Skilled Tricks to Remodel Your Triathlon Swim — Triathlete

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We've been covering tips for how to improve your triathlon swimming for decades. We pull that advice together to help you swim faster and more efficiently.

We’ve been overlaying ideas for how one can enhance your triathlon swimming for many years. We pull that recommendation collectively that will help you swim quicker and extra effectively. (Photo: Challenge Family)

Published January 7, 2026 06:00AM

Swimming tends to evoke robust emotions in triathletes: they both adore it or hate it. And as a result of the swim leg is the shortest distance of the race, it doesn’t all the time get the eye it deserves in coaching and race preparation.

But for triathletes keen to place within the work, swimming can turn into a supply of power, fairly than one thing to easily tolerate. We’ve spent a long time gathering ideas and insights from one of the best and brightest minds in triathlon swimming. Whether you’re a brand new triathlete getting began within the sport or a complicated triathlete trying to dial in your approach, let the consultants provide help to make this the 12 months you turn into your greatest swimming self. These are Triathlete‘s top articles for triathlon swimmers of every level – read them, love them, and share them with your training buddies (unless, of course, you’re hoping to beat them out of the water at your subsequent race).

General swimming for triathlon ideas

A Beginner’s Guide for Learning How to Swim for Triathlon

Learning how to swim for triathlon can be a daunting task, but also a very rewarding one!
Learning how one can swim for a triathlon generally is a daunting job, but additionally a really rewarding one! (Illustration: James Boyle)

If you’re an entire newbie, that is the place to start out, because it covers all the things adults want when beginning swimming. Overcome worry of getting within the water, if that’s by no means been your consolation zone, and find out about physique place within the water, alignment, propulsion, fixing frequent errors, and extra.

3 Swim Workouts For Beginner Triathletes

An athlete prepares to start their triathlon swim workout for beginners.
An athlete prepares to start out their triathlon swim exercise for rookies. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Once you determine to get within the pool as a brand new triathlete, you may begin to marvel “what now?” Get exercises designed particularly for these new to the game to enhance expertise and luxury within the water.

Your 6-Week Training Plan to Unlock New Swim Speed This Winter

Six Week Triathlon Swim Training Plan
(Photo: Getty Images)

Established triathletes able to get quicker this season can comply with this six-week plan that features approach, pacing, power, and speedwork. You’ll full 5 exercises per week to offer concentrated time engaged on swimming over the winter.

Mastering Triathlon Swim Training

Rear view of people wearing wetsuits in ocean
(Photo: Getty Images)

How you triathlon swim practice issues. Building the correct exercise construction, coaching routine, depth, and coaching week structure makes all of the distinction in whether or not you’ll see enhancements out of your coaching. Triathlon swim skilled Gerry Rodrigues walks you thru how one can construction your swim coaching.

Getting to know freestyle swimming

The 4 Phases Of The Freestyle Swim Stroke

4 Phases of the Swim Stroke
Learn the 4 phases of the swim stroke to enhance your triathlon swimming. (Photo: Nils Nilsen)

Whether you’re new to freestyle swimming or have frolicked within the pool repeatedly for years, attending to know the 4 phases of the freestyle swim stroke will help you consider the place your stroke wants work to construct higher effectivity. Get drills for growing every section of the stroke and exercises that apply these expertise.

The 7 Most Important Aspects of Freestyle Swimming

Knowing where to focus your efforts can help you improve your swim quickly.
Knowing the place to focus your efforts will help you enhance your swim shortly. (Photo: Nils Nilsen)

You may suppose you realize all the things about triathlon swimming, however getting again to the fundamentals might provide help to enhance your swimming expertise this 12 months. Sara McLarty breaks down the seven most vital freestyle swimming elements, beginning with the fundamentals, like remembering to not maintain your breath however to exhale between breaths.

Improving swim approach

Do’s, Don’ts, and Drills for Every Part of the Freestyle Swim Stroke

Successfully applying the elements of a strong, efficient freestyle swim stroke is the key to easily gliding through the swim portion of your next triathlon.
Learn the do’s and don’ts of the freestyle swim stroke, plus drills to assist any triathlete apply the correct kind. (Photo: John David Becker)

After reviewing the 4 phases of the freestyle stroke, discover ways to enhance every section with do’s and don’ts from swim skilled Sara McLarty. Each part consists of drills that will help you work in your weaknesses.

Why (And How) to Learn to Bilateral Breathe

A swimmer demonstrates bilateral breathe for triathlon.
A swimmer demonstrates bilateral respiration for triathlon. (Photo: Brad Kaminski/Triathlete)

Most triathletes have a aspect they’re extra comfy respiration on throughout freestyle swimming. For some, it’s the aspect that gives a smoother stroke and larger stability. Others discover that it’s easier to observe respiration to just one aspect, particularly throughout drills or speedwork. But bilateral respiration provides triathletes choices to cope with visitors, chop, and benefit from swim effectivity by respiration much less typically. Discover how one can incorporate bilateral respiration into your swim coaching.

My Feet and Hips Sink When I Swim. How Do I Fix It?

A pair of legs sink when swimming.
A typical concern for triathletes is sinking legs on the swim. (Photo: Getty Images)

When your toes and hips sink if you swim, it creates extra drag, which leads you to get drained quicker. If it is a drawback for you, you’re not alone. Many triathletes have struggled with this, which is why swim skilled Andrew Sheaff provides sensible ideas for fixing this problem.

What Is The Ideal Stroke Rate?

What is the ideal stroke rate for swimming? Olympian Gary Hall Sr. explains.
What is the best stroke price for swimming? Olympian Gary Hall Sr. explains.

Just how typically ought to your arms flip over per minute when swimming? That is your stroke price, which may provide insights into your swim approach effectivity and stop you from utilizing an excessive amount of vitality in the course of the first leg of a triathlon. Three-time Olympic medalist Gary Hall Sr. explains how one can calculate your stroke price and discover the correct one for you.

Freestyle Swim Technique to Speed up Your Triathlon Finish Times

Improving your freestyle swim technique can speed up your swim times without extra effort, saving more energy for the bike and swim.
Improving your freestyle swim approach can pace up your swim occasions with out further effort, saving extra vitality for the bike and swim. (Photo: Challenge Family)

In swimming, your VO2 max is usually not the predictor of your swim speeds. Incredibly match athletes can battle to swim nicely resulting from points with their approach that considerably slows them down. Learn from a triathlon swim coach why tautness may be what’s lacking out of your triathlon swim approach.

Pick The Swim Drill For Your Weakness

(Photo: Nils Nilsen)

Love them or hate them, swim drills are an important facet of creating swim enhancements. Find the correct drill for you primarily based on the world of your swim that wants enchancment. From kicking that gives true propulsion to gliding easily to get probably the most from every stroke, you’ll discover the instruments to turn into a extra environment friendly athlete this 12 months.

Triathlon swim racing ideas

Why Are Triathletes Always Surprised by Swim Starts?

Coach Andrew Sheaff explains the three types of triathlon swim starts and how to prepare for each with a key triathlon swim workout.
Coach Andrew Sheaff explains the three forms of triathlon swim begins and how one can put together for every with a key triathlon swim exercise. (Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade)

Do sufficient triathlons, and also you’ll get used to the three several types of swim begins: water, seashore, and dive. Or, as an alternative of being shocked and unprepared for the swim begin format of your subsequent race, you might observe these varied begin codecs throughout your open water coaching. Learn how one can put together for every with structured exercises and ideas.

What’s an Australian Swim Exit in Triathlon?

The “Australian Exit” (also known as "Aussie Exit") is a term with mysterious origins but very real repercussions for triathletes on race day. Read what it is and why it matters.
The “Australian Exit” (also referred to as “Aussie Exit”) is a time period with mysterious origins however very actual repercussions for triathletes on race day. Read what it’s and why it issues. (Photo: T100)

As you overview the athlete information on your subsequent occasion, you may see the phrases “Australian swim exit.” While it isn’t extremely frequent, the swim format requires triathletes to exit the water, run again to the swim begin, and dive again into the water for the following lap of the swim. It may sound simple in principle, however in observe, it’s tougher to go from swimming to upright and again into an environment friendly swim stroke. Master this distinctive swim format with ideas, drills, and exercises.

How Do I Know if I’m Ready for a Triathlon Swim?

A triathlete prepares to start while asking How do I know I'm ready for a triathlon swim?
You lined the space in coaching – meaning you’re prepared on your triathlon swim, proper? (Yes. And no.) (Photo: Hannah DeWitt/Triathlete)

Before you bounce into open water on your first triathlon swim, verify your preparedness. The final thing you wish to do is swim amongst tons of of different flailing our bodies with out the correct expertise to maneuver them and the course. Learn how one can assess your readiness for a triathlon swim.


This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you may go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.triathlete.com/training/expert-tips-to-transform-your-triathlon-swim/
and if you wish to take away this text from our web site please contact us