You can swim the breastroke in the next Summer Olympic Games the same way you get to Carnegie Hall: That’s right: As the old joke goes, “Practice. Practice, and more practice. Or more explicitly breastroke training, training training
The thing that sets Brendan Hansen (currently named as the fastest swimmer in breastroke to date), Michael Phelps, and many other breaststroke world record holders above the rest of the world is their willingness to repeatedly practice the basics till they know they have them down perfectly. Another swimmer that understands the meaning of dedication is Jeremy. 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 also competed at the college level until he decided it was time for other things. He has kept his hand in the sport and now coaches other swimmers at the Troy Swim Club. Even though the breastroke was not his personal specialty, Jeremy offers pointers to others who want to raise their breaststroke technique up a couple notches. According to Jeremy, you need to work to build strength which will, in turn, help you to become better at basic swimming skills.
One of Jeremy’s recommendations is working on making your legs stronger, to kick harder, by doing exercises on land. Jeremy said there are a variety of weight machines that use pulleys to strengthen the legs.
He points out, “You want exercises that will push the groin, because that area is a major part of the ‘frog kick’ when you are doing the breastroke.” Other machines he recommends are leg extensions, squats and “anything that works the hip flexors.”
Don’t forget about working on your arms by doing both bicep curls, as well as triceps kickbacks. And performing bench presses will go a long way toward strengthening the chest, Jeremy said. If you are an advanced breastroker, you’re probably wondering how often to work out. Jeremy’s recommendation is, “Plan a minimum of 3 workouts each week.”
However, there is a time and a place to do weight training. According to former breastroke champion and master swimming coach Wayne A. McCauley, 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. McCauley’s own training routine is directly dependent on his own vertical leap. According to his website “Getting Stronger for Faster Swimming,” McCauley notes that his vertical leap improves 6 to 10 inches when he quits weight training in the weeks before a race. He said this gives him an advantage in the start and during turns over swimmers who keep up weight training.
Another important consideration when you’re getting ready for a race is your diet. 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 breastroke can burn as much as 300 calories. “Swimming can fix anything you eat,” as Jeremy puts it. Unfortunately, there are always some swimmers that eat too much. The old adage about waiting an hour after a meal before swimming is true. So don’t eat a seven course meal right before your advanced breastroke race or you’ll sink like a stone and finish dead last. Energy drinks and sodas are also counter-productive and can interfere with the natural chemical balance of your body. A 3,000 calorie diet that has a major focus on lean proteins is what most coaches recommend to their swimmers in-training. Remember the “practice” adage, and work on fundamentals till you have them down pat, if you want to achieve the higher levels of competing in breastroke swimming meets. The “Learn to Swim” program, which is sponsored by the National Safety Council, set benchmarks in performance evaluation that helps to separate professional swimmers from amateurs.
The Body: Amateur swimmers are allowed to bend their bodies while doing the breastroke. Professional breastrokers are not allowed to do that.
Feet: Novices have the choice to keep their feet together or not. breastrokers 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. With pro breastrokers the arms are allowed to be shoulder width only, and their elbows must be bent as well.
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 should try to coordinate their kick and pull; more advanced swimmers may alternate their kick and pull but expert breastroke swimmers must have “strong coordinated propulsion,” the National Safety Council’s guidelines say.
The best way to hit your benchmarks is having a mental picture of exactly how the moves look. For example, Jeremy recalls the motion of a dolphin bobbing up and down through the water. This image helps him to think about his 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. Focusing on keeping your position as streamlined as possible during the glide will help you to improve your kick. Hold it for a second to get the most out of the glide before starting the next stroke. For anyone with a goal of being an advanced levels swimmer, Jeremy’s advice is always that they become a member of a Master’s swimming club. U.S. or United States Masters Swimming organization has over 50,000 members at over 500 clubs 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. The recent Masters World Championship had more than 7,000 participants.
If you are committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve the level of an advanced breastroke swimmer,” Jeremy says, “there’s nothing better than a Masters Swim Club!” It’s also fun to have the support and friendship of people who have the same passion you do. Getting to the elite group of any sport is a challenge. It takes constant practice and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make your body as strong as possible. 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 breastroke swimmer. Regardless of the obstacles you must overcome, however, you can definitely move the odds a lot more in your favor if you follow the tips we’ve shared with you in this article.