Basic moments

During breaststroke swimming, the movements of the arms and legs are performed in the water without lifting into the air. Breaststroke is the quietest style. With hand movement, you are unlikely to have problems. But with legs it can be more difficult. In this case, you can pick up the board and train your legs separately.

As for proper breathing, for a deep breath (through the mouth), the head rises above the surface of the water at the moment when the hands go back. In fact, this is facilitated by the movement of the whole body, so in water such a movement is felt much more natural than when reading. The exhalation should be done with the nose and mouth into the water.

The main rule is that movements in the water should be smooth. The effort should not be excessive, and the breathing should remain deep and even.

Of course, breaststroke should not be considered something elementary. When you want to noticeably increase your speed, you will most likely need the advice of a coach to correct your mistakes. But for starters, you should be able to learn how to swim with the help of the following videos.

Video # 1: body position

From head to feet, the body should be in one smooth line. The face is immersed in water during exhalation. During inhalation, the head is pushed out of the water in a single motion. At the same time, the spine remains straight, and the shoulders and neck are not overstrained. Special attention worth paying for: the stomach should be pulled in while swimming.

Video number 2: legs

It is the correct kick off that makes the main contribution to speed. Pull your heels as close to you as possible so that you can then make a strong push. During the movement of the lower legs towards the center, the feet also move towards each other.

Video # 3: hands

Hands should rake in as much water as possible, guiding the body forward and up out of the water for inhalation.

Video # 4: breathing

Proper breathing allows you to supply your muscles with the oxygen they need for strong, efficient movement. Do not strain your shoulders while inhaling. A smooth exhalation while moving the arms backwards helps to lift the head out of the water for inhalation.

Breaststroke is not the fastest, but the most economical in terms of energy expenditure, swimming style. Observe the frogs, notice how leisurely and easily they move in the lake. These amphibians literally glide in the water. Try to repeat their technique, then you will understand how to properly swim breaststroke. If all goes well, you can breaststroke for hours. Unlike frogs, which act instinctively, humans are forced to use intelligence and knowledge to try to learn how to properly swim breaststroke. It is best to consult a professional trainer. Your own theoretical knowledge will also come in handy, especially for those who already own breaststroke and want to work out the technique on their own.

One of the differences with breaststroke is that the movements of the arms are made without bringing them to the surface and into the air. However, this style has certain advantages. Breaststroke makes it possible to move silently, cover long distances. It is used by divers and rescuers when transporting victims.

Choosing a reservoir

If there are several options to choose from, you need to consider all of them. When choosing where it will be more convenient to conduct swimming lessons, focus on your own preferences.

Pool

A professional trainer will advise the pool. Smooth bottom, smooth water of uniform temperature, less risk of drowning, it is possible to keep several people under full supervision. If the pool is indoor, you can practice in any weather.

Sea

The sea is not always happy with complete calm. Small waves and even light ripples can significantly complicate the development of the technique for people without experience in sea bathing. Uneven bottom, jellyfish spoil the mood. But for a person who knows and loves the sea, these are trifles that should not be paid attention to. The undoubted advantages of sea water include healing effect: it tightens the skin, makes nails stronger, relieves dandruff.

River

The current is not the best ally for inexperienced swimmers. In addition, there is the likelihood of an unpleasant meeting with water snakes.
Density fresh water lower than the sea, it is more difficult to swim in it, it does not "hold" the body so well. For swimmers with great experience the difference is imperceptible. But beginners who learned to swim at sea will feel the difference.

Lake

In addition to the low density of fresh water and the opportunity to get acquainted with snakes, the disadvantages of lake bathing include the presence of mosquitoes in evening time and an uneven, slippery bottom covered with silt. Cold underwater springs are undoubtedly dangerous in the form of seizures. A turbid water will not allow you to see broken glass left by ill-mannered picnic lovers on the seabed.

It is best to choose a body of water where you feel confident. An unfamiliar environment makes it difficult to fully concentrate on the learning process.

Learning the correct breaststroke

In the process of teaching the correct breaststroke, you need to pay attention to the slightest nuances. It is easy for an adult, like a child, to learn, especially under the guidance of a trainer.

The main points of attention for those who want to learn are:

• Body position.
• Hand movements.
• Leg movement.
• Breath.
• Synchronization of movements.

Body position

The body is positioned horizontally along the surface of the water. Lie facedown on the water with an asterisk, then bring your legs and arms together. Swipe in this position as much as possible. This exercise is aimed at feeling how confident a person is in the water.

Initially, the body is fully straightened, the arms are brought forward, the legs are closed, the head is immersed in the water ("torpedo" shape). When the hands make a raking motion, the head comes out of the water and inhales (cobra shape). Then the body is given the shape of a "frog" - the knees are bent, the heels tend to the buttocks, the feet are unfolded, the hands are under the chest. The tucked up legs make a jerky movement, the arms, after completing the stroke, straighten, the head is lowered into the water, an exhalation is made. The body is fully extended again.

Hand movements

IMPORTANT: The main rule for the arms in breaststroke is the palms are straight, the fingers are closed. Do not spread your fingers, we have no membranes between them, so it will be difficult to swim.

You can work out the correct hand movements while standing in the water:

1. Go into the water up to your neck and stand.
2. Bend your elbows at chest level with your elbows and wrists horizontal. The palms are touching back side, directed forward, fingers closed.
3. Without opening your palms, straighten your arms, using your palms as a "wedge" cutting through the water.
4. Open your palms with the backs down.
5. Spread your arms out to the sides in a circular motion, gradually bending your elbows. At this time, the palms first move horizontally. Then they gradually unfold with the back side outward, as if "raking" the water.
6. The movement ends starting position: arms are bent at the elbows at chest level, palms are brought together in a "wedge".
7. Repeat everything in a complex, in a smooth, uniform movement.
8. Continue making the movements automatic.

Leg movements

IMPORTANT: Leg movements serve to push off, a powerful push that throws the body forward. The more powerful the push, the higher the speed.

You can practice this exercise with a swimming board:

1. Step into the water up to your chest or neck. Place your shoulders and arms on the board. The body and legs will be in the water. The legs and body are straight.
2. Stretch your legs by bending your knees at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The knees are directed downward, the feet are slightly turned to the sides.
3. Straighten your legs, spreading slightly, as if pushing off the water. The push will move the body forward.
4. Repeat all in one motion.

Breath

At the final stage Roundabout Circulation arms slightly pushes the body upward when the arms begin to converge at the chest. The head is raised and inhalation is taken. When the palms “wedge” cut the water, the face sinks. The exhalation is carried out into the water through the nose. Breathing should be even. You should not rush to breathe, it is much better to inhale and exhale slowly and slowly. Find the rhythm of movement that is optimal for your breathing. You can practice without leaving your computer. Stand up and try to combine your hand movements with inhalation and exhalation.

Synchronicity

IMPORTANT: Movements should not be abrupt.

The main task: to synchronize movements and breathing into a single whole, bring it to automatism.
Straightening bent legs should occur simultaneously with the movement of the closed hands forward. The body is fully straightened, the face is lowered into the water - this gives the fastest possible movement, given by the push with the legs.

How to breaststroke fast or mistakes that slow us down

Beginners often ask the question: "How to breaststroke fast?" or "How to quickly learn to swim breaststroke?". This style is the slowest, apart from the Doggy style (if, of course, it can be called a style). It will not be possible to overtake a swimmer using a crawl or butterfly with a breaststroke. Correct technique, absence of mistakes, will allow to increase the speed.
The world record for breaststroke swimming in a 50-meter pool at a distance of 100 meters was 57.13 seconds, and a butterfly stroke - 49.82 seconds.

Another burning question is the number of strokes for a distance of 25 or 50 meters. The numbers are called different 8, 10, 12. The number of strokes depends not only on the technique, but also on the height and length of the arms. A 180cm swimmer will take fewer strokes than a 160cm tall swimmer.

Wayne Goldsmith provides advice from Terry Guthercole, an outstanding athlete and coach who has trained several Olympic champions. Terry recommends not focusing on perfecting your perfect stroke technique, but instead focus on correct form body as a whole.

Errors

A lot of mistakes are made, especially when you are taking your first steps in breaststroke training. It is impossible to list everything. Let's consider the most common and rude ones. It is better to entrust the correction of minor inaccuracies to the coach, he has a trained eye.

Common mistakes:

1. The head is above the water all the time.
   This is permissible if you are leisurely swimming "for yourself", not caring about speed, powerful jerks and correct strokes... With a professional approach, it is dangerous to behave this way, neck injuries are possible.
2. Early or late or inhalation.
   Leads to the ingress of water into the respiratory tract. Try to breathe in when your head is out of the water as much as possible.
3. Straining the shoulders while inhaling.
   Trying to keep the water out of their mouths, swimmers strain their arms and shoulders, trying to rise above the water as high as possible. This leads to premature fatigue.
4. Stroke too wide.
   Hands go behind the back, which leads to fatigue and overexertion.
5. Push.
   There are two major mistakes associated with push.

• The legs were already straightened, the body went forward, and the arms were still bent.
• Taking off with the legs together.

The art of breaststroke swimming will help turn swimming from a pleasant form of rest and relaxation into real sports activities that develop physically and temper the body. You can do it regardless of age. For some diseases, doctors strongly recommend it, for example, for scoliosis, as a method of treatment and prevention. Pregnant women will spend time in this way with the health benefits of their own and their baby. Office workers will pump up their muscles. Nervous companions will relieve stress. Fatties will lose weight. Relax profitably!

Throughout its long history, mankind has developed many different swimming styles. Currently, the main swimming styles are freestyle (crawl), backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Below we will tell you about the main features of each of them.

The content of the article :

Freestyle

Ian James Thorpe is a five-time Olympic champion specializing in this swimming style.

The All-Russian Swimming Federation defines freestyle swimming in this way: "Freestyle means that a swimmer is allowed to swim by any means, arbitrarily changing them at a distance." Previously used as freestyle: breaststroke, side swimming and trejen style. In the 1920s, all these swimming styles were supplanted by the more advanced and faster crawl.

Krol has been known to mankind since ancient times. Despite this, European and American athletes for a long time did not know anything about the crawl, giving all their preferences to another swimming style - breaststroke. Western civilization was able to re-"get acquainted" with the crawl in 1844 at the competitions in London, where the American Indians who used the crawl easily outstripped the eminent English athletes swimming breaststroke. For a long time Europeans could not overcome prejudices and refused to swim in such a "barbaric" way, in their opinion. But soon (in the 1870s) the Englishman John Trejen, who traveled to Argentina, learned the crawl technique from the indigenous local population and a few years later presented his new style at competitions in Britain (however, John adopted only the movements of his hands from the Indians - he still worked horizontally). Then his technique was improved by the brothers Dick and Tooms Cavill of Australia (who were greatly influenced by the swimming style of the inhabitants of the Solomon Islands). The so-called "Australian crawl" that emerged in this way was modified a little later by the American Charles Daniels, who also included six-stroke kicks in it. Thus, Daniels created the "American crawl", from which the development of the modern style proceeds.

Crawl (from the English crawl - "to crawl") - a style of swimming on the chest, in which the swimmer makes wide strokes along the body, alternately left and right hand while continuously and alternately raising and lowering your legs. The athlete's face is in the water, and only periodically during one of the strokes, the swimmer turns his head in order to take a breath.

Freestyle Swimming Lesson

Backstroke

Clement Kolesnikov - six-time champion Olympic Games specializing in this style of swimming.

Backstroke - A backstroke style visually similar to an inverted crawl. Just as in the crawl, the swimmer performs alternate strokes with his hands here (although the stroke is performed with a straight arm, not a bent one), at the same time, continuously and alternately raising and lowering his legs. Since the athlete's face is almost constantly (except for the start and turns) above the water, there is no need to exhale into the water. Interestingly, initially for backstroke, athletes used a technique that looked like an "inverted" breaststroke, not a crawl. It was in this form that backstroke was first included in the program of the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. But already in 1912, the American Harry Hebner, using an inverted crawl for backstroke, was able to become a gold medalist at the Stockholm Olympics. After that, the backstroke very quickly replaced the breaststroke. Backstroke is the 3rd fastest swimming style, and the only one in which the start is made directly from the water.

Backstroke lesson

Breaststroke

Yulia Efimova — five-time champion Olympic Games, specializing in this style of swimming.

Breaststroke (from French brass - "hand") is a style of swimming on the chest, in which the swimmer makes simultaneous and symmetrical movements of the arms, as well as simultaneous and symmetrical movements of the legs in a horizontal plane under the surface of the water. Among all swimming styles, breaststroke is the oldest and, at the same time, the slowest.

The cave paintings of the Egyptian "Swimmer's Caves" (c. 9000 BC) depict swimming people, whose body positions resemble those of a person when moving with a modern breaststroke. Descriptions of this style of swimming are found in some medieval authors: for example, the Dane Nicolas Vinman (1538) wrote about the breaststroke, as well as the Frenchman Melkisedek Thévenot in his work "The Art of Swimming" (1699). It is interesting that for a long time, right up to the XX century, breaststroke continued to be called simply "frog swimming".

Initially, athletes swam breaststroke, constantly keeping their heads above the water. But in the 1930s. many swimmers, including representatives of the Soviet swimming school, began to lower their heads into the water when bringing their hands forward. Since then, this style of swimming has included several more changes and continues to change to this day.

Despite the low speed of movement, the breaststroke is distinguished by many characteristics that are indispensable in applied swimming: the ability to swim silently, to see well the surface space, to overcome long distances.

Breaststroke lesson

Butterfly

Michael Phelps is a renowned 23-time Olympic champion specializing in this swimming style.

Butterfly (from the English butterfly - "butterfly", the alternative name "dolphin") is a swimming style on the chest, in which the swimmer performs simultaneous and symmetrical movements of the left and right parts of the body. With his hands, the athlete performs a powerful stroke along a wide trajectory, due to which the front part of his body rises above the water, at the same time making symmetrical wave-like movements of his legs and pelvis. Of all the swimming styles, the butterfly is the most energy-intensive, requiring maximum endurance and precision.

The butterfly stroke appeared in 1935, and was then considered a new type of breaststroke allowed for use in competitions. But in 1953, due to the huge speed advantage over the classic breaststroke, the butterfly was singled out as a separate swimming style.

Butterfly Swimming Lesson

Swimming is considered one of the healthiest sports directions which promotes wellness, helps to lose weight and has a positive effect on coordination. Various swimming styles are known, which have their own technique and unique differences.

Basic swimming styles

The main classification divides the existing areas into two groups: training and amateur. The first includes the following styles:

1. Sports... Direction means covering the distance in a certain amount of time. There are four styles sports swimming: crawl and crawl on the back breaststroke, butterfly.
2. Applied... This style is used by people whose activities are related to water, such as lifeguards.
3. Game... Such swimming is associated with conducting different games on the water, so, this includes water polo.
4. Figured... The direction is used in order to. It is also called artistic and synchronous.
5. Wellness... This includes swimming styles used by humans to improve their health, and healing styles are aimed at restoring the body.

Breaststroke swimming style

A type of swimming on the stomach, performed in the "frog" technique. It is considered to be the most energy consuming. All types of swimming, breaststroke style among them, have peculiarities, so, in this direction, movement is provided by the lower limbs, and the hands set the rhythm and pace. During swimming, a person symmetrically spreads his arms along the line from the chest, and shocks are made with his legs in a plane parallel to the water. During swimming, the swimmer immerses his face in the water, periodically raising it to take in air.

All swimming styles are unique and breaststroke requires upper and lower limbs that cannot be brought to the surface. There is a certain subspecies - the breaststroke on the back, which is not included in, but at the same time it has great applied value, that is, it is used in the field of assistance on the water.

Tips for breaststroke swimmers:

1. Experts recommend that you start moving your arms not too fast, and then increase your speed. The movement of the upper limbs should end when they slide in the water.
2. For one raising of the head, it is important to have time to inhale and exhale. Breathe in quickly with your mouth, and exhale slightly more slowly with your mouth and nose at the same time.
3. To accelerate, you do not need to surface with each stroke, but according to correct technique the head should be raised with each stroke.

Swimming crawl style

Freestyle involves swimming on the chest, in which you can develop great speed. It is used to overcome long distances in a short time. Freestyle swimming involves making alternating wide strokes on the floor. bent arms... In this case, there is an alternate raising and lowering of the lower limbs in the vertical axis. The movement of the legs is identical to the scissors. During swimming, the face is lowered into the water, and in order to inhale, the swimmer turns his head towards the hand, which is lifted above the water, and at the beginning of the swing.

Tips for crawl swimmers:

1. Improve rhythmic footwork by doing it by swimming with the board. In this case, an inhalation should be done for every sixth beat. Swim at least 200 m per set.
2. Introduce your hand into the water, moving parallel to the line of motion, which will make the stroke more efficient and the glide better. Hands should work parallel to each other and not go into the center.
3. To make a stronger and longer stroke, make sure that the body performs rotations - rolls from one side to the other.

Backstroke Swimming Style

This direction is inverse to the traditional crawl and the technique is visually similar. The backstroke style is distinguished by the fact that the swimmer's face will be constantly directed upwards, and it is under water only for a few seconds at the start and during turns. Thanks to this, a freer breathing is provided, so you should inhale while carrying one hand, and exhale with the other. The backstroke technique implies that the elbows, when performing the main part of the swing, should not bend, but slightly turn when moving back and down.

Tips for back crawl swimmers:

1. Try to stretch your body as much as possible, taking a horizontal position so that your shoulders are not higher than the pelvis.
2. The head should be an extension of the body, so you should not throw it back or forward.
3. In order for the kick to be strong, it is not allowed to bend in the knee area. The limbs should be straight and only slightly bent, making wave-like movements.

Butterfly swimming style

The direction, which is also called "butterfly", is difficult and demanding. The swimming style is performed on the stomach. To learn to swim in the butterfly style without problems, it is necessary to achieve perfect synchronization of the actions of both parts of the body. The technique involves the performance of wide and strong strokes with the hands while simultaneously performing wave-like movements with the lower limbs and pelvis.

All swimming styles are based on correct breathing, and it must be adjusted to the movement of the hands: inhale when they are lifted over the water, and exhale when the limbs pass the line of the shoulders. The dolphin swimming style is considered to be a modernized analogue, differing in the movement of the legs. In the classic butterfly, they move along the breaststroke technique, and in the dolphin, like the tail fin: up and down the vertical plane, which helps to speed up the movement.

Tips for butterfly swimmers:

1. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, without moving them apart or bringing them closer to each other. It is impossible to place the limbs close to the body and lower the shoulders deeply.
2. Be careful not to get your hands out of the water early, as this leads to greater body bend and less stroke.
3. All movements must be performed simultaneously and at the correct pace, otherwise the speed will slow down.

Fastest Swimming Style

According to the conducted research and, according to the reviews of the swimmers themselves, the crawl is the fastest style. On the next step, there are two types, which are approximately equal in speed - a crawl on the back and a butterfly. Describing which of the swimming styles is considered the fastest, it is worth understanding why the crawl is the leader, so the whole point is that the hand returns to its starting position in the air, which helps to make a quick movement. Air resistance is less than water, so the more the body comes out of the water, the greater the speed.

Slowest swimming style

We learned about the fast form of swimming, but the breaststroke is the slowest, and the braking moment is to blame when the arms are extended in front of you. Finding out which style of sports swimming is the slowest, it is worth pointing out that for a long time in Europe breaststroke was the main direction and the first records were set in this technique. Swimmers during training and the competition themselves tried to increase their own speed in various ways, for example, by moving their arms.

Rare swimming styles

There are not only four main styles, but also other directions that are not so common. Some swimming styles in the pool and in open water are forgotten, for example, the Colchis-Iberian species is rare, the main difference of which is that the swimmer does not use limbs, but swims, performing dolphin-like body movements. During this, the hands are pressed against the body, and the legs are held tightly closed. In the summer of 2002, G. Kuprashvili tied his hands and feet and swam across the Dardanelles in 3 hours 15 minutes.

Swimming style tregen

The name of this type of swimming is associated with an Englishman who borrowed it during a trip to South America... It is believed that the breaststroke style of sports swimming is at the heart of trejen, for example, the technique implies the position of the swimmer on the chest, and the head should be above the water, and the arms take turns. A feature of the style is the movement of the lower limbs in the horizontal plane, which are similar to scissors. There is only one leg movement per stroke. It existed until 1912.

Over-arm swimming style

WITH of English language the name of this style translates as "over the arm", and it implies swimming on the side. It is believed that this direction was inherited by England from the Indians. It is impossible to say which swimming style is the most useful, since they all load the body, so the over-arm technique involves the execution of the hand from below, the stroke under water, and the other limb rises above the water and is carried forward to perform the stroke. The leg movement is identical to the breaststroke style. Rescuers continue to use over arm.

Suei Jutsu Swimming Style

Already from the name it is clear that this type of swimming appeared in Japan. In the middle ages samurai with early childhood learned suiei-jutsu - Japanese martial arts, which is dedicated to the study of different martial swimming techniques. This unusual style of sports swimming of that time taught people to move in the water in ammunition, and also to swim and carry a banner over them or shoot a bow. Samurai were also taught to swim with their hands and feet tied. Suiei-jutsu included mastering such techniques: walking in the water, jumping out of it and wrestling.

After training, Japanese soldiers were tested, and the masters performed a trick - "calligraphy on the water", that is, the swimmer had to swim and write hieroglyphs on the board at the same time. If the ink, board and nib remained dry, then the training was considered successful. Japanese ninjas received similar skills, only they had to be able to swim silently. In modern Japan, this style of swimming is almost forgotten, but the masters of technology still try to keep the tradition.

Sapling swimming style

It is believed that in Russia they swam in an unusual style called "saplings". Today it is used as one of the name of the crawl, but judging from the technique, it is wrong. This old Russian freestyle is faster. Rare styles and the methods of swimming have an unusual name, so it is believed that "fathoms" came from the depths of the pools, where people learned to swim, because fathom is 2.13 m.

Swimming is one of oldest species a sport that allows you to get in shape and strengthen muscles, improve blood flow and relax.

There are several sports swimming styles, but the most famous of them is breaststroke.

They are radically different in execution technology, involve different muscle groups, and are also used for different purposes. What to choose for swimming - crawl or breaststroke?

Let's look at these techniques and try to answer this question.

The crawl is the fastest way to swim, because due to the technique of its execution, the water resistance is felt by the swimmer is minimal, and the uniform work of the right and left sides of the body allows you to quickly increase the speed.

Currently, in almost all freestyle competitions, athletes choose exactly the crawl.

It is described in detail in a separate article. If we consider it briefly, then it consists of the following:

• A man lying on his chest alternately rowing with right and left hand and simultaneously works with his legs, raising and lowering them.
• During swimming, the swimmer's face is turned down, but simultaneously with one of the strokes with his hands, he turns his head towards the "working" hand and inhales.
• As for - you always need to release air only into the water, and inhale - at the moment when the hand is just starting to stroke, that is, it rises above the surface from the side of the pelvis. You can inhale both at each stroke, and after 1, 3, 5, etc. It is important to always start inhaling from one side so as not to interrupt the breathing rhythm.

Outwardly, it looks like this:

There is also such a concept as a crawl on the back or swimming on the back - in this case, a person performs all the same movements, but lying on his back, in addition, strokes are carried out with straight arms, not bent arms, and much less attention is paid to breathing control. In this case, the main work is performed by pectoral muscles, the broadest muscle of the back, the deltoid muscle of the shoulder and calf muscles.

Brief description of the technique "Brass"

Breaststroke is another style of sport swimming that the swimmer uses works with arms and legs parallel to the plane of the water, and does it symmetrically, not alternately. Breaststroke is also used on the chest, but it is the slowest style.

The technique is as follows:

• The person is on his chest, his hands are lowered into the water, divorced from each other (each in its own direction) and perform simultaneous stroke, after which they bend at the elbows, almost nestle against the body and return to their original position - in front of themselves.
• At the moment of the stroke of the leg start to pull up, and then, almost simultaneously with the return of the hands to a position in front of you, push.
• Breaststroke breathing should be at the stage of completing the stroke with your hands, when the bent elbows move towards the body, at this moment it is most convenient and effective to raise your head and take in air. It is recommended to inhale with each stroke, but you can do it less often, but always keeping the pace (always after 1 stroke, always after 2, etc.).

It looks like this:

What is the difference?

Between these two styles there is only one similarity - they are both performed on the stomach, in all other respects they are very different, starting from the technique of execution to engaging different groups muscles.

The crawl technique involves the constant work of the muscles in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the water, which allows you to develop the highest possible speeds.

In the breaststroke, on the contrary, almost all movements occur in water, the swimmer has to constantly overcome the additional resistance of its molecules, which is why he will not be able to move as quickly.

You can also notice that those who crawl swim, move continuously constantly generating acceleration.

With breaststroke, the cycle of movements takes a certain amount of time, after which the person slides on the surface of the water on the acceleration obtained from the stroke with the hands and the push with the legs. This allows you to compensate for the energy costs spent on overcoming water resistance, and ultimately the swimmer does not overload.

An important difference It also consists of the muscle groups involved: when crawling, the main working tool is the muscles of the shoulders, arms and back, and during breaststroke - the shoulders, chest and legs.

Crawl benefits

Crawl is the fastest swimming style, so if you want to become a professional swimmer it is definitely best to master it.

Despite the fact that it is more difficult to learn (read more about learning), thanks to additional tools (for example, a swim board), you can quickly delve into the process.

Training in this technique is also endurance training., since the cycle of movements is continuous, but also because of this, as well as the peculiarities of its execution, it is very difficult for them to move under water. allow you to develop muscles shoulder girdle, straight and lateral broad muscles thighs.

Breaststroke benefits

Breaststroke is considered easier in terms of physical activity style suitable for both sports and everyday swimming.

If you are not dreaming of a career Olympic champion and do not set goals for yourself, then this style will be the best choice. Interesting fact is that only breaststroke is intuitive, and even children who are just learning to swim begin to move pretty quickly the way they need to, which means they get results.

The technical correctness of execution has here a little less important role than in the crawl - only the correct movements of the neck of the head during breathing are important (it is important to always lower your head back into the water after inhaling, so as not to hold cervical spine spine in constant tension).

Breaststroke allows not only to move long distances with minimal effort, but also to swim freely under water. No other style can dive as efficiently.

Since this style largely depends on inertial movement after the kick with the legs, the main muscles that will work here are the muscles of the legs (straight and quadriceps thighs, adductors, gluteal and gastrocnemius muscles). When working with hands, they are also involved deltoid muscles shoulder girdle and pectoral muscles.

What's more useful?

Medicine and sports science do not have a definite answer to this question.

From a therapeutic point of view, it is the same both of these swimming styles are useful, but they can be recommended in accordance with the goals and wishes of the patient, as well as medical diagnoses.

For example, it is important for a person with scoliosis to strengthen their back muscles, which means that they should devote as much time as possible to crawl, backstroke, or butterfly stroke.

The crawl is especially good because the body is almost straight. minimizes stress on the spine, but at the same time allows you to train nearby muscles.

If we consider the breaststroke through the prism of medical opinion, then it is ideal for both beginner swimmers and people with poorly developed limbs (the elderly or people with disabilities, or the consequences of injuries) and pregnant women. Intense leg movements not only develop the muscles of the lower half of the body, but also stimulate the blood supply to the pelvic organs.

Simply put, prioritizing swimming style directly depends on physical fitness person and his goals, it is impossible to make an unambiguous choice without analyzing the entire situation. But there are a number of expert theories and opinions that the program of any sport should be balanced for a person.

Thus, there will be less benefit from using only one style of swimming than from using several at the same time.

If you take the muscles of the legs as an example, then for maximum usefulness in everyday life it is better to develop both the hips and lower legs, this will allow you to walk long distances and perform hard physical exercises with repetitions.

The same applies to all other muscles - it is always better to develop them in aggregate than to exercise only for one group. This approach allows you to develop the entire body at the same time, without overloading it. When it comes to swimming, this means that the best approach is to alternate swimming styles with each session.

The emphasis on one style can be justified by high sporting goals - for example, breaking the world crawl record at the 100 meter, but for most people this is not relevant, while training only one style, you can easily overwork or stretch your muscles.

Reversal from one style to another

As we already understood, the maximum effective result It will bring exactly the alternation of styles, but few people know that changing one to the other can be done not only by starting a new swim from the side.

You can change from one style to another right in the middle of the "lane" of the pool - usually this is done to relax when the muscles are tired of the same type of work.

How to switch from belly crawl to breaststroke: complete the stroke and take a position so that your body is in a straight line and your arms are in front. From it you can start breaststroke movements - a stroke with your hands and a push with your legs.

If you want, on the contrary, to make a breaststroke turn to the crawl, then after a whole cycle of movements (stroke with hands, inhale and push with legs) you need to take the same straight pose with your arms in front of you and start the transition to crawl with a stroke with your hand.

Crawl with hand stroke breaststroke

There are also mixed style sailing in which hands do the stroke breaststroke, a legs work in the "crawl" style.

This way of swimming is sometimes also called "Applied breaststroke".

This is one of possible options teaching children to swim, especially children of preschool age.

The point is that it is still difficult for young children to master the crawl with its difficult breathing, but, on the other hand, it is no less difficult to master the breaststroke kicks, which are technically difficult for adults as well.

Because children first with a swimming board teach to crawl with feet, and then, when the child stays on the water and can swim with an “arrow” at the expense of his legs - his teach breaststroke.

Swimming training for adults can be built in a similar way.

Along with this, such a style should still be considered not as an independent swimming style, but as intermediate step on the way to a full-fledged crawl and breaststroke.

Conclusion

Swimming is one of the most comfortable and useful species sports, since it stimulates muscles, normalizes breathing, but at the same time the likelihood of injury or stretching, and, moreover, a bruise or fracture, is close to zero here. Thanks to this, swimming is not only a sport, but also an excellent therapy for many diseases of muscles and joints, as well as problems with blood supply.

Swimming can be equally beneficial for both adults and children, but remember that if you have serious health problems, you should consult a specialist before going to the pool.

If you do not know how to swim and are afraid of water, then in any sports complex have their own personal trainers, which will help you to stop being afraid, as well as teach the basics of swimming, after which you can already practice on your own.