FAQ: > My legs sink when I swim Push your chest & head down. Your centre of buoyancy is your lungs (duh) so pushing that down (or the parts of your body ahead of that) will bring your legs up.
> I can’t hold my breath that long! Dude, breathe. It’s cardio, not anaerobic activity. If you’re just starting you can breathe every stroke. Try to get it down to every couple. Maybe even try alternating which side you breathe on, it’s an open water skill you’ll need if you ever do triathlons. Even if you don’t decide to do triathalons it’ll only help you be more comfortable in the water.
> Do I need goggles Yes, it's so much easier & you're able to relax if you can see where you're going. And you won't look like a red-eyed stoner post swim. They don’t need to be fancy, the cheapest ones will be good enough. If your vision is bad enough to wear your glasses when you do other sports then get some cheap prescription ones so you can read signs & clocks.
> Will I lose all my gains? No.
> Will I lose weight? Depends how much you eat, same as always!
> Can I swim on rest days? Yes, it's 0 impact force on knees and hips and will help your shoulder mobility/strength.
> Isn’t lane swimming for super serious swimmers? Won’t I be in their way? What if I do something wrong? You're overthinking it. Most places will have slow, medium, and fast lanes. Pick the one where the swimmers look to be about your speed. If they're circling, wait for one of them to take a rest and ask to hop in or if there are only 2 people, hop in after one of them has kicked off but before the other swimmer comes in to turn. If two people are splitting, ask if you can circle with them. If there's just one person in the lane, ask them to split (or circle depending on pool rules). Once you're moving in the water, if you notice someone swimming faster than you and catching up, tuck into a corner at the end of the lane and let them go ahead of you- never stop mid-lane. Basically just don't be an asshole and don't cut people off and you'll be fine.
> Where do I stand between periods of swimming? Usually, the corners of the lane so people doing laps can touch the wall in the middle when they do their flip turn. But if your pool has different rules look around & see what others are doing.
> Which way do I swim in a circle if I’m doing laps? Look for the signs. They’ll be at the end of the lane, or hanging above it. Or, if all else fails, just watch what others are doing & copy them.
> Does swimming destroy my shoulders? No. If anything it will help your strength & mobility if it’s screwed up from only doing bench & OHP. Don't do anything that hurts, and get more instruction/pointers on how to do a technique that works for you. If you're reading /swim/ on Zig Forums you're not going to need to do crazy high-elbow freestyle as you're never going to the Olympics for swimming.
> Do I need a tech suit? Only if you're competing, and your technique is so good that a tech suit would make the difference between winning or not. If there are whole seconds, or even minutes, to cut off your 100m time then don't bother.
James Diaz
> What other equipment should I buy? Swim briefs or jammers. Swimming in board shorts will make you look like a noob, and make you work so much harder (making you look like a worse swimmer) If your pool doesn’t have kickboards and pullbuoys you can buy them, they’re just cheap foam. But if your pool has them, use them for kicking/pulling drills.
> Aren't briefs only for europeans on vacation? No. But if you really care then wear jammers.
> Can I still lift? Yes, swimmers call any workouts that aren't in the pool "dry land" workouts if you want to search for the specific squats, kettle bell swings, pullups. But you aren’t Michael Phelps, same as you aren’t Lu Xiaojun so don’t copy what _they_ do, and instead find some general workouts from a coach you trust. Sprinters spend at least as much time in the gym as they do in the pool.
> What else should I know? No one is looking at you, get in the pool and swim.
> What else should I do? Find a swim bro, same as gym bro, and go start your own "morning practice".
I just started /swim/ing, and I get sore near the bottom of my scapula after doing front crawl. Is that normal?
Tyler Roberts
saving from page 10
Easton Gray
I love bathing suits so much
Angel Robinson
Its literally a non impact sport. Youre weak and stiff cuz you just started. Learn freestyle so you can use your legs more. Good luck tho. At least youre trying.
Jackson Torres
Im excited to fuck with these today.
I also tried to do a 1500m set on a 48 hour fast and lemme say, bad idea
