Fast Running Blog

Out of curiosity, I wonder how many people are not able to swim with a breast stroke. I can swim, not very fast at all, my best time for 50 yards is 49 seconds after some training, untrained 55 seconds, but I cannot do breast stroke at all due to the range of motion problems in the right hip. Please post if you can swim, and if you can or cannot do breast stroke, and if you cannot, why.

I don't think I told you this Sasha, but I taught swim lessons from the time I was 13 and lifeguarded for many years. I always felt breaststroke to be the easiest- except when I was running over 40 mpw. For some reason after that range I could feel a difference in the kick. Below that it always just felt normal. I don't think I would last very long at all with it now if I went for a few laps, though I know my freestyle is much stronger. I think this is probably because you dont see alot of runners "whipping" their legs out with each stride.

I'm not a great swimmer, but I do find the breaststroke to be the easiest form for me.

I can do the breast stroke just fine.

When I first saw this topic's heading I was worried it violated the FRB Family Safe Policy.  But then I realized Sasha was the one who brought it up so I knew it was ok.

I did a lot of swimming from April to August due to a stress fracture.  I also think the breaststroke is the most relaxing stroke.  Of course you can make it harder by working harder and faster.  Mostly I use it as a recovery stroke when my arms tire and my lungs burn from swimming freestyle at a medium to hard pace.  And on those days I made myself workout even though did not want too, I would start off with the breaststroke.  Usually in no time at all I was glad I was there and willing to give more effort.  I also crosstrained on a bike during that time off.  I think the bike strengthened my legs because I really started to notice how strong my breaststroke kick was becoming.  I was gliding much more between strokes and depending on my arms less for power.

As with many sports form and consistent training will increase efficiency and speed.  I am positive my form would not come anything close to someone in the Olympics. 

I can swim breast stroke fine and it feels the easiest stroke for me, as many people already mentioned. However, I was very surprised to learn that in competitive swimming, breast stroke is considered the hardest technically, and requiring the most physical energy. In other words, it's actually the hardest stroke! From what I understand, it is the easiest stroke if you do it slowly and to relax, but it is the most unnatural stroke and creates the most drag, that's why it is the slowest of all swimming strokes. There is also an issue of timing between the kick and the pull, and it can be very tricky to get just right. My daughter, who swims competitively, confirms that breast stroke is the most tiring when swum all out.

BTW, Sasha, I don't think you need all that much mobility in your hips to do the breast stroke kick - you don't need to kick side wise too much, you can just bring your knees forward and kick more backwards than sideways. It's hard to explain, but I've seen some good underwater videos on YouTube demonstrating good breast stroke technique (for example, Jimmy's swim lessons, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMoJVla31tc) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMoJVla31tc))

I swim but don't do the breast stroke because it tightens up my adducturs to much and gives me knee problems and I am just not very good at it.

The breast stroke requires some coordination to pull off successfully so if one has any coordination issues then the breast stroke becomes an issue as well. It is more difficult than doing jumping jacks and some people with coordination issues have a hard time doing jumping jacks correctly and in rythem. In your case Sasha you do have some coordination issues so this probably makes the breast stroke even more difficult. And I am not being mean as Sasha will admit he is not the most coordinated guy around.

I only doggy paddle and swim in the shallow end!

Well, other than the fact that I just plain don't like swimming, I don't have a problem doing either breaststroke or freestyle, although backstroke is probably my favorite.  My center of gravity is too low, and if I am not moving, I sink about a foot underneath the water before I stabilize.  I agree with Maria that the breaststroke is more difficult technically when performed properly, as well as the slowest.  I also agree with Scott than the breaststroke is very relaxing when you swim easily.  I have a mental image from watching Olympic swimming events of the swimmers popping their heads out of the water every other stroke, and many in the crowd whistling when they did  :)

mmmm thats probably why I can't do it.  I also have no coordination, that is why I never got into any other kind of sprots besides running.

I wear my trunks higher than Micahel Phelps!

That would be Michael Phelps.  And I tan as good as the Thorpedo.  But I prefer the backstroke.

I don't think Logan knows that he is responsible for the 2nd Princess Bride quote today...