Muscular strength will be needed so you are able to put the maximum power into a single stroke.
Skill related fitness:-
Speed is a born ability however speed is needed for the ability to swim quickly.
This involves for the performer to move in a quick yet a controlled way so the performer may change direction; such as the touch turn.
You will need good timing so you are able to perform the right actions at the right time so you are not slowed down. Such actions include when it is the right time to breathe.
- Start as a torpedo
Stay long and streamlined to carry your gliding speed faster and further. While in this gliding position, lean on your chest enough to feel as if you’re gliding downhill. This helps cock your hips so they’re ready to rock forward in the short-axis body rotation that generates the power that drives your stroke. Your head should be as close as possible to its natural line, which means you'll be looking down, with your head low between your arms.
- Press to a Y
You should never pull your arms back in a breaststroke. Virtually every inch of your pull is sculling movements. After completing your extension and glide continue to lean on your chest and elevate your hips while sweeping your hands out to a Y position. You should not apply too much pressure here. Again, concentrate on keeping your head inline with your spine.
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Spin your hands in
As your hands reach the Y position, lift your elbows toward the surface. Your elbows should stay at the eye line. If you use your high elbows as a hinge for the inward sweep of your hands and forearms, you'll create the leverage you need to use your abdominal muscles to bring your hips forward. This takes the pulling load off your weaker arm muscles and shifts it to your far more powerful torso muscles. Once you begin the in sweep, scull your hands directly back towards the front. When you do this properly, your hands complete all their sweeps in front of your chin.
- Breathe with the body lift
Don't lift your head to breathe. Keep it in the same position at all times. As your hands squeeze, they lift your shoulders up and forward and your torso lift carries your mouth clear of the water.
- Begin the lunge
As your head reaches the highest point you should still be looking down. Your arms are finishing the stroke cycle. Your hips are also at their best point for using them as a platform to launch your upper body forward as you kick. In the next movement the energy stored in your hips is released as you dive forward and release the energy from the shoulder end. Keep a low, narrow profile as you get set to dive forward
- Dive Forward
This is where you maximize your stroke length. . Keep your head and shoulders hunched low as you finish your in-sweep, so your angle of re-entry is shallow, causing your momentum to channel forward. Return your hands to their full extension before your face re-enters the water, and make sure the crown of your head follows your fingertips forward. The potential energy created by lifting so much of your body mass above the water on the in-sweep is converted into kinetic energy going forward. If your hands stall under your chin, you'll sink instead of driving forward.
- Streamline again
Complete the lunge by returning to the long, streamlined, downhill-sliding position you started in. Squeeze your body from fingertips to toes into the longest, sleekest torpedo position. If you slice just inches below the surface, you'll avoid more drag, since drag is far less just under the water than at the surface.
My Strengths
My General technique may not be perfect; as it takes many years for the breaststroke to be perfected; but my strokes are quite powerful and I try to keep my body streamlined as much as I can.
My body is quite suited to breaststroke as my shoulder strength helps me execute strong quick strokes and as my body is quite streamlined there is not much drag therefore I am able to move quickly through the water.
As I have quite broad and good upper body and leg strength I can put the maximum amount of power into my stroke; also as my Muscular endurance is reasonably good I can put the maximum amount of power into every single stroke repeatedly for an extended period of time.
Another strength of mine is I am able to breath at the right time in my stroke
My Weaknesses/Improvement Areas
- Stamina/Cardiovascular Endurance
One area I will improve on is my cardiovascular endurance because if my stamina was better I would be able to swim greater distances. One way I could improve my cardiovascular endurance is doing continuous non stop lengths; maybe for 10 minutes then the next time I could do continuous lengths for 15 minutes. Also I could improve my stamina by doing the fartlek training.
Another area I can improve on is my agility as I am not able to stop, change direction at start quickly.
Swimming is a sport that requires both muscular strength and endurance, and for this reason when training with weights I need to concentrate on developing strong muscles with high endurance capabilities.
Day 1 :- Weight training : Press ups x 20 Chest Press x 20 on 15 kg
Squats x 20 Shoulder press x 15 on 10 kg
Tricep Dips x 20 Leg curl x 20 on 30 kg
Day 3 :- Performance swimming : Warm up
8 x 25m freestyle (even pace)
4 x 25m Streamline Kicking
Core
12 x 25m Breaststroke technique (slow to medium pace)
8 x 25m Breaststroke sprint (Start easy and progressively get faster.)
Warm Down
4 x 25m freestyle swimming (slow pace).
Day 5 :- Endurance training : Warm up (stretching)
20 minute jog
15 minute Fartlek training
5 minute cool down jog plus stretching
Day 7 :- Performance swimming : Warm up
10 minutes freestyle non-stop endurance swimming
Single arm freestyle 4x 25m left 4x 25m right 4x 25m full stroke
Core
12 x 25m Breaststroke technique (medium to fast pace)
15 minutes Breaststroke 5 minutes swimming with just arms, 5 minutes swimming with just legs (to help improve technique and analyse my stroke technique in stages) then 5 minutes full stroke.
10 minutes Breaststroke speed/ endurance training.
Warm down
6 x 25m Breaststroke slowing down progressively.
Over a six week period I will increase the volume, frequency and intensity of the weight training over a six week period.
