The rules for making progress

5.0 How can I swim better?

ere you'll find a few tips that will help you make progress, if you follow them. There are different ways of progressing, and not all goals are the same for everyone. On the other hand, there are certain rules that will help you succeed.

5.1 Personal involvement

The key to progress is consistency. It doesn't matter how many times you decide to go during the week, but if you want to get results you have to keep up the pace. It's better to do several small sessions a week than just one big one

First of all, because it's an endurance sport, which requires a breathing capacity that's very different from other sports. At first, you'll probably find it hard to get your breathing rate up to a level where you can keep going for long stretches at a time. Don't panic, it's just like when you start running, you'll get the hang of it through repetition

Next, remember that swimming takes place in a wet and (slightly) cold environment. Particularly in winter, you'll sometimes need all your mental strength to dive into a pool. But remember, swimming warms you up quickly. But remember that swimming is an indoor sport that can be practised in any weather,

Finally, the aim is not to progress by swimming one length after another and quickly completing the exercises given. You have to try and understand them and know what they mean (intentions). A swimmer has to be an intelligent athlete! Despite repeating the same movements, each of these movements must have an intention.

5.2 Beware of equipment

Equipment is becoming a nuisance in swimming, constantly developing, and quickly making us forget why we use it and how to use it correctly. That is to say, so that it has a positive impact on the whole swim

We can observe, that many people use equipment to « swim » .

In our definition of the « swim » task, equipment is not included, and is even forbidden.

If you want to progress in swimming as it exists, equipment comes last in the learning tasks. Here's why:

First of all, it changes our relationship with the aquatic environment, our sensations are no longer the same, whereas they are essential in swimming. Everything depends on proprioception (internal perception of our body parts in relation to each other in space). The sensation of acting on the water also becomes different. Try it out; swim with fins or paddles and then take everything off. Swim again without equipment and see the difference, at first you'll have the feeling that you're no longer moving forward and that you're no longer effective.

Then, for adults who use pads, for example, it's important to note that the main muscles used in swimming will be different with and without the pads. So don't expect any technical or even muscular progress in swimming. For example, in the front crawl without the pads, it's the back and triceps that work the most, whereas with the pads, it's the biceps. So what's the point of working with pads?

Equipment shouldn't be banned, but it should be used intelligently and with full knowledge of the facts. Every time you add equipment while swimming, you're bound to change something in the way you swim. You need to know whether it is beneficial or not, whether it is necessary or not. To do this, you will be guided through the various sessions suggested.

5.3 Preparing a session properly

If you want to make rapid progress, especially in terms of technique, you'll need to be very familiar with the exercises to be performed. Each session you generate will provide you with « educational» exercises, i.e. exercises designed to teach you something. Take the time to read and understand your session (you don't need to know it by heart, you can write it down). Write down a few key words on certain exercises to remind yourself what you're trying to achieve and why. Read the advice for each session carefully and take note of the theme of your session. Once you've completed these steps, you're ready to swim and progress.

5.4 Good eating habits

As sportsmen and women, diet is one of the performance factors. But it's not the only factor. Nutrition will also affect recovery, stamina, fatigue and other factors in our daily lives

As sportsmen and women, diet is one of the performance factors. But it's not the only factor. Nutrition will also affect recovery, stamina, fatigue and other factors in our daily lives :

5.5.1 Carbohydrates (= sugars)

Beware of increasing blood sugar levels! Especially before a session, if you eat a food with a high percentage of carbohydrates, 2 hours later you'll have hypoglycaemia.

Explanation: when you eat something sweet, your blood sugar level will rise until it reaches a peak (= hyperglycaemia) after 30 minutes. Your blood sugar level will then fall (thanks to the insulin produced) until it is lower than normal. And the sweeter the food, the greater the subsequent drop, so you'll end up with hypoglycaemia. This reactive hypoglycaemia occurs 2 hours after eating. Don't panic, your blood sugar level will return to normal afterwards, but you risk feeling very tired, as your muscles will no longer have enough glycogen (the main limiting factor in physical activity, as it fuels the muscles during exercise).

Glycogen is the stored form of glucose. It is stored in the liver and muscles

5.5.2 Lipids (=fats)

Lipids have a structural, functional and energetic role. The quality of lipids has consequences for health and athletic performance.

In its role as an energy store, lipids are in the form of triglycerides, found in particular in adipose tissue (connective tissue containing fat cells).

Fatty acids are a preferred energy substrate for skeletal muscle, the kidneys, the liver and the heart.

In addition, depending on the duration and intensity of training, lipids will be your source of energy. Particularly for long-duration, low-intensity exercise.

Lipids are essential for the proper functioning of cells and the synthesis of hormones produced in response to training. They should therefore not be taken out of your diet (especially when you're on a diet). On the other hand, you should limit processed products which do not provide the necessary fatty acids. You should favour monounsaturated (omega 9) and polyunsaturated (omega 3 and 6) unsaturated fatty acids, which will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and maintain normal cholesterol levels in the blood. Rather than saturated fatty acids, from the animals , which can have a harmful impact on our health, as they increase our blood cholesterol levels

Here are a few examples:

Lipids should not be reduced or increased in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality! Their intake is necessary for our body to function properly.

5.5.3 Proteins

They have a structural and functional role. They are only mobilised during physical exercise if your glycogen reserves are too low. They therefore have little energy content but major functional implications

Unlike carbohydrates and lipids, amino acids are not stored in the body

There are 8 essential amino acids (EAAs) that the body cannot produce. Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products) have a high biological value because they contain all 8 EAAs. Vegetable proteins (cereals, legumes and soya) do not have all 8 EFAs, but combining them will give you a cocktail that is ideal for the body. With the exception of soya, which provides all 8 EFAs.

Our body needs the right amount of protein; there has to be a balance between proteolysis (protein breakdown) and proteosynthesis (protein production)

There are many risks associated with an excessive protein intake. Notably for the kidneys, which will have a surplus of nitrogenous waste to eliminate, so beware of dehydration as toxic products will accumulate. Excess protein also leads to urinary excretion of calcium, and therefore osteoporosis (reduced bone density, brittle bones and increased risk of fracture)

Proteins also have an important role to play after training; to optimise post-exercise muscle resynthesis, the organisation needs to be perfectly supplied with EAA

5.5.4 Hydration

During physical exercise, sweating leads to water loss. Between 0.5 and 0.8 litres per hour for a sedentary person. A trained athlete loses 3 to 4 litres per hour in the first hour, then around 1 litre per hour

Dehydration leads to under-performance. When you feel thirsty, it's already too late - your body is dehydrated. So you need to think ahead and drink regularly throughout the day and during training

For just 2% dehydration (sensation of thirst), your performance decreases by 40% at 40°C and by 20% at 18°C.