Here are 5 proven ways you can build your swimming endurance:
1. Start slow, work your way up
Developing swimming endurance won’t happen overnight, and you need to work at it consistently. Don’t push yourself too hard, or you could risk burnout or overtraining.
Start slow and easy and focus on maintaining good form. Developing good technique will allow you to swim more efficiently, and you’ll save more energy while swimming at a faster speed.
Once you’re swimming with good form, slowly increase the total volume of your workouts. Try to swim a few extra yards each session. Stay consistent, and prioritize recovery days. Working your way up slowly is the best way to build endurance, all while making sure you don’t run into any hurdles that set you back.
2. Lengthen your stroke
Keeping a longer, more graceful stroke in the water will help you cover more distance with less effort, which will increase your swimming endurance. To do this, maintain a steady kick, and generate most of your momentum from your hips and shoulders. Think of it as a rocking motion, back and forth, try not to rely solely on moving your arms for power. Olympian Sun Yang is a great example of what it looks like to swim a long, fluid freestyle.
3. Increase the distance, but lower the repetitions.
The longer you can swim without stopping, the more you’ll build your endurance. Instead of doing your usual routine of 6x50 yard swims. Do 3x100 yard swims. You’re swimming the same amount of yardage, but doing it more effectively. Try to work your way up from each milestone. If you’re able to complete 400 yards straight without stopping, attempt a 600 yard swim, and so on. Your body will adapt to what you throw at it, assuming you allow yourself ample time to rest and recover.
4. Interval Training
On top of longer, uninterrupted swims, you should implement some form of interval training. Interval training works both the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems (you’ll need to develop both if you want to swim fast for an extended period of time.) Instead of doing 2x100 yard swims on a 3:00 interval, cut down your rest to 2:30. Once you adapt to the new interval, go lower. See just how low you can manage. You’ll become more efficient, as well as powerful in the water in doing so.
5. Do dryland or cross-training
Incorporating some form of strength training outside of the water will help you develop the necessary muscle groups to power your strokes. Place emphasis on your core, lats, and legs. All play a major role in propulsion within the water. Implement some form of strength training, and your strokes will begin feeling easier, and you’ll be able to swim much more effortlessly.
With consistent training and mindful practice, you’ll find yourself swimming further and faster than ever before.
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