Swim Outside the Box

by Nick Baker

To "Think Outside the Box" means to challenge an existing viewpoint. By challenging a viewpoint alternative views are formed creating the potential for positive change.

I have always believed in the need for positive change within the world of competitive swimming. All too often swimmers, coaches and parents alike get fixed on a certain viewpoint and stagnate. The purpose behind "Swim Outside the Box" is to present alternative viewpoints in the hope of creating positive change and growth.

The viewpoints I have chosen to share in "Swim Outside the Box" pertain to the mental, physical and technical sides of competitive swimming.

Mental
Physical
Technical

Mental (TOP)

Winners Bounce - They won't let setbacks...set them back.

(From 101 Winning Ways by Nick Baker)

The life of a competitive swimmer is filled with one challenge after the other and setbacks are a inherit part of challenge. How well a swimmer deals with setbacks will affect the final outcome. Although setbacks can be difficult to deal with they can provide the insight required to overcome a challenge once and for all.

The Will To Win - An Essential Competitive Trait

The expression "will to win" can be defined as possessing the desire and determination necessary to conquer a challenge - no matter how difficult or lengthy. Unfortunately many competitive swimmers lack the will. Their will is partial rather than total. As a result they give up well before a challenge is fully conquered.

Winners Hang Out With Winners - They like to be with people...like themselves.

(From 101 Winning Ways by Nick Baker)

Many people believe that opposites attract. While this may be true in personal relationships I do not believe it is true in swimming relationships. Most often swimmers who are focused, hard working and dedicated attract and hang out with like-minded swimmers. It's not surprising - as they share the most in common. The same can be said of swimmers who tend to goof around in practice. Most often they attract and hang out with swimmers who do the same.

The Power of Self-Belief

Q: If eight swimmers with identical times raced who would win?
A: The one with the most self-belief.

The power of self-belief is undisputed. It acts like a magnet attracting the very best to those who believe most. One of my favorite sayings of all time is: "the world makes way for a man who knows where he's going." It means that a man (or woman) who knows himself best and believes in himself most can accomplish anything they set their mind too.

Highs, Lows and Plateaus

If I were to track the yearly progress of a world-class swimmer there would be periods where they swam faster, slower or stayed the same. There are many reasons for this including changes in training, technique or motivation. Whatever the reason swimmers need to be patient with the process. Patience is all-important virtue and synonymous with long-term success. The bigger the goal the greater amount of patience required.

Winners Give It Their All - Not Their Almost. They know if they want to move forward...they can't afford to hold anything back.

(From 101 Winning Ways by Nick Baker)

Most swimmers try in practice - but not always their best. Even though they may have a really good reason for not trying their best it's not a good habit to get into.

Trying one's best in practice is not necessarily an easy thing to do. I think of it as skill that must be developed over time. To develop this skill a swimmer can use a variety of self-motivating techniques such as positive self-talk, remaining focused on short or long-term goals or leading the lane in practice. It really doesn't matter what technique they choose as long as it encourages their best effort.

Goals Attract Results

Powerful goals act like magnets attracting the desired results. Setting well-defined and realistic goals at the start of each season is critical to a successful season. Goals such as these bring clarity, purpose and energy to training and competition.

The Whole Package

Would the fittest swimmer in the world be the fastest? How about the most technically correct swimmer or the swimmer with an unbeatable winning attitude? None of these things alone would be enough. To be the fastest in the world a swimmer would need to score at least 9 out of 10 in all three. Take Michael Phelps for example, he would easily score 9 or higher in all three.

Physical (TOP)

Dry-Land Conditioning - An Absolute Must!

Most top swimmers in the world today supplement their in-water conditioning with some form of dry-land conditioning. Examples include: stability ball training, medicine ball training, yoga, plyometrics, bands, stretch cord training, core strength training, running, weight training, calisthenics and Pilates.

When designing a dry-land conditioning program it is important to perform exercises that will reduce the number of swimming related injuries as well as improve general posture, core strength, flexibility and propulsive strength.

Swimming Shape Versus Turning Shape

Swimming hard in practice will get a swimmer in shape for swimming but turning hard in practice is the only way to get a swimmer in shape for turning. Why? Because many of the actions involved in turning are unique to turning. There are no somersaulting actions, knee-driving actions or push-off actions in swimming - only in turning. All too often swimmers float into the wall, turn in slow motion and rest during the push off. As a result they miss countless opportunities to improve their turning fitness and develop faster turns.

The Power of Strength

Without question stronger swimmers are faster swimmers. A stronger swimmer feels empowered both physically and mentally. There are countless ways to develop strength. One of the best of all is a full-range pull-up - a low-tech exercise that can be performed at home. The only equipment required is a pull-up bar.

I believe a swimmer should be able to do their age or more in full-range pull-ups. I have swimmers as young as 10 who can do more than their age in full pull-ups! Pull-ups can be extremely challenging at first. The key to mastering a pull-up is frequency or performing pull-ups on a daily basis. I encourage swimmers to try three sets every morning. In the beginning the number of repetitions successfully completed is not as important as the attempts made. Over time the number of successful repetitions will increase as will the swimmer's strength.

Most competitive swimmers love a challenge - it's part of their make-up. Challenge gives meaning to swimming. As a coach I constantly search for new ways to challenge my swimmers. With that in mind I created the following challenge:

The Peak Performance Swim Camp Pull-Up Challenge

Platinum Level: 2 x Your Age in Full Range Pull-Ups
Gold Level: 1 1/2 x Your Age in Full Range Pull-Ups
Silver Level: 1 x Your Age in Full Range Pull-Ups
Bronze Level: 1/2 x Your Age in Full Range Pull-Ups

Note: A pull-up is with palms facing away from the swimmer.

Blast Off the Block

A swimmer with a fast start explodes off the block. One of the best ways to build explosive power is with an exercise called a tuck jump.

Instructions:

1) Stand straight with feet parallel and approximately hip width apart
2) Hold hands at chest level with palms facing downward
3) Bend knees approximately 6 inches then jump
4) Drive knees to chest touching knees to palms
5) Land softly and hold for five seconds
6) Repeat 5 to 10 times

Note: Wear well-cushioned athletic shoes when performing this exercise.

Eat More Fiber

Americans eat only one-third of the fiber they need. Overtime a lack of fiber can lead to serious illness. Fiber keeps the intestinal tract clean and functioning properly. It also removes toxins from the body. Good sources of fiber include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans.

Flexibility - A Key to Fast Swimming

Test your lower back and hamstring flexibility with this simple flexibility test:

You should never stretch a cold muscle. Begin by jogging, skipping or hopping in place. Next sit on the floor and press your hips, back and head against a flat wall. Extend your legs straight out in front of you. Flex your toes and point them towards the sky. Place one hand on top of the other - middle fingers together. Slowly lean forward as far as possible. Do not bounce. Hold your furthest forward position.

Test Results

Wrist Over Toes: Excellent
Fingertips Over Toes: Very Good
Fingertips To Toes: Good
Fingers Past Knees: There's Hope
Fingertips Can't Pass Knees - Oh Boy!

The Tale of Two Swimmers

At one time I coached two swimmers, one named Casey and the other Wyatt. Both boys were 13 years of age. Casey had the body of an 11 year old while Wyatt had the body of a 15 year old. Imagine how frustrating if was for Casey. What made it even worse was that both boys competed in the same events. Fortunately for Casey he caught up in size and speed by the time he was 16.

On average a child will grow two and a half inches and gain five pounds a year. Peak growth usually occurs in girls between the ages of 11-13 and in boys between the ages of 13-15.

Technical (TOP)

Body-Whip - The Fifth Stroke

Without question, body-whip or underwater fly kick has revolutionized competitive swimming. Virtually every world-class swimmer has added it to their arsenal. The number of swimmers who have yet to embrace this technique surprises me. Body-whip is here to stay and the ones who take full advantage it will reap the rewards.

To master the body-whip technique a swimmer must initiate the kick from the core rather than from the hips or knees. Kicking from the core makes for a stronger kick. The body-whip action must also be performed quickly. Kicking rates at the world-class level can exceed 150 kicks per minute!

5 Step Body-Whip Progression

Step 1: Kick a 25 FL K on your back in streamline position. Be sure to kick water out of the water on each kick. Make a splash every kick - the bigger the better. This will require a strong kick.
Step 2: Repeat Step 1 only this time kick new water into the air before the water from the previous kick has had a chance to fall back to the surface. This will require a fast kick.
Step 3: Combine Steps 1 and 2 to achieve a kick that's both strong and fast.
Step 4: Streamline kick underwater, first on your back and then on your stomach. Try to replicate the kick you performed in Step 3.
Step 5: Continue to practice adding more and more distance each 25.

It's All in Your Head

Establishing an ideal body position in backstroke begins with the head. A neutral head position with head back, eyes looking directly upward and ears just beneath the surface helps to stabilize the body and float the hips and legs.

Freestyle Flip Turns - Two Ways

There are two freestyle flip turns in competitive swimming. The first combines a forward somersault with a twist. The second begins with a forward somersault only. On the first flip turn the swimmer lands on the wall sideways and rotates towards the stomach during the push off. On the second flip turn the swimmer lands on the wall on their back and rotates towards the stomach during the push off. Swimmers should experiment with both to determine the best fit. There is no right or wrong.

Dual-Training Goals

The majority of swimmers use their strokes as a means to condition their bodies. As result their bodies become better conditioned at the expense of their strokes. Ideally a swimmer should have a dual-training goal for each practice - to condition their stroke as well as their body. At first glance this may seem like too much to ask but I disagree. Most of the yardage swum at practice is performed at practice speed or below. This creates an ideal conditioning opportunity. A swimmer could choose to maintain a 6-beat kick while holding a set pace for a particular set. Having a dual-training goal is the absolute best way to maximize the practice experience.

Swim Like Michael Phelps

Imagine if you could take Michael Phelps’ butterfly out for a test drive. How cool would that be? Do you think his stroke would be easier to swim or harder? In some ways it would be easier because it would include all of the essential components executed with the correct timing. In other ways it would be harder because a stroke like his would work with more water at a world-class rate.

Developing a world-class butterfly is a three-step process:

Step 1: Learn how to swim the stroke correctly
Step 2: Swim the stroke correctly in practice
Step 3: Compliment in-water conditioning with dry-land conditioning to build flexibility and strength

Knowledge is Power

Without a doubt the greater a swimmer's knowledge base the greater their chances of success. To test your swimming knowledge I invite you take the following quiz. Answer "yes" or "no" to each question.

Note: Please refrain from looking at the answers until you have completed the quiz.

1) The first kick in butterfly takes place as the arms enter the water and the second kick takes place as the arms exit the water.
2) The hips should break the surface on the first kick in butterfly.
3) The breath in butterfly should begin as the hands pass underneath the hips.
4) There are three kicking options in backstroke - six beat, four beat or two beat.
5) To achieve a horizontal body position in backstroke the ears should remain under the surface of the water.
6) The arms should enter the water in backstroke directly behind the head.
7) When recovering the heels in breaststroke kick the feet and knees should remain inside the hip line.
8) The breath in breaststroke begins as the arms separate at the beginning of the pull.
9) There are two pauses in breaststroke - one during the glide and one during the breath.
10) The ideal head position in freestyle is waterline at eyebrow level.
11) It takes less energy to swim freestyle with shorter strokes than longer ones.
12) Bilateral breathing in freestyle helps to maintain balance.

See Results...

Results: 1) Yes 2) Yes 3) No 4) No 5) Yes 6) No 7) Yes 8) No 9) No 10) No 11) No 12) Yes

Building A Stroke From The Bottom Up

There are three levels of stroke technique in swimming. Level 1 consists of essential skills that form the foundation of each stroke. These include the head and body position, the kick and breathing cycle. Level 2 consists of all of the Level 1 skills plus the arm cycle and timing. Level 3 consists of all of the Level 2 skills plus individualized refinements. Listed below are essential Level 1 skills:

Butterfly

Horizontal Non-Breathing Head/Body Position: The body must remain as horizontal as possible during the non-breathing stroke cycle.

2 Kicks Per Stroke: Two kicks must be executed within each stroke. The first as the arms enter the water and the second as the arms exit the water. Each kick consists of two parts - a downbeat and a upbeat.

Properly Timed Breathing Cycle: The breath must be taken as the arms move into catch position. The head must reenter the water as the arms reenter the water at the end of the arm recovery.

Backstroke

Neutral Head Position: The head must be as neutral as possible with ears submerged and eyes facing upward. There should be no side to side or up and down head movement.

Plank Body: The upper body must form a bridge connecting the neutral head position to the legs.

Continuous/Symmetrical Kick: The kick must be constant and symmetrical remaining inside the swimmer's body depth and width.

Breaststroke

Legal Kick: The starting position is legs together with pointed toes. From this point the heels are drawn up toward the butt with knees remaining inside the shoulder width. From there the feet are rotated outward with toes pointed outward with ankles hooked. The feet remain in this position as the legs drive back to the starting position. This kick requires a symmetrical leg action with legs operating on a horizontal plane.

7-Squeeze Body Position: Each stroke must begin and end with thumbs, elbows, head, shoulders, butt, legs and feet squeezed together. At this point the entire body is just below the surface with eyes facing the bottom of the pool.

Properly Times Breathing Cycle: The breath must be taken as the arms move into catch position. The head is returned to the water as the arms recover and return to the 7-Squeeze body position.

Freestyle

Neutral Head Position: The head must be as neutral as possible with ears submerged and eyes facing downward. There should be no side to side or up and down movement of the head.

Plank Body: The upper body must form a bridge connecting the neutral head position to the legs.

Continuous/Symmetrical Kick: The kick must be constant and symmetrical remaining inside the swimmer's body depth and width.

Invisible Breathing: The breath must be close to invisible. As the pulling arm passes the shoulder the head turns to the side for a breath and as the recovery arm passes the shoulder the head returns to a neutral head position. The side of the head must remain parallel to the surface during the breath.