The Effortless Swimming Podcast

In this episode of the Effortless Swimming Podcast, Brenton Ford and Tas discuss the key takeaways from their recent training camp in the Maldives. They cover essential themes such as identifying bottlenecks in swimming technique, the importance of community support, overcoming self-doubt, and the significance of consistency in training. The conversation emphasizes practical strategies for improvement, including the use of simple cues, the power of reframing concepts, and the benefits of practicing techniques on land. The hosts also highlight the value of rhythm in swimming and the effectiveness of contrast drills to enhance performance.

00:57 Identifying and Focusing on Bottlenecks 04:13 Simplifying Drills and Progression Sets 07:26 The Importance of Community in Swimming 11:23 Believing in Yourself and Overcoming Doubts 15:37 Consistency Over Perfection 19:54 Process and Feel Over Data 23:54 Simple Cues Unlock Big Changes 26:11 Breaststroke Technique Insights 28:08 The Importance of Reframing Concepts 29:56 Rhythm in Swimming: The Waltz Analogy 33:13 Practicing Technique on Land 36:18 Using Contrast Drills for Technique Improvement 40:04 Sighting and Pack Swimming Strategies

In this episode, I'll show you the 5 key steps to swimming freestyle with ease, so you can save energy, improve your speed, and feel confident every time you dive in.

If you're an adult swimmer or triathlete who gets tired quickly, this is a must-watch. You'll discover how to finally relax in the water, connect your stroke together, and build a freestyle that feels natural.

00:42 Good Body Line and Balance 02:05 Good Head Position 03:22 Setting Up the Catch Position 07:30 Recovery Not Working Against You 09:53 Check The Timing Of Your Breathe 11:42 Rhythm and Kick Timing In Place

Sam Short recently went a 3 41 for his. 400 freestyle. Let's take a look at what he does really well in his freestyle technique and he uses a galloping style of freestyle. So let's take a look at this style and how this kind of technique might benefit you. And I think it can be a very effective way to swim open water for a lot of people because in the open water you've got a bit more buoyancy with the waves and the chop.

This sort of technique can go a long way, and you do see this with a lot of the good. Triathlon swimmers, and a lot of open water swimmers as well. So let's take a look from the underwater shot to begin with.

00:50 Head Position (Shoulders Near The Cheeks) 1:48 Elbow-The Widest Part Of The Arm (Power Diamond) 3:26 Galloping Stroke 4:07 Timing 8:17 Catch

What does it really take to swim the English Channel or any marathon swim? My guest today, Craig Lewin, is a triple crown marathon swimmer and coach who's helped athletes tackle some of the toughest swims on the planet. We talk about how to train for hours in cold, rough water. How to stay motivated over years of preparation and the mental tricks that can carry you through the tough times when you feel like quitting.

If you've ever wondered how ordinary people achieve extraordinary swims, this episode will show you how and if you're already into long distance swimming. Myself and World Record Holder, Andy Donaldson will be running two long distance retreats next year. One in the wit Sunday is in June. And one in Tahiti in September.

So if you'd like to enhance your open water skills, learn from the best, and also have one of the best holidays of your life, this is a chance to join myself and Andy Donaldson on a long distance Swim retreat. I'll include the link in the show notes below.

02:26 Starting Your Journey: The English Channel Swim 05:39 Training Plans for Long-Distance Swimmers 10:57 Maintaining Motivation Over Long Training Periods 16:11 Nutrition and Fueling for Endurance Swims 21:20 Acclimatization to Cold Water Swimming 27:50 Pacing Strategies for Long Distance Swimming 31:48 Overcoming Challenges in Training 36:41 Mental Strategies for Endurance Swimmers 39:11 Choosing Your First Marathon Swim 43:15 Addressing Fears: Sharks and Open Water Swimming 47:27 Safety Tips for New Open Water Swimmers 50:59 Upcoming Events and Resources for Swimmers

Recently, Australian swimmer Lani Pallister made history by becoming the third-fastest woman ever in the 1500-meter freestyle. In this episode, we're diving into her stroke to see exactly what makes her technique so effective and what we can all learn from it.

00:25 2-Beat Kick 01:01 Head Position/ Breath Timing 02:26 Have The Head Turn In Time with the Shoulders 03:30 Catch Position 08:31 Kick Timing 10:01 Rotation 12:38 Recovery

How does an Olympic medalist take 19 seconds off her 800 meter time and nearly beat Katie Ledecky? In this episode, I'm joined by Jaimie Fuller from EO Labs, the creators of the Swim Better Handsets, a company I've worked closely with since their early days to share how this breakthrough tech is transforming performance from helping Paige Madden make that jaw dropping improvement to giving triathletes a way to measure swim power in Watts, sync with training peaks, and use AI to pinpoint exactly where they're losing speed.

EO is changing the way we understand the swim leg from Olympic podiums to your local pool. This could change the way you approach every stroke.

00:00 Introduction to Elite Swimming Technology 02:50 Transitioning to Triathlon Focus 05:34 Integration with TrainingPeaks 08:20 Gamifying Swimming Data for Triathletes 11:08 Membership and Data Analysis 13:52 Understanding Technique and Power Dynamics 17:01 Visualizing Swim Data and Performance Metrics 24:53 Analyzing Swim Performance Data 28:37 The Role of AI in Swim Training 32:23 Understanding Swim Technique and Efficiency 37:45 Learning from Other Sports 39:56 Case Studies of Elite Athletes 45:39 Implementing Changes and Measuring Outcome

This episode is taken from our latest Feedback Friday video. We have a triathlete from Sydney who holds 1:30/100m on his Ironman swims. Let's take a look at his strokes and see where he can find additional speed.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kEXXSc9eac

00:37 Head Position 01:04 Body Position 04:10 Reach And Extension 06:13 Arm Angle

Grab the freestyle checklist here: https://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle-checklist/

Work with us (stroke analysis coaching): https://effortlessswimming.com/es-training-and-membership-page/

Join a camp: https://effortlessswimming.com/camps

Have you ever walked away from a swim thinking, "Why does this still feel so hard?"

You're not alone. Most adult swimmers struggle with the same few challenges—again and again—and it's usually because no one ever showed them how to fix it the right way.

In today's episode, we're diving into the most common mistakes adult swimmers make—and more importantly, how to finally fix it.

Let's get started.

00:17 Mistake #1: Holding Too Much Tension

04:07 Mistake #2: Looking Forward the Whole Time

06:12 Mistake #3: Overkicking or Stiff-Leg Kicking

07:38 Mistake #4: Beginning Your Catch Before You Finish Reaching Forward

09:28 Mistake #5: Rushing the Breath

Most swimmers think a harder kick equals more speed. But for adult swimmers and triathletes, it usually means more effort and less progress. So, if your legs feel heavy, your breathing feels rushed, or you're constantly tired after short swims, it might be your kick that's holding you back. Let's fix it.

00:32 Mistake #1: Kicking From the Knees

02:33 Mistake #2: Too Much Kick

06:16 Mistake #3: Stiff Ankles

08:29 Mistake #4: Using It For Propulsion

09:15 Bonus Cue: Fishtail Feet

Do freestyle tips from the 1960s still hold up today? In this episode, I'm diving into some notes I took from a DVD created by 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the 1500m freestyle, John Conrad. About ten years ago, I was deep into studying freestyle technique—trying to learn everything I could—and John and I actually had a few back-and-forth discussions about our different approaches. We didn't always agree, and today I want to revisit some of his ideas, share what I took away from his teachings, and talk about where I see things differently.

If you're working on improving your own freestyle technique, I've also put together a free checklist to guide you step-by-step—you'll find the link in the show notes. Let's dive in!

00:49-Apply Energy Only When Needed 01:29-Swim At Floatation Depth 02:18-Anxiety Is Number 1 Priority 02:48-As You Relax, Your Body Increases In Volume 03:22-Swimming Efficiently Means You're Relaxed And Loose 03:49-Look Forward When Learning. Look Down When More Comfortable 04:39-Pivot Your Body 05:08-Relax Your Kick. It Is Not Worth The Effort 05:44-Kick On Your Back Instead Of Your Front 06:36-Both Arms Don't Go At The Same Speed 07:19-Delay The Pull 08:01-Learn By Exageration 09:12-The First Component Of Swimming Is Relaxing. The Second Is Catch Up. The Third Is Almost Catch Up 10:16-Don't Confuse Arm Speed With Swim Speed 11:05-Don't Rush The Breath 11:49-Exhale All The Time From The Nose And Mouth 12:45-Breathe Every 2 But Change Every 25 Meters Or So 13:26-Kicking On The Side Is Good For Developing Your Breathing To The Opposite Side 14:05-Keep Your Hand Loose In The Recovery 14:41-Use Body Roll To Bring Your Elbow Through The Recovery 15:25-Pull Harder Not Sooner To Go Faster 16:36-Don't Pull Too Early, Extend And Push Down Slightly

Grab the freestyle checklist here: https://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle-checklist/

Work with us (stroke analysis coaching): https://effortlessswimming.com/es-training-and-membership-page/

Join a camp: https://effortlessswimming.com/camps/