Breaststroke Technique

Posted by LD on December 2, 2010 under Breastroke | 2 Comments to Read

You can swim the breaststroke in the next Summer Olympic Games the same way you get to Carnegie Hall: The age-old joke is still right: “Practice, Practice, Practice.”

What separates Brendan Hansen (who at this writing has been called the fastest breaststroke swimmer in history), Michael Phelps and other Olympic and world class swimmers apart from the rest of us is their dedication to doing the basics over and over again until they do them correctly.

Jeremy Baker should know. While he was growing up in Michigan he spent 16 years doing competitive swimming. His training began early, at the age of five, and won the all-state honors in competition for four years in a row after years of developing and practicing his skills. He continued to be competitively involved in college till he chose to follow a different path. He has kept his hand in the sport and now coaches other swimmers at the Troy Swim Club.

While the breaststroke was not his strongest stroke, Baker has plenty of advice for those who want to take their breaststroke to the next level. According to Baker, you need to work to build strength which will, in turn, help you to become better at basic swimming skills. One of Baker’s recommendations is working on making your legs stronger, to kick harder, by doing exercises on land. According to Baker, there’s a myriad of machines that incorporate pulleys that help to make your legs stronger.

In fact, Baker adds, that the weight machines that really work the groin muscle help kicking strength even more, especially for what is known as the “frog kick”, which is used in the breaststroke. Other machines he recommends are leg extensions, squats and “anything that works the hip flexors.”

Another area that should be worked to improve performance includes the arms, doing exercises such as triceps kickbacks or bicep curls to build strength. And performing bench presses will go a long way toward strengthening the chest, Baker said.
If you are an advanced breaststroker, you’re probably wondering how often to work out. “At least three times a week,” Baker said.

However, there is a time and a place to do weight training. Wayne A. McCauley, who is a former breaststroke champion as well as in the weeks leading up to a competition, many athletes are told by their coaches to slow down on their weight training exercises. However, his own personal method differs a bit. He tailors his training depending on his vertical leap. As McCauley has noted on “Getting Stronger For Faster Swimming,” his own website, he’s found that once he ceases his weight training a few weeks before his race, the improvement of his vertical leap rises some 6-10 inches! He’s of the opinion this is a great advantage both in his start and his turnovers compared to anyone who continued training with weights up to the race.

In addition, diet is also important when preparing for a race. Most people have heard about the large amounts of food that competitive swimmers are known to eat, especially during a competition. The reason for this is that just 30 minutes of doing the breaststroke can burn as much as 300 calories. “Swimming can fix anything you eat,” as Baker puts it.

Unfortunately, there are always some swimmers that eat too much. Don’t forget about that rule your parents told you about waiting to swim for an hour after you’ve eaten. So don’t eat a seven course meal right before your advanced breaststroke race or you’ll sink like a stone and finish dead last. Stay away from any carbonated liquids or energy drinks as well since they can creates a chemical imbalance in your body. Champion swimmers usually have coaches who encourage staying at no more than 3,000 calories, plus eating a lot of protein. For swimmers that want to learn how to move up to the highest levels of competitive breaststroke swimming, repetitive practice of swimming basics is the best way to train. Performance evaluation levels created by the National Safety Council have been listed in their “Learn to Swim Program” and can show you the difference in levels for pros and amateurs.

The Body: Amateur swimmers are allowed to bend their bodies while doing the breaststroke. Expert breaststrokers may not.

Feet: Novices have the choice to keep their feet together or not. Breaststrokers who are experts are not allowed to let legs and feet come apart and must maintain streamlining through the glide.

Arms: Novice swimmers must have paired arm movements and the elbows must be bent. However, in the case of expert breaststroke swimmers, the arms of the swimmer must never go wider than the width of their shoulders, while their elbows must also remain bent.

Breathing: Breathing patterns are not part of the evaluation for a novice, but expert swimmers are required to inhale at the water’s surface, as well as exhaling as they extend their arms while in the glide. Coordination: Novice swimmers are asked to do their best to coordinate the kick and pull, advanced swimmers have the options of alternating their kick-pull, but the guidelines set forth by National Safety Council for expert swimmers require “strong coordinated propulsion.”

The best way to hit your benchmarks is having a mental picture of exactly how the moves look. For example, Baker recalls the motion of a dolphin bobbing up and down through the water. This helps with upper body motion. When you can picture this movement in your head, you’ll think about lifting both shoulders and chest as you dive forward for each stroke.

For the kick, the best advice is to concentrate on having a streamlined position during the glide. To get everything you can from the glide, hang on to it for a moment before you go with the following stroke. For anyone with a goal of being an advanced levels swimmer, Baker’s advice is always that they become a member of a Master’s swimming club. U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) is currently listing over some 50,000 members at over 500 clubs all across the country. Adult swimmers that want to increase their skill level can join these clubs to participate in clinics, workout sessions and even competitions. According to its website, about 30 percent of USMS members compete regularly. Another example is 7,0000 competitors showing up for a Master World Championship recently.

“You can’t beat a Masters Swim club,” Baker said, for getting everything you need to be an advanced level breaststroke swimmer. Plus, you’ll get all the camaraderie and support from being with people who share your passion.

It’s always a challenge to make it to the upper levels of a particular sport. You need to work consistently to increase your overall body strength through regular practice and drive in order to achieve it. Another factor that swimmers need to take into consideration is the big role that genetics can play in relation to your body type, strength and ability to become a champion breaststroke swimmer. By paying close attention, and incorporating these tips, you can be sure to have the odds on your side.

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