Swim Stroke
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jsk85 posted 11 weeks ago.
I had to switch to bilateral breathing a while ago too...it makes a big difference. Your body is used to only rotating upward in the one direction. You basically have to try and overcompensate for a while until you become comfortable breathing on your oppositte side. Really focus on rotating your whole body to the left to alow for your head to surface. You'll swallow water at first and not feel like you're getting enough air, but keep at it. You'll be glad you did. GL
My blog: http://jsktri.blogspot.com
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nyfan21 posted 11 weeks ago.
thanks jsk85; I will keep at it. The events are a while away.
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wmckean posted 11 weeks ago.
Well, maybe I'm reading this wrong, but you don't take four strokes and breath to your left. You breath every odd number of strokes. Breath, stroke, stroke, breath. Breath every 3, 5, or 7 strokes if you have really good lungs. I bilateral breath quite a bit in training, but I'm not up to it in a race. This is what I have learned in the last 18 months if you are interested. My biggest problem is when I breath to the left, I pick my head up. This causes me to slow down and thus sink a bit. I have learned to be very efficient breathing on my right side. Keep my head pointed towards the wall and breath "under my right armpit" so to speak as soon as my mouth breaches the water. Then, I try to mimic this exact technique on the left side. I am getting better at it, but my left side is my weak side, so its easy to forget proper form.
Hope that helps!
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csaf31 posted 11 weeks ago.
It takes a while to get it down. I only breathed to my right and then every two strokes when I first started. Just keep practicing. I understand what you are saying about pulling your head up more to the left when turning that way at first. Try doing one lap while turning only to your left. You may splash around after a while, but your body adapts. Bilateral breathing will help you so much in a race, especially when you need to find buoys. It also helps you swim straighter. Good luck.
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Anton posted 11 weeks ago.
It took me awhile to Bi-lat, but once I got it it was good. Bear in mid that many coaches,however, recommend breathing every stroke during a race.
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"
- Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
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chsfootballgirl posted 11 weeks ago.
The reason you have trouble breathing to your left is that your balance isn't as good as when you roll to the right (because you're used to breathing on your right, probably; great little circular problem, eh?). I recommend practicing side glide exclusively on your weak side. Last summer, I would spend all of my drill time--sometimes as much as half an hour--just working on side glide. Once you get your balance down on that opposite side, you'll be able to take all the time you need to get air on that side. I also like to do catch-up drill on the side (instead of letting your hands meet while you're on your stomach, you do the catch-up part on your side so you get the full rotational momentum of your stroke) because it forces you to balance on your side in streamlined position. 3/4 catch up is another good balance drill.
If you just keep trying to breathe bilaterally, it'll even out eventually, but it'll be a much quicker process if you work on your balance.
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cayman posted 11 weeks ago.
good suggestion on the catch-up drills, add a pull buoy if you find your legs dropping.
john
I don't need to get faster, I just need to get older!
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theShiba posted 11 weeks ago.
Those are both good ideas, catch-up w/or w/out buoy. I also recommend side-kick drills on both sides to help with this. Also, I have found that most billateral breathing problems come from abdominal weakness/imbalance in one side. For example, I used to play baseball (and bat right-handed) so my left obliques are stronger than my right. Therefore, I am better at breathing to my left. Work on strengthening your abs and obliques as this will give you better control at floating on your side.
I recommend getting out of the water and doing some side-planks start w/30seconds per side, and work up to 1 minute.
"Every journey has a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware." —Martin Buber
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nyfan21 posted 10 weeks ago.
Thanks for the info; so you take 2 strokes then breathe to one side and then take two strokes and breathe to the other side? Because I am taking three strokes and breathing? What do you do?
-EC
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theShiba posted 10 weeks ago.
I would say that the average swimmer takes two strokes followed by a breath with the third stroke, then two strokes followed by a breath with the third stroke (on the other side). That's your most basic bilateral breathing. If you feel like that's too much air, you can try breathing with every fifth stroke...
"Every journey has a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware." —Martin Buber
ok so I can only breathe to my right when I swim freestyle. But I am still fast but I want to breathe both ways because it will help me with spotting and I think it will reduce my dizzy feeling.
My question; so when I breathe right I make 3 strokes and on my 4th stroke I breathe to my right. When I try to do the same 4 strokes and breathe to my left I seem to have a hard time breathing. Maybe I am not getting my head out of the water enough or it's because I am underwater too long before I breathe. Any suggestions?
-MC