I just started doing this this week and have already felt an improvement in my stroke. So I was just curious to know if anyone else breathes to the side on fly?
If you do, do you keep your head to the side, or do you flip back and forth between front and side? What advatages to you notice to side breathing as compared to front? How to you make adjustments for the arm you can't see?
If you don't, have you ever considered trying it? What advantages to you see in breathing to the front as compared to the side?
Just thought it would be interesting to find out about different peoples swimming styles.
Parents
Former Member
I have always breathed to the side, no problems.
One thing I have noticed, on a personal level, is that the muscle groups I use to breath on the side are more neck and back rather than the chest for "regular breathing". Might have something to do with it...
OK more elaboration...
When someone swims, there are groups of "core" or "lead" muscles that are used --chest (pectorialis majors/minors) thighs, abdominals etc. Theses muscle groups are a bit different for each stroke or part of the stroke process (just note as you are swimming that, fly for example, is a big user of chest/abdominals, while backstroke is the lats/side abdominals, free is a big user of the pecs, and *** uses pecs/thighs etc...).
In most of the swimming the majority of the muscle groups are in the chest while the muscles groups of the back are in a supportive role -generalization here.
I had to learn to swim using different muscle groups due to some pretty significant muscular/skeleton birth defects, so I tend to "substitute" major muscle groups for the supportive muscle groups. Translation, the muscles in my back/abdominals and legs are well developed to compensate for the birth defects in my pecs.
When I turn my head to the side to breath, I am using more muscles from the back than the chest. We all can or tend to substitute muscle groups when we learn to perfect our stroke or continue to swim with injury.
Pretty long explanation hua?
I have always breathed to the side, no problems.
One thing I have noticed, on a personal level, is that the muscle groups I use to breath on the side are more neck and back rather than the chest for "regular breathing". Might have something to do with it...
OK more elaboration...
When someone swims, there are groups of "core" or "lead" muscles that are used --chest (pectorialis majors/minors) thighs, abdominals etc. Theses muscle groups are a bit different for each stroke or part of the stroke process (just note as you are swimming that, fly for example, is a big user of chest/abdominals, while backstroke is the lats/side abdominals, free is a big user of the pecs, and *** uses pecs/thighs etc...).
In most of the swimming the majority of the muscle groups are in the chest while the muscles groups of the back are in a supportive role -generalization here.
I had to learn to swim using different muscle groups due to some pretty significant muscular/skeleton birth defects, so I tend to "substitute" major muscle groups for the supportive muscle groups. Translation, the muscles in my back/abdominals and legs are well developed to compensate for the birth defects in my pecs.
When I turn my head to the side to breath, I am using more muscles from the back than the chest. We all can or tend to substitute muscle groups when we learn to perfect our stroke or continue to swim with injury.
Pretty long explanation hua?
