Techniques from the President of Fin Swimming to Swim "Beautifully" and "Fast" Even in the Second Half of a Race
Hello everyone, it's Yoshi, the President of Fin Swimming!
"I have 25m left, but my body just won't move forward..."
"I'm trying my best, but my form is falling apart and I can't catch the water..."
"I'm fine during practice, but for some reason, I get exhausted in the second half of a race..."
Have you ever experienced this?
When I was an athlete, I fought this "second-half exhaustion" countless times. No matter how much I practiced, my form would collapse toward the end of the race, and I would feel like I was fighting against the water's resistance... I still vividly remember that frustration.
But think about it.
Why are Olympic athletes and top swimmers competing on the world stage able to maintain beautiful form until the very end? Is it simply because they have more "stamina"?
No, that's not it.
Actually, the secret to finishing a race fast, even in the second half, is more "technical" than you might think.
Today is Technique Monday.
As someone who has competed on the world stage as a Japanese representative and now coaches many athletes, I will share "techniques to swim fast in the second half" that can also be applied to everyday swimming. These are practical methods you can use starting tomorrow, regardless of your physical strength, so please read until the end!
The secrets of "air" and "posture" needed to swim fast through the second half of a race
"I thought the cause of second-half exhaustion was simply a lack of stamina..."
It is natural to think that way. But actually, a technique that is more important than stamina is "how to maintain your posture".
The secrets I discovered through years of competition and coaching are the following two.
Buoyancy control using "air in the lungs"
Efficient energy usage through "proper pacing"
These are techniques related to the basics of literally "inhaling and exhaling." That is why anyone can incorporate them immediately.
So, why do so many people get exhausted in the second half? Let's explore the causes.
3 Technical Problems That Lead to Second-Half Exhaustion
1. [Collapse of Posture] Changes in underwater posture that are hard to notice yourself
When you get tired, the first change that happens without you noticing is that your head (chin) lifts and your hips drop. This is what causes water resistance to increase dramatically.
In fact, with this loss of posture, even a change of just 5cm can cause the energy required to skyrocket!
~Thinking in terms of a familiar example~ Imagine a bicycle tire that is about to go flat. The force required to move forward suddenly increases, right? The exact same thing happens with poor posture in the water.
2. [Errors in Pacing] The "Start Dash" Problem Common Among Japanese Swimmers
"The first half is what matters!" Thinking this way and giving it your all in the first half... actually, this is a very common pattern among Japanese swimmers. In my experience, about 80% of athletes are this type.
However, water resistance increases by the square or cube of your speed. In other words, if you try to swim 10% faster, you will use 21% to 33% more energy!
~To put it simply~ It's like sprinting at the start of a marathon. Even in a short-distance race, how you use your energy is extremely important.
3. [Breathing Disruption] Breakdown of Breathing Patterns During Fatigue
When you get tired, you naturally start breathing faster and shallower. As a result, you cannot take in enough oxygen, and fatigue progresses further...
Even more troublesome, this disrupted breathing also causes your posture to collapse. Because you try to lift your face (chin) to inhale, your overall body balance is lost, leading to a vicious cycle where water resistance increases.
~To use an analogy~ It becomes as difficult as trying to perform delicate work while out of breath after running up a flight of stairs.
3 Techniques the Fin President Practices to "Not Collapse" in the Second Half
Now, this is the main point. I will introduce three techniques that I practiced during World Championships, Asian Championships, and when breaking Japanese records, and which I still teach to many athletes today.
1. [Air Float Technique] A Posture Maintenance Method Utilizing the Lungs
<My Personal Experience>
While competing on the world stage, I realized the limitations of simply trying to maintain posture with muscle strength alone. No matter how much you train your core, if fatigue accumulates, your posture will collapse. That is when I discovered the method of utilizing the air in your lungs.
By inhaling a lot of air and using it like a float, it becomes possible to maintain posture without relying on muscle strength. Once you master this technique, the tension in your abs and back muscles decreases, and you can swim with surprising ease.
In fact, thanks to this technique, when I tried scuba diving for the first time, I was so good at using my air that I even surprised the instructor. It was a moment when the sense I had acquired through swimming proved useful in an unexpected place.
<Specific Method>
When taking a deep breath, try to put a little more air into your lungs than usual
While holding that air, be conscious of lightly tightening the area around your navel
The trick is not to exhale completely when breathing out, but to leave a little air in your lungs.
<Drill for Beginners>
・Practice floating without a kickboard: Inhale, float, and try to maintain a horizontal position by making small adjustments.
・Try 25m x 4 repetitions, limiting your breathing to 4-6 times, and practice getting the feel of keeping air in your chest.
Caution: Do not force yourself to hold your breath. The key is to value the sensation of "maintaining a moderate amount of air." Practice with safety first.
2. Practice for Second-Half Pacing
<From the Coaching Field>
I once coached a swimmer who had a 15-second difference between the first and second halves of a 100m freestyle race!
Most people would say, '{If you're going to slow down in the second half anyway, try harder in the first half!,' but that doesn't solve the root of the problem.
So, I took the opposite approach. I changed the pacing to hold back in the first half and save energy for the second. Of course, the training didn't go perfectly at first, but little by little, the drop-off in the second half during practice began to decrease.
Then, a surprising change occurred... The 15-second difference between the first and second halves improved to about 7 seconds!
And as a result, their best time for the 100m improved by 6 seconds!
When you think about it, it makes sense. It takes a massive amount of training to swim the first half 6 seconds faster, but if you can shave off the same 6 seconds through efficient pacing, that can be called a victory for '{science.'
Specific Method:
Start by doing 25m x 8 repetitions, practicing swimming the even-numbered laps (2, 4, 6, 8) faster than the odd-numbered ones.
Next, do 50m x 4 repetitions, focusing on swimming the second 25m of each 50m lap 1-2 seconds faster than the first.
Gradually increase the distance and develop a sense of pacing where you can swim faster in the second half, even in a 100m race.
<Drill for Beginners>
・Swim 4 laps of a 25m pool, increasing speed by 5-10% each lap.
・Aim to make the final 25m the fastest while maintaining your form.
Caution: Since contrast is important, it is crucial to start "slower" than you think at first. Don't rush; try to start with a sense of ease.
3. Breathing Control During Fatigue
<Applied Knowledge from Finswimming>
One of the big differences between finswimming and competitive swimming is speed. Using fins allows you to swim about 1.5 times faster than in competitive swimming, but the effects of poor posture and resistance become much more pronounced.
Especially in the second half of a race, when energy is depleted, fins can become a '{weight' rather than an aid. That is why finswimmers have a keen sense of the relationship between breathing and posture when fatigued.
The knowledge of '{invisible resistance' and '{slight posture breakdown' learned from this high-speed experience can also be applied to regular swimming. Since the speed is slower, the effects should be more sustainable.
With these three techniques, you can swim "beautifully and fast in the second half" without relying solely on physical strength!
How was it? The three techniques I shared this time.
Posture maintenance technique utilizing the lungs
Second-half pace distribution
Breathing control during fatigue
These are methods I have practiced on the world stage and have proven effective while coaching many athletes. They are not just theories, but practical techniques you can use in real competition.
In particular, the "Air Buoyancy Technique", is a simple yet effective method you can try starting from tomorrow's practice. It might feel strange at first, but if you continue for about two weeks, you should be able to feel the results.
When people think of "swimming fast," they tend to focus only on intense practice and strength training, but as I have said many times, in reality, "efficient swimming technique" is often more important. By incorporating these techniques, you will be able to swim faster, longer, and more beautifully with the same amount of physical strength.
Please try them out in your next practice. And if you have any changes you feel or questions, please let me know in the comments section. I hope your swimming becomes even more enjoyable!
Thank you for reading this far today as well!
If you found this content helpful, I would be happy if you could support me with a "Like❤️", "Follow✅", or "Share♻️"!
Also, if there are other training methods you want to know about or any questions, please let me know in the comments section. I would like to use your feedback to create the next article.
See you next time!
See you later!
Fin Swimming Specialist
Fin President Yoshihide Sekino
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