Breathing to both sides makes your freestyle symmetric and keeps you oriented in open water. Learn the three-stroke rhythm and switch between two and three.
Bilateral breathing means breathing alternately on both sides, classically every three strokes (three-stroke rhythm). The reason isn't showing off, it's symmetry – if you always breathe to the same side, you almost inevitably build a lopsided stroke and drift to one side over time.
Think of the simple mechanics: to breathe, you roll onto one side. Do that only to the right and you roll further right than left – your whole rotation becomes one-sided, and in open water you unknowingly swim in curves. Breathing bilaterally is like alternating steps in dancing: it keeps you straight.
And one more practical advantage: if you can breathe to both sides, you look left and right in turn – in a lake, in a triathlon, or with waves from one side, that's worth gold. You're not dependent on your "good side".
Important up front, to avoid a misunderstanding: breathing bilaterally doesn't mean you must breathe less often in competition. It's a training tool for symmetry and orientation, not an obligation. Many fast swimmers train on the three-stroke and breathe on the two-stroke in a race. Both belong in your toolbox.
### 1. Understand the counting rhythm On the three-stroke you breathe every third arm stroke – so alternately right, left, right. On the two-stroke you breathe every second stroke and stay on one side. The three-stroke builds symmetry, the two-stroke brings more air.
### 2. Tame the weaker side first Deliberately swim a few lengths breathing only on your untrained side. That way you bring the weak side up to the strong one before combining them in the three-stroke.
### 3. Build the three-stroke slowly Alternate between "a few three-stroke breaths" and easy swimming. No strain: if you run out of air, briefly return to the two-stroke and restart the three-stroke.
### 4. Breathe from the rotation, not the neck Bilaterally too: the body rolls, the head turns with it, one ear stays in the water. On the weak side people tend to yank the head – consciously breathe from the rotation.
### 5. Use both rhythms situationally Train technique and easy distances on the three-stroke (symmetry), and switch to the two-stroke in hard intervals or sprints when you need more oxygen. Both are allowed – you decide situationally.
Practise new breathing patterns only where you can stand, and strictly avoid hyperventilation or deliberate long breath-holding – that's dangerous in the water.
If you feel dizzy on the three-stroke, you're probably exhaling too little and building up CO2. Go back to a calm two-stroke, exhale fully underwater, and only build the three-stroke again once it feels relaxed.
Train the "2-3-2-3" switch: one length two-stroke, the next three-stroke, alternating. That keeps oxygen intake high (two-stroke) while symmetry is still regularly trained (three-stroke).
For open water, the "variable" rhythm is also worth it: practise switching breathing sides on the spot so you can flexibly breathe to the sheltered side in a lake when waves come from one direction.
### Why should I learn to breathe on both sides? Mainly for symmetry. Breathing always to the same side rolls you further that way and builds a lopsided stroke – costing efficiency and causing unwanted curves in open water. Bilateral breathing balances the rotation and additionally gives you a clear view to both sides.
### Is the three-stroke rhythm better than the two-stroke? Not generally – they have different jobs. The three-stroke makes your stroke symmetric and trains both sides but delivers less air. The two-stroke gives you more oxygen and is the better choice at high intensity and in sprints. Train both and switch depending on the situation.
### My weak side feels terrible – is that normal? Yes, completely normal. Your untrained side simply has fewer repetitions. Practise it in isolation by breathing only on that side for a few lengths. After a few weeks it feels much more familiar, and the three-stroke then runs almost by itself.
### How exactly does bilateral breathing help in open water? You can look left and right in turn to orient yourself by the shore, buoys or fellow swimmers. If waves or sun come from one side, you simply breathe to the calmer, glare-free side. Someone who can only breathe one-sided, by contrast, quickly loses orientation in a lake or swallows water.
### How often should I breathe in freestyle at all? As often as you comfortably need oxygen – holding your breath is not a fitness trick. On easy distances the three-stroke fits (every three strokes), at higher intensity the two-stroke (every two strokes). Don't force yourself into long breath-holds to look "tough"; that only causes CO2 build-up and tension. Regular, calm breathing keeps your technique stable.
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