oceanswim.co.nz
  • EVENTS
    • Multi-event pass
    • The Big Tahuna – Nelson
    • The Epic Swim – Taupo
    • Blue70 Beach to Bay – Russell
    • Legend of the Lake – Rotorua
    • Lake Karapiro Swim Fest - Karapiro
    • The Mount Swim – Mt Maunganui
    • The Rangitoto Swim – Auckland
    • Banana Boat OceanKids
  • WHATS NEW THIS SEASON
    • PRICING & BENEFITS
    • WHATS NEW THIS YEAR
    • SERIES POINTS & AWARDS
    • SWIMFLUENCERS ARE BACK
  • LEARN MORE
  • OCEANS OF FAME
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • FREE TRAINING PROGRAMS
My Account
Log in Register
oceanswim.co.nz
  • EVENTS
    • Multi-event pass
    • The Big Tahuna – Nelson
    • The Epic Swim – Taupo
    • Blue70 Beach to Bay – Russell
    • Legend of the Lake – Rotorua
    • Lake Karapiro Swim Fest - Karapiro
    • The Mount Swim – Mt Maunganui
    • The Rangitoto Swim – Auckland
    • Banana Boat OceanKids
  • WHATS NEW THIS SEASON
    • PRICING & BENEFITS
    • WHATS NEW THIS YEAR
    • SERIES POINTS & AWARDS
    • SWIMFLUENCERS ARE BACK
  • LEARN MORE
  • OCEANS OF FAME
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • FREE TRAINING PROGRAMS

Search our store

oceanswim.co.nz
Popular Searches:
T-Shirt Blue Jacket
News

The Myth of ‘3 Stroke Breathing’

Every swimmer knows that bilateral breathing is a good skill to have. But is it something you should be doing 100% of the time or is more relevant to certain situations?

Contrary to many new swimmers’ belief, 3 stroke breathing is NOT the norm for a competitive swimmer. Any breathing pattern above 3 (eg 4 or 5 stroke breathing) is merely just a drill and not something you should be aiming to hold in all of your swimming.

Ever been told that you need to be breathing every 3 strokes? Well I’m sure most of you have at some point, but it is only relevant for a few reasons on a few occasions – three of these are:

(1) Where you need to adjust your rhythm to slightly longer between breaths – useful when practising a new skill or refining part of your stroke which needs attention.

(2) There may be situations where you need to breathe to the side in which you’re not dominant, eg visually spotting your competition halfway through a race so they don’t sneak past you.

(3) Stress testing your technique – try doing an 800m swim holding your normal low stroke count with a 3,5,7,2 (breathing pattern per 25m) and see what happens to your form. A good swimmer will maintain, but endure a headache afterwards. A poor swimmer will rush rush rush 

Try this validation test sometime – search YouTube for any elite freestyle race and you’ll discover very quickly that it’s a tough ask finding any competitor doing anything other than breathing every 2 strokes. At the heart of your power system is energy and without air this will shut down pretty quickly. It’s a quick calculation that tells you there is 50% more oxygen involved with 2 stroke breathing as opposed to 3 and this is why in any race that is longer than 100m you will almost exclusively see 2 stroke breathing being employed by those who are the best in this game we call swimming.

But what about when you’re swimming easily, ie how about 3 stroke breathing at a lower intensity? Well even here, 2 stroke breathing will win as well. If your goal is to build an efficient stroke, then you’ll need a low enough stroke cadence required to glide and that will lengthen the time between each breath. Good form at an easy pace also needs a minimum amount of intensity, and that increases energy ie. air consumption. Without the right amount of air for the technique you want to maintain, you will most likely become reactive and let your form deteriorate.

The central issue regarding whether or not 3 stroke breathing is right for you is skill level – when you are learning, it is more than likely that your breathing position is more of a lift than a roll. If this is happening, then by executing fewer breathing positions the cost / benefit ratio may be worth it for you. But as your body position and skill level in the water improves, there will come a time where 2 stroke breathing will need to become your go-to pattern. As you become that technically adept swimmer you want to be, then taking a breath frequently won’t appreciably impact on your drag profile because your technique involved in gaining the air is correct.

So the lessons for improving your swimming are – start by dedicating yourself to perfecting a body position required to breathe easily, then start breathing every 2 strokes more of the time, and finally use that extra air and energy to lengthen your glide by pausing with a firmer effort.

More air = more energy so if you can get it without causing drag and also hold a better form because of it, then you win.

Happy laps everyone!!

For more tips or to enquire about Squads, OceanClinics or Private Tuition please go to www.futuredreams.co.nz

Parnell Baths Squads / Tepid Baths Squads / OceanClinics
Private Tuition, Program Writing
Underwater Swim Analysis


Website: www.futuredreams.co.nz
Email: swim@futuredreams.co.nz
Telephone: 021 288 8715

Previous
Jetstar Elite Swimmer Blog – Part 3
Next
Is There a Difference in Technique from the Pool to the Ocean?

Related Articles

The ‘How To’ For Your NZ Ocean Swim Series Event Entries

Read more

15 Swimming Technique Tips

Read more

How to prepare the week before your State NZ Ocean Swim event

Read more

Olympian Lauren Boyle discusses 5 top tips for efficient swimming

Read more

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recent Post

The ‘How To’ For Your NZ Ocean Swim Series Event Entries
15 Swimming Technique Tips
How to prepare the week before your State NZ Ocean Swim event
Olympian Lauren Boyle discusses 5 top tips for efficient swimming
Working with a coach to improve your open water swimming
Poster girl gearing up for biggest challenge yet
Nutrition for a hard days work or a distance swim
Trent Grimsey proved too classy in the State Paihia Classic
The State Ocean Paihia Classic 3.3km swim was my first ocean swim
Fogged up goggles are your enemy

© 2024 NEW ZEALAND OCEAN SWIM SERIES

NEW ZEALAND OCEAN SWIM SERIES™, THE SWIM OF YOUR LIFE™, THE ORIGINAL OCEAN SWIM SERIES™, AMPHIBIAN™, GOLDEN GOGGLES CLUB™, OCEANKIDS™ ARE TRADEMARKS OF, AND PROPRIETARY TO THE EVENT CREW LTD ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Developed By Searchaly

Event locations

  • The Big Tahuna – Nelson
  • The Epic Swim – Taupo
  • Beach to Bay - Russell
  • Legend of the Lake - Rotorua
  • Karapiro Swim Fest - Lake Karapiro
  • The Mount Swim - Tauranga
  • The Rangitoto Swim
  • Banana Boat OceanKids

Competitor info

  • Training Programs and Tips
  • Banana Boat OceanKids
  • Series Competition
  • Results & Photos
  • Event Safety and Rules
  • Prizegiving & Awards
  • Oceans of Fame
  • Wetsuit Hire & Purchase
  • Buy Gear

About Ocean Swim

  • Learn more
  • About Us
  • Our Partners
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
© 2024 NEW ZEALAND OCEAN SWIM SERIES - THE EVENT CREW LTD
Payment options:
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa

Shopping Cart

Your cart is currently empty.
Add note for seller
Estimate shipping rates
Add a discount code
Subtotal $0.00
View Cart