Breaststroke swimmers training



Breaststroke is one of the oldest styles of swimming. In the 20th century, it underwent many transformations following changes in the rules, some of them related to movement underwater, and some to the separation of breaststroke and butterfly styles. It wasn't until the 1950s that breaststroke acquired its modern look, with the head coming out of the water with every stroke in addition to the start and turn, which can be performed underwater.



As for the technique, the most widespread change can be considered the widespread use of the so-called "reverse inhalation". Instead of inhaling during the separation of the hands, during the "reverse inhalation" the swimmer inhales while bringing his hands together. This element first appeared in Asia in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and European swimmers began using a similar technique in the 1970s.



David Wilkie, who won the gold medal in 1976 in Montreal in the 200-meter breaststroke, had a similar technique. The reverse inhalation technique became widespread in the United States in the mid-1980s, and Hungarian coach Jozsef Nagy brought it to America, turning Mike Barrowman's traditional flat technique into a wave-like one. Mike Barrowman brought a new wave-like breaststroke technique to the University of Michigan in 1987. Later, it became the standard technique for breaststroke swimmers around the world and remains so to this day.



The main difference between flat and undulating breaststroke is that with flat technique, the feet and legs play a key role in movement ("rear-wheel drive"), while with undulating technique, the forearm comes to the fore ("front-wheel drive"). The undulating breaststroke is more effective due to the reduced braking between the hand stroke and the foot thrust. As a result, there is a sharp jerk of the front part of the body before the completion of the hand stroke and the beginning of footwork. The arms give the body the initial speed, the front part of the body passes forward, after which the legs make a push. As a result, the lifting and lowering of the shoulders have a perfectly symmetrical shape. These three continuous alternating actions-a stroke, a jerk, and a kick—lead to a wave-like movement.



However, even despite the appearance of such an effective technique, breaststroke swimming is still associated with the highest energy consumption among all other styles. Breaststroke swimmers must have a large amount of musculature due to the high role of footwork in creating motive power. A high level of energy consumption leads to high energy consumption and, consequently, rapid formation of lactic acid in the muscles of athletes.



Thus, in addition to training for an acceptable lactate level, an effective breaststroke swimmer's program should include specific exercises for elements of technique with three key components: stroke, jerk and kick. Breaststroke training for 100-meter and 200-meter swimmers is similar in nature, since working with these athletes is most often working on technique.



Handwork



The breaststroke stroke has three components:



1. Withdrawal of the hands — they are fully extended, the hands are directed outward with a bevel corresponding to the position of the hands on the dial at 9:30 and 2:30.



2. Downward movement of the arms — the elbows remain near the surface of the water. The forearm moves after the hands, as a result of which the arms bend at the elbow at an angle of almost 90 degrees. At the same time, the shoulders rise and touch the earlobes.



3. Bringing hands together — it is at this moment that the body begins to immerse in water. The hands move quickly and sharply towards each other and forward. The head is turned down until the end of the reduction of the arms.



The jerk



A jerk involves changing the position of the back from a curved to a bent one, resembling the shape of a dolphin's back. This is the key movement of the undulating breaststroke technique. Following a jerk, the swimmer's hands and forearms cut through the surface of the water. The hands are pointing downwards for additional support, supporting the shoulders and preventing them from falling too sharply. The head enters the jerk last.



Kicking



The hips begin to rise at the end of bringing the arms together. Swimmers use their hamstrings to lift their feet until they touch their buttocks. The key point in determining the start of a thrust is to find the hips and shoulders at the highest point at the same time. The feet should be pushed back with gradual acceleration, the ankles and feet are extended and assume an elongated position, which minimizes water resistance at the maximum speed of the swimmer. 1xBet offre aux nouveaux membres une opportunité idéale pour explorer ses fonctionnalités. Le bonus de 100 % jusqu’à 130 € favorise une prise de risque maîtrisée sur le sport. En insérant le code promo 1xbet afrique lors de l’inscription, les joueurs découvrent aussi un bonus casino important de 1 950 € et 150 tours gratuits pour tester différents univers.