Swimming: Most Popular Articles

Swimming's Benefits
Swimming is good exercise (that's obvious). A state government has even proclaimed that swimming is a lifetime sport that benefits the body and the whole person! But what is it that makes swimming good, specifically? That depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime - and the health benefits swimming offers for a lifetime are worth the effort it takes to get to the pool.

Swimming Pool Filters
There is a lot of confusion about various swimming pool filters, and many different opinions. Here are a few facts to consider. The first is that a pool water can be properly maintained with any of the filter systems available: Sand, Cartridge, or Diatomaceous Earth. Which one is right for your swimming pool?

Opening a Swimming Pool
When warm weather is approaching, it's time to think about opening your swimming pool for the season. These steps should help you get your swim pool open the right way for the pool season.

Novice Swim Workout Plans
You are a swimmer, and have the basics of a swimming workout figured out and want to be a better, but other than getting in the pool, you feel like a beginner? No coach to write a fitness workout for you? Maybe you are a swimmer stuck in a rut, always doing the same workout, week after week, and want to try something different? Here's a swimming workout plan to help you get fitter (and maybe faster) through a progressive swimming training plan.

Swimmers To Do Swimming List
There are many things that you can do to swim better. This to do list of 10 ways to swim better could help any swimmer improve in the water.

Change Pool Filter Sand
How often should the sand in a swimming pool filter be changed? We recommend changing the sand every five years. Filter sand has been ground to a size of .45 to .55 mm in diameter and is very rough when new. This roughness is what makes the sand efficient at filtering out the particles of dirt in your water. As this roughness is smoothed out your filter's efficiency goes down. This means that your system has to run more frequently to accomplish the same task.

5 Weeks of swim workouts for swimmers
5 Weeks of swim workouts for swimmers

Freestyle Swimming Drills
A guide for swimmers on performing several freestyle technique improvement drills to help make a swimmer's freestyle swimming faster and improve swimming efficiency. Learn how to improve swimming technique to swim faster and more efficiently by watching a video of freestyle swimming technique drills.

Weight Lifting for Swimmers
Sport specific work is the best way to get better at that sport. But what else can you do? Flexibility exercises, plyometric work, swimming while wearing weights, and resistance training are some of the options. One example of resistance training is weight work aimed at adding strength and speed to your stroke.

Swimming for Swim Newbies
So, you want to improve your swimming ability or swim competitively, but aren't sure about the next step - or you have taken time off and want to "get back in the swim?" How should you start, and once you do, what next? Here are a few things to keep in mind as you splash through the pool.

Swim Pool Pump Size
No one likes to walk out in his or her yard and find a green swimming pool and yet green pools are now in style. We are not talking about letting your swimming pool water turn green - instead, we are talking about creating a pool that is easy on the environment and easy on your budget. Armed with just a little information you can easily save $30-40 on your monthly utility bill and your pool water will never look better!

Challenges to Breathing
The most common question I hear in the triathlete world about the mysteries of swimming efficiently usually involves something with breathing. In freestyle, it is the first step to get your body position right. Then, for many, you throw in breathing and everything goes haywire!

Drain a Swim Pool
A reader asks: I'm attempting to drain my inground plaster swimming pool for the first time. This is my first swim pool and I don't know that much about swimming pools. Our swimming pool expert's advice on draining swimming pools: Don't do it - here is why...

Wetsuit Buying Advice
Wearing a triathlon wetsuits should give you a potential or an actual swimming speed boost. You do not have this free swim speed boost in a non-triathlon wetsuit or without a triathlon wetsuit. Want to be a faster swimmer in a triathlon? Get a triathlon-type, swim-specific wetsuit.

Swimming Pool Vacuum Cleaners
Ever wonder which automatic swim pool cleaner to buy for your swimming pool? Ever buy one, only to have to bring it back and say it wasn't working right? If you answered yes to any of these questions, hopefully by the end of this article you'll have a better understanding of which pool vacuum is right for your swimming pool. With all the vacuums on the market, how do you decide? Let's start off by explaining the different types of swimming pool cleaners and what the pros and cons are of each.

Leaky Swimming Pool
It is common for pool owners to worry about losing water from a swimming pool. There are typically one of three swim pool issues with water loss: leaks in the swim pool plumbing, leaks in the swimming pool shell, or excessive splash out or evaporation from the swimming pool. There are some ways you can narrow down the reasons behind your leaky swimming pool.

Workouts for Swimmers
A series of swimming workouts for swimmers to help increase overall fitness, become a faster swimmer, or just to give a swimmer a new workout for their next trip to the swimming pool for swim practice or for their swimming workout.

Fix Swim Pool Leaks
"I'm having to add water to my swimming pool every week. Do I have a leak?" Depending on the climate in your local area, it is not unusual to be losing a 1/4" of pool water a day due to evaporation. This means almost 2" a week! The biggest factors affecting this are humidity, wind, and air and water temperature.

Swim Without Fear
My understanding of a swimming teacher is they need to have a proficient knowledge of scientific principles, physiology and psychology; coupled with the ability to apply them to the individual is vital. Thoroughly understanding these elements allows the teacher to work within the capabilities of the non-swimmer or swimmer both physically and mentally, adapt the strokes, and achieve a comfort level within every session.

Speedo's Fastskin LZR Racer
Speedo's new swimsuit, the Fastskin LZR Racer (Laser Racer - get it?) is out, as seen on the NBC Today Show. The suit looks fast, and with swimmers like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Kate Ziegler in them, I bet they will be the fastest swimsuit on the planet come Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Planning a Swim Pool's Size
Planning on building a swim pool? The shape and size of your swimming pool should be determined according to the type of usage the swimming pool will get - recreational, competitive, or both.

Olympic Swimming Controversies
From swimsuits to drug use, Olympic swimming has had controversies. Michelle Smith, Dawn Fraser, and entire countries have been involved in scandals that have, in small or large fashion, tarnished swimming.

Swim and Pool Games
Ever play swimming pool games? Here are a few that you or your kids may like to try next time they are swimming.

Breath better to swim better
What is the most effective breathing technique for swimmers? Coach Shev Gul takes a look at diaphragmatic breathing for swimmers and how to achieve it while swimming. Using this breathing method in swim practice could help a swimmer perform better in training and racing and help improve recovery from training and swim meet competitions.

Swim Tips for Triathletes
As technical as the sport of swimming can be, it is tough to narrow down the answer to the often-asked question, "what should I concentrate on to become a better swimmer?" Here is a "top ten" list of steps for swimmers to improve their triathlon swim. These could go a long way in helping you achieve your goals, whether you are a beginner or trying to go pro.

Prime Your Pool Pump Motor
Prime is the term we use to state that the air has been mostly purged from the swimming pool water pump and that the filter pump is moving pool water. When you have lost the pump's prime, your pump is no longer pumping water through it. Sometimes it can be very difficult to regain the prime on the pump. These tips will help you get the prime back in your swimming pool water pump and filter system.

Freestyle Swimming Basics
What is your mental picture of a freestyle swimmer? This is one result from an exercise to quickly describe different elements of freestlye swimming.

Drain A Swim Pool - Yes or No?
While it is possible to affect most repairs to your swimming pool underwater, there are circumstances that necessitate draining. You should not attempt this unless it is absolutely necessary and you are thoroughly familiar with the steps necessary to do this safely. Draining your pool can cause serious damage to it's structure. Why is it dangerous to drain a pool? Let's explain this by the type of pool and the damage that can occur.

Clean Swimming Pool Filters
How often should I clean the swimming pool filters? Great question! The answer can vary from filter to filter, but a general guideline on any swimming pool filter is to take a reading when the filter is clean, then clean it when the pressure rises about 10 psi.

Top Picks - Triathlon Wetsuits
A look at some of the best triathlon-specific wetsuits for triathletes, novice to professional, sprint to ironman

Swim Pool Multiport Valve
Next to your swim pool pump and filter, the multiport valve is a swimming pool systems most important piece of equipment. The multiport valve is also known as a Vari-Flo valve, backwash valve, or filter control valve. It is important that it operates easily and properly. Some of the problems caused by a malfunctioning valve include water leaking out of the backwash line, dirt returning to the pool when vacuuming, and water that never clears up.

Chlorine Swim Pools and Asthma
Numerous private, public, commercial, waterpark, hotel, and motel swimming pools have switched to Ozone technologies as people become more concerned about chlorine and chlorinated byproducts and their possible health-related safety dangers. Other than the issues of reduced carcinogens and other reduced health problems, what are the relative benefits of Ozone over chlorine?

Fast Kick or Fast Pull?
A reader asked an interesting question: What's more important to fast swimming and good technique, a strong, fast pull or a fast, strong kick? In other words, how much does a swimmer's upper or lower body - pull or kick - contribute to their swimming speed?

Repair Swimming Pool Lights
If, after turning on the pool light switch, the GFCI trips, the most likely cause is water inside your light fixture. If the GFCI doesn't trip and the light is off, you probably have a burned-out bulb. In either case, you must now proceed to pulling your light fixture out of the pool.

Sample Daily Workout for an 8 Week Swimming Fitness Plan
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Simple Strength Training
Weight training and dryland exercises can be used for many things, including injury prevention, rehabilitation, gain strength, build general or specific fitness, or to cross-train to improve abilities in other sports. Many training programs seem too complicated to follow. You may get discouraged, almost before you start. If this has happened to you, then perhaps you'll give this weight training program a try.

Swimming Pool Algae Problems
Algae reoccurrences happen in a swimming pool because the algae was not completely eradicated when treated. Sometimes poor or misdirected water circulation can prevent the pool chemicals from removing all of the algae.

Swimmers' Hair and Skin Care
Products to keep swimmers' skin and hair in top condition

Smooth A Vinyl Swim Pool Liner
While there are some chemical conditions that can cause a vinyl swimming pool liner to wrinkle, wrinkles most often occur in a previously unwrinkled swimming pool liners during the winter, when the swim pool is closed and the water level is lower. How can you get the wrinkles out of your vinly swimming pool liner?

Swimming and Stretching
How many times have you seen swimmers stretching before they get in the pool? I can't count that high! Should all this stretching be taking place?

Swimming in a Triathlon
The first leg of a triathlon is the wettest, even on a rainy day, but it should also be the most enjoyable and relaxed part of the race. A good swim can lead to a great race. Some tri's are short, some are long, but all require you to swim. From my perspective as a competitive swimmer, coach, and triathlete, the swim is not the hardest portion of the event, but it is critical to perform the swim leg of a triathlon correctly to set up a successful bike and run leg.

Eating and Diets for Swimmers
Avoid fat; fat is ok, eat it up. Avoid carbohydrates; carbohydrates should be the major portion of your diet. Consume a high amount protein; eat balanced portions of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there. What should a swimmer eat?

How To Clean Your Pool Filter
The proper way to clean your cartridge pool filter consists of three steps. Rinsing the loose dirt, soaking in a cartridge cleaner, and rinsing again. This cleaning method is also excellent for diatemacous earth (DE) filters at the end of the season.

EVF Dryland Exercises
How important is an Early Vertical Forearm in swimming? It is undoubtedly the most important propulsive element in swimming and unfortunately for most swimmers, it also the most elusive. The bad news is that all the streamlining and effective conditioning won't make-up for a dropped-elbow, the antecedent of an EVF. The good news is that coaches have new EVF equipment and know more about how to train swimmers so they can acquire and improve this critical skill.

Get Ducks Out of A Swim Pool
Is there a foolproof method to keep ducks out of a swimming pool? Not foolproof, but there is at least one way that we have found to keep water fowl out of a swimming pool.

Breaststroke Swimming Basics
What is your mental picture of a breaststroke swimmer? This is one result from a mental exercise to quickly describe different elements of breaststroke swimming.

Swimming Pool Water Level
Ideally you should keep your swimming pool water level between one third and one half the way up the opening of the pool skimmer. Why? Among other reasons, this is the level at which the swimming pool skimmers operate most efficiently.

Yellow-Brown Pool Stain
Do you have a yellow-brown stain on your swimming pool walls? Chances are it is iron. Many municipal and even some well water sources have iron as a contaminant. How can you be sure, and how can you get rid of it?

Swim Workouts for a Triathlon
Important swim workouts for a sprint-distance triathlete involve race simulation, swimming skill proficiency, sustainable swimming speed, and time to recover after a swim. These sample swim workouts for a triathlete could be done as part of a swimming workout that also includes a warm-up and cool-down.

Swimmers Streching Help
Most swimmer's workout and swimming fitness routines, including ones that I like to use, include regular stretching to increase or maintain a swimmer's flexibility. Why should a swimmer stretch? What does flexibility do for a swimmer when they swim?

Winterize a Swimming Pool
The main purpose in winterizing your swimming pool is to protect it from damage due to freezing water. Another is to keep it as clean as possible for the next season. Closing your swim pool properly can save you a lot of work when it comes time to open the swimming pool for the summer.

Change Pool Pump Motor
Unfortunately there comes a time in your life as a swimming pool owner when you are faced with replacing your swim pool water pump motor. This may be due to the bearings wearing out so that the motor is making a tremendous racket, or the motor won't run because it is burned out. Changing the motor is not difficult and can be done by the average pool owner provided you are comfortable working with electrical wiring.

Fetch-A-Sketch
When it comes to outdoor design, a picture really is worth a thousand words. For homeowners, vivid illustrations can give contractors a clear picture of the look they want for their property. For designers and contractors, high-quality images and perspectives create powerful presentations that capture the imagination of clients. Fetch-A Sketch enables contractors, designers, and homeowners to present their landscaping ideas using first-class drawings created by today's top designers.

Freestyle Early Recovery
An early swimming catch helps swimmers to maximize the amount of force they can apply to that water while swimming. Swimmers should grab or catch the water as far out in front of them as their body allows. I define the catch as the point in the stroke when swimmers apply pressure to the water that helps the swimmers move forward. Where or when should a swimmer let go of the water - when do they release that pressure - where do they start the recovery?

Swimming Pool Construction
What is important to consider when purchasing, building, or constructing a new swimming pool? Most agree it's the installer who is the key. How do you check on a swimming pool construction or installers, other than relying on the references given by the pool company?

Plaster Pool Stain Removal
Large stains covering a high percentage of the swimming pool plaster surface are usually from chemical reactions. These tips are for smaller, concentrated stains, a few inches or less in size. A small stain is usually caused by a metal object being left on the bottom long enough to rust and leave a stain.

Butterfly Swimming Basics
What is your mental picture of a butterfly swimmer? This is the result of a quick mental exercise, trying to describe different elements of butterfly swimming technique.

Ironman Training Study
A survey-based research project that looked at annual training patterns and ironman-distance triathlon race results showed a few things that triathletes may want to consider when laying out their training plan for the year. It appears that some elements of training are often similar among successful triathletes.

Weight Lifting Routines for Swimmers - Phase A
Weight Lifting Routines for Swimmers, Phase A, from your About.com Guide

Freestyle Swimming Evolves
There are many ways to swim faster. Two of those ways are for a swimmer to increase swimming stroke rate (while maintaining the distance per stroke), and to increase the distance each swimming stroke takes them (while maintaining the same rate). How did de Bruijn, van den Hoogenband, Klim, Torres, and the rest swim so fast in the 2000 Olympics? How are swimmers continuing to get faster - and what will we see in Greece at the 2004 Olympics?

Improve 100 Free Swim Speed
How did Alexandre Popov manage to become the world's fastest and most efficient human swimmer? The basic thrust of his program was that stroke efficiency - not training speed, hard work or power - was the #1 goal.

Swim Freestyle on Your Side
When we learned to swim freestyle as children, most of us swim flat in the water, with little or no hip rotation as our arms are doing the majority of the work. Many triathletes and open water swimmers have found it necessary to change their stroke and swim more on their sides in order to conserve energy, swim faster, and get through potential rough water conditions with greater ease.

Regaining Swimmer's Lost Kick
I am a swimmer with a problem. Do you have any suggestions for a swimmer with a lazy swimming kick (freestyle)? I will be swimming well, then I will loose my kick rhythm and cannot regain it. Any info would be great. Let's try two things that might help you overcome your "lazy" swimming kick trouble.

Swimming Pool Workouts
Spring is a season of change and the perfect time to mix things up with a new water workout. Changing your workout can alleviate boredom and help you achieve better fitness results. Many swimming pools offer classes like Aqua Kick-Boxing, Aqua Sculpt, Aqua Abs/Glutes, and Aqua or Water Aerobics.

08 Olympic Swim Trials Tickets
2008 Olympic Swimming Trials Tickets On Sale Officials of the Omaha Sports Commission, USA Swimming, City of Omaha and Qwest Center Omaha announced today that approximately 9,000 all-session tickets to the 2008 Olympic Team Trials for Swimming, set for June 29 to July 6, 2008, will go on sale Thursday, May 24, at 10 a.m.

Swimming with Flippers
Swimmers, do you want to improve your kick strength, ankle flexibility, body position, and go faster during swim practice? Add flippers to your swimming workouts.

Vertical Forearm Swimming
It’s simple, if you want to swim faster, improve your propulsion! Effective propulsion revolves around an Early Vertical Forearm (EVF) position. This vital component of swimming is the engine of a swimmer and research accompanied by new EVF training technology will be changing the way they train.

Pool Stabilizer Levels
I had my swimming pool water tested and my stabilizer was 135. I was told I needed to drain my pool then refill with fresh water to lower my pool's stabilizer level. Is this correct? Why is it bad if my swim pool stabilizer is too high?

Olympic Swimming History
Illustrated History of Olympic Swimming

Leaves Out of Your Swim Pool
Many times we have heard the complaint that it takes too long to scoop out the leaves from the swimming pool. Upon investigation, we find that the swim pool owner is using a Leaf Skimmer to scoop out the leaves. No wonder it takes the pool owner so long! There are three simple things you can do to speed up the removal of leaves from your swimming pool.

2008 Olympic Swimming Events
The order of events for swimming at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games - the Beijing Olympic Swimming Schedule

Swimming Pool Chlorine Levels
Chlorine in pools leads to breathing trouble in trained swimmers, regardless of past history of such problems, and the likelihood increases with the amount of chlorine used in the water A study presented at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) showed an incidence rate of over 60 percent for Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB) after several minutes of swimming in water chlorinated at a concentration commonly found in home and public pools.

Triathlon Swim Tips
For a triathlete, a fast triathlon swim takes more than great swimming technique. It also takes a smart triathlon race plan, and these tips and tactics can help a triathlete get faster race results, from the swim through the transiton regardless of their overall swimming ability. These points and questions to consider before the start of the triathlon - and the answers to these pre-race questions - will help triathletes race better, faster, and more efficiently.

07-08 GP Meet Schedule
2007-2008 Toyota Grand Prix Swim Meet Series Schedule

Swimmers Shoulder Injury
Swim coaches frequently encounter swimmers complaining of pain in one or both of their shoulders. This pain is often associated with swimming freestyle, and seems to occur most often in the swimmer’s anterior shoulder region, but could also occur in other shoulder regions. When reported by swimmers, this pain often termed swimmer's shoulder, and can limit or stop training and hinder performance.

Swimmers Streamlines
There is really no easy way to become a faster swimmer, but you can use streamlining techniques to help increase speed without a lot of extra energy.

Swim Head Position
Swimmers, the way you position your head while you swim can have a huge effect on technique and how fast you swim. Head position can make your swimming technique fast or it can make your swimming slow. Swimming with your head up or down - which is fast, and why? Or are both good, but in different situations? Head position, body position, and balance are all related to fast swimming.

Freestyle Kick Rhythm
The freestyle kick - 2-beat, 4-beat, 6-beat, 2-beat crossover, What do I use when swiming freestyle? This swimming question, often asked by swimmers, is one best answered by that swimmer. How? By a little swim or kick test in the swimming pool. The answer to how much you kick when swimming freestyle today might not be what you do 6 months from now if your swim technique and conditioning improve.

The Swimming Flip Turn
Heading into the wall, somersaulting, and pushing off that wall - the basic flip turn. Wow! Looks neat. But is it necessary? The flipturn (or flip turn if you prefer) may not be necessary, but it can make your swimming a little faster ans more fun.

Sample Template for an 8 Week Swimming Fitness Plan
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Fastskin FS-PRO Released
Speedo announces the launch of the Fastskin FS-PRO swimsuit. The newest addition to the brand’s stable of elite speed suits, the Fastskin FS-PRO is a lightweight yet equally fast alternative to Speedo’s evolutionary Fastskin FSII suit, which was worn by swimmers who earned 47 medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Athletes will compete in the The Fastskin FS-PRO at the 12th FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, March 25 – April 1, 2007.

Tempo Training in Swimming
Sure, technique can always get better with more skill training, but you already have decent swimming technique and feel like you are in good physical condition for swimming. What else can you do to improve your swimming speed? How about working on your training and racing paces with tempo and stroke rate work!

How A Champion Swimmer Came Ba
This is a story designed to inspire those who have been doing it tough, and are searching for some inspiration to keep them going, because everyone needs this at some time in their life. Twenty-four year old Australian Bill Kirby is not a household name around the world and yet he is a miraculous human being. His main goal in life was to make an Olympic team, but in 1996, in his preparations for the Olympic trials, he was battling with health problems which threatened to de-rail his dreams.

Refresh Your Swim Pool
Is the finish of your concrete pool looking stained and blotchy? Did your pool have a white finish that now looks like a stormy sky? There is an easy and inexpensive way to make it look new. Coat it with a cement waterproofer.

Swimming Head Point Drill
A swimmer's "Head Point" - the top of their head - works like a compass. If it points someplace besides the destination, things get out of line and the swimmer gets lost. We started using this term with our youth group, and they got it - it clicked. The swimmers body positions improved and they got more efficient in terms of swimming stroke count versus swimming speed.

Women's Racing and Swimming...
Women's top competition and racing swimsuits and swim wear

The Freestyle Swim Flip Turn
Heading into the wall, somersaulting, and pushing off that wall - the basic swimmer's flip turn. Wow! Looks neat. But is it necessary? The flipturn (or flip turn if you prefer) may not be necessary for swimmers, but it can make your swimming a little faster ans more fun.

Swim Stroke Rate or Length?
During the London Triathlon this year, I was analysing the stroke rates of the elite men and you may be surprised to know there swimming stroke rates.

Backstroke Swimming Basics
What is your mental picture of a backstroke swimmer? This is one result from a mental exercise to quickly describe different elements of backstroke swimming.

GoSwim Swimming Stroke Technique Video Player for Swimmers
View the GoSwim Swimming Drill-of-the-Week videos in one place. This stroke drill and technique player will serve as a convenient place for swimmers to search for stroke-specific swim videos and drills, and will link swimmers directly back to each technique article in case swimmers want to read more about that particular swimming drill.

Amanda Beard, Olympic Swimmer
Amanda Beard, Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record Holder, answers some questions about swimming - and life - that could help other swimmers.

Swim Goggle Fit
The most important goggle factor is fit, also known as not leaking. You will need to try out several different types. While at the pool, borrow different styles from other swimmers; tell them why before you ask and you should have no problem, since most of us swimmers are a friendly group.

08 Olympic Trials Schedule
The best swimmers in the USA will be at the Qwest Center in Omaha Nebraska, from 29 June through 6 July, trying to finish in the top two spots to qualify for the US team swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The order of events for the 2008 USA Swimming Olympic Trials is the same as the event schedule that will be used at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Swimming Away From Injury
In many cases, swimming can be a very helpful exercise for back pain sufferers. Athletes commonly become injured, and swimming is a great way to keep active since it usually does not put excess strain on a swimmer's back. However, that’s not to say that swimming can’t cause back pain or injuries as well.

Olympic Swimming Rules
At the international and Olympic level, swimming is governed by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation). They also govern water polo, diving, synchronized swimming, and masters swimming. What are the basic rules for Olympic Swimming Competition?

Fear of the Water
A fear of water. A non resourceful state, negative feeling, an unwanted reaction, a pattern of behaviour experienced by an individual, which prevents the swimmer from learning a water skill or freely entering a mass-volume water environment such as a swimming pool, sea, lake, ocean, or river.

Shaping Up for a Tri Swim
Ask yourself how important it is to win the swim portion of a triathlon compared to how you will perform overall. The longer the race, the less likely it is that the winner of the swim is the winner of the triathlon. But if it takes all you've got just to get through the swim, you are going to face a big challenge completing the bike and run. This is a training plan I recommend for Olympic distance or longer triathletes.

Fitness Exercises in the Pool
Every father has his own physical fitness battles. Whether the enemy is a spare tire around the midsection, a golf swing gone aloof, continual back pain, knee surgery, lack of cardiovascular exercise, or another adversary... water exercise can help lose weight, fix his golf swing, help his back or knee pain, and help his cardiovascular fitness.

Swimming and Breath Control
Do you control your breathing rate during sets in a swim practice? Do you follow a breathing pattern, taking one breath every certain number of swim strokes? Do a swim a certain distance and change the breathing pattern each length, such as breathing every 3-5-7-9 by 25's? Does holding your breath while swimming make you a better swimmer?

Olympic Swim Great Moments
Some of the great moments in Olympic Swimming history by the greatest Olympic swimmers.

Maximize Swimming Speed
Swimmers probably want to swim faster or swim more efficiently. Faster means swimming a set distance in less time. More efficiently means covering a set distance in the same amount of time but at a lower energy cost.

Open Water Swims & Workouts
Open Water Swims & Workouts There is more to swimming than just doing lap after lap, turning when you

Flip Turns for Everyone! Flipping your turn does more than just turn you around
Flip Turns for Everyone! Flipping your turns does more than just turn you around   Join the Discussion

What to Eat Before a Swim Meet
I am always at a loss for what to feed my swimmers before a big meet. I stress out for my children! They look to me for "what to eat" (not how to swim). What specific food should my children eat before their next swim meet?

Swimming Trivia
What were the first goggles made of? The Japanese won all the men's titles except which one in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics? How far does a tuna swim in its liffetime? When was the first recorded swimming competition in the United States? You can find these answers and more trivia, odd facts, and interesting tidbits of information about swimming, swimmers, pools, lakes, and oceans, all swim related things in the Swimming Trivia pages.

Swimmer's Ear
My ear aches after I swim - what could that be from? A common problem among swimmers is a slowly developing pain in the ear. It might be Swimmer's Ear (External Otitis). It can start with a itchy ear feeling after a swim that, in time, intensifies to pain, particularly when the ear is touched or the ear is pulled.

Swimwear Shopping Guide
Competitive or fitness swimmers often need advice on selecting, sizing, and fitting a swimsuit. While the appearance of a swimsuit may not be as compelling an issue in competitive swimwear as it is in fashion swimwear, its fit and functionality are still just as important, if not more important. Odds are you have had some unanswered questions and concerns when choosing a competitive swimsuit. Here are some tips on shopping for and fitting a competitive or fitness style swimsuit.

Olympic Swimming 2004
The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Greece includes the aquatic sports of Olympic swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming. The Summer Olympic triathlon and the modern pentathlon are also events that require water or a swimming pool at the Summer Olympic games. Follow Summer Olympic Swimming and other swimming-related sports with these helpful links.

Swimming Pool Safety
For many people, there are few things more enjoyable than spending a beautiful summer day at the swimming pool. As swim pools provide a healthy and fun method of cooling off, more homes have taken to having pools of all types installed. While they can be fun and entertaining, there are many swimming deaths each year due to the presence of swim pools in the yards of homes. If you keep safety rules in mind, you won't get hurt and can fully enjoy your swimming pool.

Distance per Stroke Swimming
How many swimming strokes a swimmer takes for a given distance, and how fast you take them, makes a difference in your swim training and swimming races.

Fix Freestyle Kick Problems
Do you have the dreaded runner's kick? Have no fear, there are things you can do to beceome a better kicker and a better swimmer. Even the worst of kickers can develop an adequate kick for freestyle, which is all you need for a triathlon swim.

Swim and Run
Did you know there are aquathletes - swimming and running athletes? If your body allows you to run and swim, this is a great way to cross train, adding some extra variety, training gains, and scenery to your workouts. Can't run, swimmer? You can still add some walking to your training mix. Swimming has some good things for runners, too.

Teaching Swimming is an Art
Very recently I visited my local swimming pool to observe two new swim clients of mine who regularly took part in group swimming lessons. To say I was shocked at the lack of interest from the swimming instructor would be an understatement. I am not willing to accept that she was having an off-day. There are many adults and children who are anxious, or have a fear of water and desperately want to learn to swim, and enjoy their swimming journey.

Afraid to Swim? It's OK!
It has always been thought that if you're uncomfortable or afraid in water, you just need to learn to swim. But if you're afraid in water, why would you get into it? Why would you want to put your face in? Why would you volunteer to take your feet off the bottom and try to swim? For over a hundred years, the common practice used for swim students who were afraid of the water was to start from the premise that if you practice something uncomfortable long enough, it will become comfortable.

swimpoolcoverfallincleanup
Getting your swimming pool open in the Spring is much easier if your swim pool cover stays on during the Winter. Having your pool cover fall into the swimming pool during the winter can leave you with a very messy pool to clean up. Cleaning your swim pool can be a very time consuming task if the cover has fallen in. Here are some tips that can help make the job of getting your swimming pool cover out of the swim pool and getting your pool ready for swimming easier.

Table of Contents - Mind Training for Swimmers, by Craig Townsend
Mind Training for Swimmers Table of Contents by Craig Townsend Contents - Click on a title to read the

Guide to Pool Maintenance
The Ultimate Guide to Pool Maintenance is about as complete a guide to swimming pool maintenance as I have seen written in plain English. Every home swim pool owner could benefit from something in this book.

School Swim Training Plans
Coaching a high school swim team can be a challenging task. One way to make it easier is to use a season training plan. A season training plan provides ways to maintain a swimming program direction of continued development, forecast and prevent potential difficulties from occurring, forecast weaknesses, and establish a way to overcome those weaknesses. Let's take a look at some ways to put together a season training plan for a high school swim team.

Fear of Open Water Swimming
What happens when you hit the start of a triathlon or open water race, with an unprecedented sea swell, chop, cooler than expected water, and about 800 other people trying to clamber on top of you to get to the finish before you? How do you deal with those distractions?

The Y2K Swimsuit
The new swim suit for the swimmers of the new century

800-600-400-200-100 - Strong
This swimming workout has swims that get shorter while the swimmer aims to hold a steady, strong effort. As the swims get shorter, swimmers may find themselves going at faster paces even though they are trying to hold a steady effort early on each swim. Swimmers can vary this same workout by mixing in different strokes, changing the amount of rest between swims, and by changing the amount of rest between each set of swims.

Aerobic Swim Speeds
In the swimming pool, how do swimmers know how fast to swim to get the desired training result? This depends on what result you want emphasized - anaerobic or aerobic metabolism. All swimming has some element of each, with aerobic work's contribution increasing as the distance being swum increases. How can you determine appropriate swimming speeds or paces for aerobic development?

6 x 250 Faster as They Go
This swimming workout is 6x250 swims with the third and sixth "broken" into smaller chunks. The aim is to get you to push yourself more as you go through them from the first 250 to the third one, then back off a little bit for the fourth one, then back at the effort on the fifth and the sixth one. Swimmers can vary this same workout by mixing in different strokes, changing the amount of rest between swims, and by changing the amount of rest between each set of swims.

Swim Workouts at a Slow Pace?
I am now swimming over 1-hour at a relaxed pace. Once in a while I mix up my swimming speed in the pool for 5-10 minute increments. Is swimming at a slow pace every day effective? Once swimmers reach a general level of fitness, they must do more to increase the challenge of the swim workout. Adding more distance or duration is one way, but not always the best. How much time does someone have in a day to swim? In most cases I recommend swimming a variety of speeds in a swim workout instead.

Newbie Triathlon Mistakes
They say the best way to learn is to make mistakes. As a newbie and Clydesdale, in my first year of competing in triathlons, I've made my share of mistakes. Here is my Top ten list of newbie triathlete mistakes. (Roman Mica/Everyman Triathlon)

Sahara DryEar
The Sahara DryEar is a small, portable, rechargeable ear dryer that works for anyone. If you have problems getting water out of your ears after a swim or a shower, this may be the just what you need to remove that annoying water in your ears.

Weight Lifting Routines for Swimmers, Phase B
Weight Lifting for Swimmers, Phase B, from your About.com Guide

Clean Swimming Pool Ladders
You may have noticed your swimming pool handrails or ladders corroding or rusting. All steels can rust or stain depending on what chemicals they come in contact with. The stainless steel grades used in swim pool rails and ladders are fairly impervious to swimming pool water that is in balance. However, unbalanced water chemistry and some other causes (poor electrical grounding, pouring chemicals near the rails, etc.) can stain or rust them.

Cool Your Swimming Pool Water
How can you cool down your swimming pool during extreme heat conditions? Not enjoying your swiming pool when it is as warm as a bathtub? How can you get your swimming pool water back to a cool and refreshing temperature? While dumping large blocks of ice into the pool may seem like a great idea, the cost is prohibitive and the effect is only temporary. There are other ways.

Ideas on improving your swimming technique, by Guest authore Ilkka Keskinen
Ideas on Improving Your Swimming Technique Part 1:  The Feel - From Guest Author Ilkka Keskinen of the

Swimming and Shoulder Injuries
Most sports come with injuries to accompany them. Although swimming is, by most standards, not a sport associated with high risk of injury, it does have it’s own problems. For swimmers, by far the biggest source of sidelining swimming injuries is the shoulder.

08 Santa Clara GP Meet Intro
More than 15 members of the U.S. National swim team will compete at the 41st Toyota Santa Clara International Grand Prix, May 15-18 in Santa Clara, Calif. Olympic gold medalists Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps, and Ryan Lochte are expected to compete at the final West Coast stop on the eight-meet Toyota Grand Prix Series. The top medal-winner at the end of the Toyota Grand Prix Series will be awarded $20,000, courtesy of Toyota and USA Swimming.

Swimming Pool Entrapment
Since the 1980's there have been at least 147 incidents of suction entrapment in swimming pools, including 36 deaths. Suction entrapment occurs when a swimmer is trapped by the drain at the bottom of the pool. Is the premise under which drains were included on the vast majority of pools that have been built faulty? Ray Cronise concludes that the deaths and injuries caused by suction entrapment can be completely eliminated.

Swimming - Articles
An index of Articles for the Swimming guide site.

Swim Lessons or Self-taught?
Are swimming lessons better than letting kids figure out how to swim on their own - is letting children teach themselves how to swim better than giving them swimming lessons? David Morris, American Red Cross Certified Water Safety Instructor, has some answers from his swim lesson teaching experiences.

Coaching System for Swimmers
The Super Sport System looks like a good tool for swimmers and swim coaches. The swim workout planning system will help swimemrs maximize their chances of achieving their swimming goals.

Swim Workout Tips for Hot Days
Summer or hot weather often means a change to workout schedules, with more being done in the morning hours, and much of that being done outside. While workouts include a warm-up and a cool-down, the cool-down in summer does not always do enough to keep you from having some heat related slow-downs to performance.

Say it and swim faster
Yes, words. Swimmers can say a few words while in the swimming pool and make a difference in how they swim? What you think or say while you swim in a race changes what happens in the race. Swimmers benefit - and swim faster - by applying a little sports psychology. Use positive, powerful words and affirmations to build a strong self-image and achieve swimming success.

Arena's 2004 Swim Suit
Arena's PowerSkin fabric combined with a smooth design arguably produces the most streamlined racing suit on the market today. The compressed custom fit allows the swimmer’s strength and energy to be focused on the race and not lost due to muscle vibration. Arena has developed 8 silhouettes (5 male, 3 female) to respond to the demands of each stroke.

Open Swim Turns
If you are swimming in a pool and reach the wall, what do you do? The most obvious thing to do is stop, call it a workout, climb out and head for the showers (I'd call that a finish). But if you swim more than one lap, turning is inevitable. Open swim turns involve touching the wall with your hand(s), then reversing direction - you probably get a breath of air during the turn.

2008 National Team Swimmers
The 2007-08 USA Swimming National Junior Team rosters have now been posted. An age and time standard must be met by swimmers to qualify for the USA Swimming National Junior Team.

4 Swim Skills for Swimmers
Swim coaches like to talk about how swimming gets harder as a swimmer goes faster because of an increase in drag. Swimmers find it difficult to get results from applying more muscle power to the water if they are not doing it the right way. The first steps to faster swimming are positioning, grabbing, pressing, and rotating, things that everyone can learn. Here are a few things to check before trying to put more muscle power into your swims.

EVF Position Assistance 1
EVF Position Assistance 1

Tri Workout Specifics
Several key swimming workouts for triathletes were explained in an earlier About Swimming article. This article adds a few more training details - how often to swim these workouts and how fast to swim them.

Swimming Pool Water Features
Swimming pools used to be a 20-foot x 40-foot rectangle. They sloped from 3 - 5 feet and had a diving board at one end. In fact, every pool followed the same format found in virtually every YMCA. It was boring! Not that square isn’t beautiful, but as Frank Lloyd Wright said, design and form should follow function. You shold consider this when designing your swimming pool. Maybe a water feature would make the difference.

Swim Goggles
The styles of goggles are always changing, and there are hundreds of brands and models around the world. Sized for children or adults, designed for oval or round eye sockets, tinted, clear, hypoallergenic, prescription, or anti-fog, these little things make opening your eyes underwater much more comfortable. They also protect your eyes from corneal damage.

Pull-buoys, Paddles, & Kickboards
Help with kickboards, pull-buoys, and hand paddles

iPod nano Waterproof Case
h2oaudio has updates to their waterproof iPod cases, including models to fit the nano and shuffle. I tested the nano iN3 model and it worked very well, no water touched the iPod, I enjoyed some of my own tunes while swimming laps, and some other swimmers borrowed it and liked it, too. I think the shuffle-model waterproof case will be even better for fast lap swimming, but the nano-model was good for casual laps and playing around in the pool.

EVF Stretch Cord 1
EVF Stretch Cord 1

2008 Olympic Swim Trials Ticke
Want to see one of the fastest swim meets in the world for 2008? Some say it will be even faster than the Beijing Olympics. You can watch the action in-person at the 2008 Olympic Swimming Trials. Tickets for the 2008 USA Swimming Olympic Trials, to be held in the Qwest Center in Omaha 29 June through 6 July, are available for purchase several ways.