Workouts to improve breaststroke sprints

Well, I usually do *** and free closed in yardages. I sometimes do Im workouts, and even do backstroke my worst in workout. I feel that a breaststroker is better to do a well-rounded workout. As a kid, I was a decent flyer as well and at one time you couldn't tell whether my fly or *** was my best stroke. Now as an adult the *** is my best stroke.

Also many world class breaststrokers are using a fly type pull instead of a scull out and scull in. Wayne: What does this mean? I've seen some of Glenn Mills videos on the "wide" pull and at the catch it looks very much like a fly pull, beyond shoulders with palms turn out to side (no doubt done through the "hunch" that you mention) but how does the pull resemble fly? Is it more backward than the "traditional" *** pull? If so then how does one avoid getting caught up before the arm recovery? Thanks

Originally posted by breastroker Also many world class breaststrokers are using a fly type pull instead of a scull out and scull in. I believe a straight fly pull is more positive for sprinting, less time, less chance of slipping, and more forwards propulsion. Do you mean a pull like Amanda Beard uses? like pulling right until your *** with no or little insweep? brgds matthias

I believe breaststrokers should do sprint fly in workout. I believe when your fly improves so does your breaststroke. I believe the same muscles should be used, more back muscles ( lats) than the traditional forearms. The way to use those muscles is to hunch your shoulders on the outreach before the pull. Also many world class breaststrokers are using a fly type pull instead of a scull out and scull in. I believe a straight fly pull is more positive for sprinting, less time, less chance of slipping, and more forwards propulsion.

Originally posted by Matthias Do you mean a pull like Amanda Beard uses? like pulling right until your *** with no or little insweep? brgds matthias I don't believe Amanda uses that pull. I have a video of her and watched maybe 50 times in the last several months. She has a very powerful insweep. That's why she can come up so high out of water. I think she sweeps out wide and sweeps in toward her chest. Anyway, hi to all fellow breaststrokers. I just found this forum yesterday and thought it was great. Lots of active posters here. Also, Wayne, good to see you are a poster here. I read some of your articles on breaststrokeinfo and found them to be very helpful. I started learning breaststroke in June. Started with the out back down recover type of pull. I made some progress using that type of breaststroke but I had great difficulties breathing without lifting my head and the arms are too slow to get out. A couple of weeks ago, I switched to the outsweep and insweep type of arm strokes. I get so much momentum from the insweep that I naturally come out of water to breathe almost without lifting my head at all. It's faster and less tiring. I really prefer the sweep in and sweep out type of pulls. Pulling back like a fly pull simply just doens't work for me. Perhaps it works for some people. My knees are a little sore too, but generally don't last long. Mostly the part where if you stand with your feet next to each other, where your two legs touch each other by the knees.

Originally posted by Draconis Well, sorry to bring this old thread up again, but I can't resist it :D. Wow Matthias, he took off over 12 seconds from his 50 *** in just 6 (? I think, seeing the posting dates) months! Wow, 35.72 from over 45. HOW did he do it? And hooked-on-swimming as well as Matthias both mentioned working on technique. How does one work on that without a coach? I mean how can you tell the good technique from the bad technique if there's no one to correct your technique? How can I practice technique? Are their massive chunks of time taken off mostly caused by improved techniques? I don't see either of them online anymore recently... So, can anyone help? I want the improvement Matthias got, if not better! :D hey draconis, well, actually i'm now down to 35.52 aiming for 34.92 but well, I didn't happen to swim the last month because our pool closed down so just this little improvement of 0.2 the last three to four months. How did I do it? Well, as you mentioned Dima and I both mentioned the importance of improving your technique. And yes, our "massive chunks of time" we have taken off are mainly due to our improving techniques. Breaststroke is one of the strokes where perfect technique is much more important than any other aspect (I do NOT say that technique is the only thing to work on.) You can work on your technique even with out a coach. Heck, I have only enjoyed three month of coached workouts so far. (But I happened to find out that training in Sweden is the most fun :D ) Work on your technique by a lot of drill work and very slow swimming with perfect form. If you concentrate on swimming with the best possible form, you will surely find out what's holding you back from swimming faster faster. Or (as I have done once) bring up a friend with a camcorder and let him tape you so you can review your stroke yourself. It is very helpfull as I found out. If I think how awful my stroke back than looked (May :-D ) and how fast it still was compared to my team mates than. Or you could ask a life guard to give you some feedback. One life guard at my pool gave me a lot of hints when I was still learing freestyle. Or you could ask an other swimmer at your pool who seems to have a good technique. Aks him AFTER he has finished his workout and he will probably spend some time to help you with your stroke. And last but not least : Read Wayne's and Andy's articles on swimming. Those are the best articles on swimming and especially Wayne's breaststroke tips are second to none. brgds Matthias

Well, sorry to bring this old thread up again, but I can't resist it :D. Wow Matthias, he took off over 12 seconds from his 50 *** in just 6 (? I think, seeing the posting dates) months! Wow, 35.72 from over 45. HOW did he do it? And hooked-on-swimming as well as Matthias both mentioned working on technique. How does one work on that without a coach? I mean how can you tell the good technique from the bad technique if there's no one to correct your technique? How can I practice technique? Are their massive chunks of time taken off mostly caused by improved techniques? I don't see either of them online anymore recently... So, can anyone help? I want the improvement Matthias got, if not better! :D

Alright. Thanks Matthias. I didn't see you post for a long time so I thought you had left. Apparently not :D. If you don't mind, could you share with me your workouts? Including the drills you did too. I promise I won't use it for commercial purposes and will most certainly give you credit if I ever do, which I won't. :D

ok, so here is one of my breaststroke specific workouts. I know it is not perfect and everyone is invited to comment on it. I only used it two or three times as I usually do the "regular" workouts of coach strauss posted here. I can only recommend them to you if you have no coach availible. They're realy fun. so, here it goes : Warm-up 20’ IM 3 - 2 - 1 (meaning you start swimming three lenghts of each stroke, then two, then one and then you start again with three lenghts of each stroke until 20 minutes are over. This makes an excellent full stroke warm up) Main set 1 x 50 Streamline Pushoff (you just pushoff focusing on an excellent streamline and try to glide as long as possible) 1 x 100 Handlead Flow (just bodydolphin with your hands reached out in a streamline) 1 x 100 Piston (well this is kinda hard to describe. . you should really get the go swim breaststroke drills DVD (where i have taken most of my drills so far as they are excellently demonstrate by dave denniston. really worth it's money.) 1 x 100 long glide (focus on distance per stroke and try to use as few strokes as possible) 1 x 100 head out of the water breaststroke 10 x 75 RestIntervall : 30s 20 x 25 RI : 30s alternating hard / easy 1 x 200 IM replacing Fly and Back with Handlead / Underwater Flow 1 x 200 25 same Drills as above + 25 Focusing on perfect form Cool down 1 x 400 @ EZ Alternating Freestyle and Drill so this adds up for about 2900 meters. but again this workout is really an exception. Usually I do much less breaststroke in my workouts and i haven't swum a workout dedicated to breaststroke since months. Go and try the workouts of one of the coaches posting here. Then choose the one you like most and follow his / her routine and you will become a faster swimmer.

Matthias, I like it.:D There is emphasis on streamlining, the basic good body dolphin drills, changing of speeds, and my favorite punishment, head out of the water breaststroke.:mad: During the 10 x 75's, you can also do different breaststroke drills, which will really bring your stroke together. I would go: 2 x 75: long kick with tiny sculls out front 2 x 75: regular pull and kick 2 x 75: first length two kicks and one pull; second length two kicks and two full strokes, and finally all breaststroke 2 x 75: One second drill, holding head underwater for one second after the kick, but easy. Count strokes. 2 x 75: One second drill, holding head underwater for one second after the kick, but Hard the last length. Count strokes. A great *** workout. Remember it's not how far you go, but how you train. This workout could be done easy for stroke correction, or very hard.