In news this week:
- Keep Your Goals To Yourself [0:07] – Repeated psychology tests have shown you have a better chance at achieving your goals when you keep them to yourself. Share them with your coach, but when it comes to your family, friends and coworkers – you might be better off keeping it quiet. This video explains it in more detail.
- When To Start Kicking Off The Wall [0:43]– Starting your kick as soon as you push off the wall after a turn will slow you down. You are travelling fastest immediately after you push off. Only start to kick once you begin losing speed. Just like a cyclist will only start pedalling after a hill when they start to slow down.
- Open Water Swimmers Still Train In The Pool [1:22] – Pool swimming allows you to track and measure your swimming. You can get your splits, track your distance and get a feel for your pace better than when you are training on the open water. Open water training is still important for experience and open water skills, but pool swimming is important.
- Coaching Makes You A Better Swimmer [1:58] – Try your hand at coaching or watching other swimmers from pooldeck. You’ll start to see the commonalities between the faster swimmers. There’s not one ideal technique, and seeing the differences between swimmers helps you notice where you can improve your own technique.
- Theraband Exercises Improve Shoulder Stability (And Prevent Injury) [3:04] – Therabands are long elastic cords. Many professional swimmers use them before training or warm up because they activate the muscles that stabilise your shoulders. The theraband exercises I recommend are in SwimGymPro and for these exercises I use the light resistance therabands.
We help swimmers and triathletes improve their swimming. I recommend most swimmers start with the Mastering Freestyle program which develops a smooth, fast freestyle.
Brenton-
Former ski instructor here, was in the pool trying to heal up from injury, and got into it for awhile. (Good to work on the humble factor, for one thing… at least once in awhile. And wow, nothing better than trying a new sport, and totally sucking at it, in terms of dialing in that sense of, “Oh! Oh wow! I actually am human, and wow, what a total uncoordinated wuss I am at this new thing I’m trying to learn!”)
Not a bad perspective either, despite the negative way I phrased it, in terms of relating to ski guests. Puts the shoe on the other foot, so to speak. Helped me to remember how truly difficult even the ‘simplest” aspects of one’s own sport actually are. (Keeps you from taking it for granted. Helps you teach it. Keeps you focused. Builds patience.)
Ah… but I’m neither skiing nor swimming at present. I do still hope to learn to swim, and swim well however! But all things in due time…
So why the note to you now?
Am writing just to thank you for your positive attitude. You are so genuine, dude, and even though I’m not in the pool at this time, your attitude alone is worth tuning in for. Thanks so much for the positive emails.
Am learning a new career, and I apply your lessons from the pool to my mostly autodidactic, untutored efforts to improve- and to keep improving- in my new attempt to build a brand new skill set, and go pro with it.
Just now listened to your advice on keeping goals to yourself, for example… and listened to it, like… Like about 20 times, over and over, just letting it sink in, and sink deep.
Will get back in the water someday, and maybe seek you out as a formal coach at that time. Until then, however, please forgive me for poaching your swim lessons and using them instead for another endeavor entirely.
But man- positive stuff is truly valuable, wherever you can find it; and you never fail to deliver, bro. Thank you.
*
Bruce – Shucks 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind words. I think that the fact you’re able to draw lessons from swimming and apply them to your new endeavour is what learning is all about.
That’s awesome.
Best of luck with your current pursuit – kick arse and give it your best!