Many divers diet in order to be lean and muscular, but restricting calories also can lead to low energy, fatigue and an increased injury rate. Competitive divers face a high risk of injuring their shoulders, back, elbows, wrists and other body parts, according to a paper by a Loyola Medicine sports medicine physician. “Even when a dive […]

Weight training is often a highly debated topic in the world of swimming. While there is no clear-cut right or wrong answer to whether or not weights are beneficial for developing swimmers, many year-round programs don’t even use weight training. Therefore, swimmers typically are not exposed to the weight room until college. For college swimmers, weight training […]

Here’s the kicker though — human muscle sinks and fat floats. So if you’re a more built swimmer, it’ll be harder for you to keep yourself up at the surface versus someone who spends less time at the gym. Proper Body Alignment leads to faster swimming — but how exactly do you do it? In […]

“Swimming is all about friends. You retire from the sport, but you keep your swim friends forever.” If you’ve ever been a swimmer, you know that it’s not just a sport. It’s a lifestyle. A lifestyle that, if you’re committed, pushes you to your limits and changes you as a person. We asked eight swimmers […]

Swimming truly is a social sport, and it’s always helpful to know people when you’re networking as you begin your job search. While swimming is obviously valuable for us physically, many people don’t realize the lasting effects it can have on people as they enter the professional world. Being a longtime athlete shapes you in more […]

At Swim Smooth we are firm believers that anyone can become a strong swimmer, whether swimming comes easily to you or if it takes you a little longer to get there. Of course it’s only natural that if you are frustrated with your lack of swim speed then you may be wishing you were more […]

Our kids benefit by being introduced to early mornings as teens, which may become a habit throughout their swim careers and beyond. What do Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Tim Cook and Oprah Winfrey have in common with our swimmers? They were or are early risers — getting up before dawn — just like our kids wake […]

Swimmers need to make sure their top hand is locking in their bottom hand by using the top hand’s thumb. This is extremely important because if you don’t lock the bottom hand in your streamline will fall apart. The streamline is the most hydrodynamic position swimmers can be in, that’s why it’s vital your streamlines are […]

Keep in mind that all meets are good. Through good swims and bad swims, swim meets provide you with stories and memories that last a lifetime. It’s that time of year when swimmers are getting ready for the season’s big meets. They’ve worked hard daily to improve their strength, endurance, speed and technique. For parents […]

When it comes to going into a meet having results expectations, the downsides of doing that far outweigh the benefits. “Positive expectations are the mark of the superior personality.” “Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event.” “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” “Expectation feeds frustration. It […]