Swimmers

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Floaters and Sinkers (Read 738 times)

    I went to the YMCA with my wife on Sunday, first time swimming together. I've been telling her that I get tired when I try swimming more then 100 yds at a time. She watched me swim (I should say attempt to swim) and told me I need to breathe out while I'm swimming. I hold my breathe and only blow out on the last stroke before I get my next breathe.

     

    I find I need to do that because I sink. She didn't believe me so I pushed off into a superman float with my lungs full of air. As I was gliding, I blew out my air and sank to the bottom. I was literally laying stretched out on my stomach on the bottom until I stood up. I am also attending an "Intro to Lap Swimming and Stroke Improvement" class at the YMCA and the instructors there were amazed that I actually sink to the bottom.

     

    Anybody else a sinker and how do you overcome that?

     

    The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

     

    2014 Goals:

     

    Stay healthy

    Enjoy life

     

    Elly.


      By breathing.

      http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

      Slo


        By breathing.

         

         

        +1

         

        I would suspect that the majority of people within a normal weight range would sink to the bottom as they exhaust the air from thier lungs.

         

        That's how I get to the bottom of the 11ft with out swimming real hard to reach the bottom. Point myself down, exhaust and sink.

         

        You should be exhaling a constant and steady air stream and be nearly fully exhausted before turning your head for a breath. Do not exhaust everything at once......my guess is this is how you end up at the bottom so quickly.

         

        I would also venture a guess.....that if your feeling out of breath when you swim....it's not because of a lack of oxygen or a fitness level.....but what your actually feeling is a build up of CO2 from not getting it fully exhausted.

         

        There is a such thing as floaters and sinkers. I'm a sinker.....I'm long and lean and my bottom torso has a tendancy to sink. Unlike someone with extra body fat....they usually have better balance.

        protoplasm72


          I float a foot beneath the surface while holding a full breath.  I sink like a rock if I start exhaling.  With proper technique it doesn't matter whether you sink or float because you generate lift moving through the water.  From the looks of them, most olympic swimmers are probably sinkers too.


          Most likely you are getting tired quickly because of a combination of things, not just your breathing.  Technique, swim fitness, breathing, it's all tied together.  If you swim enough you'll figure out a breathing rhythm that works best for you.  Kind of like running, people just starting out are always starting threads on the proper way to breath.  Your body will figure it out if you practice enough.  

          Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose; it's how drunk you get. -- Homer Simpson

          Elly.



             I am also attending an "Intro to Lap Swimming and Stroke Improvement" class at the YMCA and the instructors there were amazed that I actually sink to the bottom.

             

            Anybody else a sinker and how do you overcome that?

             

            How is that lap swimming class working out for you?  You grew a lot of muscle in your college days power lifting.  I have known two Olympic swimmers (female), and yes, they sink, too. 

             

            You just need to get used to the idea of never getting rid of all your air.  Your lungs are your flotation devices ... think of them as balloons.  There are several "water toys" that can help you become more comfortable in the water, but I suspect the Y has already started using them on you. 

             

            Keep us posted.

            http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

            RunFree7


            Run like a kid again!

              Wow that is really interesting.  I know in one of the TI videos that actually suggest you try to sink.  The thought being that our bodies were made to float so you won't sink so you should not fear drowning so much.  Now we all know drowning does occur.
                2011 Goals:
                Sub 19 5K (19:24 5K July 14th 2010)
                Marathon under 3:05:59 BQ (3:11:10 Indy 2010)

                 

                How is that lap swimming class working out for you?  You grew a lot of muscle in your college days power lifting.  I have known two Olympic swimmers (female), and yes, they sink, too. 

                 

                Keep us posted.

                 

                I had swim class last night and it went okay. We worked on the breast stroke a little as well as the back stroke and freestyle. I'm not a fan of the breast stroke and found the back stroke difficult. 

                 

                During the back stroke, I tend to get lots of water up my nose and occasionally end up with my entire head submerged. I have a difficult time reaching and extending my arms when entering the water and don't roll to my side very well. I have terrible flexibility in my shoulders, but I guess I will have to work on that. Add another thing to work on to my ever expanding list, yeah.

                 

                We also worked on flip turns and the breast stroke turn. Those go okay, except for the water up my nose on the flip turn and also the incredibly slow execution of the turn.

                 

                She had me working the freestyle stroke with a pull buoy and I really liked that. I felt really fast when I used it, even without kicking. I'm sure it has to do with my body being in a better position in the water. I think I'll start using it more often in hopes of learning what it feels like to be in the proper position and try to get the feeling of getting my hips higher in the water.

                 

                The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                 

                2014 Goals:

                 

                Stay healthy

                Enjoy life

                 

                Elly.



                   

                  She had me working the freestyle stroke with a pull buoy and I really liked that. I felt really fast when I used it, even without kicking. I'm sure it has to do with my body being in a better position in the water. I think I'll start using it more often in hopes of learning what it feels like to be in the proper position and try to get the feeling of getting my hips higher in the water.

                   

                  Good deal!  You're right on about using the pull buoy to keep your body in better position.  You should use it a lot.  High hips are key to a good backstroke as well, you can use the pull buoy to watch your hips move to each side as you stroke. You will find that flippers are valuable to help you maintain proper body alignment, too. 

                   

                  I was struck one time when that Olympic swimmer friend said, "Elly, swim on your sides."  Well I knew you had to do that on backstroke, but not so much freestyle.  I was able to get my arm/elbow very high out of the water and dig down on the other side, easily taking a breath on the third stroke.  Yeah, you can't raise your head like a turtle, either, which, of course is a no-no. 

                   

                  http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                     

                    Good deal!  You're right on about using the pull buoy to keep your body in better position.  You should use it a lot.  High hips are key to a good backstroke as well, you can use the pull buoy to watch your hips move to each side as you stroke. You will find that flippers are valuable to help you maintain proper body alignment, too. 

                     

                    I was struck one time when that Olympic swimmer friend said, "Elly, swim on your sides."  Well I knew you had to do that on backstroke, but not so much freestyle.  I was able to get my arm/elbow very high out of the water and dig down on the other side, easily taking a breath on the third stroke.  Yeah, you can't raise your head like a turtle, either, which, of course is a no-no. 

                     

                     

                     

                    Sooooooooo many things to learn it makes me dizzy thinking about them, which is a bad thing when I'm entering the deep end of the pool. 

                     

                    I completed my first ever continuous 200 yd swim yesterday, actually two of them with a 20 second breather at the wall. I also swam a 100-150-200 ladder today with a 200 pull buoy to end the session. Wow, I'm almost sound like a swimmer after re-reading that. Maybe someday I'll look like one too.

                     

                    The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                     

                    2014 Goals:

                     

                    Stay healthy

                    Enjoy life

                     

                    Elly.


                      You'll get there!  I have faith ... just getting you to have faith is the deal. 

                      http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                      aellopous


                        I always float, which is pretty annoying when I need to redo my hair. But I'm about 25lbs overweight right now, so.

                         

                        Breathing out continuously is definitely the way to go, though.

                        Elly.


                          Oh NO!  You breath in through your mouth, put your face in the water and blow out through your nose.  A rhythmic breath in, blow out ... very comfortable.  You, ideally, take in breath on both sides, never lifting your head out of the water.  You allow the water to cushion your head as though it were a pillow.  

                           

                          I don't get the redo your hair bit.  If you are swimming properly the hair gets wet whether your using a cap or not.  If you are breast stroking and your doing the turtle, you're still not swimming; because the head and face need to go under water at the gliding portion. 

                          http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                              If you are breast stroking and your doing the turtle, you're still not swimming; because the head and face need to go under water at the gliding portion

                             

                            That would be the SINKING portion for me!

                             

                            The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                             

                            2014 Goals:

                             

                            Stay healthy

                            Enjoy life

                             

                            Elly.


                               

                              That would be the SINKING portion for me!

                               Well, freestyle is faster and more advantageous stroke for doing triathlons. 

                              http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                                Whoo Hoo, I just completed my first continuous 400 yd swim.

                                 

                                The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                                 

                                2014 Goals:

                                 

                                Stay healthy

                                Enjoy life

                                 

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