Breastroke for Intermediate swimmers
The breastroke is a critical skill for swimmers who want to compete. However, because it is such a complex stroke, many swimmers have a tough time doing the breastroke efficiently. Once you teach yourself how to perform this efficiently, it will become much easier to win races, beat your own records, and have a great time doing it.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure you are doing the breastroke correctly. Check out the breastroke for beginners article on our site. You should also check with a certified swimming instructor or coach to make sure you are doing the moves properly. He or she can point out the tiny errors that could be holding you back.
We spoke with Emily Emily of Lapeer, Michigan, who is a competition swimmer and sixteen years old. She holds the school record in the 100 meter breastroke. She said many swimmers are a bit sloppy in their movements. “Keep your elbows out whenever your arms are moved towards your chest. Emily says that by keeping the elbows out, you will have more momentum to push ahead into the next stroke, with your shoulders out of the water at this point. Likewise, Emily said intermediate breastrokers can get a little lazy with the feet. She says that you will be much faster if you can get the feet moving correctly.
The power to move forward in the breastroke comes from the glide. The glide comes at the end of each stroke and at that point your arms and legs should be tight together. If you want to execute a stronger glide, it’s vital to kick more strongly with your legs. Leg stretches are Emily Emily’s secret to strengthening her legs for this purpose. She says you should hold each leg for a period of 10-seconds, release and then stretch the other leg. Every time you do it, try to get it higher.”
Stretch bands are another way to improve your speed. Wrap them around your legs and perform stretching exercises. For example, tie the ends of the band together and then wrap it around the ankles. You can do this at the edge of the pool by sitting down and stretching your legs in opposite directions. You can continue to repeat this exercise as long as it is still comfortable to do so. You can use the bands in the water too. Again, tie the ends together and wrap it either around your ankles or around your thighs. Use a kickboard to practice the leg motion. When you’re doing this kind of practice in the pool, it will improve your kick greatly and also make your legs stronger.
As you teach breastroke to yourself, your legs will learn these motions more effectively if you kick widely. Competitive swimmers at the intermediate level, however, do not use a wide kick because it can add resistance as they move to the next stroke. By narrowing the kick, there is less resistance and so you will go further on each stroke. As Emily said, leg strength is very important in improving your breastroke. The lunge is another exercise that can be used effectively to strengthen your legs. Stand up straight, and then move forward with one leg until your forward knee is bent at an angle of ninety degrees, moving your body downwards. Hold the position, then rise up and return again to the tall standing position. Repeat on your left leg. Most swimming experts feel that performing this routine 25 times per leg, three times per week is advisable. Follow with leg stretches.
Emily also recommends stretching and strengthening the arms, especially the triceps. Triceps dips are excellent exercises to do just that: Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you. Extend your arms behind you as you lean back and rest your weight on your hands. Next, push yourself off of the ground with your arms. Hold for a count of 10 and release.
Of course the best way to improve your breastroke is to just do it. Emily practices swimming with her high school swim team two hours each day, one hour of which is devoted to the breastroke. Emily says that the more she does it the better she is at doing it. During your practice, spend a certain amount of time on each aspect of this stroke. For example, try doing 10 length of just the kick (using a kickboard) or four lengths of the pull (the arms) can help strengthen weak spots while giving the other extremity a rest. Another area that Emily says her competitors need more work on is to practice the breastroke turn at the end of each length of the pool. For the breastroke, it is critical that both hands and both legs touch the wall. Immediately after contact, push an arm towards your new direction as you are propelling yourself from the wall. When that push-off happens, hold your body as straight and streamlined as possible for a more powerful glide.
Of course, excessive practice can also harm you. Many swimmers have damaged their knees by working too hard when practicing the breastroke. The outer angles of your knees receive the greatest amount of force during your kicks. Thus competitive swimmers, such as Emily, learn to listen to their bodies: If it starts to hurt, it’s time to take a break from the breastroke for a while, even a month or two. In the interim, do stretches and strengthening exercises. There are always other swimming strokes to focus on.
In the excitement of a race, it is essential to concentrate on your own efforts. Prior to the race, be certain to stretch, and don’t lose your confidence or calm. You need to be single-minded and only focus on what you are doing once you get in the water. Never look to see how your competition is doing, and focus entirely on your own movements.
If you want to make your breastroke better, you’ll need to efficiently rehearse your fundamental movements. By practicing them wisely and taking breaks when your body tells you to, you will be well on your way to an advanced breastroke.
