Fitness Swimming (Fitness Spectrum)

My rating of 4 stars is based on 5 for that chapter, and 1 for the remainder.


Well worth while   December 6, 2000
Cuffleyburgers (Italy)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Covers much the same ground as Total Immersion, but I found went slightly further.

Apart from good drills etc the best of these books leave the reader fired up & reaching for the old swimsuit, ready to go, and this book definitely does that.


An essential purchase   July 11, 2000
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

If you only buy one book on swimming then this should be it. It covers the latest freestyle techniques in the manner of the Total Immersion program which is not unexpected as Hines is a TI coach. But is also provides a structured system in which to apply these skills and a complete skill, fitness and goal program to work through progressively.


Don't just get your feet wet, but dive right into this book!   August 19, 1999
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

There's an old saying about paradigms--"If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got." I have been a "triathlete" for the past ten years. Well, at least that's what I told people. Trouble was, I couldn't swim the length of a 25-yard pool. However, every year I was determined to learn how to swim and finally become a "real triathlete." And every year I continued to give up after struggling to do it on my own. Finally, two months ago I was fortunate enough to attend a "Total Immersion" workshop which was coached by Emmett Hines. I couldn't believe it when the first thing he said he wanted me to do was swim the length of the pool, let alone the fact that he was going to videotape it. I skipped the warm-up laps everyone else was doing just so I could have enough energy to swim the entire twenty-five yards! Well, when my turn came, I took a big deep breath and swam to the other side...barely. Next came the fun (ha-ha) part--evaluating the video. The way Emmett was talking about the others, who were mostly experienced swimmers, I hoped he forgot to turn the camera on for my turn. But then this swimmer came on the monitor who made me start laughing...yeah, it was me. It took me 21 strokes to swim the length of the pool. Although I prayed that Emmett would just give me a book to read and I would learn to swim by the end of weekend, I found out we were actually going to have to swim in the pool! We began in the classroom, where Emmett instructed us on proper "fishlike-swimming" before we returned to the pool to practice the techniques. I found out after I bought "Fitness Swimming" the next day that everything Emmett taught came right from his book. Less than 24 hours from the first day's videotaping session, Emmett videotaped us again. Although we hadn't spent much time actually swimming, Emmett just said to concentrate on the drills we had practiced the day before. The results...12 strokes! And I wasn't even tired! However, as we sat in the classroom for the last time, I had just one question for our instructor, "How was I going to keep improving when I returned to Sicily (the workshop was in Dallas) and what was I supposed to do next?" It was at this point that Emmett brought out a little box containing copies of "Fitness Swimming." Needless to say I bought the book immediately and have read it and re-read it so many times the past two months that I need another copy. The book is very well organized and easily readable. In fact, in my library of several hundred fitness-related books, I can say without a doubt this book is by far the best in every category! One last thing, did I mention that by following Emmett's schedule in his book, I swam 1,500 meters this morning! So shift your paradigm, buy this book!!!