any advice for a new swimmer?

[Bloodlust]

I started swimming 3Xweek not too long ago. I alternate strokes with freestyle,breast stroke and back stroke for 700 yards total a workout. I train kicks with the kickboard but what are pulls? any advice for increasing lung capacity? any for increasing yardage?

[LPF4]

Originally Posted by Bloodlust

I started swimming 3Xweek not too long ago. I alternate strokes with freestyle,breast stroke and back stroke for 700 yards total a workout. I train kicks with the kickboard but what are pulls? any advice for increasing lung capacity? any for increasing yardage?

Do a search, this isn't the first thread about swimming.

Best options would be buy a book, search the web, join a masters class.

[b_]

and beware of swimmer's ear. very painful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otitis_externa

[pinecone]

I'm a former competitive swimmer. The thing that is going to allow you to increase your yardage is getting better at the strokes (more efficient). There is a big differences in efficiency between the way that a reasonably good recreational swimmer swims and the way a competitive swimmer swims.

My gym has a triathalete (sp?) club where they do a lot of stroke-technique work. Something like this might pay benefits for you. As for pulling drills - there are they bouyes (sp?) you can put between your legs to keep them up so you don't have to kick. There are also paddles that go on your hands - to add resistance. I stay away from this stuff and just swim - mostly sprints with an incomplete rest period between them. For example I do 10 50 yard sprints (freestyle) on 45 seconds and then to 10 25s of butterfly on 30 seconds. This is <15 minute workout, but it is high intensity.

Pinecone