Valor said:
Every fourth stroke.
Until you’re swimming anything over a 100 and you get curb stomped the entire back half.
I’m not racing anyone, and I always swim long distance; I’m old and just swim to swim.
@Valor
No criticism, I was speaking from my experience.
Valor said:
Every fourth stroke.
Until you’re swimming anything over a 100 and you get curb stomped the entire back half.
Breathing pattern for my 100 free race was 2 breaths on the first 25, 3 breaths on each of the middle 50, and then 4 breaths on the last lap.
I’m a non-competitive swimmer and bilaterally breathe. Weirdly, if I try to swim a length breathing to the same side the whole way, it doesn’t matter which side, I feel nauseous.
Gentry said:
I’m a non-competitive swimmer and bilaterally breathe. Weirdly, if I try to swim a length breathing to the same side the whole way, it doesn’t matter which side, I feel nauseous.
I would get a kink in my neck. Three strokes bilateral made it disappear.
My old coaches strongly encouraged bilateral breathing, so I’ve stuck with every 3, 5, or 7 strokes. Keeps you balanced and won’t wear out the shoulder you’re leaning into when breathing (it’s always nice to avoid PT for rotator cuff injuries 
).
@Reed
Good for practice, not so good for racing.
Agree with both of these. My left shoulder is messed up from breathing too much to that side during training. But I was so much faster in races breathing to that side that’s all I did.
0 in the 50.
Every 4 in the 100.
Every 2 for everything above.
Every three, bilateral, non-competitive lap swimmer.
Middle-aged ex-competitive swimmer just swimming for exercise. Every 5 for the first half of my distance, then every 3 for the second half. Staying at 5 is tough for 800+ distances.
Every stroke. Or some would say every other… Every time my right arm recovers. Have done that for 12 years of competitive swimming and 25 years in total.
Every 2. Oxygen is my friend.
I train for longer distance races, 1.2-2.4 miles, and pretty much every competitive person on the planet over these distances breathes every chance they get.
I hate breathing on my left side. So generally every other stroke for anything smooth/moderate. If I’m getting closer to 75%+, I’ll inch up to every 4. If I’m doing a 100, I’m probably every 6.
Auden said:
I hate breathing on my left side. So generally every other stroke for anything smooth/moderate. If I’m getting closer to 75%+, I’ll inch up to every 4. If I’m doing a 100, I’m probably every 6.
Oh okay, makes sense.
I would do every four if I’m doing long distance; 3-2-3 if short distance, forget it.
Breathe every three so I can alternate from breathing on the left to the right side. Might go four coming into my flip turn and breath first stroke out of the turn. Always did this for short and long distances. I do not do open water swimming. I was taught to breathe every three to keep an eye on the swimmers in the other lanes when competing.
When I’m pulling 1 breath per 25 yd, sometimes I’ll add another at the flag for the flip. lol.
One every two for 200 up, one every four for 100, and one breath total for 50.
Every four.