Practical ideas for your next swim
Explore breathing, stroke technique, training and open water, with explanations you can take back to your own swimming.
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Race speed
Can compression cuffs help a 100m swimmer? A cautious look at new research
A small randomised study found promising 100m freestyle results from an eight-week blood-flow cuff protocol. Here is what it means - and does not mean - for swimmers.
Training
Should swimmers jog? What a new study means for your training
Running can support general fitness, but a recent study is a useful reminder that it cannot replace the technical and swimming-specific work that makes you faster in the water.
Technique
Stroke rate vs stroke length: what matters for your freestyle?
A recent competition study shows why faster swimming is not about taking the fewest strokes or simply spinning the arms faster. The useful balance changes with the swim in front of you.
Training
Three performance measures for open water swimmers
What aerobic power, lactate thresholds and critical velocity can add to an open water training plan.
Wellbeing
What cold water swimming does to your body
What to expect when you swim in colder water, how to acclimatise sensibly and why getting warm afterwards matters.
Training
What a 7 × 200 metre lactate test can tell a triathlete
A closer look at a pool test linked with open water swim performance in competitive male triathletes.
Confidence
How to build confidence in open water
A practical way to move from pool swimming into open water without treating fear as something to push through.
Open water
How to swim in choppy water
Practical changes to stroke rhythm, breathing and navigation when Port Phillip Bay becomes unsettled.
Technique
Stroke rate in open water racing: Part 3
How to balance stroke rate with distance per stroke instead of chasing either number on its own.
Technique
Stroke rate in open water racing: Part 2
Stroke rate observations from the 2.2 kilometre Port to Park swim in Melbourne.
Technique
Stroke rate in open water racing: Part 1
What elite race observations can teach us about stroke rate, and why copying an elite number is a mistake.
Race preparation
How to plan an open water race
A practical race plan covering the course, the start, drafting, pacing and the decisions you may need to make.
Technique
Find a better head position in freestyle
A neutral, steady head can reduce drag and make breathing less disruptive.
Wellbeing
Why people find headspace in open water
What swimmers say they gain from open water beyond fitness and race results.
Endurance
How to build cardiovascular endurance for long swims
Four pool sets that build endurance for longer swims without turning every session into a slow distance grind.
Strength
Core strength for a more stable stroke
Simple dryland and pool exercises that help swimmers hold body position and connect rotation.
Strength
Strength training for swimmers
How to add useful strength work without compromising swimming quality or recovery.
Mindset
How to stay focused in training and racing
A simple way to direct attention when a session becomes hard or a race becomes noisy.
Technique
Improve hand entry and alignment in freestyle
A quieter entry and straighter extension can reduce crossover and set up a cleaner catch.
Technique
How to improve body rotation in freestyle
Practical cues and drills for connecting the shoulders, hips and breath without over rotating.
Endurance
How to build endurance for longer swims
A practical approach to adding distance while keeping your stroke together.
Open water
How to sight and swim straighter in open water
A low, quick sighting action and a better choice of landmarks can save distance in open water.
Confidence
How to gain experience in open water
A progressive way to learn open water skills without rushing from the pool into conditions you cannot yet read.
Technique
How to coordinate breathing in freestyle
Pool and open water drills for a smaller, calmer breath that fits inside the stroke.
Race preparation
How to pace an open water race
Pool and open water sessions that teach you to start under control, handle surges and finish with intent.
Technique
How to swim with less wasted effort
A practical look at body position, propulsion and rhythm for pool and open water swimmers.