Stew Smith This video and link is awesome helps me alot. going for navy eod any other tips I should know?? There are alot of navy eod and navy diver vids mashed into one im assuming they are the same.
To a few swimming trolls - Yes - this is MILITARY SWIMMING. I am not trying to build collegiate sprinters. You do not have to be a super star in a speedo to ace the swimming in Special OPS programs, you just have to be competent and moderately fast and swim for miles in cold, dark, murky water at night. It takes balls to swim in those conditions. You do not have to be an Olympian with perfect form to pass swimming at BUDS so stop comparing this type of swimming to lap pool workouts skills.
Hi, Stew, your book was my bible (also your TH-cam channel). I practiced everything I learned from your book. I got great improvement. However, I didn't see you suggest your readers to practice something, like, a 8 miles run combine with a 3 miles open water swim on a day-to-day basis with an additional 500 pushups, situps and pullups (something like that, just purely insane training). I know BUDS do hardcore training everyday. And the only easy day was Yesterday! So, how come your book didn't suggest us to do any crazy, the-only-easy-was-yesterday workouts? Wouldn't it be necessary for us to train like a freaking maniac before we go to BUDS? I really want to be the best and give my best to the SEAL community. I am all in to be a SEAL. So, PLEASE let me know be the best enroll. Thanks for reading!
L.F. Boss-Leung That is hardcore BUT never done EVERY DAY. You will have events such as a 8 mile run and a 3 mile swim (3rd Phase) but maybe once a week for a few weeks. Never every day. Nor will you do 500 pullups, abs, pushups a day. PUSHUPS - MAYBE on some days but they are usually 200-300 per day (M-F) THAT Still does not mean you need to train for daily pushups NOW. You will not do daily pullups / abs at BUDS.
Stew Smith Hi Stew, love your videos. Hey what's the oldest guy you've seen able to meet the swim,run,pushups,pull ups,sit up requirements? I passed it in 1982 back on the Navy base in Charleston S.C.,but am trying to see how close I can come to those times now at 53...Fun. Your probably thinking, get a life but I have a few marbles loose. Lol.
You should not be out of breath when only having swum 50yds. You are just out of swimming shape. Swimming shape and running shape are not the same thing.
I'm fortunate to have a pond 120 or so ft in length, with this stroke I can crack off about a 1/4 mile in 11 min.. I'm 59.5 yrs old....I'm not close to a stroke doing this, but it is a damn good workout for me. Thanks.
Thank Stew! I used to have a hard time swimming across a 250 yard pool. But with this technique, I can now do it in no time. So grateful to find this video of yours. Cheers to you mate!
I'm obviously no stew smith but I have been practicing for a while and I think I have seen the best results in my times from doing lots of pull ups, squats+deadlifts, and sprints to increase my pull and kick explosion/strength in each stroke. I have found that swimming is diff than a lot of exercises b/c you are working almost every muscle group, so it is good to improve the strength in each group evenly (I choose one exercise it would be pullups b/c u wanna pull with ur lats in each stroke)
This is by far the best analysis of the CSS. It cut my time down from a 10:30 to an 8:30. Proper form alone can go a long way while swimming. When I practice, the things I like to focus on are the basics such as: 1. Keeping knife hands so that you can pull as much water as possible and keep that laminar flow around your body. 2. Keeping your head down looking at the bottom while your not breathing, again keeping that laminar flow. 3. As Stew said, not wasting any time on the turn around. These things may seem trivial to most but the more you practice the basics the more they become habit. I always share this video to my trainees and they have all improved their time by different measures. -Korey
Hey, I am a hard of hearing mid 20s male, I have always wanted to be a part of the seal teams but can't due to my hearing limitations. I just bought your book "the complete guide to navy seal fitness 3rd edition. If I can't be an actual part of the teams I can always train to become physically fit like them! I look forward to using the book as a guide!
Can I just say that this stroke has helped me tremendously. I watched this video three times, then watched your longer video with the 500 yards in 7 mins, then I went to the pool and tried to replicate the stroke as best I could. I swam further with less muscle and joint fatigue than other strokes I've tried. I'm a novice swimmer, but I'm trying to practice daily if not 3-4 times a week. I've been doing laps to meet the SEAL minimum standards to enter BUD/S. Then I can work on exceeding them. I'm still a few years out from trying out, but I'm trying to be prepared. Thanks for the video. Great work.
@@xhhdjdhdhd632 I forgot I even posted this omg. I ended up not going PJ but I did join the Air Force and serve 6 years. I’m out of active duty now and I’m in the air national guard 🙌🏻
Thank you for the video I know it means next to nothing coming from a former competitive but I find it impressive that this gentleman didn't produce any bubbles in his stroke. Most Folks here will already know that bubbles create drag and non the less I can't help but be impressed.
Thanks for the break down I've never done serious swimming before and I hit it hard today. I'm trying to get myself ready. I'm strong in all the other areas but I'm a little concerned about the 50 meter underwater and synchronizing my pull breathe kick and glide
Awesome video breakdown... thank you... i've never been a good swimmer but might have to try this at the pool sometime... wish i had seen this when i was younger and in better shape too... thank you...
I only just found out about this stroke watching a most elite special forces video...I love swimming I'm 64 usually do about 4 miles a week going to try to master this or at least have a go...thanks
Stew, The world record for the 100 years side stroke was set in the 1890's at 1:02.5. I am swimming a variation of this stroke where the bottom lower hand is doing a breast stroke pull, and the top hand is coming out of the water and doing a free style stroke. At age 65, I am doing 45 second 50 yard laps. Using this method, I am positive that that record can be smashed by some younger swimmers. That record was set 25 years before Johnny Weismiller became the first one to swim the 100 yard freestyle/Australian Crawl under 60 seconds.... Is power side stroke faster than breast stroke?!
+Stew Smith Yea, me too, I never could do a frog kick. The young man in the video could smash the record. He is a very good swimmer... I may have to swim against some breast strokers some time just to see. By bringing the top hand/arm over the top, it turns the side stroke into a long axis stroke. Arm pull is considerably stronger than breast stroke, scissor kick should be close to frog kick, and you are going through the water linear rather than wave, so less drag. Also, bringing the top arm out of the water gets you horizontal rather than at an angle, so again, less drag.... First saw some young navy men swimming the combat swim in the pool, then picked up scissor kick to work hams and quads in prep for knee replacement. Helped a lot, and started doing more power side stroke because it puts less stress on my shoulders. In a 50 yard spring I get the same pulse rate as I do with freestyle, but the PSS seems less tiring.
I got turned on to your group from the Don Shipley interview. Even though I was Air Force and we phone that shit in, lol I have nothing but respect for you guys and grew up on the water. I love swimming.
I've been swimming on one side with this stroke forever and now it's like impossible to try and learn the other side. I flop all over the place like a fish out of water having a seizure
you're so funny. ..flop around like a fish...try just gliding on one side for a bit and hold core in while your legs do scissors kick. hold your arm out to practice first then switch sides. little by little do the arm strokes with kick and glide. I'm USCG and this def saves alot of energy wasted while out at sea for training.
DylanLopez420 Ive swam and surfed most my life, best way to keep ears in good condition that Ive found is as soon as im out of the shower after being in the pool/ocean is a small amount of Isopropyl alcohol in each ear for 30seconds then drain. It should get all the water out and kill any bacteria. local pharmacy will also sell solution for alot more but generally the same result. hope it helps bro.
Genuine question that may give trolling vibes: Since this is not an olympics stroke, I wonder why 2 initial two minutes were spent on a technique that may not be applicable in sea, after jumping from a boat. Say even if one gets a chance pushing off the boat, how much will it matter overall? The main Sidestroke technique starts from 2:00 onwards. This is a same pattern I see on most videos about Combat side stroke. Too much time spent on the push off the wall and glide!
Some people need to learn how to swim in a pool and use the walls efficiently or they will never get accepted to go to swim with fins, at night, in the ocean, etc... Baby steps and patience. There are over 300 swim videos critiqued over the years on youtube, Instagram reels (@stewsmith50), and tiktok (@stewsmith50) that focuses on dozens of other aspects of this type of training.
Stew Smith Could you do a video demonstrating hypnotic swimming? I purchased your book a few days ago and it just came in the mail today, and I'm a bit confused about it.
***** - it is not hypnotic swimming - it is hypoxic swimming. It is just skip breathing during freestyle - but yes - you can find it in one of the swim workouts where we do CSS / Hypox free together in a workout.
stew smith Probably true I swim every day about a mile but I'm out of breath in the gym ...my pals are gym bunnies and they can't swim any distance at all.
@@stewsmith8881 yeah there's a "shape" for about every type of exercise... That google search actually takes you to his link which after following for 1 month has greatly improved my swimming ability.
I'm starting to get back into shape and I'm swimming, as well as walking and doing weights training. I was 390 last christmas, and I'm 340 lbs now. I'm not a total blob, I'm 6'3" and a heavy built dude, but regardless a healthy weight for me would probably be around 240-260ish. Gonna be using this stroke a lot. I'm going to be joining the canadian navy to get training as a marine engineer and then applying to the american navy to get my citizenship, as I'm not agreeing with the way Canadian laws are headed. Thanks for the video :) TLDR: Canadian fatboy tryna get fit for the military thanks the video maker for the proper form to learn for the american navy.
I have a 17 year old son and a 22 year old athletic girlfriend. I thought that would be the same amount of abuse on the body as BUDS. My son is working out for Marine Jægers. I want to go to training with him.
At 45 years old - NO. There is an age limit. You have to be a US Citizen for Special ops. But a Green card is sufficient to joining the military. usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/f/noncitizen.htm
My son and I really appreciate the videos, helping him prepare for Norwegian BUDS. I do the workouts as much as I can with him (he beats me on the sprint at the end of the run). (When I was in my 20's, I was rowing sculls in college, doing 44km marathons at 3:20 and competitive open water swimming) - It's good to get back in shape. The side stroke, done right, is incredibly efficient. To get pushups, you have to do dips (IMO). My son and I are gifted at pullups, able to break 20. But I want him to do 30 to be safe. It's very hard to tell a 17-year-old that body weight exercises are the way to go and focusing on iron creates imbalances and sacrifices endurance. Weights give a quick result but the goal is to build up capillaries so that blood can deliver O2 and take away C02 efficiently. However, the girls admire biceps and not capillaries. With good capillaries, you can cool down in the dessert and warm up in surf zone. I noticed from the endurance training it's easier to take cold showers.
Here is the website for the Norwegian Marine Jægers (Specialized Marine Combat Unit). forsvaret.no/karriere/utdanning/spesialstyrkeutdanning/marinejegerkommandoen/marinejeger He has to do one year in the regular military before applying and get good reports. I hope that he can stay focused and not lose sight of this dream. I don't think we will go to the camps where you pay to get kicked in the balls . IMO training is more about building a strong base: endurance, water comfort and mostly maturity (mental toughness and focus). It's more about being able to recover quickly from getting kicked than having been kicked before. Sure you know what it feels like but you have still go through all the steps of recovery to stand up straight again. At that moment of weakness, you fall back on your training and get back up. (We pay 45% tax in Norway, not leaving much for such trips) My son has my stubbornness to see things through which I see as the most encouraging sign. He completed his weekly miles (10km is 1 Nordic mile) for the running club over the winter no matter the weather with enthusiasm, even at 10pm after doing his homework. (It gets really cold here and it's always dark). I am urging him to join a team sport to get the feel of working together. So far he has taken interest in mostly individual sports. Norway in general excels in individual sports like skiiing, ski jumping, speed skating but struggles with football (soccer), hockey, crew, etc. (Sweden and Finland are better at team sports). I was not even aware of these opportunities when I was young and doing my basic service. I am glad we share common interests. So many of my friend's son's are chasing Pokemon's while we did an orienteering course today with 15kg rucks. - Stew Smith, Thank you for all this information.
I started taking the PST last year and since then have brought my time from an 18:30 (I basically couldn't swim at all) down to an 8:30. Thank you so much for these videos they really help. Now I'm stuck because the recruiters didn't want me to drop my NF contract for SO. I am now in the process of being put back through MEPS and reinlisting with a new contract... What do you think I should pick that won't affect my ability to be contracted SO. For reference My scores are 90 pushups, 80 situps, 21 pullups, 8:30 swim, 8:50 run. 93 on the ASVAB. The only bad thing was my C-SORT (I don't remember the score but it was low). I was supposed to leave with a friend back in July. Now he is in Phase 1 of BUD/s right now and I'm still here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Stew Smith What contract would you recommend I choose when I go back to MEPS that wont get me stuck here again like when I had an NF contract? At my last PSTs the Chief wanted to contract me but couldn't because other people with the same scores but jobs that the navy didn't need as badly were taken instead. That's why I dropped Nuke because they said there is basically no way to get contracted SO while you are contracted NF. I hope this makes sense to you. It's a lot of information and explaining to be put in a comment in any logical way...
Yes - do not go NUKE as you will never get SO. That is correct. Do something you are interested in - IS, OS, HM, BM...take a look at all the options. Once you ace the PST, you can switch over to the SO rating.
In between strokes , how long should I be gliding for? It seems like after my scissor kick, I nearly slow to a stop after about 3 feet. Is that distance normal or do I need to work on putting more power into my kicks?
Awesome video Stew, it has helped me tremendously. I still have the problem of doing a breaststroke kick while I do this stroke most likely because I swam breaststroke on my high school swim team. Would you recommend I force myself to switch to scissor kick or stick with breaststroke? Thanks for all your amazing videos.
If you are god at breast stroke it is faster using that kick with the CSS BUT when you get to BUDS you will swim 99% of the swim in fins using the CSS so you will also need to learn the scissor kick with fins.
Stew, I’ve used your CSS technique for a few months with great results, but began to develop right wrist pain every time I swim CSS and elementary side stroke. Any tips you could provide to help reduce wrist pain during CSS or elementary side stroke?
I am not sure. That is a new one. Maybe your hand is too stiff / flexed when swimming? Try to relax your hand / wrist and see what happens... Sorry for the guess but this is a new one for me.
Thank you for the reply Stew! I’ll let the pain in my wrist completely resolve and gradually increase my swimming volume with a more relaxed hand and wrist. I’ll let you know if this helps. If I can’t get rid of the pain then I’m going to speak to a doctor.
As someone training for BUDs these videos are extremely helpful. However I do have a question about the breathing cycle. Do you breath out when your head is above the water? Or do you breath out during the glide?
This is solid info. When you swim you use muscles that are hard to hit or use so to speak. The host of this blog is giving solid advice and the E=mc squared goofballs only care about form smh. When I was at Ft. Bragg. I saw ranger hopefuls going through a training, to get ready for certain ranger phases. Treading water in combat boots and ACU's with their rifles over their heads sometimes. To me that was hardcore, but I'm sure there's plenty more exercises in the water, a lot fucking worse :-) The out of shape hip having people with a opinion. Will never take the initiative to get in shape. Good post.
I have difficulty floating. Everytime I do my scissor kick I sink to the bottom and I spend most of my energy trying to stay a float than propelling myself through the water. David Goggins said that he did not float very well either. A recruiter told me this is common among African Americans. I can't tell if it's a physical problem, a technique problem, or both. Does anyone have swimming tips for guys who do not float very well? Thanks.
***** Thanks for the reply. I actually managed to get the basics of the technique down. I'm swimming a lot better now. I just learned to swim this past July and the first time I took my PST, in September, my swim time was 15:30. Now it's down to 10:40. My short term goal is to get in under 10.
Stew I am currently trying to get a SEAL contract. Every time we take the PST they don't allow us to wear goggles. Is there a reason they do that? And also I have a hard time breathing. I don't know if it's because I can't relax or what. Any advice? Thanks
Why cant you push off the wall? If not, then you need to get really good at a double arm pull - see breast stroke pullout stroke for how to do it. That is the easiest way to get your momentum up minus a no kick off the wall.
Should I out of breath after only 50 yards when doing my CSS? My running is decent (2 miles less than 13 min), so I am thinking my technique is off or I simply need to toughen up and deal with the lack of oxygen.
Mr Smith, is it normal to not be able to glide for long distances under water when starting out? Its not that I can't glide, but that my breath control diminishes after about 100m. After that, I cant capitalize on my wall kicks, by gliding underwater, due to lung capacity. Ive only been training for this for a couple weeks however. Ive noticed each time it gets better, and maybe this is just a time factor. Any tips on improvement in this area? Ive been working on underwaters to improve breath holds, and that seems to help a lot. Thanks for your videos. Id be lost without them.
Austin - you were just not in swimming shape. Keep swimming and your abilities to have more stamina and stronger kicks will increase. You need to be swimming to 45 days a week at least.
Mr Smith, I've noticed a great improvement in capitalizing on wall kicks underwater. I've been relaxing more and training a little slower, and that lets me focus on form and breathing. Not sure if that's the best way to go, but it's helping me. On a side note, however, I realized that after each scissor kick for the CSS, I have the tendency to want to do flutter kicks, because the back half of my body starts to "sink" when gliding. You recommend against wasting energy in flutter kicks, so I'm trying not to, but I'm wondering what I'm doing (maybe with my torso?) that is causing my legs/lower abdomen to have this sinking effect. Thanks again - Austin
Stew, would it be possible to make a video that shows techniques you've learned over the years and in the teams on how to efficiently get water out of the ear and how you've treated swimmers ear? That would be very awesome, I unfortunately had a really bad case of it where I had my lymph nodes behind my ear and is believe on in front just swell up like nobody's business, even after I used the alcohol and white vinegar combo. Please? Lol
The best way I have found to get water out of the ear is to deliberately put water in the ear by turning your head problem ear up under the water. Taking head out of water and then flipping head quickly so all the water drains back out.
Aside form this looking way cooler than other types of swimming, what is the use of this method. Is it faster or more efficient? I am having trouble learning freestyle but love the water and want to experiment with all methods. :)
It is used in special ops swimming training. No splash, underwater recovery stroke. Mostly will use it with fins - transitions nicely with / without fins.
Stew Smith So these spec ops guys use it because it's quieter and attracts less attention? Does it also help with not losing breath or swimming for longer periods?
Hey Stew, if I posted a video of me doing the CSS would you be able to critique it and give me some advice? I'm not a swimmer, but I've taught myself the CSS just by watching all your videos. I'll post it to my channel as soon as you respond to this comment. Thank you for your videos.
Very helpful video! I am learning the CSS but my problem is every time after i surface for air when i enter my head back into the water after my breath, water always trickles into my nose and down my throat how can i prevent this?
Question. I have been practicing this stroke, and I am by no means any more than a novice swimmer, so I am asking with absolutely no authority. My question is this, and I hope that I explain this clearly. Before you scissor kick and you have both arms by the side of your body and the width of your body is perpendicular to the plane of the water you are either facing left or right. I notice that when you kick and you come to flat you will recover to the same side that you were facing either right or left. I found that if after I came to flat I felt a natural tendency to continue to rotate and would find I could rotate to the opposite side. Has anyone studied if this has any advantage?
I have seemingly a few people do that. I'm not sure why they felt the need to rotate 180° but they didn't. You can try A bilateral breathing version of the stroke especially if you are not testing our military.
At 58 I am of no use to the military, but see the value of an efficient stroke, especially for ocean swimming. Thank you for your comments. I am interested in the bilateral breathing technique, and will look into it. I felt the momentum of the scissor kick would easily push me over to the other side as I got flat, as well as the efficiency of spreading the load over more muscles. Thank you sir.
would it be quicker to do a flip turn at the end of the 25? And what kind of training schedule would you recommend to improve your 500 time with the css?
so during the stroke process when you kick should I fully face the bottom of the pool or or turn half way because it looks like hes only turning half way when he kicks.
Question. I’m going for SO to go to seals. I just got PRK eye surgery in October so just waiting till I can sign probably by March they said because of healing purposes . I’m stuck trying to figure out what job to go for that’s gonna be best to get an SO contract after pst . I don’t want to waste any time and get my contract ASAP .
Hi Stew. Former US Marine who learned CSS quite awhile back. Am competing in triathlons now and have been trying to learn front crawl/freestyle, but am finding it difficult and much less efficient than CSS. So, I've defaulted to CSS in my triathlons (mostly sprint and Olympic distance races up until now, but I'm doing my first half IronMan next month). Would you advise doubling down with CSS, or going through the trouble of learning freestyle? I've been told by experienced triathletes that nothing beats freestyle but I have to admit I'm doing well so far with CSS (at least it seems that way to me). Thanks
+Daniel Mitchell Hey Daniel...I'm in the same boat. My CSS and freestyle are about the same speed. I have shoulder issues that makes freestyle hurt and aside from that, I just hate that stroke. When I do CSS, I feel like I'm doing it well and efficiently. When I do freestyle if just hurts and I feel super uncoordinated. What did you end up doing in your 70.3 and how did it work out for you? I did freestyle in my 70.3 this past August, but am toying with CSS at IMLP next July. Would LOVE to hear more about your experience!
+Amy Lawson Hi Amy sorry for the delay in responding. I'm getting good results from CSS and used it in my last 70.3. I ended up doing 1.9km in around 48 minutes which isn't great but I figure isn't too bad either given my relative weakness in this my worst of the three legs. My difficulty with CSS in the open water in a crowd is (a) finding my 'groove' at the beginning of the swim so I can settle into a clean and consistent stroke (I find myself getting winded early in the swim when I try to keep up with everyone, trying at the same time to deal with the anxiety and adrenaline of the race), and (b) kicking too many people in the face with my big scissor kick. :) I have had shout "Sorry!" behind me too many times to count. How's it going for you?
+Daniel Mitchell - I like the CSS for longer distances, but it will not be as fast as the freestyle stroke. I have found though that people who are not great at freestyle prefer this. Also many triathletes with shoulder pain have gone to the CSS to keep a bad shoulder from over reaching on the pull.
+Daniel Mitchell Thanks for they reply, Daniel. I'm really happy to hear from someone who swam the whole 70.3 using the CSS. I think 48 minutes is a great time for your swim. Way to go! I'd be thrilled with a 2 hour swim during my 140.6, but anything under the 2:20 time cutoff is good enough for me. I'm doing really well with the CSS. I feel like I'm getting a little more efficient each time I go to the pool, and my heart rate stays really low while I do it...which I think will pay off during IMLP. I had an MRI of my shoulder, which showed I have a weird/rare/congenital deformity in my shoulder blade, which has led to a bone spur -- so it's no wonder that freestyle has been so hard and painful for me. I tried one lap of free style the other day and my shoulder is still screaming at me for it a whole week later. I'm embracing the CSS as my Ironman stroke and going for it. Thanks again for sharing your success. You're given me a lot of hope!
+Stew Smith Thanks for the reply on this thread, Stew. I'm one of those screwed up shoulder people, so I'm going for the CSS. I downloaded your instructional video, and it's great. Planning to get some footage of my effort soon, so I can get a little feedback. Your instructions have been awesome so far. I'm really appreciative!
Thank you then that's what I'll work on. The tip about pushing off the wall really hard ("like jumping") was helpful today. I'm looking at and using different resources to improve my swimming for pararescue.
+Stew Smith What's mind boggling is how for Airr you can use freestyle stoke yet for Divers you have to use combat side stroke, when in fact divers overwhelmingly use freestyle stroke while Airrs overwhelmingly use Combat Side stroke when rescuing.
Stew Smith my teacher is a ex marine and he said it takes months to learn combat swimming so I don't know what he's on about? Because some soldiers like to brag, so is there different things to learn in combat swimming or is he just lying?
Jonathan Koulai I have taught the stroke in 10 minutes. It may take a few months to get in shape to Swim it well but to actually learn the stroke takes one session. I've been teaching this for 20 years.
Stew Smith thanks a lot I don't want to disturb u too much, I have one question. Have u been a navy seal? And what's the combat swimming technique used for
Hey Stew Smith. I dont know what else to do but ask. In one of your workouts. It says to do a *"PT pyramid: (12345) mix in short runs of butt kicks and dynamic stretches for 25yds PT pyramid: pull ups × 1, push ups × 2, Abs of choice × 3 - 1-10-1 Last 5 (5,4,3,2,1) sets mix in dynamic stretches to prep for run"*. How do I do that if the pyramid is constantly doing pull-ups push-ups and sit-ups without rest? Or are you saying that the butt kicks and dynamic stretches themselves are the PT pyramid and/or mixed in before and after the push,pull, and abs? I'd appreciate it if you helped me with that. I'd also like to buy the programs you have but I'm reluctant because I dont want to suddenly buy them only to realize it's all confusing. Could you help with that? I'd appreciate it. I'm new with the pt pyramid so pardon me. I dont know what its saying.i also dont know how to properly word my question. I'm on my own here, so I'd really like some help.
quick question, when i tilt my head to get a breath, water always gets in my ear. not a big deal, but it starts to hurt after a while. is there anything i can do to adjust my form to prevent this?
How fast is this style? How easy would it be to swim 200 yards in 3 minutes. Also im supposed to swim that 200 yards without goggles if that matters at all.
Well - that is a fast pace. Some of the better swimmers like these are holding that pace. A 200yd in 3 min is the same as a 500yd in 7;30 pace. 100yds in 1:30 is not an easy pace to get to but not impossible either.
Still having trouble breathing, I have a decent form but I can't get in the rhythm. any tips to practice good technique to beat into me? Struggling when we get smoked in the pool because of this.
This is only my opinion and experience. I have seen some recent gains in CSS watching these videos, going from 15 minutes to under 10 minutes and I am only at 3 to 4 miles running per day at this point (It is my goal to run 10 miles without effort by next year). Strongly exhale through your nose while your head is in the water. By the time you rotate your head, which should be fused to your back, out of the water, your mouth will come open for an inhale on its own. You should only be inhaling. At this point, your very inefficient and want to minimize this position. You want to spend as much time as possible being long, minimizing your water profile.
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hey Stew Smith this is Future Sailor Alex Maliga and I sent you an email and I hope you recieved it. I am currently trying to earn my SWCC contract I washoping you can give me tips to gets faster and stronger at swimming because i would to improve my time. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.
military-fitness.military.com/2014/05/military-swimming-how-good-do-you-have-to-be.html - no speedo needed...
Stew Smith This video and link is awesome helps me alot. going for navy eod any other tips I should know?? There are alot of navy eod and navy diver vids mashed into one im assuming they are the same.
To a few swimming trolls - Yes - this is MILITARY SWIMMING. I am not trying to build collegiate sprinters. You do not have to be a super star in a speedo to ace the swimming in Special OPS programs, you just have to be competent and moderately fast and swim for miles in cold, dark, murky water at night. It takes balls to swim in those conditions. You do not have to be an Olympian with perfect form to pass swimming at BUDS so stop comparing this type of swimming to lap pool workouts skills.
Hi, Stew, your book was my bible (also your TH-cam channel). I practiced everything I learned from your book. I got great improvement.
However, I didn't see you suggest your readers to practice something, like, a 8 miles run combine with a 3 miles open water swim on a day-to-day basis with an additional 500 pushups, situps and pullups (something like that, just purely insane training). I know BUDS do hardcore training everyday. And the only easy day was Yesterday! So, how come your book didn't suggest us to do any crazy, the-only-easy-was-yesterday workouts? Wouldn't it be necessary for us to train like a freaking maniac before we go to BUDS?
I really want to be the best and give my best to the SEAL community. I am all in to be a SEAL. So, PLEASE let me know be the best enroll. Thanks for reading!
L.F. Boss-Leung That is hardcore BUT never done EVERY DAY. You will have events such as a 8 mile run and a 3 mile swim (3rd Phase) but maybe once a week for a few weeks. Never every day. Nor will you do 500 pullups, abs, pushups a day. PUSHUPS - MAYBE on some days but they are usually 200-300 per day (M-F) THAT Still does not mean you need to train for daily pushups NOW. You will not do daily pullups / abs at BUDS.
Stew Smith Hi Stew, love your videos. Hey what's the oldest guy you've seen able to meet the swim,run,pushups,pull ups,sit up requirements? I passed it in 1982 back on the Navy base in Charleston S.C.,but am trying to see how close I can come to those times now at 53...Fun. Your probably thinking, get a life but I have a few marbles loose. Lol.
Stew Smith yes sir! no chillin' and drinking soda. got it!
I recently turned 47 and had the same thought. Your comment is 7 months old; did you make it (basic, not the competitive requirements)?
You should not be out of breath when only having swum 50yds. You are just out of swimming shape. Swimming shape and running shape are not the same thing.
Stew Smith yeah I’m a great runner but not a good swimmer at all
R.c
I'm fortunate to have a pond 120 or so ft in length, with this stroke I can crack off about a 1/4 mile in 11 min.. I'm 59.5 yrs old....I'm not close to a stroke doing this, but it is a damn good workout for me. Thanks.
Bullshit
Thats not what my mentor says he was a navy seal for 20 years
Running and high rep PT but also add in some fast freestyle swims at 8-10 strokes per breath to really get you winded...
Thank Stew! I used to have a hard time swimming across a 250 yard pool. But with this technique, I can now do it in no time. So grateful to find this video of yours. Cheers to you mate!
I like how at the end of the video he says " NOW GO PRACTICE!"
He knows why we’re here😂
@@acegonzalez2976 😂 Hooyah!
I'm obviously no stew smith but I have been practicing for a while and I think I have seen the best results in my times from doing lots of pull ups, squats+deadlifts, and sprints to increase my pull and kick explosion/strength in each stroke. I have found that swimming is diff than a lot of exercises b/c you are working almost every muscle group, so it is good to improve the strength in each group evenly (I choose one exercise it would be pullups b/c u wanna pull with ur lats in each stroke)
This is by far the best analysis of the CSS. It cut my time down from a 10:30 to an 8:30. Proper form alone can go a long way while swimming. When I practice, the things I like to focus on are the basics such as: 1. Keeping knife hands so that you can pull as much water as possible and keep that laminar flow around your body. 2. Keeping your head down looking at the bottom while your not breathing, again keeping that laminar flow. 3. As Stew said, not wasting any time on the turn around. These things may seem trivial to most but the more you practice the basics the more they become habit. I always share this video to my trainees and they have all improved their time by different measures.
-Korey
Thanks - good job on that 2 min drop in time!
Sweet!
Hey, I am a hard of hearing mid 20s male, I have always wanted to be a part of the seal teams but can't due to my hearing limitations. I just bought your book "the complete guide to navy seal fitness 3rd edition. If I can't be an actual part of the teams I can always train to become physically fit like them! I look forward to using the book as a guide!
How's it going so far?
Hope it’s going well!
Stay hard!!!
Keep going!
Can I just say that this stroke has helped me tremendously. I watched this video three times, then watched your longer video with the 500 yards in 7 mins, then I went to the pool and tried to replicate the stroke as best I could. I swam further with less muscle and joint fatigue than other strokes I've tried. I'm a novice swimmer, but I'm trying to practice daily if not 3-4 times a week. I've been doing laps to meet the SEAL minimum standards to enter BUD/S. Then I can work on exceeding them. I'm still a few years out from trying out, but I'm trying to be prepared. Thanks for the video. Great work.
did you make it?!
exactly what I was going to ask lol
I'm training for PJ and this helped a lot thanks!
Logangil515 did u make it bro?
@J D 4 months later
how’d it go?
@@xhhdjdhdhd632 I forgot I even posted this omg. I ended up not going PJ but I did join the Air Force and serve 6 years. I’m out of active duty now and I’m in the air national guard 🙌🏻
Thank you for the video I know it means next to nothing coming from a former competitive but I find it impressive that this gentleman didn't produce any bubbles in his stroke. Most Folks here will already know that bubbles create drag and non the less I can't help but be impressed.
Thanks for the note - we try to teach non-swimming athletes as best we can.
Thanks for the break down I've never done serious swimming before and I hit it hard today. I'm trying to get myself ready. I'm strong in all the other areas but I'm a little concerned about the 50 meter underwater and synchronizing my pull breathe kick and glide
Future Recon Marine hopeful, thanks for the advice!
glad to assist. Good luck
Made it ?
Starting to practice this for the pst. Just started the PTG as well. Thanks for the break down Stew
Thanks. I’m training for my search and rescue PST right now. This helped alot
By far the most satisfying stroke once you get it down in my opinion. Nothing makes you fly so fast with so little energy expended.
So true!
Awesome video breakdown... thank you... i've never been a good swimmer but might have to try this at the pool sometime... wish i had seen this when i was younger and in better shape too... thank you...
I only just found out about this stroke watching a most elite special forces video...I love swimming I'm 64 usually do about 4 miles a week going to try to master this or at least have a go...thanks
Stew, The world record for the 100 years side stroke was set in the 1890's at 1:02.5. I am swimming a variation of this stroke where the bottom lower hand is doing a breast stroke pull, and the top hand is coming out of the water and doing a free style stroke. At age 65, I am doing 45 second 50 yard laps. Using this method, I am positive that that record can be smashed by some younger swimmers. That record was set 25 years before Johnny Weismiller became the first one to swim the 100 yard freestyle/Australian Crawl under 60 seconds.... Is power side stroke faster than breast stroke?!
+robohippy - I do not think so but for me it is. I am much better at the CSS using the scissor kick than breast stroke.
+Stew Smith Yea, me too, I never could do a frog kick. The young man in the video could smash the record. He is a very good swimmer... I may have to swim against some breast strokers some time just to see. By bringing the top hand/arm over the top, it turns the side stroke into a long axis stroke. Arm pull is considerably stronger than breast stroke, scissor kick should be close to frog kick, and you are going through the water linear rather than wave, so less drag. Also, bringing the top arm out of the water gets you horizontal rather than at an angle, so again, less drag.... First saw some young navy men swimming the combat swim in the pool, then picked up scissor kick to work hams and quads in prep for knee replacement. Helped a lot, and started doing more power side stroke because it puts less stress on my shoulders. In a 50 yard spring I get the same pulse rate as I do with freestyle, but the PSS seems less tiring.
Thanks, this is maybe the fourth video I watched, and the only one that really helped me.
I got turned on to your group from the Don Shipley interview. Even though I was Air Force and we phone that shit in, lol I have nothing but respect for you guys and grew up on the water. I love swimming.
Great breakdown. I'm not good yet but I've only been at it for a few days.
Thank you please upload more they really help
Thanks for breaking it down.
So the CSS is the Trudgen that we used to have to learn for WSI.
Trudgen was the precursor to the front crawl
yes similar with the focus freestyle catch drill on one side.
This video breakdown really helped me. Thanks.
Love the videos stew. I am trying to pick up my SEAL contract all your videos are giving me some great help!
Did you get it
Shane Anderson he prolly is a seal or dropped it at this point lol
@@shaneanderson468 glade I'm not the only one wondering
Thanks for the breakdown, Stew!
I've been swimming on one side with this stroke forever and now it's like impossible to try and learn the other side. I flop all over the place like a fish out of water having a seizure
you're so funny. ..flop around like a fish...try just gliding on one side for a bit and hold core in while your legs do scissors kick. hold your arm out to practice first then switch sides. little by little do the arm strokes with kick and glide. I'm USCG and this def saves alot of energy wasted while out at sea for training.
Me too.
DylanLopez420 Ive swam and surfed most my life, best way to keep ears in good condition that Ive found is as soon as im out of the shower after being in the pool/ocean is a small amount of Isopropyl alcohol in each ear for 30seconds then drain. It should get all the water out and kill any bacteria. local pharmacy will also sell solution for alot more but generally the same result. hope it helps bro.
Thanks Stew! Do medical coverage for IronMan and have some time on my hands so I want to teach myself this in the meantime.
Genuine question that may give trolling vibes: Since this is not an olympics stroke, I wonder why 2 initial two minutes were spent on a technique that may not be applicable in sea, after jumping from a boat. Say even if one gets a chance pushing off the boat, how much will it matter overall?
The main Sidestroke technique starts from 2:00 onwards.
This is a same pattern I see on most videos about Combat side stroke. Too much time spent on the push off the wall and glide!
Some people need to learn how to swim in a pool and use the walls efficiently or they will never get accepted to go to swim with fins, at night, in the ocean, etc... Baby steps and patience. There are over 300 swim videos critiqued over the years on youtube, Instagram reels (@stewsmith50), and tiktok (@stewsmith50) that focuses on dozens of other aspects of this type of training.
Stew Smith Could you do a video demonstrating hypnotic swimming? I purchased your book a few days ago and it just came in the mail today, and I'm a bit confused about it.
***** - it is not hypnotic swimming - it is hypoxic swimming. It is just skip breathing during freestyle - but yes - you can find it in one of the swim workouts where we do CSS / Hypox free together in a workout.
Stew Smith Thank you sir.
This is genius! I'm going to practise this tomorrow!
Did you practice that?
Thanks for this Stew.
good advice Shane
Stew is awesome.
Any breathing techniques/exercises you have to help? I can get two strokes in and on the third I lose my breath
Google “dude You are not in swimming shape Stew Smith”
stew smith Probably true I swim every day about a mile but I'm out of breath in the gym ...my pals are gym bunnies and they can't swim any distance at all.
@@stewsmith8881 yeah there's a "shape" for about every type of exercise... That google search actually takes you to his link which after following for 1 month has greatly improved my swimming ability.
I'm starting to get back into shape and I'm swimming, as well as walking and doing weights training. I was 390 last christmas, and I'm 340 lbs now. I'm not a total blob, I'm 6'3" and a heavy built dude, but regardless a healthy weight for me would probably be around 240-260ish. Gonna be using this stroke a lot. I'm going to be joining the canadian navy to get training as a marine engineer and then applying to the american navy to get my citizenship, as I'm not agreeing with the way Canadian laws are headed. Thanks for the video :)
TLDR: Canadian fatboy tryna get fit for the military thanks the video maker for the proper form to learn for the american navy.
Him: goes way passed 10 meters before staring a stroke
Me with a 10 meter pool: well then
Having trouble with my scissor kicks, but ill get it down! :)
Bottom pull form question - is it better to bottom arm pull in front of your body or under? General tips or advice?
BOTTOM ARM: think breast stroke scull. The bottom arm looks more like a shorter breast stroke pull.
Thank you for the instruction... Spot on!
Great technique for the broken flipper club... ;)
True - I have taught this to many triathletes who still wanted to compete but could not do freestyle (shoulder issues)
I Will learn this. Great vid
Can you train older people to swim like that?
this is an excellent video. UK. only swimming for pleasure, and diver course. but this is excellent. simple and clear
love this. .I do this and the breast stroke. USCG. I love your last comment...so military. ..
if you guys are going to buds I WILL see you there
Stay Hard!
Im 45, living in Norway, can i goto BUD/S if I meet these requirements?
+Ashok the Viking Age cutoff for BUD/S is 29. Sorry man. Also a 45 year old's body can't repair itself to the extent that a 23 year old's body could.
I have a 17 year old son and a 22 year old athletic girlfriend. I thought that would be the same amount of abuse on the body as BUDS. My son is working out for Marine Jægers. I want to go to training with him.
At 45 years old - NO. There is an age limit. You have to be a US Citizen for Special ops. But a Green card is sufficient to joining the military.
usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/f/noncitizen.htm
My son and I really appreciate the videos, helping him prepare for Norwegian BUDS. I do the workouts as much as I can with him (he beats me on the sprint at the end of the run). (When I was in my 20's, I was rowing sculls in college, doing 44km marathons at 3:20 and competitive open water swimming) - It's good to get back in shape.
The side stroke, done right, is incredibly efficient. To get pushups, you have to do dips (IMO). My son and I are gifted at pullups, able to break 20. But I want him to do 30 to be safe.
It's very hard to tell a 17-year-old that body weight exercises are the way to go and focusing on iron creates imbalances and sacrifices endurance. Weights give a quick result but the goal is to build up capillaries so that blood can deliver O2 and take away C02 efficiently. However, the girls admire biceps and not capillaries. With good capillaries, you can cool down in the dessert and warm up in surf zone. I noticed from the endurance training it's easier to take cold showers.
Here is the website for the Norwegian Marine Jægers (Specialized Marine Combat Unit). forsvaret.no/karriere/utdanning/spesialstyrkeutdanning/marinejegerkommandoen/marinejeger
He has to do one year in the regular military before applying and get good reports. I hope that he can stay focused and not lose sight of this dream. I don't think we will go to the camps where you pay to get kicked in the balls . IMO training is more about building a strong base: endurance, water comfort and mostly maturity (mental toughness and focus). It's more about being able to recover quickly from getting kicked than having been kicked before. Sure you know what it feels like but you have still go through all the steps of recovery to stand up straight again. At that moment of weakness, you fall back on your training and get back up. (We pay 45% tax in Norway, not leaving much for such trips)
My son has my stubbornness to see things through which I see as the most encouraging sign. He completed his weekly miles (10km is 1 Nordic mile) for the running club over the winter no matter the weather with enthusiasm, even at 10pm after doing his homework. (It gets really cold here and it's always dark). I am urging him to join a team sport to get the feel of working together. So far he has taken interest in mostly individual sports. Norway in general excels in individual sports like skiiing, ski jumping, speed skating but struggles with football (soccer), hockey, crew, etc. (Sweden and Finland are better at team sports).
I was not even aware of these opportunities when I was young and doing my basic service. I am glad we share common interests. So many of my friend's son's are chasing Pokemon's while we did an orienteering course today with 15kg rucks. - Stew Smith, Thank you for all this information.
I started taking the PST last year and since then have brought my time from an 18:30 (I basically couldn't swim at all) down to an 8:30. Thank you so much for these videos they really help. Now I'm stuck because the recruiters didn't want me to drop my NF contract for SO. I am now in the process of being put back through MEPS and reinlisting with a new contract... What do you think I should pick that won't affect my ability to be contracted SO. For reference My scores are 90 pushups, 80 situps, 21 pullups, 8:30 swim, 8:50 run. 93 on the ASVAB. The only bad thing was my C-SORT (I don't remember the score but it was low). I was supposed to leave with a friend back in July. Now he is in Phase 1 of BUD/s right now and I'm still here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
AWESOME! great job. Keep it up. I would go for SO if you want it. You have the scores.
Stew Smith What contract would you recommend I choose when I go back to MEPS that wont get me stuck here again like when I had an NF contract? At my last PSTs the Chief wanted to contract me but couldn't because other people with the same scores but jobs that the navy didn't need as badly were taken instead. That's why I dropped Nuke because they said there is basically no way to get contracted SO while you are contracted NF. I hope this makes sense to you. It's a lot of information and explaining to be put in a comment in any logical way...
Also thank you for the reply and encouraging words to my previous post.
Yes - do not go NUKE as you will never get SO. That is correct. Do something you are interested in - IS, OS, HM, BM...take a look at all the options. Once you ace the PST, you can switch over to the SO rating.
Stew Smith Okay sounds good Thank you for the input!
In between strokes , how long should I be gliding for? It seems like after my scissor kick, I nearly slow to a stop after about 3 feet. Is that distance normal or do I need to work on putting more power into my kicks?
Awesome video Stew, it has helped me tremendously. I still have the problem of doing a breaststroke kick while I do this stroke most likely because I swam breaststroke on my high school swim team. Would you recommend I force myself to switch to scissor kick or stick with breaststroke? Thanks for all your amazing videos.
If you are god at breast stroke it is faster using that kick with the CSS BUT when you get to BUDS you will swim 99% of the swim in fins using the CSS so you will also need to learn the scissor kick with fins.
Thanks for this upload. It helped a lot.
Stew, I’ve used your CSS technique for a few months with great results, but began to develop right wrist pain every time I swim CSS and elementary side stroke. Any tips you could provide to help reduce wrist pain during CSS or elementary side stroke?
I am not sure. That is a new one. Maybe your hand is too stiff / flexed when swimming? Try to relax your hand / wrist and see what happens... Sorry for the guess but this is a new one for me.
Thank you for the reply Stew! I’ll let the pain in my wrist completely resolve and gradually increase my swimming volume with a more relaxed hand and wrist. I’ll let you know if this helps. If I can’t get rid of the pain then I’m going to speak to a doctor.
Very helpful, thanks for the video!
As someone training for BUDs these videos are extremely helpful. However I do have a question about the breathing cycle. Do you breath out when your head is above the water? Or do you breath out during the glide?
Also breath out underwater.
Thanks for the video!
This is solid info. When you swim you use muscles that are hard to hit or use so to speak. The host of this blog is giving solid advice and the E=mc squared goofballs only care about form smh. When I was at Ft. Bragg. I saw ranger hopefuls going through a training, to get ready for certain ranger phases. Treading water in combat boots and ACU's with their rifles over their heads sometimes. To me that was hardcore, but I'm sure there's plenty more exercises in the water, a lot fucking worse :-)
The out of shape hip having people with a opinion. Will never take the initiative to get in shape. Good post.
thank you
I have difficulty floating. Everytime I do my scissor kick I sink to the bottom and I spend most of my energy trying to stay a float than propelling myself through the water. David Goggins said that he did not float very well either. A recruiter told me this is common among African Americans. I can't tell if it's a physical problem, a technique problem, or both. Does anyone have swimming tips for guys who do not float very well? Thanks.
*****
Thanks for the reply. I actually managed to get the basics of the technique down. I'm swimming a lot better now. I just learned to swim this past July and the first time I took my PST, in September, my swim time was 15:30. Now it's down to 10:40. My short term goal is to get in under 10.
Stew I am currently trying to get a SEAL contract. Every time we take the PST they don't allow us to wear goggles. Is there a reason they do that? And also I have a hard time breathing. I don't know if it's because I can't relax or what. Any advice? Thanks
How would I gain momentum if I can’t push off the wall?
New at swimming.
Why cant you push off the wall? If not, then you need to get really good at a double arm pull - see breast stroke pullout stroke for how to do it. That is the easiest way to get your momentum up minus a no kick off the wall.
Should I out of breath after only 50 yards when doing my CSS? My running is decent (2 miles less than 13 min), so I am thinking my technique is off or I simply need to toughen up and deal with the lack of oxygen.
Mr Smith, is it normal to not be able to glide for long distances under water when starting out? Its not that I can't glide, but that my breath control diminishes after about 100m. After that, I cant capitalize on my wall kicks, by gliding underwater, due to lung capacity. Ive only been training for this for a couple weeks however. Ive noticed each time it gets better, and maybe this is just a time factor. Any tips on improvement in this area? Ive been working on underwaters to improve breath holds, and that seems to help a lot. Thanks for your videos. Id be lost without them.
Austin - you were just not in swimming shape. Keep swimming and your abilities to have more stamina and stronger kicks will increase. You need to be swimming to 45 days a week at least.
Stew Smith thank you !
Mr Smith, I've noticed a great improvement in capitalizing on wall kicks underwater. I've been relaxing more and training a little slower, and that lets me focus on form and breathing. Not sure if that's the best way to go, but it's helping me. On a side note, however, I realized that after each scissor kick for the CSS, I have the tendency to want to do flutter kicks, because the back half of my body starts to "sink" when gliding. You recommend against wasting energy in flutter kicks, so I'm trying not to, but I'm wondering what I'm doing (maybe with my torso?) that is causing my legs/lower abdomen to have this sinking effect. Thanks again - Austin
Yes - it is normal. You're just not in swimming shape. It takes more than two weeks - it could take several months
Ok, so the sinking is because of weakness? Any opinion on the PJ/ CCT /SOWT 26 week workout plan? Thats what Im on currently
Stew, would it be possible to make a video that shows techniques you've learned over the years and in the teams on how to efficiently get water out of the ear and how you've treated swimmers ear? That would be very awesome, I unfortunately had a really bad case of it where I had my lymph nodes behind my ear and is believe on in front just swell up like nobody's business, even after I used the alcohol and white vinegar combo. Please? Lol
The best way I have found to get water out of the ear is to deliberately put water in the ear by turning your head problem ear up under the water. Taking head out of water and then flipping head quickly so all the water drains back out.
Aside form this looking way cooler than other types of swimming, what is the use of this method. Is it faster or more efficient? I am having trouble learning freestyle but love the water and want to experiment with all methods. :)
It is used in special ops swimming training. No splash, underwater recovery stroke. Mostly will use it with fins - transitions nicely with / without fins.
Stew Smith
So these spec ops guys use it because it's quieter and attracts less attention? Does it also help with not losing breath or swimming for longer periods?
Yes - plus very efficient for longer distances ESPECIALLY with fins.
Stew Smith Great. Can't wait to get to the pool and give it an awkward try.
Is he going to flat back after he sissor kick?
yes - he rolls to his stomach to glide
Hey Stew, if I posted a video of me doing the CSS would you be able to critique it and give me some advice? I'm not a swimmer, but I've taught myself the CSS just by watching all your videos. I'll post it to my channel as soon as you respond to this comment. Thank you for your videos.
Very helpful video! I am learning the CSS but my problem is every time after i surface for air when i enter my head back into the water after my breath, water always trickles into my nose and down my throat how can i prevent this?
greg schneider exhale when your in the water and inhale when you just getting up
Question. I have been practicing this stroke, and I am by no means any more than a novice swimmer, so I am asking with absolutely no authority. My question is this, and I hope that I explain this clearly. Before you scissor kick and you have both arms by the side of your body and the width of your body is perpendicular to the plane of the water you are either facing left or right. I notice that when you kick and you come to flat you will recover to the same side that you were facing either right or left. I found that if after I came to flat I felt a natural tendency to continue to rotate and would find I could rotate to the opposite side. Has anyone studied if this has any advantage?
I have seemingly a few people do that. I'm not sure why they felt the need to rotate 180° but they didn't. You can try A bilateral breathing version of the stroke especially if you are not testing our military.
At 58 I am of no use to the military, but see the value of an efficient stroke, especially for ocean swimming. Thank you for your comments. I am interested in the bilateral breathing technique, and will look into it. I felt the momentum of the scissor kick would easily push me over to the other side as I got flat, as well as the efficiency of spreading the load over more muscles. Thank you sir.
Was this filmed at Keating Natatorium??
No - Severna Park Community Center
Stew Smith ah- ok, the lane lines, ground, blocks, and tiles all looked the same
would it be quicker to do a flip turn at the end of the 25? And what kind of training schedule would you recommend to improve your 500 time with the css?
no - open turns like in breast stroke. I would swim at least 4-5 times a week if you want to be a good swimmer for BUDS.
so during the stroke process when you kick should I fully face the bottom of the pool or or turn half way because it looks like hes only turning half way when he kicks.
Up to you. I like to roll and glide with stomach facing down - some stay on their side. See what works best for you.
how is the kick done is it breast stroke kick
Is the css less taxing than regular Free style
yes
Stew Smith Thk you
It’s easier said than done. I tried this and my arms and leg are everywhere! 😢
Question. I’m going for SO to go to seals. I just got PRK eye surgery in October so just waiting till I can sign probably by March they said because of healing purposes . I’m stuck trying to figure out what job to go for that’s gonna be best to get an SO contract after pst . I don’t want to waste any time and get my contract ASAP .
you a seal?
Hey do you have to do this stroke or can you just do the freestyle stroke for the test?
CSS is just a nick name for a modified side stroke. You cannot swim free for BUDS test.
Hi Stew. Former US Marine who learned CSS quite awhile back. Am competing in triathlons now and have been trying to learn front crawl/freestyle, but am finding it difficult and much less efficient than CSS. So, I've defaulted to CSS in my triathlons (mostly sprint and Olympic distance races up until now, but I'm doing my first half IronMan next month). Would you advise doubling down with CSS, or going through the trouble of learning freestyle? I've been told by experienced triathletes that nothing beats freestyle but I have to admit I'm doing well so far with CSS (at least it seems that way to me). Thanks
+Daniel Mitchell
Hey Daniel...I'm in the same boat. My CSS and freestyle are about the same speed. I have shoulder issues that makes freestyle hurt and aside from that, I just hate that stroke. When I do CSS, I feel like I'm doing it well and efficiently. When I do freestyle if just hurts and I feel super uncoordinated. What did you end up doing in your 70.3 and how did it work out for you? I did freestyle in my 70.3 this past August, but am toying with CSS at IMLP next July. Would LOVE to hear more about your experience!
+Amy Lawson Hi Amy sorry for the delay in responding. I'm getting good results from CSS and used it in my last 70.3. I ended up doing 1.9km in around 48 minutes which isn't great but I figure isn't too bad either given my relative weakness in this my worst of the three legs. My difficulty with CSS in the open water in a crowd is (a) finding my 'groove' at the beginning of the swim so I can settle into a clean and consistent stroke (I find myself getting winded early in the swim when I try to keep up with everyone, trying at the same time to deal with the anxiety and adrenaline of the race), and (b) kicking too many people in the face with my big scissor kick. :) I have had shout "Sorry!" behind me too many times to count. How's it going for you?
+Daniel Mitchell - I like the CSS for longer distances, but it will not be as fast as the freestyle stroke. I have found though that people who are not great at freestyle prefer this. Also many triathletes with shoulder pain have gone to the CSS to keep a bad shoulder from over reaching on the pull.
+Daniel Mitchell
Thanks for they reply, Daniel. I'm really happy to hear from someone who swam the whole 70.3 using the CSS. I think 48 minutes is a great time for your swim. Way to go! I'd be thrilled with a 2 hour swim during my 140.6, but anything under the 2:20 time cutoff is good enough for me.
I'm doing really well with the CSS. I feel like I'm getting a little more efficient each time I go to the pool, and my heart rate stays really low while I do it...which I think will pay off during IMLP.
I had an MRI of my shoulder, which showed I have a weird/rare/congenital deformity in my shoulder blade, which has led to a bone spur -- so it's no wonder that freestyle has been so hard and painful for me. I tried one lap of free style the other day and my shoulder is still screaming at me for it a whole week later.
I'm embracing the CSS as my Ironman stroke and going for it.
Thanks again for sharing your success. You're given me a lot of hope!
+Stew Smith
Thanks for the reply on this thread, Stew. I'm one of those screwed up shoulder people, so I'm going for the CSS. I downloaded your instructional video, and it's great. Planning to get some footage of my effort soon, so I can get a little feedback. Your instructions have been awesome so far. I'm really appreciative!
Thank you sir!
Is this technique acceptable for the Air Force PAST Pararescue 1000 meter swim, or do you have to swim freestyle?
BAMFITNESSUSA - I would use the freestyle stroke for PJ test. It is much faster.
Thank you then that's what I'll work on. The tip about pushing off the wall really hard ("like jumping") was helpful today. I'm looking at and using different resources to improve my swimming for pararescue.
+Stew Smith What's mind boggling is how for Airr you can use freestyle stoke yet for Divers you have to use combat side stroke, when in fact divers overwhelmingly use freestyle stroke while Airrs overwhelmingly use Combat Side stroke when rescuing.
Good point.
So when I try to thread water I can't do it for that long I think it's my technique because not weak at all how long would this take to learn
I have taught it in less that 30 minutes. It is not that hard of a technique to learn. See my tread video.
Stew Smith my teacher is a ex marine and he said it takes months to learn combat swimming so I don't know what he's on about? Because some soldiers like to brag, so is there different things to learn in combat swimming or is he just lying?
Jonathan Koulai I have taught the stroke in 10 minutes. It may take a few months to get in shape to Swim it well but to actually learn the stroke takes one session. I've been teaching this for 20 years.
Stew Smith thanks a lot I don't want to disturb u too much, I have one question. Have u been a navy seal? And what's the combat swimming technique used for
just one question sir. do you exhale underwater or exhale then inhale at the end of the stroke?
exhale underwater during the glide - turn to inhale during the arm pull phases
Hey Stew Smith. I dont know what else to do but ask. In one of your workouts. It says to do a *"PT pyramid: (12345) mix in short runs of butt kicks and dynamic stretches for 25yds
PT pyramid: pull ups × 1, push ups × 2, Abs of choice × 3 - 1-10-1
Last 5 (5,4,3,2,1) sets mix in dynamic stretches to prep for run"*.
How do I do that if the pyramid is constantly doing pull-ups push-ups and sit-ups without rest? Or are you saying that the butt kicks and dynamic stretches themselves are the PT pyramid and/or mixed in before and after the push,pull, and abs? I'd appreciate it if you helped me with that. I'd also like to buy the programs you have but I'm reluctant because I dont want to suddenly buy them only to realize it's all confusing. Could you help with that? I'd appreciate it. I'm new with the pt pyramid so pardon me. I dont know what its saying.i also dont know how to properly word my question. I'm on my own here, so I'd really like some help.
Email me stew@stewsmith.com
quick question, when i tilt my head to get a breath, water always gets in my ear. not a big deal, but it starts to hurt after a while. is there anything i can do to adjust my form to prevent this?
Buy swimming specific ear plugs. They have Speedo ones at target that are cheap and do the trick.
How fast is this style? How easy would it be to swim 200 yards in 3 minutes.
Also im supposed to swim that 200 yards without goggles if that matters at all.
Well - that is a fast pace. Some of the better swimmers like these are holding that pace. A 200yd in 3 min is the same as a 500yd in 7;30 pace. 100yds in 1:30 is not an easy pace to get to but not impossible either.
Apologies for the errors, I'm on my phone and it's a little difficult to go back and forth for review.
Thx alot!!
Good sh.t Mr. Smith....
Still having trouble breathing, I have a decent form but I can't get in the rhythm. any tips to practice good technique to beat into me? Struggling when we get smoked in the pool because of this.
This is only my opinion and experience. I have seen some recent gains in CSS watching these videos, going from 15 minutes to under 10 minutes and I am only at 3 to 4 miles running per day at this point (It is my goal to run 10 miles without effort by next year). Strongly exhale through your nose while your head is in the water. By the time you rotate your head, which should be fused to your back, out of the water, your mouth will come open for an inhale on its own. You should only be inhaling. At this point, your very inefficient and want to minimize this position. You want to spend as much time as possible being long, minimizing your water profile.
good advice
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Do you alternate the top arm?
Zenon Dolnyckyj Yes you should learn both sides
As a life long swimmer it feels very weird learning a new stroke, all the other ones feel as though they are ingrained into my DNA
Loo I would agree. But if you think about it this is a combination between freestyle : sidestroke with the breaststroke recovery
thanks to uploading video~
During the PST, are we allowed to do a flip turn, like a freestyle flip turn. Or do we have to turn as shown in the video??
+Coltsfan800 - no - only open turns.
Now let me watch this video 50 more times 😅
hey Stew Smith this is Future Sailor Alex Maliga and I sent you an email and I hope you recieved it. I am currently trying to earn my SWCC contract I washoping you can give me tips to gets faster and stronger at swimming because i would to improve my time. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this.