Beyond Frustrated w/bilateral breathing (Page 2)

I'm a freak about my breathing - every 3 strokes during warmup and either 3 or 5 during most sets, depending on exertion level.  I absolutely cannot breathe only to one side, it totally messes me up.  However, I'm getting negative feedback for my breathing because "breathing to one side is faster" according to my coach.  I keep silent but call hogwash on that in my head.  

I count all the time when I swim.  Breathe, two, three, breathe, two three, breathe, two three.  And if it's a long set, I count laps that way too:  Breathe, 25, 25, breathe, 25, 25 (turn), breathe, 50, 50.  I told you, I'm a freak.  But it works for me.  Maybe it'd work for someone else too.

Hah. I remember getting so pissed that I stood up and started slapping the water mid pool.  I learned to breath on my left first and think I just sucked it up and got a ton of nasal chlorine flushes. However, I would do it differently now.  I'd do one arm drill to the left until you feel comfortable.  I'd use fins and hold a kick board with your right hand out in front to make it as easy as possible.

I will agree it is not a big deal.

I will also caution you not to confuse breathing bi-laterally with breathing every three strokes. Attempting this can tire you out quicker than breathing every cycle to the same side.  A pattern that works for some is to take 2-3 breaths on one side and then go threestrokes and breath to the other side. You can also just take ONE stroke and switch over to the othr side that way. It's an extra breath thrown in real quick, and nothing wrong with that.

Sounds like you are having problems with the mechanics of it. Without seeing you swimm all I can do is take a guess as to what may be the difference on the left side. One tip would be to make sure that your head is back in the water and pointing down before you initiate the next stroke. This is "head lead swimming" and can fix a lot of issues, including crossover and coming unbalanced with the breath. So breathing to the left, do not begin to pull with the right arm until the breath is complete and the face is down.

Head lead swimming is really good preactice in general. Try it even if you stick to right side breathing. Swim normally and then swim by leading with your head. You may need to literally pause you arm for a split second to get the head back down, but try to become aware of the different pull you get when you do it this way.

Going to add to this a bit, as I started out with it is no big deal and it isn't. BUT, while you may swim successfully breathing to only one side your entire life, even just learning how, but never doing it to the other side for a race, can be a useful skill. Bi-lateral breathing can be a drill of sorts, as can be taking 3,4,5,6 or more strokes between breaths. Not for a hypoxic purpose, but more to remove the complication of the breath from the stroke as much as possible.

Also, learning to breath bi-laterally can lead to a more balanced stroke. Plenty of swimmers swim very fast with unbalanced strokes for sure.  Just look at the proliferation of the 4 beat kick. But there is fast unbalanced and there is ugly unbalanced.

Watch an Olympic 1500m swim and you'll see most of the guys breathing to one side.  They might switch for a couple strokes to see where an opponent is, but there's not a lot of bi-lateral breathing.  They need the oxygen intake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxLtYG97egI

Yes they're going hard.  If you're deliberately conserving and you don't need the frequent breathing, then I think bi-lateral is a good way to balance your stroke.  But it isn't a requirement.

Still getting the hang of it myself - still getting the hang of putting my face in the water to breath at all since I only just bought goggles last month and had been swimming with my head up before cos chlorine hurts my eyes - but I got given an ultra beginners workout by mentor (on here) and the warm up is 4 sets of breathing on the wall - 1 on one side, 1 on the other and 2 bilateral then 4 kick sets doing pretty much the same thing. Did some yesterday and for the sections when I was actually doing the "face in the water breathing" it seemed to go ok.

Anyway I wish you luck with your goal

And I never saw it on paper or thought about it.... but ya, the count is what throws me. Thanks for pointing out the obvious to me. Just doing slow mechanics laps I can breath bilateraly. But if I push the pace breathing every other opposite side stroke is not enough. And I have tried because I thought it would be less interference with the stroke and would be faster... but I can't get enough air at speed. And then I think I would hyperventilate if I breathed both sides every stroke. And I have sort of tried, but didn't care for it and moved on.... but the count of breathing is why. Does not really work for me with where I'm at.

And next time at the pool I will give your head lead excersize a shot and see how it feels. Thanks

I am in the opposite boat, again, still a beginner, but breathe more naturally with bilateral.  I have been experimenting with single side breathing (for race conditions mentioned-chop, etc), which is easier to my left, non dominant side.  I know that more flaws are coming out especially w timing of the stroke like Dave mentioned, starting my pull too soon.  I have been experimenting with head lead swimming since Dave critiqued my swim a month or so ago.  I am struggling because, I think my head is so fixed to my shoulders, if that makes sense.  I do feel that the pull is much stronger if I wait that extra second for my head to get back in the water, but sometimes old habits are hard to brake. 

I have also experimented w Left, left, stroke w no breath, then get to right, right, stroke w no breath, then back to left, left, etc.

I agree, if you are strong to one side, go with it, experiment w other side to be versatile but don't sweat it!  Unless it is one of your goals.

Me, too.  I'm significantly more comfortable and faster, and have better rhythm with bilateral breathing.  And I learned to do it with one-arm drills and just forcing myself to get used to it.

That said, I think there's the possibility of getting faster through two-stroke breathing but I get horribly imbalanced.  That's probably a result of my BOP swim stroke, though.

Get back to  the basics, do the “fish” and “skate” drill only on your left side. Do it for as many laps as it takes to feel natural. Then move on to the “underswitch” if you start freaking out, go back to “sweet spot” on your left side till you relax. Then for the next week or so, every time you swim, begin and end your work out doing those drills on your left side.   

At some point in your OWS you will have a day when the wind is coming from your right and you’ll really need to be able to breath on the left.

There's no law that says you have to breathe bilaterally.  It has it's helpful aspects--if you can pick it up, there's certainly no reason not to do so--but it isn't something that's, strictly speaking, necessary.  I'm a former competitive swimmer from many years back and, back in the day, we were never coached to do it.  There are elite swimmers (Phelps comes to mind) who don't bilaterally breathe in races, for that matter. 

I've tried to pick it up a few times, but the simple fact is that it was proving to be more trouble to me than it was worth (not a rotation issue...I'm just old and my neck turns much, much more easily to the left than the right), so I don't worry about it.  Other than when I swim with waves coming at me from my left, it isn't an issue.

since I do not see my strat I think I will share.

I learned to swim on both side by breathing on side one direction and the other side on the return.  I feel it not only helps me swim better but if there is a cute girl in the lane next to me it helps give me something to do other than just swim.

For me I like doing this not because I want to do something similar in races but sometimes it required to breathe on the opposite side.  Waves and others races used to cause me to drink a lot of the water.  Being able to swim on the other side really helped a lot.

  I think it would help your stroke.  I see a lot of people who only breathe on one side have only half of a good stroke.  Not always the case but something to think about.

When it comes to race day I tend to be a strong side only guy.  Training its not as big of a deal.

One arm stroke is the way I overcame breathing in inferior side. This exercise also helps imprint glide and speed.

You will need this tool in open water.

   WOW...you must be frustrated right now with so many people saying "why are you even worrying about it," and "you don't need it!"  The point is, you WANT to learn how to breath to both sides.  You weren't asking advice on if it was a good idea or not, but more how to do it, right?

   I used to only breath to the left and decided I wanted to learn right-sided breathing also.  It took some work and a lot of patience, but now I feel so much more comfortable in the water.  I can breath to the left, right, every 2, strokes, or 3, whatever I want to do.  It really allows me to focus more on form instead of worrying about breathing. 

   Breathing to both sides will also help keep your body balanced out and make you a much more confident, versatile swimmer.  For me, I didn't try bilateral breathing until I could swim while breathing to the right always and to the left always (hopefully that makes sense).  In other words, I always breathed every 2 strokes, but learned how to breath on both sides.  Once you master that, then you can work on the bilateral swimming (every 3 or 5 strokes, etc). 

   You need to go back to square one and learn to breath on your left side!  You said you took the total immersion swim lessons...apply those exercises to your new breathing pattern.  Keep a positive attitude...if you learned to swim breathing to the right, then why can't you learn breathing to the left.  Master both sides, and then you can start working on bilateral breathing.  The one-arm drill seems to help me the most.  I don't use a pull boey or anything.  (went from not being able to swim freestyle at all SEPT 2010 to now consistently swimming 1500 meters <30 minutes and a 100 yd sprint of 1:20).  You can do it, just put your mind to it...you are a triathlete!  Good luck, hopefully you are motivated now!

Like most, I only started on one side..right in this case.  I said no way I can learn bi-lateral..too hard and why.  My first OWS and the sun was on my right side blinding me (no tinted goggles) and boat waves were hitting my right side...I forced myself to learn.  My last Tri at Rev3Knox last weekend, I breathed both sides for sighting, avoid getting hit in the face on a swimmer next to me, change the swim muscles around, and help balance my stroke.  So for me bi-lat breathing is great..sure you can get by without it, it just helps things out for key situations. 

For me to learn bi-lateral, I figured out its just a matter of timing: when the hand enters the water to when you rotate to when the bottom (finished stroke) is done.  Your natural side does this automatically without thinking.  My suggestion is, how I learned, to fix the timing issues, don't start the rotation to breath until you hand touches your quad.  So the drill is to clue off your thumb...and when your thumb touches your quad start the rotation and only then.  You will find you breathe a little late, your head may go up/hips sink, but this is okay because you are just focusing on the breathing timing to hand position only.  After you get this down, start rotating when your thumb touches your waist, then stomach, and eventually your chest area.  When you do these drills you will get the feeling, both arm position/shoulder rotation, of bi-lat breathing on the wierd side and it becomes just natural..you actually breathe as one rotational move.  But the thumb drill will teach you this.   Most people mess up bi-lat breathing because they breath too early or too late, rotate body/head while water is by shoulder.  Rotation of body is also critical, you can do this drill on land...rotate your body while standing where you neck/head are fixed...like you have a neck brace on..you rotate your body like a cork screw to breathe...your shoulders turn your head...your head does not turn..hold a pencil pointing out from your chest, you head/chin should be in line with the pencil.    However, I would work on the thumb timing drill first and then the rotation head drill to improve your breathing.  Another tip..most people turn with their heads and over turn..you can tell this by their eyes.  If timing, rotation, and head position are correct..you should have one eye in the air and one eye in the water... if you see air with both eyes...you are turning your head or over rotating.  I lead with my eyes and not my mouth..most people lead with their mouths when they breathe.  My 2 cents, sure I'll get people who say I'm wrong.

Bilateral breathing isn't the end all be all.  I was a competitive swimmer and although I can breathe on both sides, I prefer the left (my non dominant side, for what it's worth), and for the most part, that's how I breathe.  I swam this way through college, breathing on one side mostly, with no issues at all.  

An easy way to practice learning to breathe on side is this (and I hope I can explain this right).

Using a kickboard, push off with both hands on the flat end of the kickboard (the one closest to you).  Put your face in and be sure you're balanced with your kick.  When you're ready to breathe, take a stroke and breathe and put your hand back on the kickboard.  The kickboard will help keep you balanced, slow you down and you can focus on the breathing/timing part without drowning.  Another helpful thing is to have someone videotape you so that you can see how your stroke changes when you switch sides.

Hope this helps!  Good luck - hang in there!!!