Training drills with Lucy Buckingham

We’re launching a series of blog posts focused on the importance of incorporating training technique into your swim training. With help from the Orca Triathlon Team, we’ll be sharing fundamental exercises that you can do in the pool to enhance your style and build confidence in open water swimming.

 

 

But why is it important to work on swimming technique, even for seasoned professionals?

 

• Efficiency and speed: With better technique comes faster, more efficient swimming, helping you cover more ground with less effort.

 

• Energy conservation: In a sport like triathlon, where two more disciplines follow the swim, reserving energy is crucial.

 

• Injury prevention: Poor swimming technique can increase the risk of injuries, especially to the shoulders and back. Proper technique helps distribute the workload more evenly across muscles and joints, reducing the likelihood of injury.

 

• Confidence and control: Solid swimming techniques instill confidence and control in the water. This is especially important in open water where unforeseen conditions such as currents, waves or nearby competitors may arise. Strong techniques help triathletes stay calm and focused in these situations.

 

Developing swimming technique is essential for any triathlete, regardless of skill level. Solid technique not only improves performance in the swim stage, but also contributes to overall racing success.

 

 

 

Kicking off this blog series is Lucy Buckingham, the British triathlete renowned for her speed in the water and is a member of the BMC.

 

Lucy made her Olympic debut representing Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics at 20 years old. In 2014, she participated in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and began her middle-distance career in 2019.

 

 

 

Stroke technique with Lucy Buckingham

 

These exercises aim to improve shoulder rotation and body position in the water. You’ll need a snorkel and fins to assist with these exercises.

 

1. Grazing your side with your fingers: During recovery, slide your fingers so they touch your side, keeping the elbows high and bringing the arm as far forward as possible.
2. Touching the shoulder: During recovery, touch the shoulder with your hand, which makes it easier to do a correct rotation of the shoulders because you’ll have more range of motion.
3. Complete recovery: This is a combination of the two previous exercises which can be a little more complex.