Making it in the breastroke competition at the next Summer Olympic Games is just like getting to Carnegie Hall. That’s right: As the old joke goes, “Practice. practice, Practice.” Or more specifically breastroke training, training training.
Olympic swimmers, such as Michael Phelps and breastroke world record swimmers, such as Brendan Hansen who is known as the fastest breastroke swimmer in history, have achieved such a high level of accomplishment in large part due to their dedication to regular training and repetition of the basic swimming fundamentals. The person who knows that well is Jeremy. He was a competitive swimmer for 16 years in his native Michigan. Hitting the water as a 5 year old, he proceeded to develop skills that took him to receiving four consecutive years of all-state honors. He continued to be competitively involved in college till he chose to follow a different path. However, he never got too far away from his sport, and today he’s with Troy Swim Club as a swimming trainer and coach. Even though the breastroke was not his personal specialty, Jeremy offers pointers to others who want to raise their breastroke 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. He also says that weight machines that work on a system of pulleys are the best to use to make your legs stronger.
“The ones that push the groin are really good for that,” he said, because the groin is used so much during the “frog kick” portion of the stroke. Other machines he recommends are leg extensions, squats and “anything that works the hip flexors.”
Arm work is important too, so biceps curls and triceps kickbacks are not a bad idea. And performing bench presses will go a long way toward strengthening the chest, Jeremy said. How often should an advanced breastroker work on weight machines? “At least three times a week,” Jeremy said.
Keep in mind, though, there’s a “right” place and time for training with weights. Wayne A. McCauley, who is a former breastroke champion as well as a master swimming coach, states a lot of coaches advise their students to cut back on weight training a few weeks before a race. But McCauley says he does things a bit differently. 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’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. It’s a fact that swimmers burn in excess of 300 calories during 30 minutes of breastroke swimming. “Swimming can fix anything you eat,” as Jeremy puts it. Nevertheless, swimmers have been known to go too far at times. The old adage about waiting an hour after a meal before swimming is true. You should never eat a huge multi-course meal just prior to a swimming race or you will not be able to swim very well and will ultimately finish last. Nor should you guzzle down energy drinks or soda as they will interfere with your body’s chemical balance. Most coaches recommend elite swimmers stick to a 3,000 calorie diet that is heavy on protein. For swimmers that want to learn how to move up to the highest levels of competitive breastroke swimming, repetitive practice of swimming basics is the best way to train. 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.
Body: Beginning breastrokers are allow to let their bodies bend. Professional breastrokers are not allowed to do that.
Feet: Novices may or may not have their feet together. 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. However, in the case of expert breastroke swimmers, the arms of the swimmer must never go wider than the width of their shoulders, while their elbows must also remain bent.
Breathing: Novice swimmers are not evaluated for their breathing pattern but expert breastroke swimmers must have their mouths at the water’s surface to inhale and they must exhale when their arms are extended during 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 secret toward achieving these benchmarks is to give yourself pictures of what the moves look like. For example, Jeremy recalls the motion of a dolphin bobbing up and down through the water. This will also have an effect on the motion of your upper body. Having an image like this will remind you to dive forward on each stroke, keeping your shoulders and chest lifted in the water. For the kick, the best advice is to concentrate on having a streamlined position during the glide. 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. Masters Swimming (USMS) currently has more than 500 clubs across the nation with more than 50,000 members. These clubs offer workouts, competitions, and clinics for any adult swimmers who want to improve their swimming skills. According to its website, about 30 percent of USMS members compete regularly. Another example is 7,000 competitors showing up for a Master World Championship recently.
“You can’t beat a Masters Swim club,” Jeremy said, for getting everything you need to be an advanced level breastroke swimmer. 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. However, by following these tips, you can certainly swing the odds in your favor.