Swim Like Phelps by Perfecting Your Technique

Of course, we can’t all be like Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimming champion, for many reasons. But we can strive for perfection in our swimming techniques because of its numerous benefits, such as decreased risk of injury and increased performance. Besides, there’s no excuse not to strive for perfection – when you pay the price for your gym membership, you have access to the swimming pools where you can practice until perfection is yours.  

Front Crawl

Breathe once every three strokes. Be sure to alternate sides, too, since these two techniques will build strength more evenly. 

Keep your elbow raised as high as it can when taking your arm out of the water. You will get a smoother stroke while also protecting your rotator cuff and rolling your shoulders well. 

Elongate every stroke as far as you can go. You should stretch your arm out at both the front and back ends of the stroke. You have to hold your glide at the top of the stroke for two seconds, at least, and finish it by your hips.  

Breast Stroke

Don’t pull all the way to your hips when performing a breaststroke pull. Your pull should actually be short but powerful, and it has to stay out in front of your chest at all times. 

You should also build strength on your arms and legs separately. You will then enjoy more powerful strokes regardless of the water conditions.  

Back Stroke

Keep your head back and relaxed so your body feels more buoyant. You mustn’t hold your head up high since it pushes your upper body up and your lower body down; the result is increased drag so your body doesn’t move as smoothly and fluidly through the water.  

Your thumb should be up when your hand comes out of the water, too. This will create better shoulder rolling and smoother strokes. Conversely, your pinky finger should hit the water first when your hand goes down.  

We suggest structuring your swimming workout into sets so as to get maximum benefits. You must always warm up and cool down no matter how short or long your session will be. You should consider performing a few sets for technical drills since these will build up strength in your arms and legs, correct bad techniques, and improve your form.  

Your breath should also be a priority even as you move through the water. Without proper breathing, your lungs won’t be performing at their optimum capacity, your muscles will become fatigued faster, and you will feel more uncomfortable while in the water.  

Don’t stop with swimming as your core exercise either! You also have to engage in land-based exercises to develop your strength and stamina, especially your core muscles. 

You won’t have a problem in this regard since gym memberships usuallyalso include access to the cardio and weight training exercises. There are many gym options to choose from. I personally go to Anytime Fitness which has all the amenities you would need and its prices are pretty affordable too. 

If you need a gym with a pool, then you can opt to go for one of the other gyms such as LA Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness. You can then perform both water-based and land-based exercises anytime you want, whether early in the morning or late at night.