Scanning my news feed this past week, I came across this article on TrainingPeaks.  It gave three indicators that you are ready for a full distance Ironman. To summarize: Lifestyle – In essence, asking whether your family, work, and social commitments can support 15-25 hours a week of training, early bedtimes and adjusting to the […]

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I have some news to you new swimmers: There are no shortcuts in swimming and training. You put in the work and the quality and volume of that work dictates your results. You put in junk you are going to get junk results.  But if you put in quality and consistent work you are going […]

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The sound of the gun fades into the early morning mist. The water is cold and murky as you swim, and the bottom of the lake disappears into the gloom. Clouds of muck swirl below you. Then a dark blur stirs bellow you. Was it a shark or just a fish or something else? Other […]

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Have you found that despite a winter of solid progress in the pool, when you get into the open water, you fall short? Are you looking for that secret workout or tip that will take your open water swims to the next level? We have three of them are guaranteed to take your open water […]

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If you ever did a team bonding activity back in school or some corporate environments, you might have played the corny game “two truths and a lie”. Participants would gather round and each would say two truths about themselves (e.g. I coach for Tri Swim coach and I like swimming on a Vasa more than […]

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It is hard to boil down swimming success to three points especially since everyone has unique weaknesses. Some people need to focus on balancing in the water, while others need to focus on a high elbow catch, and others need to focus more on intensity and speed. However, there are three things that all successful […]

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The coaching world has a HUGE PROBLEM. It happens in swimming, triathlon, running, cycling, weight training, fitness….. almost every sport. It ruins athletes, breaks down their motivation, and destroys seasons. The problem is that coaches design programs around them not you, the athlete. Even if you are self coached, you are not immune. Many coaches design […]

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I have been coaching with TSC for almost 8 years and the biggest issue that I see with swimmers has nothing to do with the water….. No it’s not sinking hips….. Not even high elbow catch Nor “efficiency”…… Can you guess it? It’s how swimmers talk to themselves. That is the biggest barrier swimmers face […]

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Now that you read part 1 and the prologue to TSC swimmers guide to bulletproofing your shoulders here is part two of the workout program. Why so many parts? The reason I broke this up into 3 installments (the last one is coming next week) is because as your season changes your strength routine should change […]

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Did you read last week’s blog? If you have not, pause, click here, and read my rant before reading any further; the rest of this article will be waiting when you get back. I promise. Now that you are better informed about the importance and of a good, structured strength regimen and how it is […]

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If you skim through any triathlon magazine, forum, or blog, you are bound to find some article or blog on strength training for triathletes or the best weight lifting movements for triathletes. With some variation, these movements are: Deadlift Squat Lat pull down Lunge Box jumps The above movements are all great exercises, but, I […]

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In my opinion, the hardest workout exercises of all is not the 4×1000 or the 500 for time or the 10×100 with the interval set at your race pace; no, the hardest workout is the after work workout. Some people thrive in the hours from 4-9pm thus making getting to the pool after a full […]

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Most swimmers put the pull buoy between their thighs close to their hips to keep their lower body from sinking and to isolate their arms more by minimizing their kick. However, there is a different and, in my opinion, better way to place and use the pull buoy by putting it between the ankles. This […]

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Have you ever been told that you swim flat in the water? Some programs and coaches think that swimming flat in the water is perfectly normal and should not be corrected but at TSC, we take a different approach because there is a right way to rotate and a very wrong way to rotate. While […]

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Triathletes are notorious for being inflexible and on the precipice of injury. Maybe it is the fact that we are doing three sports all of which have repetitive movements and where poor form can have season ending consequences after doing the same move for the billionth time. I myself visit my chiropractor once a week […]

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In this lesson, you will get efficient swimming tips and workout techniques that will improve your swimming speed. Let me tell you a little secret of the swim world: you do not have to swim 1000m repeats or 5k for time to get faster. In fact, if you are a beginner swimmer, shorter repeats like […]

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(by Coach Chris) This past Saturday, I had my swim stroke analyzed. I have had at least a biannual swim video analysis since I started swimming, and even though my swim has progressed to times that I could not imagine 10 years ago, I still make sure that I maintain this tradition although the frequency […]

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“Distance Per Stroke” or DPS pops up in a good deal of swim blogs, newsletters, workouts (TSC included), and forums, but is it something you should really focus on? At TSC, we think so but not because of what you might think. To us, DPS swimming drills is not just extending your arm a tad bit […]

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What can be measured can be improved, as the old adage goes, and that is certainly true for the swim. Testing allows you to track progress, look for limiters, and sharpen your mental game. Since not all tests are created equal nor complimentary to your goals as an athlete, I am giving you three different […]

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If you read my newsletter from last week, you know that I am not a fan of New Year’s nor resolutions. Instead, I prefer anti new year’s resolutions and creating lasting mini habits that are so small you immediately say to yourself “Wow! I can do those easily.” While small, only tackle one at a time–TRUST […]

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In between Christmas and New Years might be the oddest fitness week of the year. Many people are coming out of a stressful holiday run up full of work parties, last minute shopping, travel, family gatherings, tantrums (from kids and adults alike), and an endless supply of sweets, alcohol, and rich, dense foods. However, the […]

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This is a modified reprint of a newsletter that I wrote last year. Enjoy: “How the Triathlete Stole Swim Practice” Every Swimmer Down in the pool Liked swimming a lot But the Triathlete Who watched on the pool deck DID NOT. This triathlete hated these triathlon training workouts and swim practice sessions! The whole swim […]

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A few weeks ago I posted an article on front end power and how that swimmers need to focus on the front end swimming (i.e. the catch and pull) rather than the finish of the swimming stroke. We received a couple questions on the best way to improve this, so I wanted to go into this […]

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If you were at the swim summit, then you might have heard Karlyn Pipes talk about how we have been swimming and being taught to swim incorrectly. If you did not catch the summit or her talk there is a great review on this website. In essence she said that many swimmers focus too much […]

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Many beginner triathletes have the great goal of improving their swim over the winter, but when spring comes they are usually disappointed with their improvements especially in the open water. Why? I have picked apart several training plans and traditional, typical programs to find the most common mistakes that are slowing your swim gains during […]

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There is a glut of goggles on the market all claiming to be different and special. From the wide scuba like masks that claim 140 degree vision to the minimalist, old school socket rockets, whatever your preference/goal is there is a goggle for it. Since everyone has different facial structures it is hard to rate […]

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Muscular Endurance focused workouts are in my opinion some of the best workouts you can do at all levels of swimming training with the exception of a green beginner. Essentially, what these exercises are those that fatigue your arms first through a variety of evil, maniacal and crafty ways and then tells you to swim […]

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Drills are actually a pretty controversial topic among swimming and triathlon coaches. Some, like Brett Sutton and Matt Dixon, both of whom have coached numerous Olympiads and Ironman Champions between see drills as unimportant for becoming a better swimmer in fact it is better to spend your time with intensity. Matt Dixon goes as far […]

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In the Northern Hemisphere, the tri season is coming to a strong close, while in the Southern Hemisphere is just heating up. However, regardless of whether you are ready to hunker down in your hibernation training cave or whether you are emerging ready for longer hours outside, you are most likely laying down your goals […]

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For many of you (at least our Northern hemisphere readers and non Kona qualifiers), your last race is coming up more quickly than you want and after that a well deserved break as you enter the offseason. In my opinion, “off season” is a big misnomer. For many, It might conjure up images of pizza, […]

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I have a confession to make: from January through June, I only got in the water five times for a total of about 6000 yards. I started the year with full intentions to get faster in the water, increase my yardage, become more consistent, come out in the lead back instead of being overtaken by […]

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Usually, around this time of year we get a lot of inquires from athletes about what to do the day before a triathlon race and whether they should start our program because they have a race coming up. “Is it even worth trying to change my bad habit?” He might say. “I know I am […]

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One of the biggest sources of frustration for beginner swimmers and coincidentally the most common form error next to crossing over is sinking legs. It has been a while since we have addressed this and since we have received so many questions like “why do i sink when i swim”, “why my legs sink when […]

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It is hard to keep track off all the different parts of the proper stroke: Make sure you keep your head straight… Don’t cross over…. Keep your elbow up… Watch out for doing an S curve…. Are your legs dragging… Are you hips sinking…. At times it seems so overwhelming, you forget to breathe—which is […]

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I have been following the Olympic pre trials fairly religiously not only because I love seeing the split second finishes but also because I love analyzing the near perfect strokes and different types of swimming strokes. Recently one of my athletes asked me why the sprinters don’t use a high elbow catch? “Their arms are […]

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Like in all fitness routines, plateaus are quite common in swimming if not more so. You swim for weeks and weeks and think you are improving, but after you do a TT, you find that you have only shaved off a few seconds. Or after every sprint, you feel like you have given your all […]

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The most common problem that we see at Tri Swim Coach is breathing. Unfortunately, it is also the (or at least one of them) most critical part of swimming. Obviously, it is important because you need oxygen to survive and to go faster, but it is also critical in developing an efficient stroke. If you […]

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If you look at many age group athletes’ stroke, you might notice that it is slightly imbalanced as if they were limping through the water. One arm might extend a little further, pull a little quicker, or recover across the water faster. Moreover, many of these same athletes get out of the water complaining that […]

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Many triathletes focus every week on mastering their bike to run transition by doing bricks, but they rarely focus on transitioning from swim to bike, a switch that is equally as important. By practicing your swim to bike, you train your legs to engage quickly after minimum use during the swim as well as train […]

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I know and have met many successful age group triathletes since I started triathlon just under 10 years ago. However, there is not one formula, one path, one secret, one plan that makes you great. While there are multiple paths all of which lead to the podium and PRs, I have noticed some common trends […]

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For years, we have been preaching the importance of the high elbow catch (HEC) and pull. Why? Because it is the most efficient way to propel you forward for longer distances without damaging your shoulders. Sprinters might go for a deep pull because it generates more power, lift, and reduction in drag, which is why […]

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