How the Olympics can help your swimming
The Olympics are in full swing and there’s already been huge upsets and victories out of the pool.
Swimmers at the Olympics are the best of the best, they’ve spent countless hours for most of their lives training and preparing for a shot at Olympic glory.
For the average couch supporter and recreational swimmer, it’s easy to watch in awe of the feats of these giants of the sport, but there are lessons everyone can take away from these Olympics that can help you with your swimming.
Here are my top 3 lessons you can take away from watching the Olympic swimming:
1. Get motivated!
If you can’t get motivated to swim after watching the best swimmers in the world then you’ve got no chance.
Action step: If you’re not already swimming regularly in the pool in preparation for the summer ocean swimming season then start today! Grab a friend and head to the local pool, start slowly and build up your volume and intensity each week.
2. Different strokes
If you watch the swimming closely you’ll notice that each swimmer has their own swimming style. There’s swinging arms, high elbows, wide arms; there’s big kickers and soft kickers, and there are short and long gliders just to name a few of the variations. No single technique is ‘the best’ but you can guarantee that the technique each swimmer uses is the most efficient for them.
Action step: Get your stroke technique sorted so you are swimming as efficiently as possible. Have your technique assessed by a qualified swim coach and work on it regularly through drills. You’ll not only swim faster, but you’ll use less energy doing so.
3. Hard work gets results
None of the Olympic champions win gold by cruising through their training. They set goals and work extremely hard to achieve the success they do.
Action step: You don’t need to be an Olympian to achieve success. Set your own goals and work hard through a commitment to training, positive thinking and dedication to achieving your goals. There’s no better feeling than getting to the finish line of something you’ve worked so hard for.
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