The Effortless Swimming Podcast

Dec 9

Imagine holding a 1:05 pace per hundred for nearly two hours—no walls, no turns, just pure precision. Every stroke efficient, every breath controlled. How do you sustain that kind of speed without breaking down? What should your catch feel like? And how do you stay smooth when the ocean, the pack, and your own heartbeat are all working against you? In this episode, we dive into the story of Nick Sloman. He's not the biggest guy on the start line, and he wasn't a childhood prodigy. But over 12 years, he turned sheer efficiency into his competitive edge. After missing Tokyo, he rebuilt himself—not by training harder, but by learning how to swim smarter. His insights on feel for the water might just reshape the way you think about endurance, technique, and what it really takes to go the distance. 01:07 Head position 01:46 Posture And Body Position 02:20 Kick for balance 03:29 Breathing Pattern In Training And Racing 03:54 Catch and cross-body connection 05:20 Video analysis 06:02 Stroke rate 06:22 Open water swim technique 06:48 Stroke changes in open water 07:30 Sighting 08:03 Drafting 08:27 80km a week! 09:13 Hard swim workouts 11:52 Hardest race 13:30 Rest when you're ___

Dec 4

If you're someone who avoids flip turns—or you're completely out of breath every time you try one—chances are, it's not your fitness holding you back. It's your technique. In this episode, I'm breaking down a simple, step-by-step method to help you master the tumble turn, so you can actually save energy on your turns, move faster off the wall, and keep up with the swimmers beside you. By the end, you'll know exactly how to execute a smooth, controlled flip turn without getting dizzy, without gasping for air, and with way more rhythm and confidence. Let's dive in. 00:48 Approach The Wall Smoothly 01:50 Set Yourself Up On The Last Stroke 03:29 Initiate The Flip Into The Wall 05:24 Landing The Right Distance 06:34 Streamline 08:08 Eyes Down Into The Water 11:01 Breakout

Nov 27

Struggling with your arm dropping whenever you take a breath in freestyle? You're not alone—and there are five common reasons this happens. In this episode, we break down each cause, show you exactly how to fix them, and help you transform your breathing technique. By the end, you'll swim farther with less effort and finally feel like you have all the time in the world to take a smooth, controlled breath. Dive in and level up your freestyle. 00:38 Breathing 04:17 Rotation 05:57 Hand Entry 07:31 Exit Of The Opposite Hands 08:59 Starting Catch Position And Reach 09:54 Where Is Your Shoulder As You Reach Forwards 10:54 Quick Fix

Nov 20

There are so many different things you can do to get faster in your freestyle. In this episode, I'm gonna break down five proven ways that you can swim faster for less effort. Let's get into it. 00:26 Point Your Toes Inwards (42% Faster) 2:07 Dont Pat A Cat 3:19 Press On Your Chest To Bring The Hips Up 4:24 Reach And Extension 7:15 Increasing Your Distance Per Stroke 8:41 Accelerate Through Each Stroke

Nov 16

If you're taking 50 strokes a lap but should be in the low 40s, the issue might be your body connection — not your strength. In this episode, we explore how elite swimmer Becca Mann fixed her "shoulders and hips not connected" problem, dropped her stroke count by nearly 20%, and became a record-breaking open-water athlete. You'll learn what shoulder-to-hip connection really means, how to tell if you're disconnected, and the simple posture cues and drills (like 6-1-6 and side-kick rotation) that instantly improve your distance per stroke. A quick, practical guide to swimming farther and faster with less effort.

Nov 12

If you've ever been confused about the different types of freestyle kicks — two-beat, four-beat, and six-beat — this episode is for you. I'll break down what each kick pattern means, how to do them correctly, and when to use each one in your own freestyle to improve efficiency, rhythm, and speed in the water. 00:48 What Do Beats Refer To? 00:59 2-Beat Kick 05:31 4-Beat Kick 07:38 6-Beat Kick Get your HydroClear goggles here and get 15% off from your first purchase. Code: PODCAST https://shop.effortlessswimming.com/ Grab the freestyle checklist here: https://effortlessswimming.com/freestyle-checklist/ Work with us (stroke analysis coaching): https://effortlessswimming.com/es-training-and-membership-page/ Join a camp: https://effortlessswimming.com/camps 5-Day Catch Challenge ➡ https://members.effortlessswimming.com/c/5daycatchchallenge/ The easiest way to improve your catch and shave 5 seconds off your 100m free. Transform your freestyle in 33 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ignysw4pFO0 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PreNoGOEUE&t=7s

Nov 4

Two years ago, Brian Hans was swimming 2:00 per 100 yards—struggling to find rhythm and wondering if he'd ever feel smooth in the water. Fast forward to now, he's cruising under 1:30s and just placed 9th out of 171 in his Half Ironman swim. How did he make that kind of jump? What changes in his stroke made the biggest difference? And what nearly stopped him along the way? In this episode, Brian shares the breakthroughs, setbacks, and lessons from his two-year transformation—proving what's possible when you combine patience, feedback, and the right focus in training. 01:43 Introduction to Brian Hans and His Background 04:36 The Journey from Recreational to Competitive Swimming 07:06 The Importance of Technique and Video Analysis 10:06 Experiencing Breakthroughs in Swimming Performance 13:01 Navigating Open Water Challenges 15:57 Training Consistency and Session Structure 18:29 The Role of Flip Turns in Swimming Efficiency 21:39 Current Focus and Future Goals in Swimming 24:11 Patience and Long-Term Progress in Swimming

Oct 28

Bob Bowman — the legendary coach behind Michael Phelps and Leon Marchand — was recently on the Exponential Athlete Podcast, and listening to that episode completely changed the way I think about swimming. In today's episode, I'm going to share with you 12 powerful ideas I learned from that conversation — insights that can help you take your swimming to the next level. 00:53 Consistency Beats Perfection 01:40 Practice Performing Under Pressure 02:43 Process Over Outcome 03:35 Relax And Focus Under Pressure 04:02 The Power Of Underwaters 05:08 Different Approaches Can Work For Different People 06:97 Training Volume And Breaks 08:04 Visualization 11:52 Making Deposits To Your Swimming Bank Account 13:04 Creating An Environment Where Success Is Inevitable 14:09 Always Be Willing To Experiment 15:20 Importance Of Feedback And Data