keeping the heart rate down - JP Fitness Forums

sg516 · 02-04-2008, 12:02 PM

i have noticed that i can't do a lap without my heart rate going up to around 170 bpm. my normal resting rate is around the low to mid 50s. anyway, i have tried looking at my technique and thought maybe i am trying too hard or something but even when i go as slowly and relaxed as i am able (without sinking) it still gets up to the 160s. i am currently doing around 18 strokes per length. is that too many? or is this just one of those things that takes time to 'get into swimming shape'? bc i am getting really tired after 15-20 mintues of continuous swim and its starting to worry me that its not getting easier after 6 weeks of swimming three times (an hour at a time) per week.

emartin10 · 02-04-2008, 12:16 PM

18 is a bit high, I can do 25m in 12 strokes (stroke cycles, so Left then right counts as 1). Try getting longer, and gliding through the water, use the momentum you create with each stroke.

The heart rate will go down the better you get in the pool too. My first mile as an endurance athlete almost gave me a heart attack, but your body will respond. Good luck.

E

sg516 · 02-04-2008, 12:32 PM

i was counting right is one stroke left is one stroke. so is that 9 stroke cycles? i will try to do it in less. i was watching my wife swim nonstop for an hour yesterday and she wasnt even winded afterwards. i am amazed by that.

emartin10 · 02-04-2008, 01:14 PM

Well - 9 strokes is really really good. All I can offer is that you just need to swim more, it'll come. I can swim about 2 miles, and get out and go for a run. You'll get there.

E

swiminto · 02-08-2008, 05:15 AM

Hey Sg516, 9 cycles is quite low, esp if your H/R is that high. If I may ask, are you kicking a lot and as efficiently as possible.

Kicking takes up a lot of energy, with all the large muscles, and even though your arms are relaxed, I am wondering if you are kicking more to compensate for the low stroke count.

sg516 · 02-08-2008, 11:44 AM

no, i am not kicking a lot. i am still new to swimming and i think most of the problem is that i am not coordinating my upper body with my legs. i am pretty much using only arms to swim. i think the heart rate is from not being able to get a steady rhythm to my breathing and trying to muscle my way through the water using almost entirely arms, shoulders and back. yesterday i swam and i kicked a little more and really focused on breathing and it helped a bit. i find that once my breathing rhythm gets thrown off i end up gasping for air and them my heart rate goes up and i burn out really fast. i dunno. i will figure this whole swimming thing out. its just going to take me longer than i thought it would.

LisaS · 02-08-2008, 11:56 AM

I learned to swim as a kid so don't remember ever having trouble coordinating breaths with strokes but understand it conceptually and if you aren't getting proper breaths it would make your HR go up disproportionately to your effort.

what happens with other strokes like back stroke or breast stroke where your breathing would be easier to coordinate - do you do better with the breathlessness and accompanying high HR?
or if you just use a kickboard and do laps where you don't have to coordinate taking a breath with arm stroking?

sg516 · 02-08-2008, 12:06 PM

breast stroke, side, and back i tend not to have the high heart rate. that is actually one of the things that started me thinking that that was the problem. and i find that once the breathing goes then the heart rate goes up and i need to breath more and then it gets even more out of rhythm and it just snowballs. but i am trying to breath every third stroke but i am really bad at breathign to my left side and that is usually how the rhythym gets messed up. i tend to accidentally suck in water on my left side which means i probably am not rolling over well enough. and once i suck in water it is hard to get the rhythym back.

being in the water for me is kind of stressful as it is. when i was a kid (like 3) i fell into a pool and didnt know how to swim and almost died. they had to resuscitiate (sp) me but i was told my heart had stopped. so i think i panic a little when i suck in water. so there is most likely a psychological element to this. i just need to calm the ef down.

LisaS · 02-08-2008, 12:08 PM

hmm, as I recall I'm pretty much a right-side only breather - but it has been many years since I did head-down swimming for laps -

swiminto · 02-08-2008, 12:14 PM

Wow SG sorry that you had such a traumatic experience. THew best thing you can do is relax, and calm yourself, or as you said "Calm the ef down"

I am attaching a link that you may just want to browse...

Kicking: Rx for faster swimming | Swimming Technique | Find Articles at BNET.com

sg516 · 02-08-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaS

hmm, as I recall I'm pretty much a right-side only breather - but it has been many years since I did head-down swimming for laps -

i was told that breathing to one side causes imbalance problems. they said if i do a length breathing on my strong side i have to do two breathing only on my weak side. i think they just like to watch me suck at swimming. haha

sg516 · 02-08-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiminto

Wow SG sorry that you had such a traumatic experience. THew best thing you can do is relax, and calm yourself, or as you said "Calm the ef down"

I am attaching a link that you may just want to browse...

Kicking: Rx for faster swimming | Swimming Technique | Find Articles at BNET.com

Thanks for the link. i am sure i will work this whole thing out. i am not really one to give up at something just bc i suck. in fact sucking at things is usually why i stick to things. to spite myself. i assure you i will show that water who's boss.

mikeyc1972 · 02-10-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sg516

i was counting right is one stroke left is one stroke. so is that 9 stroke cycles? i will try to do it in less. i was watching my wife swim nonstop for an hour yesterday and she wasnt even winded afterwards. i am amazed by that.

I know exactly how you feel, My wife is the better swimmer(I have never swam as part of exercise only at the beach or for recreation) I was amazed at her technique. After all the years of HIIT, I have a hard time wrapping the idea of "relaxing" to swim around my head. I tend to do all exercises(sprints,rowing,cycli ng,especially lifting)- in an all out effort of explosiveness and speed. Swimming humbles me.