Swimming for Total Fitness : A Progressive Aerobic Program

Rating:
Summary: Great¿comprehensive and accessible (without being facile)
Review: A once-avid swimmer who has lapsed for a decade or two, I appreciated both the extensive material (Katz covers EVERYTHING!‹from breathing and getting your face wet to advanced techniques and tips to improve form) and Katz's encouragement and contagious enthusiasm. An added bonus is her answers to a series of wide-ranging FAQ's. I can think of nothing that would make this book a better resource for beginners or experts, or for those of us who are somewhere along that continuum.

Rating:
Summary: fewer injuries, more joy
Review: After years of aerobic dance, running, and weight lifting, I wanted to find an aerobic activity that was less injury-prone. I turned to swimming, and found it to be the perfect alternative. An avid childhood swimmer, I just needed some tips for refining my technique--it wasn't until I picked up this book that I discovered that my breathing technique was all wrong! I also liked the ideas for progressively more intense workouts that went beyond just endless laps. This book gave me all that and more--I'm now doing flip turns and as Katz says, my joi de vivre now includes joi de l'eau!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Confidence Builder
Review: Excellent book for those of us adults who are timid about the water, but want to learn how to swim. I especially like how she has you practice exercises on land 1st, then apply them in the water. It gave me so much more confidence when I approached the pool. And I also recommend the "swimmers shape-up" exercises early on like she introduced as I found they really helped keep my muscles loosened up and avoid undue muscle soreness and stiffness after swimming. I also like that she doesn't assume the simple things come naturally (ie., even how to wipe the water from your face). I look forward to seeing how far along I can get with her progressive fitness programs at the end of the book once I'm comfortable with all 10 swimming lessons.

Rating:
Summary: Great inspiration - - discover the joy of the sport!
Review: I bought this because I wanted a better understanding of swimming as a sport. I had learned the skill of swimming like most people do in their youth, but since I wasn't very interested in or good at sports my learning stopped as soon as lessons did. In adulthood I rediscovered the joy of swimming and I wondered how I could develop more sophisticated skills. I also wondered how "real" swimmers think and feel about their sport and how they go about their training: what challenges them, what kind of routines do they use.
This book was perfect for me. The author began with the absolute fundamentals of having a relationship to the water and went on to suggest basic routines for the beginner like me. She then took her descriptions to routines for those on the advanced competitive level. I liked being able to see where a more talented person could and would go which is in itself very interesting even though I'll never reach that level; this insight puts my own beinning work into perspective.
After reading this book I was inspired to swim and continue improving my routines. I would never need another book on this subject after this one, it's that all-encompassing for the amateur.

Rating:
Summary: Great inspiration - - discover the joy of the sport!
Review: I bought this because I wanted a better understanding of swimming as a sport. I had learned the skill of swimming like most people do in their youth, but since I wasn't very interested in or good at sports my learning stopped as soon as lessons did. In adulthood I rediscovered the joy of swimming and I wondered how I could develop more sophisticated skills. I also wondered how "real" swimmers think and feel about their sport and how they go about their training: what challenges them, what kind of routines do they use.
This book was perfect for me. The author began with the absolute fundamentals of having a relationship to the water and went on to suggest basic routines for the beginner like me. She then took her descriptions to routines for those on the advanced competitive level. I liked being able to see where a more talented person could and would go which is in itself very interesting even though I'll never reach that level; this insight puts my own beinning work into perspective.
After reading this book I was inspired to swim and continue improving my routines. I would never need another book on this subject after this one, it's that all-encompassing for the amateur.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT book for anyone!
Review: I wanted to begin a swimming program but didn't know where to start--this book was definately the right place! The book takes you lesson by lesson in a very motivating and nonthreatening way. It covers everything from the very basics to indepth information on technique for the more advanced. It is easy to read and understand, but is also comprehensive in the information it covers. Not only does Jane Katz teach you to swim, but she then includes a series of workouts for the beginner, intermediate, advanced, and master. This book is the only one you need. I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: fewer injuries, more joy
Review: I've just decided to take it up again, but I have too much experience for the adult swimming courses at the local Y but wasn't fit enough to join the Masters swimming program. This book helped me relearn the strokes and got me back into the routine of swimming. It's even teaching me to dive, finally!

Rating:
Summary: Helping me get back in shape
Review: I've just decided to take it up again, but I have too much experience for the adult swimming courses at the local Y but wasn't fit enough to join the Masters swimming program. This book helped me relearn the strokes and got me back into the routine of swimming. It's even teaching me to dive, finally!

Rating:
Summary: something for everyone & lots for the beginner.
Review: the book cover features a quote noting Jane Katz as te Jane Fonda of swimming. probably true. heavily involved in the sport, she brings a very insightful view to the sport from all levels of experience. If you need to buy only one book to help you learn it all, AND give you a progressive series of workouts to fitness, this is i

Rating:
Summary: 20 years ago it might have been a good book
Review: This book might be helpful for very beginning swimmers to get started by learning about how to move in the water. But if you feel already confident holding yourself at the surface, I would not recommend buying this book. It teaches outdated technique, which makes your swimming unnecessarily slow and power-consuming. When I learned to swim 15 years ago the techniques and drills she teaches were already outdated, especially in the freestyle! The section on the turns are well written, but compared to recent articles in magazines like "Swimmer" the explanations are too complicated and confusing. Spend your money on books and videos by Emmett Hines or Terry Laughlin, it well get you the most rewarding experience.