Strengthening

and Improving
Breaststroke

Gianna Atria N. Janeo

BSESS 1-2

Passed to:
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Mrs. Jane Dumayag Delfinado
Table of Contents

 Introduction …………………………………………… 3
 What is Breaststroke …………………………………. 3
 Benefits of Breaststroke ……………………………… 4
 Pre- Assessment Pictures ……………………………. 5-6
 Program schedule and intro ………………………....7
 1st Program …………………………………………….. 8
 2nd Program ……………………………………………. 9
 3rd Program ……………………………………………. 10-14
 4th Program ……………………………………………. 15- 20
 Strength Training for Swimmer: What Muscles to
Train and Why? ………………………………………. 21- 25
 Why Does It work? ………………………………….. 26-28
 Why is land training important for Swimmers ….. 29
 What do Swimmers Eat? ……………………………. 30
 Food Nutrients ………………………………………… 31-34

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 Introduction:
My subject will be Camille Joy Villanueva. She is my team mate
and she just started swimming last year. Her main stroke in
swimming is “Breaststroke”. My goal is to strengthen and
improve her breaststroke for 4 weeks, so in the upcoming
SCUAA meet she would beat her personal best times.

What is
Breaststr
 Breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is
on their chest and the torso does not rotate. ... Some people
oke?
refer to breaststroke as the "frog" stroke, as the arms and
legs move somewhat like a frog swimming in the water.
 The breaststroke is swum with the body facing down.
Experienced swimmers, as well as competition swimmers,
however, dip their head underwater during the glide phase,
which improves their position in the water and reduces
drag. In terms of speed, breaststroke is the slowest
swimming stroke

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Benefits
of
breastst
 Average calorie burn: around 200 calories for 30 minutes
roke
swimming.
 Breaststroke is a much better cardiovascular workout than
the other strokes.
 It helps strengthen heart and lungs while toning thighs,
upper back, triceps, hamstrings and lower legs. It helps
strengthen heart and lungs while toning thighs, upper back,
triceps, hamstrings and lower legs.
 It helps to work and tone the chest muscles.
 Good Stroke for Beginners
 The Breaststroke uses different parts of the body, it helps in
building strength, power, and endurance. It’s considered a
short-axis stroke, which means there is a desirable rotation
or bending at the short axis of the body through the hip.
This makes breaststroke an effective core muscle group
exercise.

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Pre-Assessment Pictures:

5
(Standing Straight) (Both arms raised
without the back being
arched)

6
(Right Arm, Left leg Raised)(Right arm, Left leg raised)
*As you can see when she is raising her right arm and left leg,
you will see that she is having a hard time compared to when
she is raising her left arm and right leg. That means that her
muscle in her right arm and left leg is tight

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 Progra
m:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Skills Land Skills Training Land Skills Skills
Training Training For Training Training Training
Arms For Legs For Legs For Arms For
Arms
Legs

The program will be divided into 4 different programs, two

programs for water training and two programs for land training.
Every program will focus on the different parts of the body to
strengthen and improve to achieve the goal. The 4 weeks of
training will be an alternate of water and land training. My
subject will be Training from Monday to Saturday and Sunday
will be her rest day.

1st program: 8
(FOR IMPROVEMENT OF ARMS)
Warm up:
200m freestyle
200m IM
200m Breaststroke
Drill: (Focus on improving the breaststroke pull)
200m Freestyle kick, Breaststroke pull
200m one arm pull only (switch arm pull every 25m)
300m sculling with pullbouy
Swim:
200m closed fist breaststroke
300m breaststroke swim with pullbouy
Warm down:
200m choice

2nd program: 9
 (FOR IMPROVEMENT OF LEGS)
Warm up:
200m Freestyle
200m 200IM
2x100m Breaststroke
Drill: (Focus on improving the breaststroke pull)
200m Breaststroke kick
200m Two kicks one pull
200m Three kicks one pull
Swim:
8x50 Breaststroke swim on 1:15
8x25 Breaststroke swim with dive on 1:10
(Best effort)
Warm down:
200m choice

3rd program
(Land Training for Arms and Core)
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Warm up:
20mins jogging
Exercises for arms:
Kettlebell or Dumbbell Armbars
3×5 reps with 1min.
How to do it:
Start lying flat on your back. Extend your left arm
overhead, resting on the floor. Hold a kettlebell or
dumbbell in your right hand. Bend your right knee,
placing your foot flat on the floor. Press the weight
toward the ceiling. Then, press through your right foot to
roll onto the left side of body, bringing your bent right leg
over and across your body, keeping the weight and your
eyes fixed on the ceiling. Return to the start position by
reversing the movement controlled.

Single-Arm Cable Chest Press/Punch

4×8 reps each side with 3-5min. rest after all sets
(minimal rest between sets)

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How to do it:
Stand in a staggered stance in front of a cable machine
leaning slightly forward. Hold a handle in your right hand
at chest height with your palm facing down and elbow
bent at 45 degrees. Extend your left arm forward for
balance. Then, punch your right hand out, fully extending
your elbow, as you bring your left elbow straight back
into your side. Complete all reps on one side, then switch.

Pullups
4×8 reps with minimal rest between sets

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How to do it:
Start by completely hanging on the bar with an overhand
grip just wider than shoulder-width apart. Imagine pulling
the bar to the floor as you pull yourself up. Continue until
your chin rises above the bar. Return to start. Immediately
start 4B. after completing all sets. Use a band or assisted
pullup machine as needed, and vary your grip (e.g.,
narrow, neutral) for balance.

Core
work out:
The Plank
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How to Do It:
 Support yourself on forearms and toes. Keep your
elbows directly below your shoulders.
 Squeeze your abdominals and your butt to achieve a
straight, powerful spine-line.
 Beginners should aim for a 30 second hold. Increase
in time as ability allows.
 Your mid-section will try to sag towards the floor –
don’t allow it! The point of the exercise is to keep
your body in a firm line – including your head.

Hip Bridges
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How to Do It:
 Get on your back, lay your arms down at your side.
 Keep your feet flat on the floor and raise your trunk
towards the sky.
 Stop when you have achieved a straight spine-line.
Don’t over-extend.
 Hold for a three-count, and slowly descend.

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 4th program
(Land training for legs and core)
Warm up:
20 mins Jogging
Exercises for legs:
Lateral lunge
How to do it:
From a standing position, step to the right, keeping your
toes pointed straight ahead and feet flat on the ground.

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Squat onto your right leg, keeping the left leg straight and
the weight on the right leg’s midfoot to heel. Squatting as
low as possible, keep the left leg straight and hold the
position for 2 seconds. Return to standing position, and
repeat for 10 reps then switch sides.
Lateral pillar bridge
How to do it:
Lie on one side with your body in a straight line and your
elbow under your shoulder, feet stacked. Push your hip
off the ground, creating a straight line from ankle to
shoulder. Hold for three seconds.

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Squat jump:
How to do it:
Stand with feet just outside the shoulders and hangs
behind your head. Squat, keeping your knees behind your
toes. After holding this position for two seconds, jump
vertically. Pull your toes toward your shins in midair to
prepare for landing. Land in the starting squat position,
hold 3 seconds and repeat for 10 reps. Be sure to land
softly—catlike, even—with your hips back and down

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Core Exercises
Russian Twists
How to do it:
 raise your ankles off the ground, and lean back a little
bit to balance yourself.
 Using a medicine ball, dumbbell or even without a
weight, turn your shoulders 45 degrees. Touch the
mat with your hands. Now turn the other way.
Repeat.
 Perform the movement with control, not allowing
your legs to flop or slide around.

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V-Sit Kicking
How to do it:
 Sitting on the ground start fluttering your legs up and
down. Focus on making small kicks – as close as
possible to your actual kicking motion.
 Balance yourself and bring your arms above your
head into a streamline position. Your body’s natural
inclination will be to roll backwards – using your
mid-section stabilize your body so that this doesn’t
occur.

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Superman
How to do it:

Lay face down on the ground, arms straight above your

head.
Tighten your glutes and pull in your belly button.
Lift your left arm while also raising your right leg. Hold
for a three-count. Now do the same but with the opposite
arm-leg combo.
Don’t drop your arms and legs; you want a controlled
movement throughout.
Strengt
h
Trainin
g For
Swimm
ers:
What
Muscles
To 21

Train &
Why
Latissi
mus
 These muscles play a large role in
Dorsi your ability to pull. You will flex
and use these muscles from point
of water entry all the way until
your hand is just past your chest, at which point your
pull becomes dominated by your triceps.

Triceps
Muscles


The triceps muscle is what gives your pull the final

push and allows you to complete a full stroke to your
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 hips. Without the strength to finish your pull, you
will be required to complete more strokes which will
slow you down.

Pectoral
Muscles
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The pectoral muscles is a fancy term for your chest
muscles or more commonly known as “pecs”, which play
an integral part in freestyle stroke and breast stroke. This
muscles helps stabilize your strokes so does not contribute
a large amount of strength to your propulsion.

Core
Muscles

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Your core muscles are essentially your abs. These
muscles allow you to stabilize your body and play an
integral part of your position in the water.
With a flat and weak core you will be unable to hold
yourself on top of the water creating unwanted drag. With
a tight core you will be able to remain hydrodynamic,
which will allow for more efficiency in your strokes and
better propulsion through the water.

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 Quadric
epsor commonly known as “quads”, are the
Quadriceps
group of muscles in the front upper part of your legs.
Muscles
They are used to jump and kick. Though kicking only
plays a small role in freestyle, other strokes such as
backstroke and butterfly rely heavily on the kick.
Even though quadriceps play a small role in propulsion,
the quads are super important at the start and on turns.
With powerful legs, you will be able to jump further in
the air, which increases speed because it is easier to move
through the air than it is to move through the water.
Flipturns, especially in events like the mile, can be the
make or break of a swimmer.

Why
does it
The land training that I picked for my subject to do has its
work?
ways to improve my subject in swimming
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1. Kettlebell or Dumbbell Armbars
- Single-arm training provides the isolation,
balance, and symmetry needed for freestyle—the
most common and efficient stroke pattern.
2. Single-Arm Cable Chest Press/Punch
- This exercise works on extension through the
arms, a key skill in swimming since you’re
constantly reaching out in the water.
3. Pull-ups
- Propulsion in the water is partly driven by a
strong pull from your shoulders and lats, Daly
says, so upper-body pulling exercises—like
pullups—provide strength and balance that’ll
improve your efficiency.

4. The Plank
- Simple looking in nature, this is probably the
best all-around measure for core strength.

5. Lateral lunge
- It opens up the muscles of the groin and hips,
improving hip rotation, which is vital in
swimming.
6. Lateral pillar bridge
- To open up the hips, generating more rotation
and power in the water.
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7. Squat jump
- This works the hips, knees, and ankles. The so-
called triple flexion response creates power off
the blocks and off the wall.
8. Russian Twists
- First, it requires you to be able to move your
upper torso in a rotational manner, much like you
do with the arm movement in freestyle. Being
able to rotate quickly with power and control is
critical.
- Secondly, your core works to keep your legs
extended and from swinging wildly back in
forth, which also simulates the stable hip
position you need to achieve when sprinting.
Letting your legs and hips sway and slide leads
to an inefficient and cork-screwing freestyle that
causes drag and leaks power.

9. V-Sit Kicking
- This exercise is tough, as it will challenge your
lower back, hip flexors as well as taxing your
abs.
10. Superman

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 - for this exercise is fantastic for developing
scapular stability (i.e. developing and retaining good
posture and helping ward off that pesky swimmer’s
shoulder), your glutes and back

Why is
land
training
1. Core Strength - The core is critical to swimming. It
important
maintains the correct “downhill” body position of the
swimmer when horizontal to minimize drag. It enables
for 29

swimmers
?
 the swimmer to accelerate faster in a turn, and carry
more speed off a dive with a clean entry.
2. Injury Prevention - The repetitive motions in
swimming can lead to chronic injuries. Dryland training
varies an athlete's patterns of movement and challenges
their muscles to learn new exercises. It can target areas
left underdeveloped by swimming and relieve some of
the demand placed on more stressed muscle groups.
Stronger muscles also help distribute force correctly,
putting less strain on joints, tendons and ligaments.
3. Learn Correct Biomechanics - Especially for
swimming dryland training, athletes must learn correct
body position for a variety of exercises. This requires
focus, muscle recruitment, and coordination. Swimmers
develop better posture through core engagement and
upper body strength, which helps improve breathing in
the water.

What do
Whyswimmers
is breakfast important For an athlete a nutritious start to the
for swimmers? day is vital. It helps with energy levels,
concentration, mood, strength and
endurance, as well as helping prevent
Breakfast before training:
the temptation to eat rubbish later in
 Oatmeal the day. A good breakfast also boosts
 Low fat yoghurt the metabolism and immune system.
 Whole wheat bread with jam
Foods that is rich in complex
 Eggs (Poached/Scrambled/Boiled)
carbohydrates, A diet that
 Milk
contains these slow release
 Fresh fruit juice.
carbs will keep you energised
What to eat before and help you swim for longer
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training? but they can take time to
digest.
 Lunch
 Pasta
 Beans on toast
 Chilli con carne
 Sweet potatoes
Pre Training Snack:
 energy foods (cereal bars, energy drinks, protein shakes)
 whole grain foods (whole wheat cereal or wholemeal toast)

Eating after exercise is

When to eat after
important for recovery, even
swimming? if you’re aiming to lose
weight. Aim to refuel your
body within 20-30 minutes
Why is recovery food of putting
swimming
If you’re in the metres in the pool, your
important?
body will need a boost when you finish your
training. Always try to refuel within 30 minutes of
Recovery food: finishing and preferably within 15 minutes – your
body immediately needs nutrients to repair
 banana, honey and chia seeds on muscles and replace energy.
toast (light meal)
 baked sweet potato with some lean protein like chicken, or fish.
Food Nutrients:

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 Oatmeal- Oats are a great source of complex carbohydrates and fiber and
will keep you full for an extended amount of time.
 Low fat Yoghurt- Not only is it a good source of calcium, vitamin D,
potassium and protein, it also provides long lasting energy and boosts
muscle recovery.
 Eggs-Basically, they're the fastest naturally occurring protein foodstuff that
can be broken down into amino acids and delivered to the muscles
 Whole wheat bread- Whole grains contain a much higher level of fibre than
refined grains. Fibre also helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer because
it is slower to digest.
 Milk- Dairy milk is one of the best sports drinks since it is a natural source
of calcium and protein, and also the leader in potassium. For nutrition for
swimmers, milk also contains the two best proteins for rebuilding muscles:
casein and whey.
 Fresh Fruit Juice- Fruit juices contain a range of minerals, vitamins and
bioactive compounds, such as phytochemicals, that are important for good

health.

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  Pasta-Foods that is rich in complex
carbohydrates, such as wholemeal pasta. A
diet that contains these slow release carbs
will keep you energised and help you
swim for longer but they can take time to
digest.
 Sweet potato- Sweet potatoes are a
healthful source of carbohydrates and they
help keep your heart, skin and hair healthy. A medium sweet potato offers
103 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of
fiber.
 Beans on toast- They may be the signature of a student's staple diet but low-
sugar baked beans are actually really good for you. Bags of protein in the
beans and wholemeal toast have your complex carbohydrates.
 Chili con Carne- beans, lean mince, and brown rice all should set you up
perfectly for exercise in a few hours.

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 Cereal Bars - They are full of protein and fibre.
 Gatorade - a great source of these electrolytes. While sports drinks increase
hydration, they also help maintain fluid balance. ... Sports drinks are also
great to have in between workout, so after a heavy lift or dry land session
before a swim practice, drink 8 ounces of Gatorade, and supplement with a
small snack.
 Wheat Bread-. Wheat bread maintains most of its nutritional integrity
throughout the processing so that you still have the majority of vitamins and
minerals by the end. It is also loaded with fiber, which is linked to weight
loss and a healthy digestive system.

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 Protein- Nutrition is often based around
lean proteins for muscle repair and recovery
 Chia seeds - Chia seeds are a nutrition powerhouse. They've got a lot
of what swimmers need in a tiny package: calcium, iron, and protein.
Chia seeds are also known as a "slow carb", which is great for
providing swimmers with a sustained amount of energy over many
hours.
 Banana- Quick energy-boosting snacks for swimmers. They are high
in natural sugars and are easy to digest, so shouldn't feel heavy in your
stomach.
 Honey - 100% natural honey is a great source of carbohydrates – 75
gram per tablespoon to be exact! So a spoon full of honey instead of
peanut butter before training is a great source of energy. We also use
it now as a recovery aid after training. Honey will also help to prevent
dehydration if mixed with water.

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Post Assessment

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