Why is swimming so hard?
>decided to swim as my cardio
>i'm literally dying
Help
>struggling with literally the easiest form of effective cardio
Fat retard
Are you flailing around the pool like a drowning child or actually using proper swimming techniques?
>>36691288
>easiest
have you ever seen an elliptical?
>>36691265
I was a swimmer in high school and college. What seems to be the trouble?
>>36691265
Navy SEALS manual says swimming is more intense cardio you can do, with running about 1/2 intensity
inb4 klum nuggets
>>36691369
If this is true, what tips do you havr for a beginner? I'm deathly afraid of drowning and I have a weak ankle but I really do want to learn how to swim
Former HS state finalist here.
Do not swim.
It's the fucking worst.
I only did it because I had a Michael Phelps body and started winning early.
Its boring. It ruins your hair. It's antisocial. It's not easy to get technique down well enough to start a good routine.
Seriously, every fucking body knows how to run.
You wanna swim right?
Two months of serious dedication to just BEGIN a routine.
Sure, the bod is sexy but you can get the same thing running and doing mild upper body exercises.
Don't swim.
>>36691440
Ex National Swimmer here.
The best tip I can offer is learn to maintain a steady kicking pattern. So long as you kick, your body will remain flat and making it easier to swim. Even a steady kick can achieve this.
As for drowning, don't be afraid! Remember that humans naturally float! If you stop dead and hang there, the water level will lie just on the top of your forehead.
Learn to breathe to the side, this is ESSENTIAL. Keeps you balanced, uses the natural buoy wave pocket to breathe into and keeps your body flat, meaning your legs don't sink, meaning you'll float easier
>>36691440
It is true. I wouldn't worry about drowning, your body is naturally buoyant. If you can, practice floating in the shallow end (on your back and front). Focus on engaging your core and keeping your hips at the surface.
Then start doing doggy paddle. Your head will stay above water the whole time so you don't have to worry about your breathing. This will also help you focus on your kicking (try not to bend your knees too much and move your whole legs from the hip for more propulsion).
Then when your confidence is up start taking real arm strokes. Focus on stretching your arm as far forward as it can go forward, then pull your arm the full way back to your hip while reaching with your other arm. And face the bottom of the pool. Having your head straight up will drop your hips and create drag.
When you get a little more advanced you can sort of roll your body from side to side a small amount in order to be more hydrodynamic.
As far as breathing, don't be afraid to lift your head straight up when you need a breath. However this kills your momentum so, if you can, try breathing by turning your head to the side. Breathe every third stroke so you will alternate turning your head to each side while the arm on the opposite side is taking a stroke. Always exhale your breath underwater while you are taking your three strokes and only inhale when you lift your head. This way you aren't holding your breath and then gasping and panting when you lift your head.
Also, do some research on breaststroke and backstroke, they are a little more technical but can work different muscles and make breathing easier.
Hope that helps, and seriously don't psyche yourself out, you won't drown
PE coach said my breaststroke is perfect but my freestyle sucks and I look like a deer that's being pulled by an alligator
how do i fix this? my legs don't float even while kicking continuously
>>36691664
work on your head position. If you are looking straight ahead it will make your hips sink. Look at the bottom of the pool slightly ahead of yourself, this will put your neck in line with your spine and should help bring your hips up. Other than that kick harder
>tfw fell for the lifeguard meme
>thought I was going to meet tons of MILFs
>It's actually just dealing with drowning streetshitters and chinks who think they can spit wherever they want
>>36691504
Any tips for breathing to the side or practice? Not OP but ive been trying to learn how to swim freestyle laps and breathing is seriously holding me back.
>>36691265
When I swam in school when my running cardio was complete dogshit and I thought I had asthma I had the complete opposite with swimming. I could swim all day and didn't really get tired. It was weird considering I find out now swimming is really fucking good for cardio.
>>36692108
Ex swimmer/water polo here. Turn your head out of the water at the same time and side as the arm that you take out of the water.
>tfw pipes frighten you so you can't swim
>>36691495
Also a former swimmer. This dude is right, Also, got a small cut on your hand? enjoy that never healing as long as you are consistently swimming. The water+chlorine just kills any new skin
>>36691495
Your retarded. I've swimmed for most of my childhood and teen years. It did not ruin my hair, girls and my male barber mire the fuck out of it. You just have shit genetics. The only thing I agree with you on is that it is indeed boring, which is why I signed up for water polo. Swimming is the best sport for developing as a young kid. By /fit/ standards i developed great legs with big calves Nobody in my family has big calves.
How are you literally dying?
not OP
but i suck at all cardio. but swimming is the worst. i feel weak, like i'm going to faint afterwards
i also hate that i can't tread water, and that i get nowhere using only my legs. i need to use my arms (in front crawl or breaststroke) or i go at a snails pace
>>36692357
>great legs with big calves
Well you didn't get those from swimming, hermano.
One of my favorite quotes was from an Olympic coach who worked with Michael Phelps during his first appearance at the games. He said that Phelps was the physically weakest Olympian he ever saw.
And he took home gold that year.
Swimming is only good for shedding fat (and diet alteration is the best way anyway).
None of the movements except the core strength translate to anything on land.
Also, did I mention it's boring?
Nothing to look at.
Nothing to listen to.
For.
Hours.
Save your selves anons.
Do not swim.
>>36692357
>your retarded
I don't think I'm the retard bud.
>mum says I should swim
>why
>"Because low impact on knees"
>>36691288
>Fat retard
I imagine fat people would not struggle to swim, as their blubber is less dense than water.
Is it possible to learn swimming techniques by yourself? I've been swimming with a PT when I was a kid but I've tried swimming again like a year ago and I wasn't sure if my technique was correct. Seemingly I was doing everything right but wasn't sure if something was off.
>>36691495
>swimming
>antisocial
u w0t m8? swimming is social as fuck, just take your friends to a beach, for instance
>>36691265
Because your not used to it and I guarantee you have terrible form
>>36691265
Swimming is difficult because its a full body workout.
> inb4 broscience
I can run 10 miles and I might be sore, but I'm not nearly as exhausted as when I swim. If I had to swim a mile (at a fast pace mind you) across a body of water I would literally die because I would sink from exhaustion.
>>36691335
he said effective cardio
