5 Advanced Tips For a Faster Swim

Most of the swimming advice out there is focused on beginner swimmers and triathletes.

But what about the more advanced swimmers? You may have moved past the "newbie" or "beginner" stage of your triathlon career and are looking for new ways to improve.

Here are five tips to keep you moving ahead with your swimming and triathlon goals:

Time to Try Sprints

You need to master technique first. Then you need to work on increasing your stamina and ability to swim longer distances. Sprints don't make sense if you don't have proper technique or if you're unable to swim the distance your race will be.

More: 2 Swim Sets for Speed

In order to get faster, you'll eventually need to incorporate sprints into your swim training. Once a week is plenty. Any more than that could be too much, depending on your body and your level.

Start out with very few sprints in a single session. Even just 2 to 3 sprints your first time will be enough. Then gradually add in more as your body adjusts.

Use Equipment

This doesn't mean using floatation devices like buoys and kick boards, which won't help you. Instead, use a pair of fins for about half the time during a speed workout.

You can also experiment with paddles. The Finis Freestyler, which will guide your stroke to pull the proper way, is a worthy product. There are other paddles that may work for you too.

Lastly, you can use a snorkel on some of your longer swims. This builds your lung capacity and helps you focus on your stroke without the breathing to the side.

More: 3 New Rules of Swim Training

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About the Author

Kevin Koskella

Kevin coaches sessions for Masters swimming and triathletes in San Diego, and conducts a variety of clinics, private lessons and video-analysis of personal swim style with critique and correction. He has helped professional Ironman triathletes reach their goal, but his passion is to give the new triathlete the confidence to be successful in the swim portion of the race. He also runs the websites www.triswimcoachonline.com and www.triswimcoach.com, where you can find his products, including The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD and The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming.
Kevin coaches sessions for Masters swimming and triathletes in San Diego, and conducts a variety of clinics, private lessons and video-analysis of personal swim style with critique and correction. He has helped professional Ironman triathletes reach their goal, but his passion is to give the new triathlete the confidence to be successful in the swim portion of the race. He also runs the websites www.triswimcoachonline.com and www.triswimcoach.com, where you can find his products, including The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD and The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming.

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