Freestyle swimmers can improve their times and workout qualities by trying a few trusted tricks of the trade.
For an all-body workout that will improve your times, do more than just the freestyle stroke during your workout. Make sure you include the breaststroke, freestyle, and kick-boarding, at the very least. Begin your practice with freestyle laps, being sure to always reach forward, extending as far as possible with each stroke, and letting the stroke glide in front of you before pulling down. Make each pull through the water strong and powerful, being sure to push the water behind you, not out to the sides or across your body. Make sure your kicks are strong and coming from the hip, and that your knees are only slightly bent. Keep your movements smooth, gliding along, refusing to thrash or splash in the water. The smoother and stronger the moves, the better the times.
Use paddles to add resistance and build muscles, trying to get across the pool with as few breaths as possible. Then switch it up by taking off the paddles and swimming a couple lengths with your hands clenched into fists. Finally, resume freestyle laps in your normal manner. You'll be so delighted by how powerful your hands feel that you'll stroke harder and be faster.
Swim until your shoulders are feeling it (stopping before risking injury, of course), and then switch to a kickboard workout. Take this time to stretch out your shoulders as you rest on the kickboard, propelling yourself through the water with strong, powerful, lengthy kicks with straight legs. Make the kicks long and powerful, using all of your legs. Kickboard until you feel the burn. Switch to a breaststroke kick for a couple lengths, working the outer and inner thigh muscles and giving your quads, hamstrings, and gluts a break.
Complete your workout with a last set of freestyle laps, just you, no props. Feel the strokes in every muscle as you work to perfect your stroke.
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