Freestyle Breathing Made EASY: Find Your Perfect Pattern

Did you know that 80% of swimmers are using the wrong breathing pattern for their needs? This simple mistake could be the reason why you're struggling with your endurance and speed. In this video you will discover which breathing pattern is truly best for your swimming style and goals. Hi, I'm Alex Coch, former Olympian and Senior Swim Coach. The biggest breathing mistake I see in swimming is sticking to one breathing pattern because once someone told them it was the correct way, instead of actually choosing what works for them best based on their individual needs. This is like wearing new shoes that do not fit you. No matter how expensive or how well they are, if they're not right for you then it will slow you down and it will cause problems. By the end of this video you'll know exactly which breathing pattern matches with your swimming goals, fitness level and technique style. I'll cover the pros and cons to different breathing patterns and help you find which one is the perfect match for you. These are practical, personalized breathing strategies that will make your swimming feel much more easier and feel more natural starting your everyday swim. If you want to learn freestyle the right way then click in the link below and get your first level free and see real progress from beginner to a confident swimmer. Watch it anywhere, phone, tablet or any big screen. Now let's get back to the video. Mistake number one, one side only breathing. Many swimmers breathe only to one side, usually the right side every two strokes. This can cause an imbalanced stroke and can lead to shoulder problems over time. Single side breathing is like always carrying a heavy bag on the same shoulder. Eventually your body develops muscles imbalance and compensations. And how do we fix it? Instead learn to breathe comfortably to both sides. This does not mean that you always have to breathe every third stroke but being able to breathe to either side gives you a valuable flexibility. But first let's practice it on land. On land try to breathe on both sides while you're practicing your arm stroke. Try to breathe to the right then to your left keeping your head at shoulder's level. Being able to breathe on either side is actually a simple skill once you practice it. Think about keeping your head at the same horizontal plane, just rotating not lifting. If you continue to breathe to only one side you may develop a stronger pull to one side and a weaker pull to the other. Bilateral breathing helps you keep your stroke balanced and your shoulders healthy. And a drill to practice and to fix this side switch breathing. Swim freestyle and breathe to your right side for one length then to your left side for the next length. Focus on keeping the same technique quality on both sides. Do this for 450s alternating the right side and the left side breathing for 25. For progression try breathing to your non-dominant side for two lengths to develop comfort. Mistake number two. Breathing too frequently. Many beginner swimmers breathe too often every stroke or every two strokes. While this might feel comfortable for air it actually disrupts your stroke rate and body position. Constant breathing is like trying to drink water while running. You get hydration but you lose your running form and speed. Instead develop the ability to extend your breathing pattern to at least every three strokes which allows you to maintain a better position and a stroke rate. Now let's practice an exercise on land. Stand and swing your arms in a while breathing every third arm movement or any pattern that you're working on. Finding your ideal breathing pattern is about balance. You need enough oxygen to fuel your muscles but not so many breaths that you can disrupt your stroke. When you breathe too frequently your head is constantly rotating which can cause your hips to snake through the water. A controlled pattern keeps your body more aligned and for the drill it's called progression breathing. Swim freestyle starting with breathing every two strokes per 25. Then try three strokes for the next 25. Then try four. See how far you comfortably extend your breathing pattern. Whenever you fail building up you stop the exercise. Do these three rounds of progression until you reach the highest breathing pattern. For progression try maintaining your most challenging sustainable breathing pattern for a full 50. Mistake number three. Rigid breathing pattern. Many swimmers stick with only one rigid breathing pattern regardless of their fatigue level or the demands of their swim. This is like trying to maintain the same running pace whether you're doing a warm-up or a sprint. It doesn't adapt to your body's changing needs. And how do we fix this? Instead develop a flexible approach. Use different breathing patterns for different situations. For easy swimming you might use every third or fourth stroke. For sprinting you might use every two or three or no breathing depends on the race. And for endurance you might use every two three four five and so on. Now let's practice an exercise that you can do on land. Do arm cycles slowly with one breathing pattern. Then speed up the cycles and switch to a different breathing pattern. Think of your breathing pattern like gears on the bike. You need different ones for different situations. The key is having options available whenever you need them. Swimming only with one breathing pattern is like having a car just in one gear. Developing multiple breathing patterns gives you adaptability and control. And the drill that we're going to practice it's called the pattern ladder or pyramid breathing. So swim freestyle and change your breathing pattern for every 25. Start maybe with every two and three and four and five and build it up. Then work your way back down. So it's something similar like with the previous exercise but instead of stopping the exercise now we're trying to come back down. Do this for two complete ladders up and down. For progression try matching your breathing pattern to your speed. Faster with more frequent breathing because you need more oxygen and slower with less breathing. Mistake number four not understanding your options. Many swimmers don't understand the purpose and the benefits of different breathing patterns. So they cannot make informed choices about what it works for them. It's exactly like having a toolbox full of tools but you do not know what each one does. You can't select the right tool for the job. Now how do we fix this? Now let's break this down for each common pattern so you can choose what works best for you in different situations. Every two strokes breathing unilateral so same side. It's great for sprinting and maximum oxygen for sprinting like 50 to 100 meters. Creates some imbalance but provides the most air. Every three strokes alternating so breathing in both sides. Perfect for balance of oxygen and technique. It's ideal for most training. Every fourth stroke so breathing on the same side. It's better for read than that every two but it's still one-sided. Good for moderate pace. Every fifth stroke again alternating. It's excellent for technique work and moderate endurance. Every sixth again is something similar to the fourth with less oxygen but every seven it's alternating again. It's an advanced breathing pattern that you can work on refinement and hypoxic training. So anything above seven stroke it's good for hypoxic training. With all of this let's practice being mindful of your breathing pattern. Stand tall and take three breaths while thinking about your swimming goals and what you need. Different breathing patterns serve different purposes. There is not a single best pattern for everyone all the time. Choose your breathing patterns like you choose your swimming gear based on your specific needs for that session. And the drill we're going to work on it's a purpose-based pattern. So we're going to swim four 25s each with a different purpose. First 25 we're going to do a sprint pace and I would like you to breathe every two strokes. On the second 25 we're going to focus on technique breathing every third stroke so bilateral breathing. For the third 25 we're going to moderate the speed with four stroke breathing. And for the last 25 control hypoxic breathing every seven stroke. If you can do every seven then do six or five. Mentally note how each breathing pattern feels different and serves different purposes. For progression create a custom set that uses different breathing patterns for different segments of your swim workout. So we speed up the video I would like you to take a screenshot of the first set and the second set. Take a good look and try to think how you're going to implement this in your next swimming sessions. The common issues you might face is feeling breathless when extending the breathing pattern but build up gradually. Forgetting your count and don't worry focus more on the rhythm rather than exact counting. Side preference. Spend extra time practicing your weaker side. Focus on what I call home breathing pattern. The one that feels the most natural and most comfortable for everyday swimming. Then develop your specialty breathing pattern for different situations. Having a flexible approach to the breathing patterns will transform how you feel in the water. You'll have more control, better endurance and more balanced stroke. Mastering multiple breathing patterns is like having different gears on your bike. It gives you options for the heels, for flats, for headwings, for springs and this way you'll never feel limited by your breathing pattern again. Remember the best swimmers are not locked into perfect breathing pattern. They are the ones who can adapt to their breathing to any situation and if you want to take your breathing skills to the next level then check out my freestyle mastery program. It includes specific workouts, how to develop your breathing and how to progress from that. Try the drills in this video that we just covered and let me know in the comments below which breathing pattern feels most natural to you. Like this video, subscribe to the channel and hit the bell to get notified about our next tutorial. In one of the next videos we're going to cover how to breathe more effectively in an open water swimming. A whole different challenge that builds on these pool techniques.