Swimming is learned behavior therefore swimming can be done in many ways and for many reasons. Swimming can be relaxing because it forces a person to control their breathing and develop their exhaling abilities which relaxes a person. On the physical side it gives a person exercises that promoting range of motion which promotes energy flow through muscle action and tones muscles. If a person wants to enhance the benefits of swimming the power of core/breathing ability for swimming will increase breath range and strengthen core area. The power of core/breathing is an energy point of view centered around the core for strength and breathing for endurance. They are two separate parts but when they are together they generates power in the act of swimming at any speed. The power of core/breathing is the source of strength and energy and how you direct that source into the act of swimming, which is your swimming form, will determine the affects in the water. Swimming form is very important for enjoyment and good form does not wasting movement and energy and enhances performance within enjoyment.
This program views the development of energy and strength from core/breathing should be transmitted to three physical points which are feet, hands and head to create the physical act of movement, within any physical sport. So the connection to these points and the core muscle groups determines the power ability for anyone within the learned form of physical movement. How will person energize the selected group muscles within their movement determines the power within their form. So having good form is as important and having strength and endurance so there is no waste of power within the form. The number one directive act and habit that will lesson a person strength and endurance is engaging the shoulder muscles during your power stroke in swing. The rule in this program, the more the shoulders are tighten and used the less core and breathing ability for strength and endurance.
What can raise a persons competitive, enjoyment, ability in swimming is the ability to connect to the power of the core during a power stroke to the hands and the hands shape during power stroke with out tightening shoulder muscles. The hands are the area of development that can enhance performance in persons swimming stroke for how they are shape affects water resistance. Watching swimmers during competition look at the hands and see if the fingers are together are open. The goal in good form during the power stroke is to create the greatest resistance to propel the body and how the hands are shaped is the greatest determining factor. If water is flow through open fingers that is the loss resistance so person has to move the arms more times to make up the loss force by having the fingers open. If person bring the fingers together and thumb in such way to form cup that will create greater resistance and that will give greater force to movement through the water.
Here is test in the water, do it very slowly so the mind can connect to the hands and feel resistance within person power stroke. With fingers apart resistance is created in the palm of the hands and feel how much resistance within the hand movement. Become clear in muscle feeling then bring your fingers together and thumb and feel resistance in the hand and with that resistance how your body wants to move through the water.
This is not simple act or change, there are other factors on how person uses their internal muscles to form their hands so the shoulders muscles are not tighten or engaged during the power stroke. There is a internal side and external form to energy flow for strength and power. People have the ability to have the same external movement but use two different set of muscle groups to perform the physical movement. Person can shape their hands but creating strength with the hands requires training so person does not use muscle groups that will make the weak. People can use the shoulders or the core muscles as source of physical force but the core is natural and shoulders are back up system to movement.
Here is the concept of natural swimming which is having the best form and generating the most power within physical movement. The mind is the director of energy and muscle movement and it holds your physical experiences of movement in your swimming form as a habit. Person trains mind and body to make their swimming form a habit so the mind can focus directing energy during competitive times. When your training the mind and body to swim your training the energy feeling experience with your movement form. So the more person taps into the energy and strength which is core/breathing for swimming, the greater the enhancement of performance can be created give the affectiveness of form. The more natural the physical form for swimming the better the flow of energy into the form. That is how you can judge your form to enhance effectiveness by experiencing it and its called the zone.
What is natural swimming is not tightening or engaging your shoulders in the the act of swimming and being connected to your source of strength and endurance to your hands and feet within your swimming form. Natural swimming is having the lease internal muscle resistance and having the most effective power stroke.
Why people swim with fingers apart so they will not tighten shoulders as much and they create less resistance within their stroke, so the arms move faster but not the body. If the core is not engaged to the hands during the power stroke a person will tighten shoulder muscles which will make them become tired faster. The art is to connect to your core to the hands with out tightening the shoulder muscles during your movement.
Here is where technique comes into play for within the technique person naturally connects to the source of their strength to the hands. So making a cup shape out of your hands to create high resistance to propel the body through water without using the shoulder muscles takes techniques to engage the core/breathing. As source of information and physical form to develop power within movement of the body, Qi Gong understanding is great source of information. Watching the hands during Qi Gong movement and how they shape their hands within exercise are just cluing to be connected to a persons source of strength and energy flow from the core within movement.
Here is the next test to see if you use your core or shoulders to start your power stroke in swimming. Bring your hand over your head, like you would do in swimming. Then bring it down to 30 degrees and have someone give you resistance while bring your hand down and feel what muscles are used. When you feel your shoulders tighten up then you can release and change to core by having your mind force on your core being tight. Reality is when it get hard to create your power stroke people begin to use shoulder muscles as the main force within their swimming stroke. Training to use the core to the highest level with breath so a swimmer does not use shoulder muscles will enhance enjoyment and performance.
Here is very hard part to understand for it deals with internal experience relationship between core and shoulders. How you use the thumb and placement and finger tips affects person ability to connect to the core over the shoulders. So if placement and mind direction is not done right a person will use their shoulders. This idea and experience comes from Qi Gong training about the hands and core connection and shoulder affect.
Creating a natural swimming form experience is where the whole body is engaged from the center of the body to the hands and feet and directed by the head.
If person is into high performance enhancement in swimming the development of the power of core/breathing to the hands during the power stroke will increase performance.
