Summary In this conversation, Matt Butler interviews Brenton Ford, the founder of Effortless Swimming, about his journey in the swimming space and his approach to coaching adult swimmers. They discuss the importance of starting swimming at a young age and the advantages of swimming effortlessly. Brenton shares his experience working with triathletes and the satisfaction of helping them enjoy swimming. They also delve into the challenges faced by adult swimmers and the common mistakes they make. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the difficulty of translating running technique to swimming. In this conversation, Brenton Ford from Effortless Swimming shares valuable insights on improving swimming technique and performance in triathlons. He emphasizes the importance of learning proper freestyle technique and suggests getting lessons or following a process to save time. Brenton also discusses the role of kick in triathlon swimming and explains the difference between two-beat and six-beat kick. He highlights the significance of measuring propulsion with power meters for hands and the balance between using gadgets and focusing on swimming fundamentals. Additionally, Brenton provides tips on dry land exercises when access to a pool is limited and discusses the potential benefits of strength athletes transitioning to endurance sports. He also shares insights on the impact of wetsuits and drafting in triathlon races and accepts the 30 for 30 challenge from Coach Clayton. Takeaways Starting swimming at a young age provides a significant advantage in terms of technique and muscle memory. Swimming effortlessly and efficiently can greatly enhance the enjoyment of the sport. Adult swimmers often struggle with foundational aspects such as head position, body posture, and breathing technique. The key to improving swimming technique is to focus on the fundamentals and progress in a step-by-step manner. Translating running technique to swimming can be challenging due to the different mechanics and environment. Learning proper freestyle technique is essential for improving swimming performance in triathlons. The kick in triathlon swimming should be effective and functional, but not the main driver of propulsion. Using gadgets like power meters for hands can provide valuable insights into catch and pull technique. Balancing the use of gadgets with focusing on swimming fundamentals and feel is important for improvement. When access to a pool is limited, incorporating dry land exercises like core strength and upper body work can be beneficial. Strength athletes may have an advantage in endurance sports due to their foundation of strength and mind-muscle connection. Wetsuits can provide a significant improvement in swimming speed, and drafting off other swimmers can further enhance performance in triathlon races.
You can find Brenton at https://effortlessswimming.com/8-week-faster-freestyle-course/?gc_id=2003
We Build Strong Endurance Athletes
Hybrid Training Platform - Strength, Endurance Nutrition
Free Athlete Consults -
DM us "Performance" on instagram https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/
Or hit the website - https://www.triperformance.com.au/
Host - https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tri_performance_podcast/
Coaching - https://www.triperformance.com.au/
Website - https://www.triperformance.com.au/education