Sidestroke - Swimming Outside the Paradigm

Why would anyone give serious attention to the sidestroke? It’s neither powerful nor particularly graceful (or fast). Sidestroke is not a competitive stroke so it's not useful for racing. Some may see it as a remnant of an earlier age of swimming, a kind of evolutionary anomaly, an archaic remain of swimming strokes long surpassed on the evolutionary chain. So why do I, a serious recreational swimmer, take so much pleasure and devote so much time to perfecting my sidestroke?I became curious about the stroke after reading a book called The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness, by Stew Smith. Smith explains that this is the basic stroke used by the SEALs in open-water operational swimming. This was confirmed by an acquaintance of mine who had served in the Israeli Naval Commandoes. I saw a video clip of the stroke on Stews' website and decided to give it a try.Sidestroke, it turns out, has many advantages. First, it's easy to learn. To see the mechanics of the stroke go to: http://www.getfitnow.com/article_48.html. Second, it can be done for long distances with minimal exertion. Sidestroke can be swum with or without fins. It’s non-stressful to the shoulders, lower back, and knees. For the competitive swimmer, it could be a useful recovery or cool-down stroke. The major disadvantage is that you mostly see to the sides and rear and not in the direction in which you’re headed.Why did I take to the sidestroke? I have a permanent injury in my right brachial plexus that prevents me from employing proper swimming mechanics. Essentially, I swim freestyle with one arm. I was very frustrated for a long time by the fact that I wasn't improving my speed in the freestyle. My main problem is that most (experts say at least 70%) of the propulsion in freestyle is generated by the upper body. Leg power accounts for a small amount of forward progress, particularly in longer distances. For a long time I tried to overcome my disadvantage by emphasizing core propulsion. No good. I know that core emphasis and hydro dynamics has been the big thing in swimming these last few years but I'm sorry to say that it really doesn't help if you are swimming the crawl with one arm. At least it didn't work for me.Sidestroke has been the answer for me. When I swim it, I feel I’m getting continual forward motion with minimal exertion. I feel completely coordinated and fluid. I am now at the point where I swim sidestroke faster than freestyle. The main reason is that the sidestroke kick is very powerful. I believe that, in my case, the powerful scissors kick accounts for at least 50% of forward motion, probably more. I have also modified the stroke to suit my unique needs. For example, I have added a slight flutter kick to coordinate with my arm stroke. Also, I undulate after pushing off the wall and before taking the powerful underwater double-arm pull. These give me added forward propulsion.A typical workout will look something like this (in meters):300: warm-up2x500: switch every 50 between right side, left side, and freestyle.200: cool down with finsor:200: warm-up1000: sidestroke for time. Switch sides every 100m.100:cool-downor:300 warm-up2x(4x75): each set of 75s done this way: #1: 75 right sidestroke #2: 50 right sidestroke,25 left sidestroke #3: 25 right sidestroke, 50 left sidestroke #4: 75 left sidestroke30 seconds rest between 75s, 2 to 3 minutes rest between sets. Speed done at about 90%.or:300 warm-up200 sidestroke with fins 200 sidestroke with paddles200 sidestroke with fins and paddles x23 minutes rest200 sidestroke for time200 cool-downTwo points of emphasis:1. As in other strokes, swim long. Try to take as few strokes as possible, but not to the point that you’re sinking between strokes. 2. Make sure your torso and arms are in streamline position (one arm straight up and the other at your side) when you kick. Good timing between legs and arms is essential if you want to take full advantage of the glide after your kick.The sidestroke encouraged me to look outside the paradigm of the four competitive strokes. In some cases, the four strokes may not provide the best answer for a particular individual. The sidestroke has greatly increased my swimming pleasure. I am now considering training for a 1.5km. open-water swim and I’m planning to use the sidestroke.