Bi-lateral Breathing
36
Member
292 days
mrgy posted 30 weeks ago.
Learning this is one of my goals for my training over the winter, hopefully I can reap the benefits as well. Good stuff.
"Loving is labour, labour is life, and life is forever" - Ted Leo
157
Member
354 days
MillMan221 posted 30 weeks ago.
+1 on this technique for me. it took a few weeks to work out, but for me it makes for a much smoother and more rhythmic swim. way to go !
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Why? Many people have asked me... to test my limits ... and to push beyond them.
78
Member
2240 days
Dannyboy posted 30 weeks ago.
I found that it helped my swim straighter in open water.
333
Member
417 days
Semper Tri posted 30 weeks ago.
When I get anxious in the water- I'm only breathing on one side. It cause me to hyperventilate, which just contiues the anxiety circle. My first self check is always breathing, once that is under control the rest falls into place. Also helps to keep me straight for some reason.
i dont know what today will bring to me, but thats just fine.
736
Member
642 days
jonovision_man posted 30 weeks ago.
I started with bilateral and at the advice of a swim coach just switched to one side.
Reason? I wasn't getting enough air to be entirely comfortable, and then I'd cheat and switch back and forth... he said all that concentrating on breathing was taking my focus off other things. He was right!
Just something to be aware of - if it's not working for you entirely don't force it.
jono
74
Member
402 days
aussieboy13 posted 30 weeks ago.
Semper Tri wrote:
When I get anxious in the water- I'm only breathing on one side. It cause me to hyperventilate, which just contiues the anxiety circle. My first self check is always breathing, once that is under control the rest falls into place. Also helps to keep me straight for some reason.
Bi-lateral breathing keeps you straighter due to sharing the load of under powered strokes you taek from what i can see
92
Member
222 days
jenez_world posted 30 weeks ago.
i was a one-sided swimmer for years. i never thought i could but some drills can really help to get you comfortable and adjusted to it. it can take awhile to get the matching strength on both sides. now i only ever do it on one side when i sprint at the end or it is rough weather (and then i can pick which side). otherwise one sided feels like i am limping.
the journey is the reward
747
Member
837 days
Warrior posted 30 weeks ago.
What has made a big difference for me, is the mouth. I used to breath out through the nose, breathing out the mouth, actually helps me empty and refill more efficently when I come up for a breath.
Having breathed on one side only and eventualy graduated to both sides, I sort of wonder why everyone doesn't do it. It's so easy.
Dreams are the stars which charter the course of our lives. Happy the one who follows their dreams
414
Member
339 days
prendergi posted 30 weeks ago.
I only bilateral breath in practice. I don't know why...I think it is like what jono was talking about. Plus, I don't swim as straight in OW when I bilateral breath because I don't think I am as strong when I breath on the left side. I am a right side breather and very strong at it. I can breath on my left and will do it if I feel there is a person on the right that will interfere with my breathing (splashing, etc.). Usually, I will stick with what I know and am comfortable with in a race.
"The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret" - Sarah Bombell
8
Member
213 days
miwoodar posted 30 weeks ago.
Back to my earliest memories I had always been a right breather. I was surprised to find out that I have no problems switching to bilateral in open water. In fact, it was almost instinctual to make sure I was safe from errant/flailing arms on the other side of my body. Bonus, I swim straighter too.
758
Member
1030 days
Socket posted 30 weeks ago.
Breathing only on one side definitely led me to swimming in circles and I would end up WAY off course and have to constantly correct. Bilateral breathing has me going straight (well, straighter anyway, gotta work on that sighting thing I hear so much about ;-) )
12
Member
210 days
brolife posted 30 weeks ago.
Coming from a swimming background, as long as you swim correctly you sould not have the issues of going off course/swimming faster going bi-lateral. I can breath on both sides comfortably, but i get more performance over long distances only breathing on one side. I find frequency of oxygen helps me go harder for longer.
At the end of the day it's a personal thing, and everyones different. If you want to see if your performance improves going from one side to both and vice verse, you should definitely see how it feels.
That being said in my opinion and from my experience there is no evidence breathing on one side and breathing on both is better than the other.
As a swimmer who breathed only on my left side all my life and having reached a plateau in my swimming, I decided to try bi lateral breathing. After only 2 sessions, my breathing and my stroked has become much more relaxed and my mild shoulder pain is completley gone.
YA GOTTA TRY IT. Its not hard to master and well worth it.