The Effortless Swimming Podcast cover art

The Effortless Swimming Podcast

The Effortless Swimming Podcast

By: Brenton Ford
Listen for free

About this listen

Faster times and better technique aren't a guarantee when you train hard. What really makes a difference to your speed and efficiency in the water? The Effortless Swimming podcast helps make a complex sport really simple to better your swimming. We cover open water swimming, triathlon swimming and pool swimming. Hosted by Australian National swimmer and coach Brenton Ford.Effortless Swimming Water Sports
Episodes
  • #420 : The Real Reason You Are Out Of Breathe with Brenton Ford
    5 mins
  • #419 : Only 6 Swimmers In History Have Done This with Sam Short
    Mar 9 2026

    So what does he do that 99.999% of swimmers don't? How is he able to swim this fast?

    I've spent my career analyzing the best swimmers in the world, but watching Sam swim up close is a completely different experience. I've never seen anyone hold as much water as he does, even at world-record pace.

    What stands out the most isn't just the speed. It's the relaxation. His recovery looks effortless, and the way he reaches forward into the catch is incredibly fluid—almost calm—despite the intensity of the pace he's holding.

    When Sam shared some of his training with me, one thing surprised me. He's consistently swimming up to 80 kilometers a week. Massive volume. Huge power in the stroke. But when you ask him what really matters, he often comes back to the basics—simple things like rock-solid head position and clean fundamentals.

    If you're a triathlete or an open water swimmer, Sam's power stroke isn't just impressive to watch. It's actually a blueprint for efficiency.

    So today, we're breaking it all down—the sets, the technique, and the mindset around recovery that helped take him to the very top of the sport.


    01:27 Sam Short Intro
    01:30 How Do You Describe Your Stroke When You Race?
    01:47 Developed Overtime?
    2:00 Mobility And Flexibility
    02:20 What Does Swimming Fell Like When You Are Swimming Well?
    02:39 Any Particular Part Of Your Stroke That You Are Working On?
    02:53 400 Free v.s. 10k Openwater Swim
    03:12 Kicking Sets
    03:28 Cues And Phrases
    03:45 Stroke Rates
    04:03 Head And Body Position
    04:43 When Body Position Is Not Where It Should Be
    05:06 Good Feel For The Water
    05:28 Breathing Pattern
    05:54 Rotation
    06:19 Openwater
    06:47 Favorite Sets
    07:26 Hardest Set
    07:50 Distance per Week
    08:10 Taper
    08:28 Sessions Per Week And Gym
    08:48 Being A Smarter Athlete

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • #418 : I'm Now 8 Seconds Quicker Per 100m with Brenton Ford
    Mar 9 2026

    Six months of consistent training.
    You're showing up to the pool. You're doing the sets. You're putting in the work.

    But your times… haven't moved.

    You're still sitting at 1:50, maybe two minutes per hundred, and no matter how hard you train, it just doesn't seem to change. And that can be one of the most frustrating places to be as a swimmer or triathlete.

    Because it feels like you're doing everything right.

    You're consistent. You're committed. You're following the program.

    But you're not getting faster.

    So what's actually going on?

    In this episode, I'm going to show you why swimmers get stuck at the same pace for months, even when they're training consistently—and more importantly, what you can do to finally break through that plateau and start dropping your times again.

    00:56 Plateau of Okay
    01:33 Fixing Everything At Once
    01:57 Stroke Raste Too Slow
    04:04 Fixing The Foundation Of The Stroke
    06:13 What To Do?

    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.