EVERFIT swimming terminology

This is a summary of the swimming terms that I use in the EVERFIT swimming sessions. My sessions usually have a mixture of drills, kicking, and mixed strokes. Don't shy away from the strokes and drills you can't do. Get comfortable with uncomfortable. Struggling in the water will allow you to move to the next level.

Swimming Terms (abbreviations).

w.u - Warm up

w.d - Warm down

I.M - Inter Medley = The four strokes starting with butterfly, then backstroke, breaststroke, and finishing with freestyle. If you can't do butterfly try one arm or the kick. 

Hypoxic training - Swimming with minimal breaths or breath holding. This improves your cardiovascular system by getting in used to functioning with less oxygen.

Pads - Short for Hand Paddles = these are paddles that are put on your hands for increased strength and stroke awareness. If you make a mistake with your stroke the paddle will accentuate it making it a great feedback tool.

Pull - Short for pull-buoy which is a foam device to put between your upper thighs.  This improves buoyancy and can help replicate a wet suit. 

Drills

One arm or single arm - using one arm with the other arm straight out in front (maintaining streamline) or if you want to be challenged put the arm by your side. With the arm in front breath to the stoking arm, with in by your side try both.

Zipper - on the recovery phase of the stroke slide the thumb up the side of the body to encourage a high elbow recovery and to slow the stroke down.

Catch up - Don't start the catch phase of the stroke until the other hand finishes the recovery phase and is almost on top of the hand in the entry position. This encourages the glide and again slows the stroke down.

Kick on side - Kicking on your side with the bottom side arm out in front and your ear resting on the shoulder. This encourages streamlining and gets you used to being on your side enhancing full body rolling when swimming.

Head up - Swimming freestyle with your head facing forward out of the water like a water polo player. This gets you used to sighting when open water swimming, and makes the swimming more difficult as your legs are lower in the water. This reinforces why you want to swim with your head down.

To get familiar with the phases of the swimming stroke check out this link to a swim smooth video (copy and paste in your browser) =    

http://www.swimsmooth.com/glossary.html