I love this stroke. I combine it 50/50 with side stroke and have swam 9.3 miles in 7.5 hours without resting. It's an amazing stroke. I am 59 years old and was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Swimming and weight training is the key for me. Thank you for this video.
congrats Terresa for being a badass! you do this variation of CSS with flutter kick or do you do a snap kick / breaststroke style kick when doing combat sidestroke?
@@fizban119 I do a mix of it all when doing combat CSS for the under water portion of my swimming. I took advanced scuba and rescue diving in college which got me started with long distance swimming. I swim underwater a large percent of my swim then surface and do side stroke for recovery and then go again. I love swimming under water as it's so peaceful. I need to further improve my ability to hold my breath but I'm just enjoying the process. And I have since stopped dislocating with weight training combined with swimming, but I have to do both.
They say this is one of the most difficult training in the military. BUD/S I can swim well under water and my sight is well under water, however I am not as good as the Pros . Y’all take the Trophy 🏆
Oh for sure. He advises not doing them at all, just gliding for 2 seconds and pulling on three. The flutter kicks are no tnecessary if your Scissor is strong
@@LemulRichardsonoh following pulling your top arm when you pull the bottom arm is it fully extended? If so that’s probably your issue your bottom elbow should be bent when pulling. I made the mistake of fully extending it when I started and that actually reduced your mobility and speed causes lots of drag. If you have a genuine muscle imbalance, I’d alternate jerk hands (just kidding). But I’d try doing some basic dumbbell arm movements like shoulder presses but do them single armed and hold for 10 seconds at the top and start with your weak side first. If you do 10 reps on weak side do 10 on the strong side. Do that with other exercises like curls, skull crushers, db press, incline db press, etc
@@helmettheviking9521 sorry I meant for the scissor kick. I’m thinking it is a muscle imbalance, but not sure if it’s hammy, hips, something else or all of the above…
I swim the over arm side stroke, which I figured out from seeing a couple of Navy kids doing the CSS. I discovered that the flutter kick is far faster than the scissor kick. I am guessing it is mostly that the scissor kick produces a lot of thrust, but at the cost of creating huge amounts of drag. Also, my under side arm pulls horizontally. If you pull more vertical, this keeps your head up higher in the water. I did find out that the horizontal pull is more powerful. For distance, I pull full body length rather than the more breast stroke like pull that you show here. The OAS is faster than breast stroke and back stroke. It may be able to keep up with the fly. Only record for it was set in 1895, 1:92.5 for 100 yards.
Great instructional video! I'm a masters swim coach working with a pretty raw prospective trainee. This is enough for me to figure out how to develop a plan. What's wild is my late uncle Mike (Tats) probably taught this years ago.
I learned this stroke from reading The Complete Guide To Navy SEAL Fitness in 2000. I wish I had learned it when I was actually on active duty Navy, but I'm glad to have learned it. I only swim freestyle for conditioning, but side stroke is relaxing & energy saving. HOO-YA, shipmates!
I swan in College as a Varsity Swimmer. Close to the end of the Swimmimg Season, I could swim "Butterfly" for 1 Mile! I would have had trouble going this slowly, to miss qualifying!
I find swimming this style of CSS is way more tiring and lots of flutter kicks in which create splashing and sometimes creates drag for me compared to just simple glide-pull-big scissor kick-recover. Also is the CSS supposed to be stealthy? ie. No splashing?
Lifelong swimmer and surfer. Curious why the Navy focuses in on this stroke for its testing and training? I know I could cover more ground faster and burn far less energy using the freestyle stroke. If it were stealth it would seem to me that the breast stroke would be more efficient as well and quieter. What am I missing?
My thoughts too, I’m really curious. Especially the way the guy demonstrating rotates his head is not considered good form in competitive swimming. I suppose it’s because he’s carrying a weapon in the other hand?
Does the navy teach you the combat side stroke before you take the pst? I wish i could have someone to train me. Im going to use these videos to help but I bet i would be more efficient if i had an instructor.
As far as I'm aware, if you go spec war for the navy, you go to a trainer during delayed entry before boot camp. That's what I'm doing right now. Don't know if it varies for different areas.
@@thomasbrinker8225I just did my practice pst with my trainer 😂 safe to say this shit is no joke whatsoever (specifically the swimming) I’ve never felt so defeated by a fitness test before.
Always had a bit of phobia in water. Sidestroke was what i learned the best even though I could only do it on my left side and I led my kick with lower leg forward. That was in a nice chlorinated pool. There’s no way in hell I’d be out diving in the ocean at night in pitch black. If some aquatic life bumped into me under such conditions, I’d shit my wetsuit, freak out & probably drown.
I worked as a lifeguard, panic is the number one reason people drown. You can easily drown in waist high water if you get hit by a wave and lose your bearings. It can happen to anyone even competent swimmers, just remember to stop flailing and breathe through your nose, follow the direction of the bubbles, they always go towards the surface.
How is this better than breaststroke for military missions? 1) This swimming style involves flutter kicks that make the swimmer way more conspicuous (as seen in this video at least). 2) The swimmer can't see well, ahead in particular. And (3) it seems more tiring.
On actual missions they are almost always going to be using fins, which are below the surface, and improve the efficiency (speed/endurance to effort). The breaststroke requires popping your head up regularly, making you more conspicuous. I think sighting ahead with the CSS is much like swimming the crawl in open water, where you periodically (every few strokes) look ahead to see where you’re going.
I love this stroke. I combine it 50/50 with side stroke and have swam 9.3 miles in 7.5 hours without resting. It's an amazing stroke. I am 59 years old and was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Swimming and weight training is the key for me. Thank you for this video.
Way to go!
congrats Terresa for being a badass! you do this variation of CSS with flutter kick or do you do a snap kick / breaststroke style kick when doing combat sidestroke?
@@jamesamelia2812 thank you 😊
@@fizban119 I do a mix of it all when doing combat CSS for the under water portion of my swimming. I took advanced scuba and rescue diving in college which got me started with long distance swimming. I swim underwater a large percent of my swim then surface and do side stroke for recovery and then go again. I love swimming under water as it's so peaceful. I need to further improve my ability to hold my breath but I'm just enjoying the process. And I have since stopped dislocating with weight training combined with swimming, but I have to do both.
This gives me more confidence at this stroke, thank you sir
They say this is one of the most difficult training in the military. BUD/S I can swim well under water and my sight is well under water, however I am not as good as the Pros . Y’all take the Trophy 🏆
Think Stew Smith would say something about those 6 flutter kicks
Oh for sure. He advises not doing them at all, just gliding for 2 seconds and pulling on three. The flutter kicks are no tnecessary if your Scissor is strong
@@helmettheviking9521, it feels like my scissor kick is weaker on my right side (right arm down). Does anyone have any suggestions?
@@LemulRichardsonoh following pulling your top arm when you pull the bottom arm is it fully extended? If so that’s probably your issue your bottom elbow should be bent when pulling. I made the mistake of fully extending it when I started and that actually reduced your mobility and speed causes lots of drag. If you have a genuine muscle imbalance, I’d alternate jerk hands (just kidding). But I’d try doing some basic dumbbell arm movements like shoulder presses but do them single armed and hold for 10 seconds at the top and start with your weak side first. If you do 10 reps on weak side do 10 on the strong side. Do that with other exercises like curls, skull crushers, db press, incline db press, etc
@@LemulRichardsonnotice how his bottom arm in the video isn’t fully extended but he shoots it back into the glide fairly quickly? Do that!
@@helmettheviking9521 sorry I meant for the scissor kick. I’m thinking it is a muscle imbalance, but not sure if it’s hammy, hips, something else or all of the above…
I swim the over arm side stroke, which I figured out from seeing a couple of Navy kids doing the CSS. I discovered that the flutter kick is far faster than the scissor kick. I am guessing it is mostly that the scissor kick produces a lot of thrust, but at the cost of creating huge amounts of drag. Also, my under side arm pulls horizontally. If you pull more vertical, this keeps your head up higher in the water. I did find out that the horizontal pull is more powerful. For distance, I pull full body length rather than the more breast stroke like pull that you show here. The OAS is faster than breast stroke and back stroke. It may be able to keep up with the fly. Only record for it was set in 1895, 1:92.5 for 100 yards.
One of the best instructional videos I've seen on the CSS. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
This helped me advance in the Marines. And as a civilian
Great instructional video! I'm a masters swim coach working with a pretty raw prospective trainee. This is enough for me to figure out how to develop a plan. What's wild is my late uncle Mike (Tats) probably taught this years ago.
Fantastic!
This makes me realise how vital a piece of tactical kit a snorkel is.
IKR
I learned this stroke from reading The Complete Guide To Navy SEAL Fitness in 2000. I wish I had learned it when I was actually on active duty Navy, but I'm glad to have learned it. I only swim freestyle for conditioning, but side stroke is relaxing & energy saving.
HOO-YA, shipmates!
i’m watching this meanwhile I can’t even swim
No better time than now to learn my friend
Your in the perfect place
Good
😂😂😂
Get in that water
I swan in College as a Varsity Swimmer. Close to the end of the Swimmimg Season, I could swim "Butterfly" for 1 Mile! I would have had trouble going this slowly, to miss qualifying!
Wow this can cut my time hugely since I always thought flutter kicks should be used at minimum, not full 6 kicks per every stroke.
If fins are allowed in a 3k pst id keep the kicks less than 5-6 per glide.. but hes talking about no fins so you have to kick more.
Saaaame. this whole time, I've been doing 500 combat stroke any time i go for a swim. i stroke way more than i kick.
Thanks I need this for the SWOE pipeline
I'm gonna be a SEAL
Yes
Anybody that uses the word "gonna" won't be a SEAL.
@@wvXvxvXvwit’s an abbreviation… it has nothing to do with one’s physical or mental ability for becoming a SEAL 😂
@@wvXvxvXvw the SEAL in the video used the word "gonna", he's a SEAL, you are not
Go for it brother, chase your dreams and don’t let anyone fucking stop you from trying or bring you down 🔥
I find swimming this style of CSS is way more tiring and lots of flutter kicks in which create splashing and sometimes creates drag for me compared to just simple glide-pull-big scissor kick-recover. Also is the CSS supposed to be stealthy? ie. No splashing?
Might as well swim freestyle at this point lol
Not anywhere near the way I was taught I’d get corrected immediately lmao
Yes I am struggling to keep my feet in the water as well I noticed he only lets his heel come out.
Lifelong swimmer and surfer. Curious why the Navy focuses in on this stroke for its testing and training? I know I could cover more ground faster and burn far less energy using the freestyle stroke. If it were stealth it would seem to me that the breast stroke would be more efficient as well and quieter. What am I missing?
My thoughts too, I’m really curious. Especially the way the guy demonstrating rotates his head is not considered good form in competitive swimming. I suppose it’s because he’s carrying a weapon in the other hand?
It's low profile, and old school navy mentality is old.
Retired FMF Corpsman here and the reason the combat side stroke is used is because there is no splashing for concealment.
@@hnlong8531 video is saying your kick should leave the "water boiling" behind you. What kick would you recommend instead?
@@ReheatedDonut lunge stroke
I never did the CSS this way. No flutters. It’s supposed to be smooth and stealthy no?
What kick with legs did you do?
@@ReheatedDonut just scissor
They make it look easy but it’s tough
Damn right it is ! Shit is no joke
I gotta take my sf pst in a few weeks and cant swim at all but i promise u this is will pass
Did you pass??
How u do?
Can you wear the swim mask for the test?
Seconded!🙏🏽
Мечта многих молодых и сильных парней из России служить в вашем подразделение.
So during psts and selection can you add scissor kicks for the css?
What do you mean add? It’s already apart of it.
I love this. Thank you. But why I'd the shark fin bad?
Drag?
Does the navy teach you the combat side stroke before you take the pst? I wish i could have someone to train me. Im going to use these videos to help but I bet i would be more efficient if i had an instructor.
I’m down to pin pal.
As far as I'm aware, if you go spec war for the navy, you go to a trainer during delayed entry before boot camp. That's what I'm doing right now. Don't know if it varies for different areas.
@@thomasbrinker8225I just did my practice pst with my trainer 😂 safe to say this shit is no joke whatsoever (specifically the swimming) I’ve never felt so defeated by a fitness test before.
ok. Got it!
Pretend to have a fancy watch in a neighborhood that I don’t like
I wasn’t taught this when I got out in 2004. Is this style a change from earlier css?
What’s our 50m time supposed to look like?
I now feel prepared to win an MMA while swimming sideways. Hurah!
I don't remember there being alot of kicking in combat side stroke. It was strong lunge strokes and gliding but I guess things have changed
I was taught that its ok to either face down bottom of the pool or to face sideways...
It’s okay to be sideways just slower
God Bless America.🇺🇲🦅⚡️⚡️⚓️💀✝️🙏🏻
Always had a bit of phobia in water. Sidestroke was what i learned the best even though I could only do it on my left side and I led my kick with lower leg forward. That was in a nice chlorinated pool. There’s no way in hell I’d be out diving in the ocean at night in pitch black. If some aquatic life bumped into me under such conditions, I’d shit my wetsuit, freak out & probably drown.
I worked as a lifeguard, panic is the number one reason people drown. You can easily drown in waist high water if you get hit by a wave and lose your bearings. It can happen to anyone even competent swimmers, just remember to stop flailing and breathe through your nose, follow the direction of the bubbles, they always go towards the surface.
I think he had a stroke , slow speech call an ambulance
How is this better than breaststroke for military missions? 1) This swimming style involves flutter kicks that make the swimmer way more conspicuous (as seen in this video at least). 2) The swimmer can't see well, ahead in particular. And (3) it seems more tiring.
On actual missions they are almost always going to be using fins, which are below the surface, and improve the efficiency (speed/endurance to effort). The breaststroke requires popping your head up regularly, making you more conspicuous. I think sighting ahead with the CSS is much like swimming the crawl in open water, where you periodically (every few strokes) look ahead to see where you’re going.
😎🌎
It's certainly not a pretty stroke but it works.
нормально ты так загорел, Иван
Worst CSS this is why you don’t take swimming advice from NSW black instructors 🧑🏿🦲😂
Happy ending right squinty boy? Can u even drive squinty boy?
It’s pretty good form from what chiefs tell you
As a navy vet, only someone who bought their Trident from Amazon will say such rubbish. You don't know what you're talking about.