The TRUTH About Masters Swimming
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- Is Masters swimming worth it? We break down the pros and cons of swimming Masters vs. training on your own.
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About Fares Ksebati:
Fares is the Co-Founder and CEO of MySwimPro. He is an internationally recognized swim coach, American Swim Coaches Association Fellow and USA Triathlon certified coach. Fares is 3x U.S. Masters Swimming National Champion and competes internationally in pool and open water races. He is passionate about empowering people to reach their personal fitness and life goals! Follow him on social media: @faresksebati
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:15 What Masters Swimming Is
1:54 What It Isn’t
2:24 Pros of Masters Swimming
4:03 Cons of Masters Swimming
8:34 Who Is Masters Swimming For?
9:20 Resources for Solo Swimmers Contact for business inquiries: dan@myswimpro.com - กีฬา
What are your thoughts on Masters Swimming? Let us know below!
I'm 83, and master's is my game now. I swam in high school and college.
thank you for this video! I am sharing this to my Masters Club, where I have been involved for 16 years. In the 16 years, I only had structured training for 4 to 5 years years. It did depend on my work requirements and money, thus restricting my swimming coaching options. I only started swimming (yes, for the first time!) when I was 35. I had some stroke training initially, on Freestyle only. I agree with all the points you made, but I think you can elaborate on the sense of community? When I went to my my first National Championship (I live in South Africa) I was encouraged and motivated by the other people who competed. All shapes, sizes and abilities! The other people were so encouraging on my swimming (however bad I thought it was). This motivated me to do better at the next South African National Championship. I frequently compete at Masters Galas, but my ultimate goal is always the Nationals Champs. The goal, every year, is slightly different. For the past 2 seasons, it is to get proficient in butterfly and faster over the 100 meters free. For instance, now 16 years later, I am faster over the 100 meters free than 16 years ago. It is all down, to getting technically better. Importantly, in the years that I was restricted because of life circumstances, I just keep on going as best as I can. Just keep on swimming , but adjust your goals realistically. Through highs and lows, the Swimming Community motivated me to keep on trying. It is always a joy to see the friendly faces, once a year, at the National Champs.
Better than nothing, but it's usually just "Here's a workout sheet" and try to fit that in the 90 min.
Obviously, in the US Masters Swimming is very different from what I know from my home city Berlin/ Germany. Here, we have plenty of public swimming pools and lots of swimming clubs. Almost every swimming club also offers training for Masters, and you do NOT have to pay the entry for the pool on top. You spend about 20-30 EUR per month for the swimming club and can join the training times once or twice per week. Also, the clubs differentiate between the masters who just want to swim for fitness and fun and those who want to compete.
So either they have separate lanes or separate training times. All in all, this is a really good option for hobby swimmers.
And as you mentioned the triathletes, there are also triathlon clubs so the butterflier goes to a swimming club whereas the ironman athlete joins a triathlon club, no trouble or conflicts this way :)
Personally, I would not join a swimming club just because I "need my space".
I hated swimming when I was still at school, the teacher told us what to do and everyone in a row then had to execute this. The lanes also were quite crowded, back then.
I'm in a sports club myself and regularly do some group fitness workouts on land. There, I don't have a problem with authorities or carrying out instructions. But in the swimming pool I want to be the boss myself and decide what I do, how long I swim and so on.
Oh, and of course there's another big CON: Swimming with time measurement is a nightmare for me, and also swimming counting lanes and distances. At school for instance, when the teacher said we had to swim 24 lanes they seemed to be neverending. 21 left.... 20 left... hell, NO! And I also don't want to break records, so I'm sorry for everyone hurrying through the pool just to achieve a certain time. Those are criteria that just don't matter to me.
Funnily enough, I nevertheless am a good swimmer and sometimes people even ask me if I took part in competitions and so on. But no, I don't. I just swim for myself and have a certain intrinsic motivation because I like what I do in the pool.
And by the way, I made some good friends also by swimming indivudually, and got to know my former boyfriend also in the swimming pool, so don't think you need to join a swimming club to meet people sharing similar interests. You can also get in touch just by chatting at the end of the lane, talking about swimming (or other topics, as well =)), exchanging tips and tricks and so on. One can also improve one's swimming skills THAT way. By watching others, exchanging knowledge, imitation and so on.
It's too far to drive to Master's practice. The pool (with no Master's practice) is right up the street. I'm a Master's member to attend the swim meets with my friends, but train by myself.
As far the “One Size Fits All” con, that really depends on both the facility and your coach. I swam Masters at a pool that is indoors, and was a 50m 8 lane pool. Fastest swimmers in Lane 8, slowest in Lane 1, and every step level in the lanes between. The workouts were the same for all lanes in terms of strokes, but lap amount and intensity were different for each lane. Sometimes, the coach would even modify the routine for individual swimmers (Scott, you do three laps of each stroke instead of four, for example, or Tom, you wear fins, etc.) But I was *lucky*. I had a great, involved head coach and assistant coaches who loved what he/they did and cared for each individual swimmer, and a great swim facility with a really good pool. We also had three workouts per day. Early morning, mid-day, and evening. In the end, I had to quit when I lost my job, because it was expensive! $99.00 per month for a swim membership, plus $70.00 per month swim team dues, plus USMS yearly membership dues (which are SO MUCH MORE expensive today than when I swam masters. Geez!). I will say that it was one of the best experiences of my life, and I miss those times, and our coaches! I’d like to do it again!
That was roughly my experience too.
I thrive with my coach led USMS team. They hold me accountable. My goals are staying in shape, competition at meets and simply progressing to the best of *my* ability. I only started with USMS at age 48 with no prior swim team experience. I've moved from one state to another so I have experience with two coach led teams. Both coaches are able to separate the advanced swimmers, the mid level swimmers and the beginner swimmers by lanes. We get the same sets, but of course us slower swimmers will lag behind, but that's ok. The beginners and mid levels swimmers will modify the sets. We are in lanes with other swimmers according to our ability, and that's important. We don't hinder the fast guys, and they motivate us :) When I first started USMS, I had a wonderful 83 year old help me along and teach me about wall work and I've not forgotten what he taught me. An advanced swimmer worked with me on flip turns. I just love USMS
Masters swimming was my first introduction to swimming. At 45, last May was my start. Coaches were quite good. They were active. We were basically parents of kids on a local swim team. It was a good group. For the last year, I’ve been swimming solo. The last month, with MySwimPro. Now I’m doing 1800-2400/ swim. About an hour.
Welcome to the community!! be sure to join our FB group!!
I began swimming again after 49 years away for physical therapy. I began swimming on my own just swimming laps and getting used to the exercise again. About 9 months later, I found out about Masters and the group had a very convenient midday workout twice a week that I could attend. The coaching was great and I was able to improve my technique and my overall swimming improved. The other sessions were crowded and often I was trying to keep up with others much faster so I stayed with noon workouts and swam on my own other days, usually repeating one of the masters workouts. I started competing again which was also a lot of fun. I really miss my masters workouts and I hope things can start up again. I am back in the pool 3-4 days aweek swimming on my own.
Swimming is absolutely the best form of physical activity to stay fit and feeling great! Happy swimming to everyone!!! 🏊♂️ 🏊♀️ 😃
I swam Masters for a while. I was involved for about two years. In that time the group varied a lot. With a good group and a good captain, it is a lot of fun.
Groups vary. Coaches vary. And swimmers' availability varies.
Join. Swim . Make friends. Improve your Stroke. It's fun.
Thanks for sharing! A good group and coach can make a huge difference!
Good Coaches are a game changer, if you can find one it's worth the other inconvenience of swimming in a master's group.
I got interested in swimming again because of my Coach, he Coaches Women's swimming at Dixie State in st George UT, also elite high school swimmers and us older swimmers (most of us are 50+)
We get trickle down training, in other words we do a lesser version of the workouts that his college and high school swimmers are doing.
Swimming is a sport that is constantly evolving and I like being coached by someone who is in the game.
Love the My Swim Pro channel! THANKS
I agree. My masters coach is AWESOME
Love this video. I am a master coach and this group is one of my favorite groups. The different levels is one of my favorite things, I love trying to figure out how to make each practice work for the diverse abilities in the water.
Masters teams are usually a Great environment. you learn a lot if you take it seriously, but without the stress of the high performance at all costs.
I signed up for a masters swim class. I was told the coach focused on triathlon. I had just gotten over covid and wasn’t up to working out yet. I sat in on a class in progress. The coach was barking out swim instructions. Some people tried to follow along but were clearly falling behind, others weren’t listening at all and doing their own thing. Two girls were clearly beginners and the assistant had given them a kick board and just had them kicking for nearly a half hour. Then he took the kick board away and had them swim laps. They were gasping for breath….I felt so sorry for them. I never went back.
Omg where?!
I can't properly swim without a team. I need someone in front of me that swim faster than me that challenges me. I started master swimming because it's the only way I burn bodyfat.
Thanks for sharing! Glad you have found a team that you enjoy!
Great video, thanks. I agree with your pros and cons. Biggest pro for me: Having a coach. Biggest con: The times of the sessions. I hate early mornings and late evening swims. I could do them at 25 but not now!
I really appreciate the insight you provided on this video - I've been swimming since childhood rec leagues, up to open water swimming as an adult.
I've been debating master's swimming for years; it seems like it's honestly too disparate in terms of people's objectives in joining the team. A team that trains to compete (on distance or speed) makes sense to me, or a league that develops relay teams.
It seems like a team where everyone is on a different page would put a strain on the social cohesion of the group.
What a great summary. Thanks so much.
Glad you enjoyed it! Happy swimming, Al!
Thank you for doing this! Yes the time thing is really frustrating sometimes message programs here want to swim so late
Time can definitely be an issue!
Hi Fares!!! I improved a lot with your tips on how to do freestyle.
I just started my FIRST swim session last
night with 🏊♀️”Masters Swimming”🏊♀️
It was VERY VERY intense!!
But it was VERY social and motivating for me!😊
My body was actually feeling VERY hot!!
It’s helping me be more confident in and out of the water!
And it’s helping me make new friends!
And make my swimming more enjoyable!! 😁❤️🏊♀️
5 min mark was what I needed to hear. Former ex Olympic swimmer and recently joined a club after 12 years of no swimming. Got big goals for myself but not sure I can achieve them off 6-7 hours in the pool a week and 3 hours in the gym
Masters swimming is definitely fun, but yes it is a little one-size-fits-all.It's nice to have a swim program specifically for me
I’ve gotten way better coaching via masters than in my 4 years of high school swimming! But the sport has also changed a lot in the 20 year gap too. I like that anyone can do it 😊
I learned to swim as an older adult with Masters program instructors, but after lessons my local program is too expensive, plus the hours and locations are inconvenient. I now swim solo regularly at my local YMCA. I also follow several online resources for guidance on workouts and techniques. Once lessons start again, I may take advanced lessons with the Masters program to assess my progress and because the instructors are great, particularly for reluctant adults!
This is cool content!
Well said.
This is a great video and really captures the pros and cons of Masters swimming. The concept of a Masters team no longer works well for me. I swam with a masters team for 30+ years with a large team with multiple workout times and a wide range of swimming abilities. I competed in both meets and open water swims and enjoyed the social aspects of being on a team. Unfortunately, the team was a victim of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Fortunately, I still had access to a pool and I began writing my own workouts. I'm 70 now and I really like writing workouts that focus on a specific goal for each of my workouts, and I only swim 3 or 4 times a week. I also only do freestyle now as I've found the other strokes started to put some undo strain on my shoulders. One important point that you misstated in you video: You do not have to be on a team to compete in meets and open water events, you only have to join USMS and you can swim as an independent swimmer (except for relays).
Nice. I definitely prefer training alone, on my own time. But love to compete at masters meets with a team :)
That's a great balance!
I was thinking and I really miss swimming, and since I didn’t go to college I just kinda kinda lost touch with it. I wish there was more programs for young people who still want to be involved in the sport after highschool, but aren’t necessarily looking to go pro , but still want to compete lol. I looked up and my community team is no longer offering master classes after covid happened. I love ur videos
Can you compete against Olympic swimmer by any chance ? I’d like to join master swimming later on this year, since I’m competitive I really do wish that there’s such program to compete on trial. I’m 24 by the way
Look for a Master Program that bundles costs. Sometimes this limits pool time to ONLY during sessions but often lowers or eliminates membership cost. Be sure to make sure you can pay in breakout.
I think Masters Swimming is awesome when you have a good facility and a good coach. I swam masters and had both, enjoyed it immensely.
Totally agree! Glad you had a good experience!
Overall, I agree on the pros and cons. I’ve been always lucky with training spots at great time such as 18.00/19.00 and the cost is not necessarily a cons. I’ve been paying between 25/50€ per month...overall not so much
I swam AAU as a kid, and my own children swam for club team and high school teams. I started swimming masters after a 30+ year break. I like it. It's fun to compete in meets, and meet new people. The masters website tracks all of your times, and ranks the top 10 in each age group, in every event. I like to see how well I am doing compared with others. I create my own workouts, and swim by myself most of the time, yet I belong to a team as well. So it is very flexible.
Just entered a swim club. I dont train with the masters team and watched this video to see what it is all about. The team trains at same time as us in parallel lanes. I train once a week with a coach ( con is that it is late evening from 8 to 9 pm) and 2 times a week by myself to practice. Decided to take up the swim club to have structured workouts,improve technics, get the coach to correct my technique and drills to correct my flaws. But still enjoy my 2 times a week own workout to do my 1,5 to 2 km and practice. Like the combo of both. Next year might do 2 times a week with club. Lucky that here the swimmimg pool yearly subscription ( 250)for a whole year) is not very expensive as it is partly financed by the townand the club is 400 for the year so on average less than 40 per month so that s affordable
Regarding your comments on access to pools being a CON, the pool I swim at is across the street. I’m the envy of everyone. I love it!
That's a luxury! Happy swimming :)
This is very similar to our podcast on masters swimming last week...
Great minds think alike!
It depends upon your state organization. Masters in my state only caters to former collegiate competitors. They only care about people with racing experience. I go to a regional large aquatic center for individual training when necessary. Otherwise, TH-cam videos have been vastly superior.
I guess we have very good deal here in Alton, IL . Its just me and a friend of mine with a coach three days a week for an hour and its 20 dollars per hour.
That sounds like a great deal!
I am new to swimming. I want to learn how to do a flip turn and the butterfly. How would I find a private coach where I live to just help me a few times?
You might want to go to your local swimming pool and see if there's anything there, but if not I'm sure you can find something on Facebook!!
You should check out our Flip turn video!
th-cam.com/video/xlwY4TnU6rY/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MySwimPro
You can also ask if there are any instructors at your local pool!
You don’t need a coach. There are so many outstanding video instructions on u tube that you can look at for almost any aspect of swimming and stroke. Just type in “flip turn” and look through them to find the one that helps you.
Try a community college basic swim class
Oh I thought it was when you have someone yelling at you from the swim deck. ;)
What is the alternative to masters swimming for people with jobs that still wish to compete?
We have several competitive swimmers that train alone with the MySwimPro app! Check it out at myswimpro.com :)
Just like clothes, one size doesn't fit all. It's great if the coach modifies the workout for everyone present, awful if the coach tells everyone to swim on an interval that some people think is easy, but is impossible for others. It's just depressing to be told to swim faster than I'm capable, then to be told that I could swim faster if I wanted it more. I've tried: read books, watched videos, tried what the coach suggests, attended swim clinics; I'm always blamed for not being able to go faster. Masters for me is about lifetime fitness. I'd like to swim better and faster, but it seems to be a skill that cannot be taught. I swim Masters because I like the workouts and the people, but won't go to meets any more because it's so discouraging that it makes me want to quit swimming entirely. We have a great coach plus multiple workouts every day and every workout is different; the variety makes it enjoyable and challenging. Meets seem to be for former Olympians; they can come and thrash everyone else and recapture some of their former glory.
I disagree somewhat that you think Masters isn't for people training for a triathlon. Our coach is a triathlete who also leads running and biking workouts, and some people in our pool have trained for and completed triathlons.
so if i understood this correct I'm 24 with a competitive background and want to come back and compete again, i shouldn't join a masters program, but then what can i do? i tried looking at swim teams around and they train for competition too however they are kids lol 18-19 years old is the oldest, they said i could join but i'll be training with 13-16 year old kids, is this the right way for me?
Join a master's group. Although master's starts at 25, many master's events have a 19-24 age group.
I think you absolutely should join a US Masters swim team! You will find swimmers at all levels, and you might just be surprised to find some that are at your level, or even more advanced. You'll never know unless you give it a go. Most teams let you try for 2 weeks free. My coach is a former collegiate swimmer and we have a collegiate team member. Serioulsy, a few others could have been - WOW! Then you have me =D I've been at it for 3.5 years with NO prior experience. There are 2 swimmers that are not as advanced as I am. My former team has 3 former collegiate swimmers, but other very interesting and strong athletes - fireman that did triathlons, F/A 18 fighter pilot in the Marine Corps, a retired heart surgeon and former polo player, a retired CIA guy.
Just dive in! =D
👍🙏
Thanks for tuning in!
Masters Swimming practice is too damned early!