How would you rank the muscle groups used in each stroke?
For example, I would assume freestyle uses the lats primarily, triceps and pectorals secondarily.
All strokes require strenth and endurance from all major muscle groups (abdominal, gluteals, biceps, quadriceps, triceps, and hamstrings, etc). Breaststroke requires more work on the adductor/abductor endurance and strength due to the kick, and fly requires more core strength and endurance due to the significant amount of undulation. So, personally (with regard to how I swim), I would rank all of the upper body muscles as number one and the lower body muscles as number 2....
back
1. upper back
2. lats
3. tri's
4. quads
5. hip flexors
free
1. upper back
2. lats
3. tri's
4. quads
5. hip flexors
You mean free and back use the same muscles? There's got to be some differences.
I'm kind of wondering about that too. I'm okay at free and fly, but horrible at backstroke.
You mean free and back use the same muscles? There's got to be some differences.
fly
1. core
2. lats
3. quads
I would add triceps for fly; I think they are more important than in backstroke.
Also the shoulder muscles -- the shoulders sometimes give out first, as you see when some swimmers struggle to lift their arms out of the water at the end of the 100 or 200 fly.
