The Effortless Swimming Podcast

In this episode, we welcome back Nick Jankovskis, a sports scientist and endurance performance coach at METS Performance Consulting. Nick is an expert in improving endurance performance through accurate analysis of physiological testing. We dive into fueling and how to test physiology for endurance sports, particularly focusing on Ironman events and long-distance races. Nick shares insights on the new equipment at METS Performance that allows for more detailed testing and provides better numbers for fueling requirements. Tune in now! 00:49 Introduction and Upgrade in Equipment 03:37 Understanding the Breakdown of Fuel Utilization 08:35 Common Issues with Fueling 14:01 Timing and Frequency of Fuel Intake in Training Sessions 18:38 The Importance of Flexibility in Fueling 25:40 How Proper Fueling Can Improve Performance in Long Swimming Sessions 29:30 Challenges of Testing for Swimmers 39:41 Understanding Individual Differences in Fueling 52:12 The Power of Implementing Basic Fundamentals 53:18 Get in touch: Testing and Consultation Services

I'll share some helpful tips from the clinics and sessions we run that will improve your swimming speed and efficiency on today's podcast. I'll also discuss some new equipment I've purchased that has improved my strength, made swimming more enjoyable, and boosted my overall performance. 00:18 Introduction 00:47 Avoiding Early Breathing in Freestyle: Head vs. Shoulder Rotation 02:37 Exploring Different Kick Techniques 06:09 Addressing Fatigue and Comfort in the Water 09:07 Improving Balance and Efficiency in the Water 13:37 The Game-Changing Custom Earplugs for Swimming 15:32 How a Chin Up Bar Helped Improve My Upper Body Strength 18:07 The Benefits of Anti Fog Goggles 20:10 How This Magnesium Powder Transformed My Sleep 21:25 ES Squad: Level Up Your Swim Workouts 24:25 Exciting Camps Planned for Next Year Try PILLAR today, head to pillarperformance.shop and enter code EFFORTLESS for 15% off, or for any North American listeners, enter the same code at TheFeed.com.

Join us on this episode as we sit down with Tracey Baumann, the co-founder of SwimMastery and author of 'The Swim Mastery Way'. With over 20 years of teaching and coaching experience, Tracy has worked with swimmers of all levels, from beginners to English Channel swimmers. In this podcast, Tracey shares her expert insights and cues from her book, offering valuable tips to help you become a faster and more efficient swimmer. 00:15 Introduction and Background 04:01 Breath Management and Overcoming Fear exchange and calmness 09:18 Teaching Swimmers to Breathe Using Their Diaphragm: Challenges and Solutions 12:18 How Often Should You Breathe? 18:20 The Role of Bones and Joints in Achieving Proper Body Position 21:58 Exploring the Relationship Between Hip Flexors and Body Position in Water 26:04 Teaching Effective Kicking Techniques 28:00 Over-Rotation and Losing Position: Common 33:35 The Trident Analogy 35:16 Shoulders and Scapula Mechanics in Swimming: Debunking Common Misconceptions 38:33 Tapping into Natural Joint Mechanics for a Better Catch 42:44 Developing a Sensory Connection to the Water 47:11 The Power of Tactile Feedback in Swim Coaching 48:56 The Physics Behind a Correct Arm Recovery 55:00 Get in touch with Tracey!

Felipe Telles broke the magical 60-minute barrier in his first ever Ironman swim, coming in at 56 minutes with an average of 1:28/100m. When he first started swimming a few years ago, Felipe struggled to go faster than 2:00/100m. So how did he manage to increase his speed by that much? Find out in today's podcast episode. 00:56 Swimming Background 03:34 The Impact of Learning the Right Technique 07:09 How Relaxation Transforms Your Swim 09:50 The Benefits of Incorporating Drills in Swim Workouts 13:18 Structured Sessions: Warm-ups, Technique, and Intense Training 16:46 Finding the Balance: Consistency vs. Pushing Too Hard in Training 20:35 How to Get the Most Out of Your Swim Training 24:23 How Observing Others Can Improve Your Technique 31:20 Catch and Pull: Finding the Right Amount of Power 37:23 Swimming Tips for Triathletes: Small Changes, Big Results 41:24 Follow Felipe on Instagram for Inspiring Content

In this episode, Quest Meeks shares his inspiring journey of transforming from a non-swimmer to comfortably swimming over 1000 yards without stopping. He opens up about the mental and physical obstacles he had to overcome along the way. Join us as we dive into this episode! 01:02 Swimming Background 9:00 Doing Half Ironman 09:30 I Gotta Start With Something 16:52 But Swimming 25:53 Signing Up For The Stroke Analysis 35:53 Kicking Hard 44:18 Climbing Up A Mountain 47:10 It's Not Comfortable But I Am Not Dying

In this episode, we have Carl Reader, a functional movement coach with a background in exercise physiology and Pilates. We will discuss the connection between hamstring strength, mobility, and how it can improve swimming performance. Carl has extensive experience working with swimmers to improve their movement and strength training. Join us as we delve into his research and practices in today's episode. 00:00 Introduction 00:59 Techniques and Tips from a Functional Movement Coach 01:59 The Role of Hamstrings in Maintaining Speed and Efficiency in Swimming 05:21 Exploring the Relationship Between Hamstrings and Calf Muscles 08:14 Factors Affecting Hamstring Strength 11:20 Strengthening Techniques for Better Posture and Muscle Activation 13:39 Squats: One of the Best Ways to Strengthen the Hamstring 17:43 Signs to Look Out for: Indicators of Hamstring Issues 21:08 Core Engagement in Squats: Finding Balance

Prescott Balch is an ironman triathlete who started at 2:10/100m, and is now able to consistently swim under 1:30/100m. He recently broke through a plateau in his swim times by focusing on one change to his swim technique. In this podcast we delve into what change Prescott made and some unique approaches he took to fixing these areas of his stroke. 00:00 Introduction 01:09 Overcoming Plateaus and Finding Speed 05:27 Weak Core, Weak Performance 12:02 Body Awareness Challenges for Adult Onset Swimmers 16:35 How Dead Hangs and Handstands Improve Upper Body Strength 21:14 Executing a Well-Planned Race: Negative Splits and Smooth Pacing 30:45 How a Good Swim Sets the Tone for the Rest of the Race 34:57 What's next for Prescott? 38:27 Exploring the Concept of "Swimming Downhill"

In today's episode, we will talk about the BEST WAYS to look good when swimming. 02:00 The Base Position 03:35 Have The Right Amount Of Rotation 04:48 Keep The Kick Fairly Narrow 05:53 Good Recovery 09:05 Soft Hands 10:20 Good Looking Freestyle Is Never Hurried Or Rushed 11:41 Slow To Fast 12:06 Skinny S Shape 12:31 The Breathing 14:00 The Kick 14:41 Style Is Important 15:36 Visualize Yourself Swimming Like A Pro

In this episode, we discuss three ways to generate more propulsion without getting tired, along with a drill that will help you practice each of these methods. 00:16 Generating propulsion 01:31 The Size of the Paddle 03:44 The Power Phase of the Stroke 08:31 Accelerate through the Stroke. 11:01 Keyhole Drill 12:58 Building Power and Speed in Your Stroke

In this episode, we have a special guest, marathon swimmer Andy Donaldson, who is a three-time world record holder. Andy shares his insights on freestyle technique and how he is able to maintain an impressive pace of 1:12 per 100m for 4 hours. This episode focuses solely on technique, as we delve into Andy's thought process and approach to his stroke. Tune in now! 00:00 Introduction and Background 2:31 Where is your head position? 2:58 How often are you breathing? 4:30 How do you use your kick? 5:23 What does your recovery look like? 8:09 What is the end of your stroke like? 9:07 What is your rotation like? 9:47 How did you develop your catch? 11:13 How much power are you putting into each stroke? 11:54 What do you do to increase your swim speed? 13:11 How do you like to train? 14:20 What pace are you aiming for? 14:49 What stroke rate are you aiming for?