Is bilateral breathing worth it?

Question

I have read that bilateral breathing balances out your body and muscles, however, all the olympic swimmers (ian thorpe, van den hoogenband, phelps) breathe every two strokes. Should i bilateral breathe or not?

Answer 1

again, Kristy is here before me. she must live on-line :^)
i agree with her.

i can bi-lateral breath, only because my coach made me. i have NOT, through my years, done so in competition.

however, i have recently begun really taking a look at my stroke and rethinking all of the "habits" i have developed over my years of swimming. although i find it difficult, since i have been a right-side breather my entire life, i find that bi-lateral breathing does help to keep my stream-line position especially when i begin to tire. so much so, that my speed seems to maintain, even though i feel that i'm slowing. okay, so i tell myself there is something to this... so i try it when i'm i'm not tired and low and behold i can actually decrease my intervals. go figure. i'm faster! i still doubt that i will use bi-lateral breathing in my best events (sprints) but in longer events (over 100 yards) i have started to.

in the end, it's a matter of what works for you. Phelps and Hoogenband are middle distance (sprinters) they don't breath a whole heck of a lot anyway. but, Janet Evans set and still holds world records in the 800 and 1500 using an unbalanced arm pull, and breathing every stroke!
good luck

Answer 2

When you're learning to swim absolutely. People who breathe every 2 strokes when learning tend to develop a "hitch," which is a lopsided stroke. It makes them sink in the water and kills their efficiency.

You should learn to breathe every 3, 5 or 7 strokes regularly in practice. When swimming competitively however, breathe how you're comfortable. If you train bilaterally your stroke will be balanced at a meet so breathing ever 2 strokes wont mess you up.

Which brings me to my next point.....Phelps and the great freestylers NEVER breathe every 2 strokes!!! If they breathe to the same side its AT LEAST every 4!! NEVER train breathing every 2 if you can help it.

Don't take everything you see on tv as the best idea for you in the pool. Katie Hoff recovers completely out of the water in her breaststroke and does very well that way....but any age group swimmer would add tons of time doing that. You have to learn the fundamentals like breath controll before you can experiment with other techniques!

Answer 3

I like my kids to learn to bilateral breathe in order to keep their body's in line. However, once you reach a certain point as a competitive swimmer you learn what works best for you. I am not a bilateral breather and haven't been since I was about 12. breathing to one-side only fits the rhythm of my stroke better and makes me more efficient than bilateral breathing. I know some swimmers who swim both ways and soem who prefer one or the other. In the begining it's about stabilization and tchnique. However as you develop you may find a comfort zone that gives you the greatest efficientcy. Try both and see what works best for you.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I do some open water swimming and I do not bilateral breath. When I am swimming right to left along the shoreline, I breath by looking out into the ocean when I would rather be looking at the shoreline. I don't get to choose which direction I swim, the race director does, so I am stuck doing more sighting than I would like. I wish I had the same speed breathing out of my left as I do my right and I am now working on it. So, I would say yes.

Answer 5

In sickness and in health is the thought to keep in mind, think of if this were you with the cancer? Your husband would be by ur side doing the same as your doing right now. Now dont just say sorry, make it a sincear apology, to your husband and daughter, maybe find something fun to do with the family that can make up for things. But stay positive and things will get better =) fix things before you loose the chance to.