Category: Competitive Swim Wear

Transcription

1 Swim.LifeTips.com

2 Category: Competitive Swim Wear Subcategory: Competitive Swim Wear Tip: Buying Triathlon Gear Triathlon athletes require some very intense and specific training. For that reason, a regular sporting goods store may not cut it for all of your triathlon gear needs. Whether it is weight buoys for swim training, a helmet for your bike riding, or a good running shoe, you can find it all online at specific sport sites. Tip: Corrective Swim Goggles Swimmers wear goggles so they can see where they are going- but what if you have trouble even with the goggles on? Perscription, corrective swim goggles are available for purchase from leading sports brands. TYR, Speedo, and other major retailers offer varying strengths of goggles. Luckily, they aren't as expensive as your regular pair of glasses. Corrective goggles sell for about $20 to $30 a pair. Tip: Cutting Edge Suits TYR and Speedo are serious brands for serious swimmers. TYR has combined a sleek style with scientific research to create a most cutting edge swimsuit. For competitive swimmers, the Speedo Fast Skin II and TYR suits are scientifically proven to reduce drag and provide a faster, more flexible mobility underwater. With TYR brand swimsuits, the designers have taken physics into account, patenting Tripwires. Tripwires are strategically sewn into the suit, pulling in specific parts of the swimmer's body. The result is something only modern science could have deduced: a huge reduction in underwater resistance. The appearance of Tripwires is actually quite attractive, too. Tip: Fashionable Swim Caps Swim caps can be odd and unflattering on women. If yours is making you a bit self-conscious at the gym, go for a retro look. Flower petals adorning a swim cap is an old look that has seen a resurgence amongst female swimmers. Another popular style is the turban swim cap, which looks like a stylish wrap on your head. These caps are practical for swimming with your team or just for recreation by the pool. Combine your hip headgear with a retro swimsuit and you will look like something out of a 1940's Hollywood musical! Tip: Footwear For Swimmers A pool can be rough on the sensitive soles of your feet. If you are planning on being in the water for extended lengths of time, invest in some good swimmer's footwear. TYR

3 makes a nice, molded swimming shoe that will provide protection without slowing you down. A pair will cost around $30 in a retail store. If you aren't interested in wearing a swimming shoe in the water, at least invest in some flip-flops for the poolside. Tip: Function Over Fashion A competitive swimmer needs to keep functionality in mind when buying a swimsuit. The design of professional or competitive swimwear is different than that of a recreational bathing suit. It needs to be fitted tight, yet be flexible in order for the swimmer to have maximum mobility. Being hydrodynamic underwater is achieved by a sleek form, so nix any baggy shorts. Don't worry, brands like Speedo still provide attractive designs for both men and women. However, ladies, you might have to wait to wear the bikini you love so much until you are back on the beach. Tip: Speedo Sets The Standard A classic name in competitive sportswear, it has endured for a reason. Every style and color is available for both a fashionable and practical swimsuit. Also, goggles and swim caps will round out your ensemble. It is best to look for a name brand like Speedo because they are known for designing sports gear, not recreational swimwear. You can trust that you will perform your best while wearing a reputable label. Category: Designer Swim Wear Subcategory: Designer Swim Wear Tip: Retro Is The Way To Go This year, look for women's swimsuits to be modeled after 1950's glam. The retro look has been spotted all over Hollywood, with movie starlets opting for vintage Dior and the like. Swimwear is no exception. Polka dots, halter tops, skirted suits, you name it. The great news for many women is that plus size swimsuits look great in a retro style. Sexy women were fuller figured back then, like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Page. Everyone wins with retro bathing suits! Tip: Shopping For A Bargain For discount designer swimwear, look to the Internet. The Web is also a great place to look for plus sizes. Versace, Armani, DKNY, Liz Claiborne and more are available at a bargain on discount shopping sites. Also, being online will provide a way to comparison shop different brands and styles. With a bargain on women's, men's, and plus sizes, you'll be able to outfit the whole family and still have enough left over for the designer sunglasses!

4 Category: Kids Swimming Subcategory: Kids Swimming Tips Tip: Lifeguards Really do Save Lives Swim at your own risk NEVER! Not with the kids swimming, anyway. Lakes, ponds, and oceans have terrain under the water that you are not familiar with and help is too far away if you need to save someone from an unexpected injury, panic, or fatigue. It's just not worth the risk. Go to the lake or public ocean beach with a lifeguard on duty or bring one with you. Never swim in a lake by yourself or with children alone. Tip: Pool Party! Pool party! If you have your child's friends over to swim in your pool, ask the other parents to come too. It can be a fun day for all without the added stress for you to watch everyone all the time. The more eyes the better, the safer, and the more relaxing. Here are some other tips when throwing a pool party for a child: Learn CPR and practice it. Serve cold drinks with fruit juice, not sugar. Require the kids to take ten minutes of every hour out of the pool and in the shade. Sunscreen is a one hundred percent must! Tip: Swim Early, Swim Always The earlier the better. The younger you sign your kids up for child swimming lessons, the better off they, and the better off you will be. Kids can swim at three years old. Sign them up and they'll be able to jump over their heads and swim by age four. The longer you wait to enroll kids in swim lessons, the more afraid of the water they'll become and the larger they will be (making it harder for them and the instructor to work together, float, and relax in the water). Category: Lifeguard Subcategory: Lifeguard Tips Tip: It's Your Job Find lifeguard jobs in your area! Call your town or local recreation departments. Contact a YMCA near you. If there are any private health or pool clubs in their area, search them out. If you like working with others, go for a local beach or lake. There are more lifeguards on duty at larger places at any one time. If you work for a town or

5 recreation department, you will most likely be paid more than at a private pool or club. Lifeguarding jobs at private pools or clubs are usually easier and have shorter hours however. You know what situation you work best in. Find that and show off your skills, let the manager there know how much you want to help keep people safe. Tip: Look the Part Where do you get your lifeguard swim suit and what kind do buy? If your place of work does not bring in a swim suit salesperson to give the lifeguards sample suits to try on, be sure to ask what type of suit is acceptable before heading to your local sporting goods store to buy one. You will be wearing your lifeguard swim suit for at least eight hours each day, so pick the most comfortable suit. Generally two-piece suits, if allowed by your employer, are the most comfortable. Many are reversible, in which case they have covered elastic edges and are even more comfortable than most two-piece suits. Tip: School in the Summer? How do I get certified to become a lifeguard? How long is the class? What will I have to be able to do? First, go to the American Red Cross website and look up where and when the classes in your area are held. Most classes are the equivalent of forty hours. Some are offered five days in a row for eight hours a day, others may span several weeks, a couple of nights a week or on the weekend. Choose the class that best fits your schedule. Read the requirements for passing each class, detailed on the American Red Cross website. You will be certified in CPR and first aid for the professional rescuer as part of your life guarding course. In the life guarding class you will need to be able to perform several types of saves on a distressed swimmer, active drowner, passive drowner, submerged victim, and spinal victim. And, you will learn how to use a backboard and rescue tube. Category: Protective Swim Gear Subcategory: Protective Swim Gear Tip: Lifeguard Uniforms Lifeguards carry around tons of lifeguard equipment. But, it is also one of the few jobs that allow you to wear something as comfortable as a swimsuit, but remember to make it the right kind of swimsuit. It is preferable to wear something that makes yourself recognizable to the public as the area lifeguard. Depending on where you work, there may be a required uniform. If not, then be sure to buy a suit or trunks that are designed for the job. Both Speedo and TYR make durable, practical men's and women's lifeguard swim suits. A simple pair of trunks and t-shirt that says Lifeguard on them is preferred for men, usually in red or orange. For women, red or orange is again preferred on a

6 one-piece flyback or modest tankini. A whistle rounds out the uniform, as well as a pair of swim shoes or neoprene socks. Tip: Pick The Right Strength Of Sun Block Protection from harmful UV rays won't just save you from a lot of pain, it could save your life. The chances of developing skin cancer are greatly increased by overexposure to the sun. Although you may want a gorgeous, deep tan, think about the consequences first. Do you already have a base tan? If not, keep in mind that a fair-skinned person needs a lot of protection from burning. SPF 15 for pale skin will scorch before it tans. Don't worry about the tan, as it will come with time. If you are susceptible to quick sunburns, then go for a higher SPF. Darker skin-types can stick with the SPF 15 or lower. Tip: Safety In The Open Water When cold water swimming out in the open water, be sure to wear bright clothing so you won't be struck by any boats. A bright orange swim cap will aid your safety. Always wear an appropriate suit that keeps your body temperature at a healthy minimum and protect for feet from possible sharp items. You should also remember to swim in groups, keep your eye out for buoys as a reference point, and use a variation of swimming strokes so you won't overtire or cramp up. Category: Swim Accessories Subcategory: Swim Accessories Tip: Zoomers For The Fast Swimmer Zoomers are a brand of swim fin that are considered to be the top of the line. Invented by a scientist named Dr. Marty Hull, they optimize the physics that allow the fins to propel the swimmer faster. Many cheaper versions of Zoomers are available on the market, but the original brand seems to work the best. Many competitive swimmers use Zoomers to train in. They are a lightweight fin, making them more suitable for training and water sports, rather than scuba diving. New to the scene is Zoomers Z2. The Z2s have a slightly angled fin and their smaller size and shape offer greater ease of movement, comfort and safety. This new shape allows swimmers of any level to transition the full power of their legs into the water and generate more speed and mobility. Category: Swim Caps

7 Subcategory: Swim Caps Tips Tip: All Heads in CAPS Swim caps can be useful for both men and women, with both short and long hair. Do you think you have short enough hair that it doesn't matter? Well, it does. Swim caps can be latex, silicone, or nylon. Goggle straps are rubber. The rubber sticks to and does not move around causing irritating sore spots when worn over swim caps. Think about the rubber straps sticking to or pulling on your hair for hours. Not very fun, right? When you are diving into the water, swim caps provide a better surface for the goggle straps to adhere to, reducing the chance that they will move or fall off when you dive. Many swimmers even like to pull the front edge of their swim cap over the top edge of their goggles for the dive just to make sure no water gets in and those goggles stay in place. Category: Swim Fins Subcategory: Swim Fins Tips Tip: Both Tall and Small Win the Race Short or long swimming fins? The answer is both. You don't need to buy both, but you should try both, and you can purchase and use either one. You will move your legs faster when flutter kicking with short fins, but long fins will give you a greater push when dolphin kicking, making it easier to work on your butterfly arms. Regardless of which type suits you best, fins are a must. Tip: Isn't That Backwards? Why kick on your back when you swim on your front? Swimmers can often get into bad habits. Some of those habits can be fixed by practicing the correct body movements in a different way. For instance, breaststrokers may get in the habit of dropping their knees toward the bottom of the pool when trying to swim faster. To help your muscles remember not to do that, practice breaststroke kicks on your back where you cannot drop your knees. Then, flip over and see how it feels. Flutter kicking on your back in a streamline position helps keep your body in an elongated position, the best position to be in while swimming, and a position that swimmers may forget to emphasize when tired. You have to stay long while on your back in order to float. Category: Swim Goggles Subcategory: Swim Goggles Tips

8 Tip: Snorkel Fun, Swimming None Ditch the masks. Do not learn to swim or practice swimming wearing a swim mask. Swim masks should be used only for snorkeling or diving. The reason: your nose is covered. When swimming laps, racing or training, you want as little pressure on your face and sinuses as possible, something often created when wearing a mask, and you must be able to breath in and out of your nose. Beginning swimmers should not wear swim masks at all. If they try to breathe in or out of their nose, a skill they should be learning to do and are not able to do while wearing a mask, they may often panic, swallow water, and choke. Goggles are the way to go. Category: Swim Team Subcategory: Swim Team Tips Tip: A Swimmer's Dream Want to know what to expect? The events included at a long course (races competed in a fifty meter pool) USS swim meet are: -50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1500 Freestyle -50, 100, 200 Butterfly -50, 100, 200 Backstroke -50, 100, 200 Breastroke -200, 400 Individual Medleys -200, 400 Medley Relays -200, 400, 800 Freestyle Relays Tip: An Official's Dream Short and sweet! Short course events are a lot less time-intensive than events in ordinary swim meets. The events included at a short course (races competed in a twenty-five yard pool) USS swim meet include: -50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1650 Freestyle -50, 100, 200 Butterfly -50, 100, 200 Backstroke -50, 100, 200 Breastroke -200 Individual Medley -200 Medley Relay -200, 400 Freestyle Relays Tip: It's Team Time! Come one, come all! Learn to swim or win your race. Be a part of a team and a good team member. Learn teamwork, hard work, and the thrill of competition on a swim team. Get healthy and stay that way! If you can put your face in the water, there is a place for you on a swim team. Tip: The Competitive Spirit Watch and learn. Go to a high school swim meet or college swim meet to see what conditioned and seasoned swimmers look like and to see the times they are posting. Take your kids who want to be swimmers to these meets so they can get an idea of what they will be able to do if they desire. Swim meets are exciting and motivational.

9 Category: Swim Wear Subcategory: Swim Wear Tips Tip: Last Year is not Last Place I'm sold! Sold for a sale that is. Discount swim wear is the greatest untapped resource when preparing to train, race, or gear up for a fabulous vacation on the beach. Outlet and factory stores are all over the place, all of them offering their last year's or last season's model swim suits for great prices! Designers like Nautica, Ralph Lauren, Quicksilver, and swimming wear makers like Speedo, TYR, Nike, will all have their swim suits on display and on sale at the outlet malls. Find one and buy one. Tip: Pack It In So you've got your swim gear, but how do you take it with you to and from practice? No, not in just any type of bag, you need a swimming bag. Why? What is different about swimming bags, why not just any athletic bag? Swimming bags have a pouch that is waterproof to put your swim suits in after practice. Swimming bags also have waterproof linings so, if you happen to place it down in a puddle on the pool deck, or a wet towel gets dropped on top of it, the things inside will stay dry. Swim bags are worth the investment. Speedo makes an excellent backpack style swimming bag with a waterproof pouch with netting on the outside so your suits will not only stay out of contact with your dry things inside the bag, they can dry at the same time! Tip: Put it ALL on You don't have to stand in front of your closet for several minutes everyday deciding what should I wear when getting ready to swim. Just grab a bunch of swim suits and go. Make sure you have a suit that is still in good condition, not worn out to the point of see-through. Wear that swim suit plus one or two others when you are training. They will create a little bit of drag, good drag that you will be able to shed when racing and fly through the water. Tip: Show Off That Hot Bod! Flatter your figure. Athletic swim suits, both two-piece and one-piece look great. You look in shape and like you care about keeping your body fit when seen at the pool or beach in a Speedo, TYR, Finals, Aqua, etc, suit. They are slimming and comfortable. Tip: Wait, I'm Wearing a Suit?

10 Racing suits. Swimming suits that you wear to race should be tighter and thinner than suits you train in. Many companies make paper swimming suits. Paper swimming suits are single layer suits that stretch more than regular suits to allow you to get them on, but feel like you are not wearing much more than your skin. Category: Swimming Subcategory: Swimming Tips Tip: Back Off Backstroke starts. In some swim leagues, backstrokers are permitted to start fully out of the water, toes on the edge of the pool, heels in the water, hand gripping the sides of the block. In this type of start, the swimmer actually does a back dive into the water. The attraction of these types of starts is because it takes less effort to drive backwards when your body is out of the water, rather than having to lift your body out of the water when starting by gripping the bar, body in the water, as is usually done for backstroke. *The back dive from out of the water should only be done by very experienced swimmers, as there is a danger of diving to deep, but is not permitted at the USS, Masters, or Olympic level of competition. Tip: Back Up More Backstroke starts. Everyone should learn how to start the backstroke race from in the water: hands gripping the bar that is about one foot above water level, feet placed on the wall at hip level, knees bent. When the starter says, take your mark, bend your arms so your head is near your hands. When the gun goes off, push off with your legs and drive your arms up and back to a streamline position. When using a backstroke start, the head should be going up slightly first, then back with the arms. This will force the swimmer to get his or her hips out of the water and extend backwards, using the strength of the legs to get the greatest power and extension with the least amount of water resistance. Again, kick, kick, kick, once under the water again, and stay in the streamline position until reaching the surface of the water. Tip: Shoulders are Sexy "I've seen a lot of swimmers who have pretty large shoulders and legs. Will swimming training make me gain weight?" No, it will not. Swimming helps you gain muscle, where and how you will gain that muscle depends on your body type. Your body will not allow you to get larger than is natural for your frame. The more muscle you have, the better and faster it burns fat, which is the goal of losing weight or getting in shape. Either way, you win.

11 Tip: The Win is in the Preparation "If I've never swum competitively before, how long should I train before I race?" If you are an adult, train for one month before swimming a long distance race (in a pool) and swim for a solid two months if you are going to race a sprint or a distance race in open water. You are more likely to strain a muscle or wear yourself out in a sprint race than in a distance race in a pool where you don't have to go full speed and can stop if it becomes necessary. If you are a child, swim for one month before racing any distance. Children need less time to prepare for a race and their muscles have more elasticity and tire more slowly. Tip: What is Your Reward? Reward yourself. Swimming is difficult. It takes hard work and a big time commitment. Take a chance to give yourself a reward when you reach a goal you have set for yourself. Motivation is a powerful factor in success. Motivate yourself and motivate others. It helps. Category: Swimming Books Subcategory: Swimming Book Tips Tip: Just Try It I want to be like her! Read about your favorite swimming stars. Not enough about swimmers in Sports Illustrated? True! Go to amazon.com and buy a book on Amanda Beard or Michael Phelps. Even find books about learning to swim like the best in the world. The pictures are beautiful and the pointers are worth reading. Don't base all your training on what a book has to say try things yourself. Tip: Remember When...? The scouting report. College coaches will ask what you've done for swim workouts and what times you have swum. Write it down, keep a log, and you'll be prepared to answer those questions and provide backup and reference for yourself as well. *Steady improvement and effort are almost as attractive to a swim coach as achievement. Category: Swimming Jobs Subcategory: Swimming Jobs Tips

12 Tip: Private Pays Private swimming instructors make between twelve and twenty four dollars per hour, but they work for it. If you have the patience and desire to teach one or two swimmers for an half an hour a day, try this occupation. Get your name out there on your local pool town bulletin boards and you won't believe the response you'll get, not to mention the money some parents are willing to pay you to ensure their kids can learn to swim! Category: Swimming Lessons Subcategory: Swimming Lessons Tips Tip: You Can't Add Before You Can Count When learning how to swim, the most important thing to do is to take swimming lessons! You may be able to teach yourself to stay above the water and dog paddle around, but you will never be able to swim with the proficiency and learn the necessary stroke and lifesaving instruction that you would if you took swimming lessons. There are swimming lessons for adults and for children. There are swim lessons for all levels and abilities. The American Red Cross breaks swimmers into different levels of ability for swim lessons. There is the pre-school level, and then levels 1-7. Do not stop taking swimming lessons until you have reached a level 6 proficiency. Level 7 is teaching competitive techniques and training strategy. Category: Swimming Techniques Subcategory: Swimming Tips Tip: "S" for "Same" Freestyle and butterfly share a very similar S-curve pull swim technique under the water. The hands enter the water in front of the head and shoulders at almost a full arm's extension. Both hands first start the pull slightly away from the body (the right hand will be making a backwards S ), then move back in toward the torso, and then finishing out past the hips. This movement is slightly more accentuated in the butterfly, as it is done at the same time for both hands, and more strength is needed to finish past the hips and lift the head and shoulders. Tip: Backstroke Learning how to do swimming strokes properly is importent. You won't go wrong if you do the backstroke the following way: Arms straight out of the water Thumbs come up pinkies go in Hands enter at eleven and one o'clock Slight shoulder roll Bend the

13 elbow underneath your body Push the water below your hips Never stop kicking Tip: Freestyle When doing swimming strokes, know that freestyle strokes actually have a method to them you can't just swim freely. Take heed of the following advice when swimming freestyle: Push past the hips Elbows straight up Fingertips close to the water and near your body Slight shoulder roll Breathe every 3 strokes Don't stop kicking Tip: Swim Hard, not Hurt One of the keys to swimming fast, swimming well, or swimming for a sustained amount of time, is proper swimming technique. Generally, the correct swimming technique is whatever is most natural for each person, keeping a few major body positions in mind of course. Remember that when you are swimming, if something hurts or snaps, you are doing something wrong. If you are swimming a lot, your muscles should ache, but your joints should never hurt. When you are instructing others on their swim technique, don't change what isn't wrong, improve and alter it to help the swimmer maximize his or her length and leverage in the water. Tip: Wave Maker In the butterfly and breaststroke, the shared swim technique that is very useful to practice is the hip movement in a wave-like motion. The hips will rise up as the head and shoulders extend and reach forward and just under the water. The hips push down as the hands and arms pull toward the body, accelerating the forward movement. Category: Swimming Video Subcategory: Swimming Video Tips Tip: Do Something with it Watching swimming videos of you in the water is often the best way for a coach and a swimmer to critique and correct technique. It is never a bad thing and always helpful in one way or another to view yourself swimming on video. Tip: It Can't Hurt For countless swimming videos, titles, descriptions and prices, visit sportsnationvideo.com/swimming. It is important to see the strokes you are trying to learn done correctly, accompanied by quick and easy pointers. *The swimming videos that include commentary and demonstration by professional swimmers are the best.

14 Category: Swimwear for Kids Subcategory: Swimwear for Kids Tip: Speedos For Kids Speedo has an extensive line of reliable, durable swimwear for children. This line includes footwear for the poolside and beach, fastskins for a hydrodynamic full-body swimsuit, and regular racerback one-pieces. Young men also have a selection between swim briefs, trunks, and swim jammers. Speedo's styles are cutting edge, with hip colors and cuts to satisfy the children's need for originality and comfort. Also, a line of baby Speedos are available with a cheeky saying printed on them: My First Speedo. Tip: Swedish Goggles Swedish goggles are probably the most comfortable style for children to wear. A Swedish goggle is one that has no gasket and instead fits only around the eyes. They are flexible, easily adjustable, and better designed for little faces. Also, since your child is probably only using them for recreational purposes, the Swedish goggles are inexpensive.