys can help some people get those heavy
legs higher in the water as well as increase shoulder strength,” says
Fidler. Go for the Zoggs Pull Buoy ($22.99; 02 9453 2000). Again,
a good idea to brand it with your name...

 

 

 

 

The chlorine in pools can dry out your hair and scalp. Protect your
noggin with a swim cap. It can also help keep you warm during long
sessions doing laps, and it’s handy if you wear ear plugs (see right) – just
pull it down over your ears to help keep water out. The Eyeline Silicone
Cap ($8.50-$11; eyeline.com.au) is 100 percent silicone, won’t tear your
hair out when you take it off, and it comes in all kinds of colours.

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, you could wear budgie smugglers. No one’s going to stop
you. But if you feel they’re a little too “telling”, you can always opt for
something that provides a bit more coverage. The quick-drying Jets
Man Velocity ($89.95; jets.com.au) are a great length for fitness
swimming. They’re made from stretch microfibre and lycra, and
have a high resistance to chlorine. And they’ll look good at the pool and
the beach (plus they’re UP F 50+).

 

 

 

 

Earplugs help keep your ear canal dry, which is important if you want
avoid swimmer’s ear – an infection caused when moisture is trapped in
the ear canal. The bacteria spreads and can be painful and itchy and a
real hassle. The Speedo BioFUSE Earplugs ($12.95; speedo.com.au)
are dense with a good seal. They’re multi-flange (meaning “ribbed”,
which helps them stay in), and come in a re-useable case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They’re not just for synchronised swimmers! Divers and water polo
players also wear nose clips, as do swimmers who are just more
comfortable with them on, if they’re afraid of accidentally snorting water
while they’re swimming. The Eyeline TPR Moulded Nose Clip
($10; eyeline.com.au) has an adjustable frame, so you can
secure it on your schnoz perfectly.It comes in three colours: blue, navy and pink.

 

 

 

 

Is swim squad for you?

By its very nature, doing laps can be an isolating activity – all those hours in a lane, going back and forth, staring
at the line at the bottom of the pool. If you find it lonely rather than uplifiting, a swim squad might be the solution.
Squads are usually a mix – swim coach Stephen Badger says his squads are made up of 75 percent who do it for
fitness, 20 percent who are training for competition, and 5-10 percent triathletes.
Each coach has different criteria, so ask first before you sign up. “Generally 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke,
100m breastroke and 50m butterfly will give you a starting point for at least a masters squad, as long as the
strokes are fluent and technically proficient,” says coach Kevin Charles. Contact a local pool to find out more.

 

The best in goggles. You can’t afford to on these, so invest the best.
Look for antifog, anti-UV and good fit.

 

Anti-fog and pro-comfort, the Zoggs Performance Foilz ($29.99; rebelsport.com.au) have mirrored lenses and a nosebridge you can adjust.	Aqua Sphere Kayennes ($49.99; rebelsport.com.au) are the mac daddies of goggles. Oversized lenses help you see more, and they’re anti-scratch, anti-fog and anti-UV.
Vorgee Extreme Competition ‘Tomahawk’ ($29.99; vorgee.com) have a silicone eye seal and an ultra-light lens. They’re also anti-fog and protect against the sun.	Speedo Active Essentials ‘Mariner’ ($24.95, 1800 023 807) are multipurpose (for training in the pool or the sea), anti-fog and UV protected.
Eyeline ‘Black Max’ ($17; eyeline.com.au) protect against fog and UV rays; high-grade polycarbonate seals keep water out.	A favourite among club swimmers, the Vorgee Extreme Competition ‘Missile’ ($29.99; vorgee.com) also come in mirrored or tinted lenses.

 

Strokes of Genius
Improve your technique to make your laps more efficient – and enjoyable.

Before you start chalking up marathon swim sessions, make sure your technique is sound
to avoid wasting time and energy on an inefficient stroke.
     “Take stroke correction first – it will stop you using a lot of energy on bad swimming with
no technique,” says Kevin Charles, who is also a level 2 triathlon coach. “Good technique enables
you to swim for extended periods of time and gain greater fitness.”
     According to coach Troy Fidler, “If you really want to fast-track your improvement, then work
on the little things like catch, body roll and head position and improvement
will follow.”
Improve your freestyle
It’s the most commonly used stroke, but it can be tough to master. A popular drill to improve freestyle
technique is to count strokes. “By counting the number of strokes per lap and working on decreasing
this each time, you can improve your efficiency in the water,” says Fidler. “It can be done anytime during
warm-up, technique, main set or cool down.” He adds: “Another effective drill is swimming with a clench
fist for quarter to half lap then opening your hands up for a normal ‘catch’.This will help you grip the
water early and get a better feel for what you’re doing.”
Improve your breaststroke
It’s an easy one to fall back on, but technically breaststroke is the hardest, and the slowest, of the lot.
     One of the keys to mastering it is to “bring your heels all the way to your buttocks before turning
the feet out for the kick. As the arms recover, make sure your head is face down, looking at the bottom of
the pool,” says Charles.
     Fidler recommends similar: “The stroke should follow something along the lines of pull, breathe, kick,
glide. You’ll also need to turn your feet out like a penguin when you kick, otherwise you’ll struggle to be
a true breaststroker.”

 

Body position – How to get it rightArticle contributed by

 

CORRECT Everything about this position is perfect. The
entire body is parallel to the surface of the water. All is in
line: head, hips, spine, legs. Using this position, you’ll save
heaps of energy and reduce resistance. Again, your nose
should always be pointing straight down to the bottom of
the pool. Avoid the temptation to look up.

 

INCORRECT Nothing in line here, obviously. When full,your lungs work as a buoy to keep your upper half afloat.By pressing down on your chest, you will help raise yourlower body higher. However, when you tilt your head up,you break the line of your body, which usually causes yourlower half to sink.

 

 

 

 

Article contributed by

Australian Mens Fitness
www.mensfitnessmagazine.com.au