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Aerobic
Training which requires plenty of oxygen. It focuses on the making the heart and respiration rates.
Anaerobic training
Training which uses movements which require very little oxygen. These are quick explosive actions which last a short space of time such as sprinting.
ASA
Amateur Swimming Association. The main swimming association in the United Kingdom.
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Backcrawl
This is the fastest stroke you can swim on your back. It is the reverse of frontcrawl.
Bombing
Bombing is the art of making a huge splash in the water. It is often dangerous and should not be done in public swimming pools unless you are given permission from the lifeguards.
Breaststroke
This is the slowest stroke and it is swum on your front. Your arms move in a circle out in front of you and your legs move like a frog's.
Butterfly
Butterfly is the most complex of the four main strokes. The butterfly kick is similar to frontcrawl but with your legs together. Your arms also move together in an up and over motion.
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Dolphin kick
This is the kick used in butterfly which is similar to the style of a dolphin. Each butterfly arm cycle should be accompanied by two dolphin kicks.
Drills
Training exercises which can help develop your stroke and fitness
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Exhale
Breathing out.
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Fina
The major world governing body of swimming. It is an abbreviation for La Féderation Internationale de Natation.
Fins
Also known as flippers. There a lots of different types. The two most common are mono fins which are a large single fin with inserts which hold onto both feet. The other type is the normal fins which you wear on either feet.
Fly
A shorter term used to describe butterfly.
Freestyle
see front crawl.
Front crawl
Front crawl is the fastest and strongest stroke. It is swum on your front and is also known as Freestyle because there is no set technique.
Front crawl turn:
see tumble turn.
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Gala
A swimming contest is often called a swimming gala.
Goggles
A pair of tight-fitting eyeglasses that protect your eyes and help you see better underwater.
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Heat
The swimming race you have to win before the final. There may be more than one round of heats.
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Individual medley
Individual medley events are held over 200m and 400m, with the competitors using all four strokes in each leg in this order; butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
Inhale
Breath in.
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Keyhole pull
The 'keyhole' is the shape you make with your hands and arms when you swim butterfly.
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Lanes
One of a set of parallel courses marking the bounds for contestants in a swimming race. There are usually eight lanes in a competitive pool.
Lengths
Unlike in athletics and motor racing where they run laps, in swimming they swim lengths.
Long course
This means a swimming race swum in a 50m pool. The other type of race is called short course and this is swum in a 25m pool.
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Medley
In the medley event, swimmers compete using all four strokes. However, the freestyle leg must be swum using the crawl.
Medley relay
In the medley relay a different swimmer swims each leg using a particular stoke, in this order; backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
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Olympian
An athlete who has competed in the Olympic Games.
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Racing turn
These are the quickest possible turns used in competitions for each of the four strokes.
Relay
A race which involves more than one person representing his team.
Respiration
The process of inhaling and exhaling, otherwise known as breathing.
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Sculling
A stroke which mirrors the sculling movement of an oarsman, with the swimmer using their arms to propel themselves through the water. Can be done on their back or their front.
Short course
This means a swimming race swum in a 25m pool. The other type of race is called long course and this is swum in a 50m pool.
Stamina
Physical or mental strength to resist fatigue and tiredness. Someone with good stamina, or hardship; endurance
Starting platform
The block which swimmers must start a race from in Butterfly, Breaststroke and freestyle.
Streamlined
Swimming in a style which offers the least resistance to the water.
Swim-off
In the event that swimmers from the same or different heats have equal times registered to 1/100 second for either the eighth place or sixteenth place, there shall be a swim-off
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Torpedo kick
This is a kick used with the body in the shape of a torpedo. The arms are stretched out behind the head with the elbows tucked in.
Tumble turn
This is the turn which is used in front crawl races, where the swimmer does a somersault in the water to make the turn as quick as possible.
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Undulation
The body movement used in butterfly. Moving your head and hips up and down through the water like a dolphin.
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