You\u2019ll gain more from swimming twice every week than you will from doing three or four swims one week and then not swimming for 10 days! If you\u2019re a newer swimmer, 30-45mins in the water is plenty. If you\u2019re more experienced, then you might aim for 45mins to an hour at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n In this six-week guide, we introduce something \u2018new\u2019 or extra to focus on every two weeks. The idea with this is to allow you to focus on one or two elements in two swim sessions per week and hopefully build a foundation that you can add to in the following weeks. <\/span><\/p>\n It isn\u2019t a full training plan, but allows you to easily incorporate elements of technique work and drills into your existing swim sessions \u2013 keeping it simple but effective!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Include some floating on your back and \u2018deadman float\u2019 on your front to play around with balance and position in the water. Use this to build awareness. <\/span><\/p>\n Try a couple of lengths of streamlined kicking to brace the body and get it used to maintaining a neutral spine. Also kicking with your arms by your sides, pressing into the side of your glutes to feel for the right muscles working. <\/span><\/p>\n Incorporate this feeling into your full stroke, feeling some splash from your feet.<\/span><\/p>\n As an early part of the swim, do 8 x 1 length kicking. Do the first streamlined on your front, and the second streamlined on your back. Three and four are side kick to get used to rotation. Repeat. <\/span><\/p>\n These are not hard swims, keep it relaxed and easy. Then do 4 x 1 length of six kicks to one pull (6-1-6 drill<\/a><\/strong>). Take this feeling into your full stroke, with a gentle rock from the hips side to side.<\/span><\/p>\n Include the 8 x 1 length-kicking from before to remind you of body position. Then do 8 x 1 length full stroke \u2013 odd lengths non breathing (or minimal breathing \u2013 keep it safe and within your limits), even lengths with breathing, aim to feel the same rhythm. <\/span><\/p>\n Continue on with your swim, think good streamlining and posture.<\/span><\/p>\n After a few lengths\u2019 warm-up, include 8 x 1 lengths alternating between minimal\/non breathing and normal full stroke. <\/span><\/p>\n Then do some longer swims \u2013 two to four lengths at a time \u2013 keeping a focus on the long spine and keeping your body as straight as possible. Use the push-off each time to reset and remind yourself to keep long.<\/span><\/p>\n What is a deadman float?<\/strong><\/p>\n Float face down, let everything relax. Notice your body position. Repeat, but lengthen spine, lift arms forward, engage core \u2013 feel body float upward to some degree (some people will reach the surface, not everyone).<\/p>\n How do you kick with arms by your sides?<\/strong><\/p>\n Press thumbs into sides of glutes to feel if you\u2019re using the right muscles. Face down, lift your head to breathe.<\/p>\n What is the side kick drill?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n One arm out in front, 4-6 inches below surface. Other arm by side. Turn hips so whole body faces the side of the pool. To move to 6-1-6, take one stroke from here and switch sides \u2013 try to keep the head still as you turn.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> After a warm-up (including some kicking), do six lots of two lengths. Do the first half length sculling<\/a><\/strong>, then the next length and a half full stroke. This is where you should Then do some swimming with a pull buoy, but don\u2019t rush yourself. Take your time. Alternate 50m swims with the pull buoy and then without to get used to the feeling of the body position and using your arms to generate that power.<\/span><\/p>\n Warm up including some 6-1-6 drills to focus your body position and body roll. Do some swimming with the pull buoy to get moving. <\/span><\/p>\n Then do 8 x 50m. Number one with the pull buoy between your thighs, number two with the pull buoy at your knees, number three with the float at your ankles, then do the fourth without, and then do a normal swim. Repeat. <\/span><\/p>\n Take the feeling of using your core, the body position and controlling the water in to swims of 50 and 100m.<\/span><\/p>\n Warm up including 6 x 50m with half a length scull and a length and a half swim. Use this to switch your brain on. Do 6 x 50m as side-kick up followed by swim coming back. As a main set, do one length, then two lengths, then three lengths then four lengths. Repeat between two and four times. Aim to keep your pace\/time constant throughout the set.<\/span><\/p>\n Warm up with some kicking and some pull. The main set is four lots of 6 x 50m. The odd sets you will do as 25m single-arm<\/a><\/strong>, 25m swim. The even sets are all full stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Warm up with some kicking and sculling. Then 4 x 25m of double-arm pulls<\/a><\/strong>. Get used to holding the water with your forearms and pressing the water back past your thighs. <\/span><\/p>\n Then do 6 x 25m, with the same technique, but the first with barely any force, second with 5-6\/10 force, and third pushing hard, 9 or 10\/10 effort. Repeat to get to six. Then do the same 6 x 25m full stroke \u2013 descend (get quicker) 1-3. <\/span><\/p>\n Use the same idea as with the double- arm pulls. Steady, easy swim for the rest of the session.<\/span><\/p>\n Complete a steady warm-up, mix it up and switch your brain on! Then for the main set swim 200m, then 100m, then 50m, then 25m. Start slow, calm and relaxed. <\/span><\/p>\n As the distance gets shorter, push a little harder, a little stronger. Get used to swimming faster without rushing, or flailing. Do 25m easy recovery, then repeat twice more for 1,200m total swimming.<\/span><\/p>\n Warm up with kicking and some pull. <\/span>Then for the main set swim 50m then 100m, then 200m, then 400m. Start easy and controlled, thinking good form. <\/span><\/p>\n As the distance gets longer, aim to maintain the rhythm and speed. This is why starting slow is important. Repeat after some recovery.<\/span><\/p>\n Warm up including kicking and some sculling. Then do 4 x 50m descending 1-4 (get quicker). Your main set is a CSS (\u2018critical swim speed\u2019) test \u2013 400m free as fast as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n Take 5mins recovery, maybe do a couple of lengths very easy to stretch out, then do 200m free as fast as possible. Record your times and repeat this maybe once a month to see how you improve as the season goes on!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section><\/body><\/html>\n By John Wood Published: Monday, 18 July 2022 at 12:00 am The best way to improve your front crawl is consistency, so the more often you can be in the water, the better. You\u2019ll gain more from swimming twice every week than you will from doing three or four swims one week and then not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":15983,"template":"","categories":[1,23],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks.jpg",1500,1000,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks.jpg",1500,1000,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/07\/how-to-transform-your-front-crawl-in-six-weeks.jpg",1500,1000,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By John Wood Published: Monday, 18 July 2022 at 12:00 am The best way to improve your front crawl is consistency, so the more often you can be in the water, the better. You\u2019ll gain more from swimming twice every week than you will from doing three or four swims one week and then not…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/15982"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Focus on body position, posture and kick<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/07\/dead-man-float-45b7e89.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C414"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Week one \u2013 session one<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week one \u2013 session two<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week two \u2013 session one<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week two \u2013 s<\/strong>ession 2<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
Focus on underwater\/pull\/control and \u2018feel for the water\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/07\/sculling-swim-drill-4926b0b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C414"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Week three \u2013 session one<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week three \u2013 session two<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week four \u2013 session one<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week four \u2013 session two<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Focus on changing speeds and building endurance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2022\/07\/double-arm-pull-swim-drill-06245d8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C414"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Week five \u2013 session one<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week five \u2013 session two<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week six \u2013 session one<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Week six \u2013 session two<\/strong><\/h3>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"