The Effortless Swimming Podcast

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

Many swimmers believe that a harder kick makes them faster, but it often slows them down. Common mistakes include kicking from the knees, kicking too hard, and having stiff ankles, all of which create unnecessary drag. Instead, a balanced and relaxed kick is key. Drills like the vertical kick can help improve technique. Plus, learning to use the kick for balance rather than propulsion can transform your swimming. Discover practical tips to enhance your efficiency in the water.

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/

In today's episode, I'm sharing 10 things I wish I knew when I first started swimming. Whether you're just beginning or have been in the water for a while, these lessons can help you take your swimming to the next level. Let's face it—most beginners train too hard, focus on the wrong details, and waste a lot of time and energy. That not only slows progress but can lead to frustrating plateaus or even injuries like shoulder pain. These 10 key insights will help you avoid those common mistakes. We'll break down what truly matters when it comes to gear, technique, training, and mindset—so you can swim smarter, stay injury-free, and start seeing real improvement in the pool. 2:00 Essential gear only 3:24 Basics first 4:56 Training 6:40 Open-water challenges 8:09 Interval training works 11:56 More Than The Pool 12:56 Drills Equals Fast Swimming 13:57 Staying Consistent 15:02 Persistence pays off 16:13 The Real Reward

In this episode, we'll break down that key insight—how chasing speed can hold you back, why real progress comes from subtle adjustments, and the shift in perspective that turns resistance into flow. If your stroke has ever felt more like a struggle than a rhythm, this episode is for you. 1:10 Progress Isn't Linear 2:18 Video Yourself Early 3:12 Control The Mental Side 4:23 Consistency 5:52 The Clock 6:49 Your Stroke Does Not Have To Look Like The Pros 9:26 Comfortable Gear Matters More Than Fancy Gear 10:24 Have A Goal Even A Small One 12:05 How To Stay Calm In the Chaos 13:37 Swimming Beyond The Pool

In this episode, I'll give you the exact issues that hold swimmers back at each pace from beginner swimmers at two 30 per hundred or slower, all the way to advanced swimmers at one 15 per hundred for a kilometer. And I'll also give you actionable drills and strategies to help you progress to the next level. 02:10 – Drill 1: Horizontal body posture 03:30 – Drill 2: Balanced tempo 05:00 – Drill 3: Efficient breathing 06:20 – Drill 4: Catch & pull mechanics 08:00 – Kit/gear suggestions 09:30 – Putting it all together 11:00 – Programming & progression 12:30 – Real-life example 14:00 – Summary & tips to keep improving

Hey, Brenton here. If you ever find yourself uncomfortable in the open water and not feeling that calm when you've got other people around and not knowing where to sit or where to draft off people to be most effective at it. This episode's for you. I joined the Low Tide Boys, Chip and Chris on a podcast, and they asked me all about the science of drafting. So on this episode, I get stuck into that so you know exactly where to sit. In a pack or with other people around to maximize the draft, as well as how to prepare for this stuff if you don't have much access to the open water. So I hope you enjoy this episode. There's a lot of value for anyone who's training for open water swims or doing any sort of triathlon racing. This episode is filled with things that will help you maximize your next open water race. Just to give you a heads up, we've added some dates for our 2026 camps for the Maldives and also for Thailand. I haven't released this anywhere else yet, but I'm just giving you the heads up on the podcast. If you wanna join me next year on one of those camps to work on your swimming, then there's a few dates that we've added@effortlessswimming.com slash camps. 02:57 General Consideration Around Open water Swimming 05:58 Sighting In Open water 12:58 Optimal Way To Draft 18:06 The Closer The Better 21:01 Keep It Tidy 22:16 Mindset For People Who Is Leading The Swim 29:03 Overtaking In Open water 33:11 Surging In Open water 36:59 Gears When Swimming

Have you ever realized you're spending thousands on supplements that do little more than clutter your cabinet? One athlete was on the hook for $6,500 a year—until Taryn Richardson helped her strip it back to what truly makes a difference. In this episode, Taryn breaks down how to use simple blood tests to guide your choices, and spot the supplements worth keeping (and those you can dump). Stick around—you'll finish this show knowing exactly which pills, powders and potions deserve a place in your daily routine. 00:00 The Supplement Dilemma: What's Worth It? 03:06 Blood Tests: A Key to Personalized Nutrition 07:07 Iron and Vitamin D: Essential Nutrients for Athletes 11:25 Creatine and Protein Powders: The New Norm? 15:26 The Multivitamin Myth: Are They Really Necessary? 19:11 Electrolytes and BCAAs: When to Use Them? 21:11 The Strategic Approach to Supplements Taryn Richardson https://www.dietitianapproved.com/academy Want to really transform your swimming? Join us on a swim camp in 2025 in the Maldives, Galapagos Islands, or Thailand: https://effortlessswimming.com/camps/ Change your technique and swim a smoother, easier freestyle with the Effortless Swimming membership: https://effortlessswimming.com/training-and-membership-plans/?el=blog