Training With Dr.Romanov: POSE SWIMMING Archives

POSE SWIMMING

BEGINNER SWIMMER: GEAR CHECK
Pose Swimming requires a similar to a traditional "tool kit", but tools included come with slightly different specifications. We don't recommend going all out and spending a fortune, but it is important to get all the recommended equipment. Dr. Romanov does not currently favor any particular brands. As with any other sport, at the beginner level the focus is on the technique, so all equipment is geared for that purpose. Swimming Paddles. Extremely important from the very beginning, the swimming paddles will help you learn proper perception of support in water. It is very important to select the right kind,... [Continue reading...]

SWIMMING TECHNIQUE: TO ROLL OR NOT TO ROLL
"To do or not to do" - same topic different sport, but much like the highly debated "push off" in running, the rolling of the body in swimming is a no-no. There are several reasons for that. Number one is the fact that rolling takes away from falling (can't use gravity without falling), i.e. rolling interferes with movement forward. Need we say more? From the Pose Method point of view, swimming is nothing but change of support in water. Due to the nature of movement happening during the change of support, minimal to no body rotation is desired in order... [Continue reading...]

SWIMMING TECHNIQUE ERROR: THE LOSS OF SUPPORT
The loss of proper support in swimming results in all kinds of extra movement which impede the desired movement forward. To efficiently and effectively move forward, all moves executed have to be precise and compact. Excessive movement up and down signifies an error in swimming technique connected with the incorrect perception of support. The entire significance of support is to allow for movement to happen. So it's not about the support per se, it is about movement where correct support is a vital component. Exaggerated up/down movement in swimming could be equated to active landing or/and push off in running.... [Continue reading...]

SO, YOU SAY YOU'RE NOT A GOOD SWIMMER?
Every now and then we hear triathletes say: Oh I'm not a good swimmer, so I save my energy/strength for bike and run, or something along those lines. The irony is that you actually spend more energy, if your technique is poor. It does not matter, if you feel or if you think you're saving energy, in reality it takes more efforts and more energy from you to cover the distance with a so-so technique. With proper swimming technique, however, you could learn to swim faster and move easier in the water. In most of the cases, there is always... [Continue reading...]

LEG KICKING IN SWIMMING
To understand the point of your legs doing the kicking motion in swimming, you have to have a clear picture of how your body moves forward in water. Just to dispel the rumor, kicking does not produce forward propulsion. It is merely one of the factors that collectively contribute to forward movement. In Pose Swimming, movement in water happens just like movement on land. As a matter of fact, ANY movement here on Earth is nothing but a CHANGE OF SUPPORT. From the Pose Method point of view, your hands do the Moving change of support and your hips follow... [Continue reading...]

THE ROLE & POSITION OF FINGERS IN A SWIMMING STROKE
If you watch footage of great swimmers like Michael Phelps, Ian Thorpe and others, you will notice that everybody has their hands very relaxed. Here are some still images from this video of Michael Phelps. By the position of the fingers one can see how relaxed his hands are in the water and fingers are merely there to provide a bigger "surface area" for support (hand) and for appropriate balance on that support. The role of fingers in the swimming scenario is to provide larger support surface and better balance on support. The position should be straightforward, slightly open... [Continue reading...]

SWIMMING TECHNIQUE: PERCEPTION OF BODYWEIGHT
Anybody can learn to swim better. First step? Drills. Dryland drills to be precise. Dry land is our natural habitat and this is where we can comfortably learn one of the most important things in movement of human body - perception of body weight. It is as important in swimming as in running and other sports. Why do we need to learn the perception of our body weight (not to be confused with body mass)? Because in the gravity controlled environment like ours, movement is nothing but change of support. And he who can change support better than others will... [Continue reading...]

BREATHING IN SWIMMING
Breathing technique is part of the overall sport specific technique in any sport. That applies also to any other form of human movement. There is an optimal way to breathe during any activity, though in some it doesn't really matter, where in others it's crucial to overall performance. Breathing technique in swimming is of paramount importance because it can directly and significantly affect athletes performance. Just as with the swimming technique itself however, there is no consensus on the breathing technique for swimming. What we have are several approaches that bring in various logic behind them, and we have experiential... [Continue reading...]

STRENGTH NEEDED IN SWIMMING
The typical thinking today is that the stronger the better, the bigger the muscles the more physical strength you have. That is not correct. Our muscles are a part of a larger mechanism, by themselves they cannot and do not produce power or showcase strength. We will write more about it in the forthcoming articles and books, in this article we'll try to give you a simple image of what you need to aim for in swimming. Swimming technique taught through the Pose Method is primarily about change of support. As your body moves through the water, your arms work... [Continue reading...]

LEARN TO SWIM USING POSE TECHNIQUE - Beginner Level
We've already written a few articles about Pose Method® of Swimming and how it differs from most of what's traditionally accepted in swimming today. Today, we'd like to offer you some guidance in learning to swim better with the help of the Pose Method®. Since the Pose Method® of Swimming is new to most of our readers, we'll start from the very beginning and assume that you're starting from ground zero. This approach can be effectively used with complete non swimmers and swimmers looking to improve their technique. At the beginning you shouldn't think about speed or force or anything... [Continue reading...]

CADENCE COUNTING IN SWIMMING
There is no official standard of how to count cadence in swimming, but there are commonly accepted ways that swim coaches and athletes utilize. This article is written from the Pose Method® point of view and explains how Dr.Romanov counts cadence in swimming which is similar to how the majority of prominent swim coaches do it. Cadence is a measure of frequency of repetitive movement per unit of time. Movement is change of support. In Pose Method cadence is a measure of frequency of change of support per unit of time. A "stroke" in swimming is calculated on one side... [Continue reading...]

CADENCE IN SWIMMING
Cadence in swimming has the same parameters as cadence in running. But compare to running, in swimming we have to consider the addition of body of water to the equation and that changes things slightly. For example, muscles' elasticity kicks in at 180 or higher in running, but in swimming muscles' elasticity doesn't work quite the same, while it is undoubtedly present and working, it's effect is somewhat muted because of the presence of water in which the body has to move. So what is the ideal cadence for swimming? There is no ideal, but there is an optimal cadence... [Continue reading...]

HOW TO AVOID PAIN IN SHOULDERS DURING SWIMMING
Pain in shoulders is a rather common injury in swimming. It could probably be equated to knee injuries in running. While there are many explanations available to justify the pain, there is really only one true problem - incorrect technique. So whatever you're doing with your swimming technique, if there is pain present - you need to adjust your technique. Pain should never be a part of your training. There are just a few things not to do to avoid pain in shoulders. DO NOT ACTIVELY PULL WITH YOUR ARMS. A much promoted so-called "pulling" action is one of the... [Continue reading...]

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT SWIMMING PADDLES FOR YOU
In this article we'll focus on the swimming paddles for beginners, since virtually everybody reading this article is considered a beginner when it comes to pose swimming. We will write about the use of paddles for advanced swim training in the future articles. Dr.Romanov does not favor any particular brand, so we'll give you pointers regarding the specific shapes and sizes that you should be looking for or staying away from when selecting your swimming paddles to start learning pose swimming. Pose Swimming is all about change of support just like pose running and pose cycling. If there is no... [Continue reading...]

OPEN WATER SWIM IN TRIATHLON - READ THIS TO SUCCEED
This article is written primarily for complete newbies and beginners, but it could also be helpful to experienced and competitive Triathletes. The open water swim is considered by many as the hardest and worst part of Triathlon. Some are completely put off by it - hence the invention of a sport called Duathlon where swimming is eliminated altogether. But since you're reading this article, we bet you're looking for ways to make the mayhem of the swim a better experience for yourself. Below are a few suggestions that will help you succeed. Technique, technique, technique. As with other sports, you... [Continue reading...]

2 REASONS TO WORK ON MAINTAINING GOOD FORM
There are plenty of reasons to work on achieving a proper technique in any sport of your choice and there are even more reasons to work on maintaining that technique. These tasks require focus and dedication, but the return on your investment of time and effort could be of unprecedented heights. One thing is for sure, if you ignore your form, it will not get any better and will most likely only get worse over time, but if you work on it, then at the very least you can bet on staying injury free and in the best case scenario... [Continue reading...]

YOU TOO CAN SWIM AS GOOD AS MARK SPITZES, MICHAEL PHELPSES, IAN THORPES OF THE WORLD
Yes, you can swim as good, as those Olympians do. You can learn how to operate your body in the water as swiftly and as smoothly. The task might seem daunting at first, since despite all the research, study and theories, there is no consensus on proper swimming technique and conventional academic swimming instruction varies. On top of that, the naturally talented ones can't really tell us, what they are really doing. (When Mark Spitz' coach, legendary Dr. James Counsilman, asked Spitz to describe his technique, Mark's detailed answer that followed was very different from what he was actually doing... [Continue reading...]

POSE SWIMMING: NEW APPROACH TO SWIMMING
1. REMEMBER GRAVITY. If you thought that since this is swimming there's gonna be no talk about that whole "gravity thing" - think again. Gravity is here to stay, at least for now we hope. If gravity goes - so will we. We feel it's presence and work through our own body weight. But remember that our body weight is not our body mass. Our body weight plays a significant role in our movement - any movement. Swimming is no exception. Contrary to the traditional view of swimming technique as a "pull arm through a specific trajectory/push the water with... [Continue reading...]

POSE METHOD OF SWIMMING
Full description of Pose method of swimming will be featured in our book of "Triathlon Techniques". In this short web site topic we are giving just an introduction to Pose Swimming technique, based on general principles and concepts of movement in Pose Method: Using Gravity/ Body weight, Support, and Change of Support. The swim is the first leg of triathlon and as such is the barometer and initial indicator of the athlete's performance throughout the whole race. Finishing in the lead group of the swim gets you into the lead group on the bike, so efficiency in this leg of... [Continue reading...]