Freestyle Exhale: How and How Often

We can all agree that intake of air is important when swimming freestyle. But what about the exhale? Does it matter *how* you exhale? Does it matter how *often* you exhale. The answer is YES, and this week we’ll explore the options.

Monday

Better Freestyle Concepts: Relaxed Breathing

The *how* of the freestyle exhale is: relaxed.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3026-relaxed-breathing> 

:09 - just get the mouth clear of the water

:22 - constant exhale

:28 - controlled exhale through the 2nd stroke

:35 - turning while still exhaling

:44 - mouth closed forcing air slowly out of the nose

:53 - can see the mouth open while still underwater

1:00 - slow exhale through the nose

Tuesday

Ricky Berens: Breathing

What we notice with Ricky Berens’s breathing is the continuous exhale and the relaxed quality of his face and mouth.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/1860-ricky-berens-breathing> 

:13 - one of the lowest head positions

:18 - observe how much of Ricky’s head is underwater

:32 - start of the slow mo

:34 - as the head starts to turn, the burst begins

:38 - this is the breath

:58 - burst begins as the head turns

1:05 - we see a slight fall of the body as the breath ends

1:09 - back to centered head before hand gets in

1:23 - burst begins

1:28 - where does he get his air?

1:30 - exhale begins immediately as the head turns back under

Wednesday

Bruno Fratus: Head and Breath

When you can swim the 50 free in twenty-something seconds, you don’t need to breathe very often, but how you exhale is important. Here’s Bruno Fratus from under water.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/2377-freestyle-head-and-breath> 

:25 - can see the air starting to come out

:27 - more air coming out

1:02 - air always coming out - but there’s a burst as the head turns

1:31 - air always coming out

1:48 - continuous exhale

1:52 - continuous exhale

Go back to :13 and show NOT exhaling

Thursday

Kara Lynn Joyce

To excel at sprint freestyle – 50s and 100s – you have to learn how often to breathe, and then train for this at every practice. Three-time Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce shares her breathing strategy.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/657-sprint-breathing> 

1:12 - starts the underwater video

1:21 - appears to not be constantly exhaling

1:22 - more of a burst late in the process

1:22 - very low breath

1:27 - releasing air when head gets sideways

1:31 - free frame of breath

1:38 - is that exhale - or air being pulled back down

2:16 - holding the air until the head turn

2:26 - watch how no air is coming out

3:11 - focusing on longer races, the exhale is consistent

3:20 - breathing for longer races - constant exhale

3:47 - funny we’re talking about breath control in this clip ;)

4:29 - talking about hypoxic

Friday

Jason Lezak: Lezak Loping

In this clip of Jason Lezak, don’t focus on the loping stroke. Focus on how and how often he exhales.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/986-lezak-loping> 

:14 - BIG exhale just as he starts the catch and head turn

:20 - is the air on his nose caught from the head return or is it a constant exhale?

Talk about bubble on thumb

Saturday

David Curtiss Talks Breathing Every Stroke

Sprinter David Curtiss explains why he breathes every stroke cycle in the 100 free.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3495-dc-talks-breathing-every-stroke> 

1:16 - play at .2x

Always a trickle

1:48 - bursting

4:58 - we’re talking about the lead hand here NOT bracing even though he’s lifting up a bit

Sunday

Eric Shanteau: Freestyle – Body -- Head – Eye Position

Elite breaststroker and 200 IMer Eric Shanteau weighs in on how often to breathe in the 200 IM.

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/735-freestyle-body-head-eye-position> 

:17 - air caught on his nose?

:19 - exhale

:27 - slight gap or pause between exhale and inhale

1:11 - appears more like there is a constant flow… but I don’t know if that’s caught air or exhale

1:50 - appears to be a constant exhale here

1:54 - play at .2x

2:05 - watch the air caught on the chin

2:09 - see the air coming out of the nose

JUST BE AWARE OF YOUR BREATHING!!!

Bonus

Glenn: Breathing in the Water – Start with Nose End with Mouth

<https://www.goswim.tv/lessons/3231-start-with-the-nose-end-with-the-mouth>

1:22

1:40 - watch the switching of the flow from one side to the other

Beijing 400 Free Relay

<https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=beijing+400+free+relay&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:80c3bf76,vid:kQNY5htc9_k>

<https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=beijing+400+free+relay&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:0898f913,vid:zpuzRseheFg>

10:03:03 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

This is so exciting

10:04:02 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

Very cool

10:05:33 From Dan Jimar to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

will this be for all of us or do we need to e-mail you (missed a little in the beginning

10:14:22 From Melinda Wolff to Everyone:

And he gets his head back in the water more quickly than most - kinda like Nathan Adrian (he's the one who breathers every stroke on a 50, right?)

10:19:24 From Beth Baker to Everyone:

Berens: One of the reasons he can do that is because his extended arm is so low and straight out from the sociket

10:20:11 From Monty krieger to Everyone:

Berens: seems to bend his neck (head goes backwards) during the breath

10:23:57 From Yuting Zou to Everyone:

Where to breath is considered early breathing

10:30:31 From Melinda Wolff to Everyone:

You need scuba gear!

10:31:08 From Tim Hammond to Everyone:

She seems to be pulling pretty wide.

10:35:11 From Monty krieger to Everyone:

LEZAK IS NOT LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL

10:36:26 From Dan Jimar to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

will do the rest of this zoom via phone, have to head out to an early extra practice (expected lightning later today - after 5 PM)

10:40:45 From Beth Baker to Everyone:

“Don’t use lead hand for leverage” LOVE THAT!

10:40:46 From Monty krieger to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

a lot of DC’s carried bubbles coming from his goggles - better design needed?

10:42:32 From Gregg Thurlbeck to Everyone:

It’s a bit like the depressions on a golf ball creating better distance.

10:44:46 From Brian Fallon to Everyone:

FYI: Many jet aircraft have "dimples" on the wing to purposely generate vortexes, in order to help the rest of the air cling to the wing.

10:44:48 From Brian Fallon to Everyone:

https://www.academia.edu/35865802/Aerodynamic\_Analysis\_of\_Dimple\_Effect\_on\_Aircraft\_Wing

10:47:17 From Chris Wagner to Everyone:

Do you have a source for underwater mirrors? Recommendations for width and length?

10:47:33 From Tim Hammond to Everyone:

We had dimples on the chest of suits back in the early 2000s.

10:48:29 From Monty krieger to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

hysterical

10:48:32 From Lynn Morrison to Everyone:

oh man - ya got me

10:49:06 From Lindsay Leigh to Everyone:

I was impressed :-)

10:49:21 From matthew connery to Everyone:

I was trying to do it sitting here.

10:49:26 From Karen Rose to Everyone:

You got me for a moment!!!

10:49:33 From Julie Phillips to Everyone:

I was going to try it in the pool tomorrow

10:49:44 From Monty krieger to Everyone:

You have to put together a montage of such stuff

10:50:06 From Brian Fallon to Everyone:

Last one: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a10567/shark-skin-will-inspire-faster-swimsuits-and-airplanes-16792156/

10:50:15 From Melinda Wolff to Everyone:

The only hint you were kidding was for you to call yourself a master of masters swimmer, and you are usually so humble!

10:52:31 From Katie Kenny to Everyone:

Reacted to "The only hint you we..." with 🤣

10:53:15 From Monty krieger to Everyone:

have you ever had swimmers complain of sore necks trying to turn the head so quickly for a very quick breath?

10:53:44 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

Not breathing until 1-2 strokes after a breakout is a skill

10:56:42 From Ruth Cheung to Everyone:

Interesting 🙂 cool

10:57:41 From helen naylor to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

he breathes on the 2nd (he doesn't breathe immediately)

10:57:47 From helen naylor to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

Caleb that is

10:57:53 From helen naylor to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxkPEFKoe80

10:58:01 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

Melinda, I hear this from beginner adult swimmers a lot

10:58:21 From Meg Schappert to Everyone:

What drills do you recommend to help with breath timing?

10:58:57 From Alfonso Rusconi to Everyone:

we can train to swim some stroke empty of air

10:59:44 From Alfonso Rusconi to Everyone:

…not to panic

11:01:54 From veronique borges to Everyone:

I personally and naturally suspend my breath til a forceful exhale- like a breath of fire -. The exhale clears out all residue air in the lungs and at same time the push contracts the core. Magic… to me!

11:02:13 From Alfonso Rusconi to Everyone:

Reacted to "I personally and nat..." with 👍

11:02:15 From veronique borges to Everyone:

But I do not teach that to the public

11:03:19 From Lynn Morrison to Everyone:

I like holding my breath in a 50 to keep air in my lungs - thinking that makes me more bouyant

11:04:50 From Lynn Morrison to Everyone:

exhale forcefully before one breath down and one breath back in the 50

11:05:00 From Beth Baker to Everyone:

Reacted to "I personally and nat..." with 👍🏼

11:05:35 From Beth Baker to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

I have a drill we use to teach breathing timing if you want

11:07:36 From Alfonso Rusconi to Everyone:

Sarah Sjostrom doesn’t breath in 50 fly

11:08:43 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

You need to get rid of CO2 - yes the brain freaks out when CO2 gets too high

11:08:46 From veronique borges to Everyone:

CO2 is necessary to transport 02 so you need to build tolerance to CO2

11:09:20 From Lana Burl to Everyone:

The desire to take a breath is not initiated by a desire for oxygen but instead a need to expel CO2

11:10:06 From veronique borges to Everyone:

I think of co2 like lactic acid. You train to build tolerance and delay them

11:12:00 From helen naylor to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

lack of CO2 is what triggers a breath. Do NOT need Co2 to carry O2!

11:13:30 From Monty krieger to Everyone:

you are still recording

11:14:00 From Brad German to Glenn Mills(Direct Message):

thank you!

11:14:09 From Nora Stoycheva to Everyone:

thanks bye everyone

11:14:09 From Katie Kenny to Everyone:

Thank you!

11:14:09 From Camy Gitwenty to Everyone:

Very interesting, thank you


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May 30, 2023 - Freestyle Exhale: How and How Often