Swimming the CSS and Treading Water - Step By Step Breakdown (videos)

Learning the CSS and Treading are two important skills for getting TO and THROUGH many training programs.  It is pure technique, effort, and repetition to master a skill. Get in the pool, master the technique and then get in shape to do it for the required time or distances.  Because most likely - Dude You are Not in Swimming Shape.

Here is a Breakdown of the Combat Swimmer Stroke (aka modified side stroke)



The CSS Broken Down

Top Arm, Bottom Arm/Breathe, Kick/Arm Recovery, and Glide. 

Top arm pull - FREE STYLE CATCH - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1OY_yQBiXM



Bottom Arm pull - BREAST STROKE SCULL (not a full arm pull) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iYjjZsAF-U


Scissor kick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJCRNWxiK_k
- think of a B-Skip dynamic warmup drill for how the top leg is supposed to go when doing the scissor kick for the CSS

Glide - Work on your streamline in the water - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0iNhqZDPpg  - this is how your glide should look after every kick / arm recovery of the CSS. 

Treading Water Requires Some 
Practice Time and Technique

*IF you are having a problem getting treading down with either the egg-beater or the scissors kick left/right, work on your mobility.  For most people, this is a mobility issue as people are unable to get their ankles up high enough with ankles turned out (like kicking a soccer ball to the bottom of the pool) and starting off the power stroke with shins near horizontal for the egg-beater (or alternating breast stroke).  Try a 5 min tread followed by 5 min mobility on the pool deck for 30-45 minutes to work on both.  

  
  
  

But You Have to Practice Treading Too...

We practice treading as part of our 10-minute warm-up and 10-minute cool-down every day we swim, and that is 5-6 times a week. 



Treading Water 


Treading - learn the breaststroke kick - or whip kick - https://www.enjoy-swimming.com/breaststroke-kick.html as it is very helpful to building up the legs for treading using the egg beater properly. 


The egg beater is nothing more than an alternating breast stroke kick - it is not two legs spinning in a horizontal circle in opposite directions like an egg beater (poor naming).   BUT think of it more of a vertical circle with a breast stroke kick.  Imagine kicking a soccer ball to the bottom of the pool with the inside of your foot. 

PS - You do not need to learn egg-beater.  It is just an option. You can also do an alternating scissor kick (left kick / right kick) if you prefer. 


Put it all together with pacing and learning HOW to take the PST:

500 yd swim
Pushups 2 min
Situps 2 min
Pullups max
1.5 mile timed run


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