Change the conversation between your brain and muscles! 3 "connection" training methods to improve your swimming
Hello everyone, this is Yoshi, the Flipper President!
Why does everyone practice the same way, yet the speed of improvement differs?
Why can that athlete swim so smoothly?
I'm so jealous that person can immediately do what the coach says...
Have you ever had these questions?
Actually, one of the answers lies in the "conversation between your brain and muscles". Today, I'm not going to talk about physical aspects like power or flexibility, but rather share the secret to leveling up your swimming from a slightly different angle, so please read until the end and put it into practice!
The shock I received in South Korea was the beginning of everything
It was back in my college days when I went to South Korea alone for intensive training.
"Even though South Korea is a world-class powerhouse, as a Japanese record holder, how far will I be able to compete?"
That naive thought was shattered in an instant. When I swam side-by-side with athletes in South Korea who weren't even on the national team... I couldn't win at all.
Moreover, I couldn't even compete with the top female athletes; I was barely able to keep up or race against them...
Is it just a difference in the amount of practice? Or is it muscle strength?
No, what I noticed by observing them was not just that, but a more fundamental difference in "how they use their bodies". I thought they were controlling it with power, but when I looked closely, each movement was delicate, and they moved smoothly and efficiently to the eye. I believe that was not just technique, but the result of a perfectly harmonized "conversation between the brain and muscles".
"Athletic ability" is not something you are born with!
"I'm not good at sports because I have poor athletic ability..."
That's a common phrase, isn't it? But this is a huge misunderstanding.
Later, I encountered a theory originating in Germany called "Life Kinetik". This is a cutting-edge training method that focuses on the brain and nerves.
To conclude, surprisingly, with the right stimulation, athletic ability can be dramatically improved!
Since I incorporated training based on this theory, I personally felt "movements I couldn't do before" changing into "movements I can do". And the same change happened to the athletes I coach.
"I feel like I can correct my form more smoothly than before!"
I thought so objectively as well, but I still haven't forgotten the joy I felt when I saw changes at a level where the person themselves could truly feel it.
Why is the "conversation between the brain and muscles" important?
Swimming and finswimming are sports that require special movements in a unique environment—the water—which is unlike anything in daily life. To improve your skills in these sports, you need to activate neural pathways that you don't normally use.
Imagine this. If you were suddenly told to "use chopsticks with your left hand"... it would feel awkward at first, right? But with practice, it gradually becomes smoother. The same thing happens with swimming.
However, there is a more efficient way than simple repetition. That is the three "connection" training methods" I am introducing today!
Three "connection" training methods
1. Reconstruct your movements in "ultra-slow motion"
This "ultra-slow motion" drill is one I frequently incorporate in my coaching. There is no more effective way to discover your own habits and sensations that you wouldn't notice at normal speed.
<Practice Drill: Ultra-Slow Motion Kick>
While wearing fins, perform the kicking motion at 1/4 to 1/5 of your normal speed.
Try taking over a minute to cover 25m, instead of your usual 15 seconds.
The important thing here is "not to go with the flow."
Always consciously control each part of your body (hips, knees, ankles, and fins).
Be especially careful during the moments when the movement switches (from top to bottom, and bottom to top).
At first, you might think, "Can I really move this slowly?" but that is exactly the value of this drill. Parts of your body that moved automatically due to momentum or water flow at normal speed will not move unless you control them yourself in ultra-slow motion.
"Why is this drill effective?"
It's simple. It creates a "new conversation" between your brain and muscles. At normal speed, your brain just automatically replays "the usual movements." But in ultra-slow motion, your brain must constantly think about "how to move next." This is the key to creating new neural pathways.
"I realized my lower back was arching more than I thought."
"I understood the habit of losing core tension during the kick transition."
"I noticed for the first time that the angle of my fins is different on the left and right."
These realizations are the first step toward fundamentally changing the quality of your swimming. I also perform this drill regularly to review my own movements. By increasing your control and noticing small habits, you can evolve into a more efficient form.
Please try it, even if it's just for about 50m once a week. This "slow but deep" practice will surely change the quality of your swimming dramatically.
2. Cultivate the "power to connect"
The beauty of finswimming lies in the way the movements of the entire body connect like a wave. However, many people can perform the movements of "individual parts," but cannot connect them smoothly.
<How to do it> Try practicing this on land:
Stand in front of a mirror (or imagine it if you don't have one)
Perform your normal swimming movements in extreme slow motion
Focus on the "transitions between movements" and concentrate on making them especially smooth
When the "jerky feeling" disappears and it becomes a continuous, flowing movement, water resistance decreases and propulsion increases. This is not about muscle strength, but rather the "brain's ability to integrate and move the body".
3. Polish your "switching ability"
During a race, you need to respond to various changing situations. The more smoothly a swimmer can switch between a starting dash, sustained speed, and a final sprint, the more stable their swimming will be.
<How to do it> This is an interval practice where you switch between "fast, normal, and slow" randomly without warning.
For example, in a set of 8 x 25m-50m:
1st-2nd reps: Switch between "fast -> normal -> fast" at the coach's whistle signal
3rd-4th reps: Change your pace yourself every 10m
5th-6th reps: Change your rhythm every time you breathe
7th-8th reps: Change your breathing rhythm (frequency)
You might feel confused at first, but this is exactly the stimulation that creates "new circuits" in the brain. Just like learning a new language, you will acquire it little by little.
3 technical points to incorporate starting today
Finally, let's summarize the concrete technical points derived from these trainings.
① Swim while "feeling"
Instead of just being "fast and strong," make it a habit to swim while feeling the flow and resistance of the water. In particular, try to be conscious of how the tips of your fins are catching the water. You will begin to understand the difference between the sensation of the water pushing the fins and the fins pushing the water.
② Be conscious of "waves"
Have an image of the movements of each part of your body (hands -> chest -> waist -> legs -> fins) being transmitted like a "wave" rather than separately. Especially when the coordination from your waist to your fins becomes smooth, your propulsion will improve significantly.
3. Practice "rhythm changes"
Instead of always swimming at the same tempo, try changing the rhythm intentionally. This increases your repertoire of muscle usage and expands your "toolbox" to handle various situations during a race.
In conclusion
Training to improve the "conversation between your brain and muscles" does not require special equipment or long hours of practice. The most important things are "quality" and "consistency."
Even just 15 minutes once a week, if done consistently, will definitely change your swimming. Since I started sharing what I learned from my experience in South Korea and from Life Kinetik, all the athletes on my team have grown dramatically.
Many things that were thought to be "talent" can actually be improved with the right "brain training."
Please try incorporating at least one of these into your practice starting tomorrow. The world of finswimming should look completely new to you!
With that said, thank you for reading this far this time as well.
If you found this content good or helpful, I would be happy if you could support me with a "Like❤️," "Follow✅," "Share♻️," or "Tip💙"...!
Also, I will continue to share training methods and swimming explanations that you won't hear anywhere else to be of help to all my readers, so please let me know by entering your "questions or topics of interest" in the "comment section"!
See you next time!
See you later!
Finswimming Specialist
Finfish President Yoshihide Sekino
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