How to Swim Breaststroke: 5 Tips for Breaststroke Swimmers

Breaststroke is one of the four swimming techniques practiced by Olympian swimmers, along with the butterfly stroke, backstroke, and freestyle. As the slowest competitive swimming stroke, the breaststroke is an excellent workout and a very approachable technique since swimmers can keep their heads out of the water.

When learning the breaststroke technique, it’s helpful to break it down and concentrate on different body parts. Follow these steps to get your torso, arms, and legs in the correct position for the movement:

• Body position: When swimming the breaststroke, start face down. While your body position changes throughout the stroke, the orientation is relatively stable, with your head forward pointing in the direction you are swimming. As you are propelled forward by your arms, your upper body will tilt slightly backward, about forty-five degrees, lifting your head. During the recovery phase of the arms, your torso falls, once again entering the water. Once your arms are fully extended forward and your legs are drawn back together and pointing straight out behind you, you are back to the beginning in a streamlined position.
• Arms: At the top of the stroke cycle, outstretch your arms in front of you. Pull your arms outwards to slightly wider than shoulder-width. This is the outsweep portion of the arm movement. Now, turn your palms downward and push the water down and back, past your body (along a vertical axis). This motion is the insweep. Your arms are in the recovery phase as they return to the front, moving forward underwater.
• Legs: At the top of the cycle, start with your legs out straight behind you, toes pointed backward. While the proceeding arm movements are occurring, the legs are basically stable. The leg stroke begins towards the end of the arm strokes. Bend your knees, and bring your feet up toward the base of your spine; keep your knees pointed down and slightly outward. Now, move your knees away from each other and extend your feet out. This motion will assist in the beginning of propulsion using your legs. In a continuation of the same movement, kick in to bring the legs back together. Altogether, this breaststroke kick is what’s known as a “frog kick” or a “whip kick.” It should be one fluid motion, gradually accelerating to the finish, maximizing power and minimizing drag. At the end of the kick, let your legs glide together and straight out behind you.

It can be fun to incorporate a dolphin kick into your breaststroke routine at the more advanced level. Perform this leg kick with your legs together, moving in a coordinated up-and-down motion. This is usually permitted only once in competition-level swimming since it gives a distinct advantage to the swimmer.

Consider these helpful pointers to improve your breaststroke technique:

1. 1. Keep your focus. Focus on one step at a time, from your body position to your arms, to your legs. Integrating them will come with practice.
2. 2. Work on your timing. Ideally, your legs should be in the propulsive phase when your arms are in the recovery phase. This way, there is a longer amount of time spent propelling your body forward. After the slight pause in the glide position, you begin again, balancing the thrust from your arms and legs to increase your efficiency.
3. 3. Concentrate on your breathing. For novice breaststrokers, it is entirely permissible to keep your head above the surface of the water at all times, breathing when you need to. More experienced and competitive swimmers will want to bring their head and face out of the water only during the arm stroke, as the body tilts somewhat backward.
4. 4. Propel yourself with your legs. The arm stroke is important, but keep in mind that the majority of the power of the breaststroke comes from your legs. Unlike the front crawl, which emphasizes the arm movements, the breaststroke emphasizes the lower half of your body. It’s easy to overcompensate and rely on your arms, so try to stay aware of this tendency. Keep your elbows down, ideally beneath the water, and fairly close to your body when completing your arm pullout.
5. 5. Look at the water directly in front of you. Focus your eyes on the water a few feet in front of you, rather than the end of the lane. Looking too far ahead can force your body into a steeper angle, increasing drag and slowing you down.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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