Why Rhythm Matters: 3 Years of Total Immersion Swimming

Exactly 3 years ago, I completed my first Total Immersion swimming course with Total Immersion Polska.

Swimming (and sports in general) regulates me emotionally. I've now swum nearly 1,000 kilometers. Thanks to swimming, I stepped out of the IT bubble where I spent the last 20 years.

The People Who Made It Possible

I've met wonderful people with whom time flies by:

• Paweł Lewicki — my mentor, whose positive approach to the world and people builds my sense of self-worth
• Witold Musiał — a dear friend with whom I train once or twice a week. We're completely different but united by our love of swimming. You can always count on Witold.
• Aleksander Ryszka, Daniel Bobrowski, and many others who inspire others with their passion for sport

How Sport Changes You

Doing sports like swimming literally changes a person:

• You meet people from different worlds who care about their health
• You start combining healthy habits
• On YouTube, you watch enthusiasts who inspire further growth

Physical Transformation

It turned out I grew 4 cm taller. The combination of hanging exercises and swimming stretches the spine. My ID said 178 cm, but at my 40+ checkup it showed 182 cm. Not everyone shrinks with age!

Lifestyle Changes

• You start paying attention to what you eat and when
• Alcohol almost completely disappears (I'm not radical, but even non-alcoholic beer stopped appealing to me about two years ago)

The Rhythm Training Method

This is what interval training looks like in Total Immersion style (breathing on three, two-sided, with two leg kicks instead of six).

At some point, you can no longer improve results by swimming the full distance in one go. 20-second breaks between intervals are needed.

My Goal: 15 Minutes per Kilometer

My goal this year is 15 minutes per kilometer. Only by working with intervals can I achieve it.

The Most Effective Exercises

The most interesting exercises for me are:

1. Metronome drills — maintaining a consistent tempo
2. Speed pyramids — controlled tempo changes with structured rest

From Swimmer to Product Creator

My restless seeker nature led me to create the programmable swimming metronome BeatBuddy Pro, which after two years of work is entering pool tests this month.

To have solid expertise, instead of more IT courses, I completed Total Immersion coaching certifications — first and second level (pool and open water). This isn't my main occupation (that's still IT and the music industry), but paradoxically, these two seemingly completely alien worlds merged in BeatBuddy.

Today's Milestone

Today, after three years of training, I swam 1 km in 15 minutes. With intervals (meaning with breaks), but it's still a huge success for me. When I started, it was 30 minutes.

Why I'm Sharing This

I'm sharing this story because I've been fortunate to meet people who help me grow. I also meet those who want to grow themselves.

If you have trouble with breathing in freestyle, reach out privately. Breathing and rhythm in freestyle is my specialty.

Upcoming Event

Check out our next swimming event combining cross-country skiing with swimming training at skiandswim2026.totalimmersion.pl.

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