In this post, Australia-based MySwimPro Member Tim Petersen shares how the MySwimPro Training Plans helped him swim faster and lose over 20 pounds.

HI, MY NAME IS TIM:

I am 39 years old and I live on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia. I am married with two children (ages 5 and 2), and I run a property maintenance business for work.


MY SWIMMING BACKGROUND:

I swam competitively as a teenager, then coached adults and triathletes to help pay to put myself through university. I grew up in a small country town, and was never far away from water. High school for me consisted of trying to stay awake as we trained 2 hours every morning and 2 hours every night, 6 days a week, often sessions up to 8km.
I was predominately good at distance freestyle and butterfly. Our coach (Alan Turner) trained us hard, and to this day is one of the top 3 influences in my life, even though he passed away many years ago. A lot of my success in business is a result of what I learned from Mr. Turner.

MY TRAINING SCHEDULE:

Before I used the MySwimPro app, I mostly did running programs, which was very hard on my body. I was always battling injuries or getting sick.

“A few years ago I tried to get back into swimming and it lasted about 10 sessions before getting bored and stopping.”

Because my work can drag me all across the country (and even New Zealand), I find it hard to commit to a squad so I needed something that would keep me motivated, but also have structured programs that provided improvement and keep things interesting.
That’s when I set out to find MySwimPro.

I generally swim during my lunch break (benefits of being your own boss) and am lucky to almost always having a lane to myself in a heated, 50m outdoor pool all year-round. I can turn up, jump in, get what I need to done and get out and continue my day. I find the break from work (phones don’t work underwater) and exercise combination gives me extra energy and focus for the afternoon.

MY FITNESS GOALS:

So I set out to lose some weight, which to be honest wasn’t happening. I sat down with my doctor and we reviewed my training results on my phone.

“She politely pointed out that I wasn’t training hard enough.”

So I went home and decided to commit to MySwimPro’s 8-Week Build Endurance Training Plan so I could be held more accountable.

My goal when I started was to just finish the program. I wasn’t too excited to train harder, but as I began the plan I really found more motivation, adjusted my attitude and have now lost about 10 kgs (22 lbs) in the past 14 weeks.

“In addition to losing weight, I have also lowered my lap times, and my swimming has really improved with the training plans.”

Related: How to Follow a Training Plan in MySwimPro 

TRAINING WITH MYSWIMPRO:

I got MySwimPro Premium on my iPhone and Apple Watch and started with the Build Endurance Training Plan. After I finished that, I started the Enhance Speed Plan.

“With the training plans, I have enjoyed not having to think when I go to work out, I just turn up and start swimming. It tells me what I am supposed to be doing, when to push off the wall, what’s coming up next etc.”

I have also enjoyed having a plan to work towards, as I find without a plan I lose interest.
Finishing a training plan knowing you that for 12-weeks I have swum every single meter, even when I felt sick, or tired, or generally just not motivated, I still turned up and got it done. That is a great feeling.

Yes, I’ve lost weight from swimming, but what’s important is that I feel a lot better about myself, am a lot healthier all around and have a great tan too!

MY ADVICE:

The best advice I give to people about swimming is that it’s 90% technique and 10% fitness.
I see a lot of people who are a lot fitter than me, just jump in the pool and swim. Even though they’re very fit, they are a lot slower than me because their stroke technique is terrible. They are not efficient, and usually focus on the wrong things.
As much as the MySwimPro app is amazing, there is no substitute for stroke correction if you want real improvement. To get better at running, you just run more. Same with cycling, however if you want to swim fast (especially for long distances), you need to have an efficient stroke. In my experience, the best way to get that is by having someone watch you and provide you with feedback on things to work on.

WHAT’S NEXT:

I am about to finish the 1,500 Plan which has been challenging, interesting and very rewarding. I have been avoiding IM training programs because I still remember how much butterfly sets hurt, but the time is right now to take on the IMX Pro Challenge. Wish me luck!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Tim! You are crushing your goals and we can’t wait to continue watching your progress! 
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