Janet Evans' Total Swimming

If you train at least 1.5 hours/day, this book is for you. Most of the book is on workouts.

I took up swimming recently, and went through a stack of swimming books - this one offers the best overview (equipment, routine, strokes) - and workout schedule of any book I read, with specific advice on a number of topics -from what sort of swimsuit to get to advanced workouts. The book feels both personal - like you're getting advice directly from people who suceeded - without tying you down to one approach that might not be right for you - swimming is very nuanced and personal. I have found the books published by human kinetics to be sports reference books out there.

This is a great book for someone who already knows how to swim but wants to be a better swimmer. Maybe this book will make you a great swimmer. Her explanations are very down to earth so they are actually useful. I'm sure most swimmers don't have a PhD in hydrodynamics so why do some books write like that? This avoids those traps. She does a fantastic job at breaking down the strokes and what drills to use to improve parts of each stroke. She is also quite honest with the time and dedication it takes to be the best. You'll know if you're really trying! Also refreshing are these little fact boxes that discuss a side point to the text. You feel like you're standing next to Evans and overhearing her coversation. Good stuff.

I find Evans book a very good and practical one. It doesn't go into the details of swimming propulsion, lift forces, drag forces, vortex propulsion and all the other stuff, that quite frankly never helped me much. From the basics or swimming essentials all the way to the programs, it is an extremely good book and a great read.If you don't have a coach, this book is a MUST. I really like the "Programs". You can see and feel they are written in great detail and expertise ...well by Janet Evans!!! Thank you Janet. I highly recommend this book to any swimmer.

The book is a solid effort and a good reference manual for a newer swimmer such as a triathlete or a beginning masters swimmer. The book is divided into three sections, Swim Essentials, Workouts and Programs. The first section is primarily swim basics, equipment, technique and turns. The programs section is very "project management" oriented which is great for someone swimming on their own for a triathlon or supplement to a coached workout. The workouts section is segmented into varying degrees of difficulty and it was this section I was interested in. (But enough about my problems.) What impressed me most was Evans sticking a stake into heart of the 'low stroke count equals faster swimmer theory' with Janet Evans eloquently stating the following: "The focus on swim training is often on lowering stroke count to increase speed, and that tactic is solid as long as efficiency is not lost. My stroke count was quite high--about 40 strokes per 50 meters compared with 25 for the larger swimmers--but my strong pull and push underwater and rapid tempo combined to create an efficient stroke that earned me a gold medal against larger swimmers in that 400-meter freestyle race." -- Janet Evans If you are looking for a book that contains the "dark arts of swimming" with data never before expressed, it is not quite that but rather a reference book, a fitness guide, and on how to progress as a swimmer from slow lane to fast lane.