Re: bilateral breathing- exercises.

I've self taught - and similar to you (been swimming about 4 years - and
only breath from my strong side (my right)). I found the Total Immersion
drills very helpful to enable my body roll to facilitate breathing from
either side. So while I do not always breath from both sides - I can now
(before I felt like you - just wasn't working).

"diablo" <diablo@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:97UFe.13$Zh.1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "KOS" <computerstuff2@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1122495969.471630.68190@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Hi, I have a question about bilateral breathing. I have been swimming
> > now for the past 4 years. I do a lot of freestyle. My question is
> > bilateral breathing. I usually breath to my strong side which is my
> > left. But I now want to implement bilateral breathing.
> > I have read that it is good practice to breath one lap down the pool on
> > your weak side then strong side.. vice versa. However, when I breath on
> > my weak side, that is the right side, I feel like I am swallowing lots
> > of water and feel like almost sinking. Can someone offer some advice on
> > how to get this bilateral breathing done right? this was the first time
> > I have done this type of breathing- so I guess it will take practice..
> > Maybe I am not getting good rotation on my weak side?
> >
> > any help you can offer would be excellent.
> > Thanks
> > KOS
> >
>
> I would encourage you to work on bilateral breathing a little longer. As
> Eric mentioned, it's not a huge advantage to be able to do it, but it does
> promote a balanced body. If you go through a period of 4-6 weeks of
working
> on it a little each session and you still feel its a pain in the a**,
> concentrate on other things.
>
> That said, someone above mentioned your body rotation is imbalanced, and
> that was my first thought. Trying to work on rotating to your weak side
> isn't too difficult. If you have a pair of fins or zoomers it'd be best to
> start these drills with those, taking some pressure off of your upper body
> to provide the propulsion will allow you to concentrate on the drills.
>
> Initially i'd recommend doing catch-up drill with an arm extended. You
> mentioned your left side is your strongest. When your left arm is
extended,
> and your right arm pulling, work on getting that right shoulder very high,
> and having the right hand pass close by your face during the recovery -
this
> will promote a high elbow position, and force that right shoulder higher
out
> of the water, while in effect you 'lean' on that left arm out in front.
> Always remember that rotation of the body doesn't start and end at the
> shoulders, but at the hips - so as your leaning on your left side, make
sure
> your right hip is up as much as your right shoulder.
>
> Once you have a feel for this type of high elbow-shoulder recovery, you
may
> want to remove the catch up drill and replace it with single arm - your
left
> arm still extended in front to provide balance, and still using fins to
aid
> you, working on the principles mentioned above. The next step after this,
I
> would say move on to single arm with your left arm by your side, pulling
> only with the right arm and breathing to the LEFT (the non-pulling side) -
> while doing this drill, you're still working on body rotation getting both
> shoulders, right and left out of the water, using your hips and trunk to
> drive the rotation.
>
> All the while you're working on a drill progression such as this with
fins,
> supplement it with plenty of full stroke regular swimming, working on
> implementing the principles of the drill into your stroke.
>
> Steve
>
>


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Newbie and breathing
    ... Going back to what I said in my first reply about conditioning, I should have pointed out that here you've got an example of where your conditioning is improving in just a single session in the pool. ... But along with breathing exercises, drills for technique and repetition, you can see benefits really quickly, so don't give up. ... Here I hold a float out in front and propel myself through the water just by kicking my legs up and down as per the front crawl. ... But persistence paid off and now I complete 300 metres of this drill most mornings, easily passing some of the slower breaststrokers. ...
    (rec.sport.swimming)
  • Re: Left arm bad - how to improve it
    ... >> pool, ... >> problem) I cannot get my left arm to do the same as my right. ... >> hand issue is keeping me from having more rhythm and speed in my swimming. ... > push on the breathing side. ...
    (rec.sport.swimming)
  • Sharon Responds to Pain Stimulation - electro shock pain brought him around
    ... JERUSALEM, Israel ... Ariel Sharon started breathing on his own Monday and moved his right ... arm and leg in response to pain stimulation in what his surgeon called ... "The prime minister is breathing spontaneously," said Dr. Shlomo ...
    (uk.politics.misc)
  • Re: bilateral breathing- exercises.
    ... I have a question about bilateral breathing. ... > Maybe I am not getting good rotation on my weak side? ... Initially i'd recommend doing catch-up drill with an arm extended. ...
    (rec.sport.swimming)