Learn Swimming Strokes: Freestyle

Swimming is a great form of exercise for all body types and ages. It is great for aerobic exercise, and limits the impact on joints that other aerobic exercises (such as running or biking) can have on the body. Swimming also helps to increase muscular strength and endurance, and increases flexibility. If you’ve never swam for exercise before, you might know of several strokes. There are many to choose from, each with their own benefits. In the first blog of our series, we’ll look at how to swim freestyle and what muscle groups it impacts.

Freestyle Swimming

One of the most basic and commonly taught strokes is called “freestyle,” which is also known as front crawl. When done properly, it is the fastest of the four strokes, and it is usually to easiest to master. If you’ve watched any of the past Summer Olympics, you’ve probably seen pros like Katie Ledecky or Michael Phelps crush events like the 800m freestyle or the 200m freestyle, respectively. Whether you’re a seasoned lap swimmer, or someone just starting to try it out, it’s always a good thing to brush up on the basics and keep focusing on your stroke technique.

Swimming Technique

There are 5 main components to the freestyle stroke: Reach, Catch, Pull, Push, and the Recovery. As you can see in the video below, Phillip Toriello, a competitive swimmer and swim instructor, demonstrates these 5 basic steps.

Some additional tips to consider:

• When reaching forward, don’t forget to rotate your chest/hips too. It will allow you to reach further forward, making your stroke smoother and more efficient.
• During the catch and pull, remember to keep your fingers/hands in a closed, slightly bent position instead of spreading your fingers apart. (I always tell my swimmers to think of their hands as spoons as opposed to forks.)
• In the recovery, don’t forget to bend your arm at the elbow! It’s much more efficient energy-wise, and will make it easier to stay afloat compared to if you swing your arms up completely straight.
• Try these freestyle drills to practice!

Muscles Used

As mentioned before, swimming is a great way to increase your muscular strength and endurance. Freestyle utilizes many of your large muscle groups, which can translate to a higher quality of day-to-day life. As highlighted in the video below, some of the major muscle groups used during freestyle include your quadriceps, hamstrings, your biceps and triceps, and you’re constantly using various core muscles. Check out the chart below for a brief breakdown of those muscles and the actions they produce.

Part of Stroke	Movement	Muscles Used		Daily Activities Used
Kicking	Kicking Down	Quadriceps	Thighs	Walking
		Tibialis Anterior	Shins	Running
	Kicking Up	Hamstrings	Thighs	Stepping up
		Gastrocnemius	Calves	Pointing your toes
Reach		Obliques	Abs	Twisting your body
		Triceps Brachii	Arms	Opening a door
		Latissimus Dorsi	Lower Back	Pulling something towards you
		Rotator Cuff	Shoulder	Swinging your arms
Catch		Deltoid	Shoulder	Raising your hand
		Extensor Digitorum	Forearm	Pointing your fingers
		Triceps Brachii	Arm	Shooting a basketball
		Brachioradialis	Arm	Twisting your arm
Pull		Latissimus Dorsi	Back	Pull- ups/ Chin-ups
		Brachioradialis	Arm	Bending at the elbow
		Triceps Brachii	Arm	Push Ups
		Trapezius	Shoulder	Shrugging your shoulders
Push		Trapezius	Upper Back	Rowing
		Latissimus Dorsi	Mid/lower Back	Bent over row
		Deltoids	Shoulder	Crossing arm over body
		Rectus Abdominus	Abs	Crunches
		Obliques	Abs	Shoveling
Recovery		Deltoid	Shoulder	Getting a box from a shelf
		Brachioradialis	Arms	Hitting a tennis ball
		Trapezius	Shoulder	Elliptical
		Obliques	Abs	Swinging a bat

 

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Written by Mckinzie Halkola, Fitness Intern at Elite Sports Club – Brookfield

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