The Effortless Swimming Podcast

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Sports
**The Effortless Swimming Podcast**

Faster times and better technique aren’t a guarantee when you train hard. What really makes a difference to your speed and efficiency in the water? The Effortless Swimming podcast helps make a complex sport really simple to better your swimming. We cover open water swimming, triathlon swimming and pool swimming. Hosted by Australian National swimmer and coach Brenton Ford.

Latest Episodes:

#414 : The Breathing Fix That Dropped My Time 12 Seconds with Brenton Ford Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

I watched a swimmer fix one breathing mistake and drop 12 seconds per 100 meters—not in four months, but in four weeks.

No extra fitness. No added training volume. Just one specific change in how she breathed.

That single adjustment took her from 1:48 per 100 down to 1:36 per 100.

In this episode, I break down exactly what she changed, why it worked so fast, and how you can apply the same breathing fix in your very next swim—whether you're training for endurance, speed, or just want to stop feeling rushed every time you turn your head to breathe.

If your breathing feels like the limiter in your freestyle, this episode will change how you swim.

01:45 Head Lifted Forward Out Of The Water 03:49 Correction No. 1 Your Head Should Be Like An Iceberg 04:32 Correction No. 2 Exhaling Ender Water Mostly Through Your Nose 05:14 Correction No. 3: Breathing Every 2 or 3 Strokes and Learn To Breathe On Both Sides.

#413 : How I qualified for the Nationals (at 38 years old) with Brenton Ford Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

At 20 years old, I missed qualifying for the National Championships by three hundredths of a second in the 50 backstroke. Fast-forward 18 years, and at 38, I qualified for Nationals in the five-kilometer open-water swim—training mostly just three times a week.

In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly how I did it in my late thirties: the one thing an Olympic gold medalist taught me that helped me generate more power with less effort, why getting injured before the race actually worked in my favor, how just five minutes with one coach changed my technique in the final two months, and the single workout I repeated every week that built my endurance and helped me finish fast.

01:19 Missed Out Again 01:53 Stroke Analysis 3:41 Olympic Gold Medalist Secret 5:48 Swimming Workout 7:17 Injured 8:22 Race Day 8:48 The Best Anti-Fog Goggles 9:42 My 5km Time (Qualified)

#412 : The 5 Core Principle Of Fast Freestyle (#5 - Find Your Rhythm And Timing) with Brenton Ford Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

.Today, we are talking about the 5th and final Core Principle of Fast Freestyle: find your rhythm and timing.

00:36 The Dancing Part Of Freestyle 01:13 Kick Timing 04:35 Use Different Types Of Kick 10:33 Serape Effect 13:35 Hand Speed 14:07 Split Tempo 17:54 Drills 19:22 8 Week Faster Freestyle Course

Join the 5 Day Catch Challenge Join the Effortless Swimming Membership Effortless Swimming Freestyle Clinic

#411 : The 5 Core Principle Of Fast Freestyle (#4 - Develop An Effective Catch And Pull) with Brenton Ford Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

01:40 No Need To Overpower The Catch 03:07 Teaching The Four Key Positions 04:00 Start Of The Catch 06:00 High Elbow Catch 07:35 Power Diamond Position 10:20 Exit Of The Stroke 11:36 YMCA Drill Progression 14:38 More Drills To Work On Your Catch 15:07 Setup Phase 16:35 Path Of The Hand 17:57 Hand Speed

#410 : The 5 Core Principle Of Fast Freestyle (#3-Rock, Return And Align) with Brenton Ford Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Today, we are talking about the third core principle of Fast freestyle which is Rock, Return And Align.

00:36 Rock v.s. Rolling 02:15 Return 03:24 Correct Entry 06:08 Align

#409 : The 5 Core Principle Of Fast Freestyle (#2 Find Your Balance) with Brenton Ford Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

01:46 Proud Posture 05:06 Taut Core 9:00 Effective Kick

The 5 Core Principles Of Fast Freestyle: https://effortlessswimming.com/5-core-principles-of-fast-freestyle/

#408 : The 5 Core Principle Of Fast Freestyle (#1 Breathe Deep And Relax) with Brenton Ford Dec 28, 2025

Show notes

01:45 Use Your Diaphragm 02:29 Breathing Exercises Out Of The Water 03:42 Box Breathing 04:04 Relax Your Chest And Upper Back 05:38 Having The Right Posture 06:52 Letting Go When You Exhale

#407 : 10 Ways To Increase Your Swim Speed with Brenton Ford Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, I'll share ten ways to increase your swim speed and become a better swimmer. So, let's dive in and explore these effective strategies.

00:35 Train Another Stroke 01:56 Change The Way That You're Training 03:10 Being Diligent With Your Skills 05:12 To Become Supple 05:59 Joining a Squad Or a Group of Swimmers 09:06 Occasionally, Don't Track Anything 10:25 Keeping Calm Under Pressure 10:43 Commit To A Swim Block 13:48 Pick One Thing And Stick To It For Three Months 15:35 Get Professional Help

#406 : What does 1:05/100m for 2 hours look like? with Nick Sloman Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

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 ___

#405 : Why Most Swimmers Run Out Of Air In Flip Turns with Brenton Ford Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Effortless Swimming Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected