one of the best things I've ever learned while being alone is how to learn alone. yup. found out I can learn how to learn. alone.

exhibit A. they say you should take swimming lessons to learn the difficult butterfly stroke. well, it is like doing push ups, pull ups, core exercises, leg lifts, sit ups, squats, and macho dancing all at once while holding your breath. it is that difficult. seriously.

but I like challenges so I say nah. i broke down the butterfly stroke into smaller stuffs, figured out each smaller stuff, and put them all together. here are the smaller stuffs:

• learn the breast stroke. specifically, the breathing part.
• learn the dolphin kick. if you are a horny guy, this should be easy lol
• build triceps and chest strength with push ups, pull ups and weights. for the arm pull underwater. it feels like scaling a wall
• build shoulder strength and flexibility with weights. for that arm circular motion above the water
• build core strength with planking exercises, sit ups and leg lifts. for the dolphin kick
• build lung strength with cardio interval training. for stamina and holding the breath
• learn the arm circular motion while standing chest deep in the pool
• learn the arm circular motion while floating face down and holding the breath. no need for forward motion yet.
• combine the arm circular motion with the dolphin kick. this is the trickiest part to figure out. the timing should be precise.
• combine above item with breathing. this is the most exhausting part. again, the timing should be precise.
• video thyself. you need to see how youre doing it. for fine tuning the form. the form is very important in the butterfly stroke.

took me 2 months to figure everything out. ive started loving swimming because of this stroke. it feels so rewarding that i learned it alone.