How to increase breaststroke speed. Total Immersion Swimming Tutorial: “Total Immersion

The fastest swimming style is crawl. Currently on sports competitions the phrases "freestyle swimming" and "crawl swimming" are almost identical. The inventors of the style are the American Indians, in Europe this way of swimming became known only at the end of the 19th century. The name used today comes from the English word "crawl" (to crawl), and is associated with the similarity of crawling and crawl swimming.

How to swim properly

A person seeking to master this style of swimming must first determine his expected result. In other words, if the ultimate goal is to become a professional athlete, or at least a strong amateur, then you cannot do without the help of a sophisticated coach. How to swim with a crawl, but if a beginner wants to simply confidently stay on the water and move relatively quickly in it without the help of improvised means, then in this case it is enough to have a desire and a certain amount of free time.

Most often, crawl is studied in this order:

Establishment of correct breathing.
Setting the movement of the legs.
Setting the movement of the body.
Hand movement setting.
Working on technology.

The exercises that contribute to the development of this style of swimming are very simple, about them below. For classes, a pool or a natural reservoir with standing water(pond, lake), although you can learn to swim on the river.

Breath

Proper breathing is the foundation of swimming. The swimmer using the front crawl inhales quickly and sharply, and exhales slowly, in several steps. Effective exercise the development of this skill is as follows: a person stands at the edge of the pool, plunges headlong into the water and jumps out of it. At the same time, above water, he takes a sharp breath through his mouth, and under water - a smooth exhalation through his nose (about three times longer than inhalation). This is the only exercise required for all beginners. Without its ideal implementation, it is not worth moving on - problems of both a technical and psychological nature may arise.

Movement of the legs and body

For faster mastering of the kicking technique, you will need an auxiliary object that does not sink. This can be a small mattress, a children's circle, a swimming board, etc. The exercise is simple - the palms of the outstretched arms lie on the object, only the legs work. Inhalation is carried out by raising the head from the water, exhalation - into the water. With the help of floating objects, you can easily learn to swim crawl on your own, even for an adult.

Important footwork details:

legs almost straight, very slightly bent at the knee;
movements are smooth, from the hip;
knees are free, socks are drawn;
feet are not allowed out of the water.

In the crawl, the human body (including the head!) Is located at an angle of 0 to 10 degrees relative to the surface of the water. If there are no blunders in the freestyle swimming technique when working with arms and legs, then it will easily allow the swimmer to keep the body at the right angle. A beginner should only pay attention to the rotation of the body necessary for inhalation. To train this skill, the previous exercise is suitable with a slight difference. In this variant, the object should be held with one outstretched hand, while inhalation is carried out due to the rotation of the entire body, together with the head, in the direction opposite to the "occupied" hand.

Hand movement

The main driving force in freestyle is the hands, so accuracy is needed here.

The stroke is carried out by the outstretched hand in front.

The phases look like this:

It is best to work out the technique of handwork “on land”. That is, to consistently carry out the stroke phases with both hands, bending forward. So it will be much easier to get used to the water. For the vast majority of beginners, the problem is only complex coordination of movements - the implementation of various phases of the stroke with different hands, not forgetting about correct breathing and good footwork. Therefore, the last exercise will be this: the implementation of a stroke with one hand (the second is extended forward) with even footwork, with pauses. Pauses are necessary as "time to stroke the other hand."

"Alternative" type of crawl swimming

Swimming on your back with alternating arm movements is called a backstroke crawl. This style of swimming is more comfortable from a technical point of view (no need to take care of every breath by turning the head and body; there are fewer difficult moments to understand), but it has a number of disadvantages compared to the usual front crawl:

crawl on the back is not so fast (loses in speed and butterfly);
the swimmer's gaze is directed upwards - the purpose of the movement is not visible;
for an unprepared person, the crawl on the back will be more difficult to master. The main reason for this is the use of less developed muscle groups in the vast majority of people.

Learning to swim back crawl

So, you need to lie on your back in the water face up. There may be an unpleasant sensation due to the fact that the ears are immersed in water and water is being collected in them. Don't worry, it's a natural process. A lot of water will not be collected due to the structure of the ear canals and as soon as you raise your head vertically, all the water will quickly pour out.
Try to relax and stretch out into a string. Keep your head down to keep your spine straight, but keep your chin up. Look up and slightly forward where you intend to swim. Also focus on the sides. If you are in the pool, you can look at the ceiling from above and at the plastic lane dividers on the sides.

INFORMATION: Multicolored ropes in swimming pool with plastic floats strung on them are called track separators or wave dampers. They help not only to navigate in space and separate groups of swimmers so that they do not interfere with each other and do not collide, but also serve to dampen the waves created by swimmers on adjacent lanes. Thanks to wave absorbers, the water in the pool is calmer.

Initially, start moving your legs, leaving your arms at your sides, and move your arms a little to coordinate your movements. Once you learn to swim head first and feel confident, you can move on to arm strokes.
The easiest way is to throw both hands behind your head at the same time and lower them down by your sides. You should flap your arms like a bird, pushing off the water and pushing yourself forward. Don't forget your legs. The legs are constantly rowing forward movements. You need to learn this movement in order to catch the balance and not roll over in the water. Moreover, swimming is so much fun.
And the last thing you need to learn is to sort it out alternately with your hands. First, you throw one arm behind your head, turn your body slightly on that side, and push hard against the water with that arm, bringing your body back into balance. After that, throw the second hand, roll over to the second side and also push. You can pause between strokes to properly straighten the body, for better gliding.
Do not try to do everything quickly, since it is impossible to keep track of all parts of the body at once. Learn the movements slowly and gradually. It is better to work out the technique first, and then increase the speed.

And remember:

Do not be afraid to dive into the water - you will not drown;
Raise your pelvis higher and try to straighten your body into a string;
Constantly mince your feet;
Orient yourself in space;
Make powerful strokes with your hands.

Technical mistakes and how to increase crawl speed

Even a gifted beginner needs knowledgeable person who can look at it from the outside and point out mistakes. The most common are the following:

turning the head without turning the body when inhaling;
straight legs or tense knees;
strictly vertical movement of the legs;
short exhalation;
head raised high above the water;
the coordination of hand movement and breathing is disturbed;
strong vibrations of the body when moving the hands.

There is only one way to eliminate these errors - additional exercises on coordination of movements, basic breathing skill and others.

And now a few tips not related to swimming technique:

In the water, the body should be as free and relaxed as possible.
A swimmer should pay significant attention to his movements in the water.
Amateurs (people without any special claims in the world of sports) at the first stage need to practice as often as possible. The first results will not be long in coming.

Crawl is a swimming style accessible to everyone. With due attention and perseverance, any beginner can master the front crawl and take advantage of the fastest swimming style. After all, learning to swim fast crawl is easy.

By and large, to achieve results in any sport, you need three things: be persistent, persevere and not skip workouts. If we add specifics, then we are talking about three pillars of training: technique, volume of training and its intensity, that is, structure. All three elements are related, but the fundamental one is correct technique- without it, the hours spent in the pool will be of no use.

The main advantage of swimming is the participation in the process of almost all the muscles of the body and the active involvement respiratory system. This consumes a large amount of energy, so swimming in the pool is called one of the most active types of fitness for weight loss. However, in addition to the desire to lose weight, swimmers have another goal - to learn how to do it well.

This is where the secret of technique lies: in water you can easily use up all your energy and not get results that you can be proud of in front of you. Many people face this problem, lose motivation and eventually give up swimming because they cannot see tangible results.

A matter of technology

Errors in swimming technique will become the factor that reduces not only the very speed of movement in and under water, but also limits the ability to overcome long distances. It is important to understand that only the correct work of the limbs, correct position bodies in the water and proper breathing will help push forward. Mistakes lead to floundering, where you simply try to stay afloat and fight the water to keep from drowning.

There are three ways to learn this technique: difficult, long and fast. The first - the most inefficient - theoretical. You can read articles and books about swimming, or watch others swim. If this method suits you, get down to business and make sure that you understand what is written correctly. It is a little easier to learn from training courses: from videos or online swimming schools.

The fastest way, of course, you can master the technique, if you train under supervision professional trainer. Effective, but, as a rule, expensive, and there may simply not be a trainer in the nearest pool. But the result personal training will come pretty quickly - a professional will notice and correct all errors. One of the options for training is group training, as a rule, they are cheaper.

A good option would be to enroll in a swimming school like Moscow's I Love Swimming or T.E.M.P. are both group and individual sessions with special control of technology and general development amateur athletes.

In addition to motivation, the coaches of these schools will give you all the technical knowledge about two important things: forward arm movement and stroke. These are the basic elements of swimming, on which all the technique of moving in water for any style is built, and, of course, they ultimately affect the speed. If you do not master these nuances, you will have to work hard with your legs and spend all your energy on pushing, losing strength over any significant distance.

How much to train?

The volume of loads is an equally important part in developing your ability to swim long distances and develop as a swimmer. In fact, you will not need to spend in the pool every day, especially as in other types of fitness, the muscles will need rest for their development and recovery. In order to "drive technique into the muscles", select 2-3 days a week in which you can consistently work out.

There is no ideal number of classes and cannot be, it all depends on your goals and capabilities. If you manage to swim 4-5 times a week, the results will come faster, but in this case, you will need to take care of sufficient rest and not burden the body with serious workouts in the gym in the remaining days.

Remember that cats can also swim, but in order to do it effectively and with health benefits, you will need to learn the technique and follow the well-known rules. For example, food and drink: you will need proteins for muscle growth, enough carbohydrates and plenty of water - in the pool, moisture loss goes unnoticed, so always keep a bottle on the side, you can use isotonic.

Beginners usually need more workouts, with experience it will be possible to devote time only to honing the technique. The result usually comes after a few months of practice, so you can count on notable progress after 4-5 months of training under the supervision of an instructor. You can swim your first kilometer in a couple of months - hundreds of graduates of amateur swimming schools testify to this.

Intensity of classes

Some believe that training in the pool is different from any other in its structure. That is, they think that the process is as follows: come, change clothes, put on a cap and goggles, and swim until the time runs out. Meanwhile, there are also warm-ups, cool-downs, sets, and reps with rest between sets. Coaches also make plans, and one workout per week or week is different from the others.

As a rule, a warm-up is the same warm-up of the muscles, only it happens in the water. You just swim hundred meters at a low pace, it takes the same 10-20 minutes as in the gym. You don’t need to work on a specific muscle group here - just swim at a comfortable pace. Approximately the same amount of time it takes basic movements and repulsions, the rest of the time - sets with approaches for 100-200 m and a rest between them up to 30 seconds. At the end of each workout, 5-10 minutes should be spent on a hitch - swimming at a very low rhythm and stretching "on the shore".

It is important to always remember that you come to the pool not just to swim, you have a goal - to increase the speed of the track. Therefore, the sets need a serious approach. Some will be focused on long-distance endurance, others on sprint intervals on the ability to accelerate.

I propose a personally invented method of how to quickly and easily learn to swim.
Worked fantastically well for me at the time.
In my youth I swam very badly, only like a dog or with saplings I could swim 20 meters at most, then I was exhausted and went to the bottom.

After I figured out how to learn, I immediately came to the water and immediately swam.
And he swam for a long, long time, without getting tired at all.
The training at my home in the room before it took one hour or even less.

An important point is that you don’t have to disgrace yourself in public, you can just learn at home.
You don't need a coach, nobody at all.

So, we take two stools, put them in the form of a bench in the middle of the room.
We lay down on them with our stomach, so that our arms and legs hang down.
On the floor in front of the face we put a picture with phases of the "breaststroke" style. Here is an example like this:

This picture lacks the truth, descriptions of when to breathe in and out.
But in principle it is clear: where the head is above the water - a quick breath. When it descends into the water, exhale slowly.

These movements need to be stupidly memorized, finished off to automatism, always along with breathing. And that's it.
The speed of movements can be seen on some thread of the video like this:

But in general, the speed can be varied within fairly large limits, you will still swim.
The main thing is to repeat everything in a coordinated manner and breathe correctly!
You can lower your head lower or higher, it doesn't matter.
Hands can also row in different ways, this is also insignificant.

It is important to feel this cycle on a stool: we lie down on the water, face into the water - exhale, then we rake / raise with our hands upper part torso up and take a breath -> straighten your arms forward and at the same time push with your feet. At the same time, we completely relax and exhale into the water. We slide freely, rest and exhale directly into the water. Then everything repeats - hands raise their heads out of the water with a stroke, inhale and so on.

It is also important that the push with the legs is effective - then there will be time for relaxation-sliding. To do this, it is necessary that the feet at the time of the push must be perpendicular to the movement. The more effective the push with your feet, the more time to rest.

After such a self-learning procedure, I then came to the water, pushed off with my feet, “lay down” in a slide on the water as in the first picture, and immediately swam almost professionally. That's right, straight away. Without any pillows, circles.
I couldn't believe it at first, I can't express these feelings. Before that, I suffered for years, but here it turned out to be so simple and easy.

Exactly from that moment I now swim just like I walk. I mean, I don't get tired at all. I can swim for hours without the slightest fatigue. The only limit is the water temperature.
Now the idea that you can swim, get tired and drown is perceived in the same way as walking, getting tired, falling down and killing yourself on the asphalt. That is hard to understand ;)

An important disclaimer - I haven't told anyone about this method yet.
I don’t know how my way of self-learning will work for others.

And I have no idea, maybe it was invented before me. Anyway, I have not heard anything about such a method.
But what I've seen coaches teach in swimming pools is no good.

Be that as it may - why not try if you don't know how to swim?
The main thing is not to jump to the depth right away, otherwise there is no risk;)

In this article, I would like to talk in detail about the phases of the stroke with the hands and the phases of the take-off with the legs. Breaststroke speed is most affected by correct execution phases and their correct rhythm adjusted to their muscular mechanism. That is, if you perform all the phases correctly, but do not get into the rhythm, then your speed will be very low. The division into phases in swimming is done in order to understand how to correctly perform complex coordination movements in rhythm and at high speed. After all, swimming is a highly coordinated sport.

Hand movements. In the breaststroke swimming method, the arms and legs are equally movers. When swimming with the help of movements with one foot or one hand, 80 - 85% of the swimming speed is achieved with full coordination of movements. But the hands set the pace and rhythm, they are closely related to breathing, they affect the overall coordination of movements. Therefore, arm movements are of decisive importance for increasing the speed of swimming in rational variants of the breaststroke technique.
The rate of arm stroke during breaststroke swimming should be characterized as helical - the hands move at high speed along a rounded trajectory, interact with the water flow at an acute angle (about 30-35 °), and move back minimally.
In the preliminary phase, the swimmer sends his arms forward - to the sides, turning them with their palms outward. Then the arms begin to bend into elbow joints, the elbows go to a high position and turn to the sides, the plane of the hand - the forearm leans to the surface of the water at an angle of 45 °.
In the main phase, the hands sharply accelerate their support position along the loop-like section of the trajectory - first outward, and then inward. The second half of the stroke (repulsion) is the fastest and most powerful part of the movement cycle. By this time, the hand-forearm plane is inclined to the water surface at an angle of about 60°, the hands continue their supporting sliding movement down-inward towards each other. Following the brushes, the elbows move with acceleration in the same direction.

The final phase of the stroke is bringing the arms close to the chest.
The hands rush inward-forward-up (the palms are turned down-inward) and approach under the swimmer's chin; elbows close in front of the chest. Hands take a well streamlined position (this moment coincides, as a rule, with inhalation) and begin to move forward.

Bringing the hands forward is the preparatory phase of the movements.
The arms are straightened at the elbow joints, the hands almost touch and smoothly turn palms down. At the end of the withdrawal, the athlete sends his hands along with the shoulder girdle forward to the next capture of water.

Breathing and body position. In modern versions of the breaststroke technique, the so-called late breath is used. It begins after the completion of the main phase of arm movements, when the hands and elbows go inward and converge in front of the chest. The moment of inhalation is strictly coordinated both with the movements of the hands and with the movements of the shoulder girdle.
During the first half of the arm stroke, the swimmer's body retains almost horizontal position(angle of attack approximately 0-3°), head lowered face down into the water. At the moment of completion of the repulsion by hands shoulder girdle quickly rises above the surface of the water, the swimmer vigorously brings the chin forward and begins to inhale. At this time, the greatest value of the angle of attack of the body is noted (from 7-9 to 16-18 °). Having completed the breath, the athlete immediately directs the shoulder girdle forward following the arms and quickly aligns the body; by the beginning of the kick, the angle of attack of the body decreases to 6-3°, by the beginning of the stroke with the hands - to 3-0°. Thus, the shoulder girdle moves forward along a wave-like trajectory.
Depending on the value of the angle of attack of the body and its changes within the cycle, two extreme variants of the technique are distinguished: 1) with a relatively flat position of the body (the value of the angle of attack and its changes are minimal) and 2) with a planning position of the body (the value of the angle of attack and its changes are pronounced) . The choice of technique depends on the individual characteristics of the athlete.

Leg movements. In terms of their structure, the working movements of the legs when swimming with the breaststroke differ significantly from the movements of the legs when swimming in other ways. In the breaststroke, there is an energetic repulsion from the water (strike) by the relatively rigid supporting planes of the feet and shins in the direction back - to the sides; preparatory leg movements are performed smoothly.
Kick is the working phase of leg movements. By the beginning of the blow, they are bent into hip joints up to an angle of 135-140°; shins take a position perpendicular to the surface of the water (the angle between the shank and thigh is about 45°), the knees are separated slightly more than the width of the pelvis; the feet are turned with toes to the sides, forming an angle of 140-180 ° between them. During the strike, the feet move in arcs back-outward, and then back-in. The working movement of the legs begins simultaneously in the knee and hip joints. Since the knees at the very beginning of the strike are directed slightly inward, and the hips are sent up, the movements of the legs become overwhelming. The pelvis at this time is rigidly fixed, the back is straight (this contributes to the rational transfer of driving forces from a kick to the body).
After the impact is completed, the hips and lower legs immediately relax and, as it were, float to the surface of the water, maintaining a well-streamlined position.
Pull-ups are the preparatory phase of movements. It begins with involuntary flexion of the relaxed legs in knee joints. The feet move at the surface of the water about the width of the pelvis, the hips continue to maintain a streamlined position. At the final moment of pulling up, the hips and lower legs are quickly brought to the position of their greatest flexion in the hip and knee joints, the knees are spread apart to a distance exceeding about one and a half times the width of the pelvis.
Pulling up is performed in a single smooth movement and with acceleration to the moment of turning the feet with toes to the sides. The feet turn instantly - the swimmer immediately starts kicking.

How to improve your swimming? How to optimize your speed? What exercises will help you reach the peak of your strength? The article is designed for intermediate and advanced swimmers.

Training plan In training, it is important to work in three areas: technique, endurance, the specifics of open water.

If you swim three times a week, we suggest you this plan: 1 day. Technique training day 2. Endurance training with long distance swims 3 days. Swimming training at top speed

Each of the workouts should include a little bit of each set, the only difference is what you are focusing on today. In this article, we'll show you how to train at top speed to improve your performance.

Swimming quality For long-distance swimmers, including open water swimmers, one physiological indicator is important, namely - lactate threshold. If you can improve your top speed, you can improve your results.

For most swimmers, swimming at top speed means more work, less rest. Here's the secret: To optimize your lactane threshold, you need to train at your top speed or just below your top speed.

Many athletes make the mistake of training beyond their lactate threshold by doing short, fast swims, but this is not as effective as it might seem. About how to train properly, we will tell in this article.

Lactate threshold and swimming at top speed In laboratory conditions, the lactate threshold is determined as follows: blood is taken at different stages of training and the level of lactic acid is examined depending on the load, as well as at maximum speed. This method is expensive and difficult to perform in wet conditions, but fortunately, there is another way to determine the rate of lactate threshold.

The maximum swimming speed is the approximate speed of the lactate threshold. You can determine it by doing some swimming tests with a stopwatch. The error will be about 2 seconds per 100m, which will allow you to plan your workouts quite accurately.

Tests Speed limit tests are carried out in two swims: 400 and 200 meters. Before performing the test, warm up, prepare for a fast swim.

First swim 400m. Fully recover between swims, swim in between swims to your heart's content. Start both swims by pushing off the wall, do not dive.

Try to swim both distances at an even pace, don't go too fast at the start and don't slow down during the course. If you're not sure if your pace is even, have someone take your time every 100m to help you visualize your speed. Calculate your top speed using the calculator. Note: Previously, 400 and 50 meters were used in speed limit tests, many descriptions can be found on the Internet. We recommend running the 400m and 200m test as it will give more accurate results for most athletes.

How to train knowing your top speed Now that you know your 100m top speed, you can use that information for quality training. Here are some examples. You should perform these exercises once a week (the main work on the day of swimming quality training).

Your result is 7:30 or more in 400m: 6x200m with 20s release or 3x400m with 45s release or 4x(200m then 100m) with 10s release or 12x100m with 10s release

Your result is 5:45 - 7:30 at 400m: 8x200m with 20s release or 4x400m with 40s release or 5x(200m then 100m) with 10s release or 15x100m with 10s release

Your time is less than 5:45 for 400m: 10x200m with 20 sec release or 5x400m with 40 sec release or 18x100m with 10 sec release or 3x600m with 60 sec release

These rep sets require a lot of effort. You can shorten them a little if you want to make your workout easier. The main point of all these approaches is to maintain your top speed with short recovery intervals. Here we give examples of such training, you can choose an individual plan for yourself. In normal training, you are likely to swim more slowly, but you have less time to recover. It's just a different kind of training. The first few hundred meters you swim easily, but then you will feel how the distance overwhelms you. To describe the principle of the exercise, the word "invariance" is perhaps the best word. Importance of pace When training at top speed, it is important to maintain the pace. If you start too fast and then slow down, the effect is reduced. Try to swim each lap at the same pace. Swimming pace is a very important skill by which you can distinguish an amateur from a professional.

Mind work If you are used to recovering longer, then these series may seem unrealistic to you. By by and large it's just your fears of the new. Swimming fast 4x400 sounds scary, but in terms of time it is about the same as running 6km. Who is running, are you scared? Our advice is don't overthink it, just do it. In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems. What if it's really hard for me, or vice versa, it's too easy? This method of top speed training is not flawless. If you find it too easy to do the exercises that we give here, increase the pace until you feel that it has become difficult for you, but tolerable. Make sure you keep up the pace, don't slack off. If, on the contrary, it is unbearably difficult for you, perform more modest tasks, moderate your pride and slow down the pace by 100 meters for a couple of seconds. It seems that 2 seconds per 100 meters will not make the weather, but in fact, it helps a lot. Since the top speed is actually the "limit", it is very difficult to swim at it constantly. Recheck your top speed You need to repeat the test every month or one and a half. If your workouts are going well, recheck your performance every month to improve further and increase your speed.

For most triathletes, we recommend 3 weeks of serious training followed by a light unloading week. Most best time to re-test the speed limit - the end of the recovery week. Do I need to swim faster than my top speed to improve my performance? It's hard to believe, but the correct answer is: "No need." Athletes tend to think like this: "I'll train faster and my body will get used to it." This logic is wrong, the body has other laws. By training faster than your limit, you will change your anaerobic system to the limit training system, which is absolutely unnecessary during the race. And your body will have a much harder time recovering, which can hurt other workouts. As a result, by training beyond your strength, you will only worsen your situation. Not convinced? Compare such workouts to lifting weights. Right now you're lifting 50kg and you want 60. You can't just go and lift 60 like that. You start by gradually getting used to the weight, lifting 45-50kg until you're strong enough. To load the body, it is enough just to approach your limit. In the end, just accept the challenge. Train for a month with one top speed workout per week. At the end of the month, a miracle awaits you - you will swim faster.

So, you don't need to swim beyond the limit of your speed at all? Of course, you can include some anaerobic exercises and short sprints in your training program, they are good for practicing technique. During their execution, you will feel the water at high speed, and you will also be able to get used mentally to high speed. But we advise you not to combine training at maximum speed with anaerobic and, in general, do not attach much importance to the latter.