Did you know that when swimming was first introduced in the 1986 Olympics, frog-style swimming was the first and only stroke swum? Also called breaststroke, this swimming style mimics how a frog propels its body forward in water.
Unlike the flutter kick of freestyle swimming or the dolphin kick of butterfly swimming, the frog kick is essential for moving the body in a streamlined shape through the water.
This style involves a unique blend of coordination, strength, and technique, making it a popular choice among swimmers seeking mental and muscular benefits.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into frog-style swimming, offering expert tips for mastering the stroke and exploring its wide range of health benefits.
How To Do Frog-Style Or Breaststroke Swimming?
Due to its relatively gentle nature and the ability to keep the head above water more easily than in other swimming strokes, frog-style stroke remains a popular choice for recreational swimmers and those swimming for fitness and health rather than speed.
If you are a beginner swimmer who wants to practise this technique, here’s a simple guide for you:
- Get the Right Starting Position: Float in the water face-down, keeping your body level and stretched out. Your arms should be stretched out in front with your hands together and your legs extended straight behind.
- Kick Like a Frog: Bend your knees and draw your heels up toward your bottom with your feet turned out. Kick your legs back and out in a wide arc, then snap them together quickly to push yourself forward.
- Practise Correct Arm Movement: With your arms extended, sweep them out to the sides and back toward your chest in a heart shape, pushing the water to help move you forward. Stretch your arms back out in front of you to glide.
- Engage Your Muscles: The breaststroke works out your whole body, including your chest, arm, bottom, thigh, and inner thigh muscles. It’s like a full-body exercise that’s also fun!
- Stay Streamlined and Maintain Breathing: Keep your body position straight and flat in the water. This helps you move more smoothly and quickly. Lift your head to breathe in as you sweep your arms around, then breathe out as you glide with your arms and legs extended.
5 Tips For Improving Your Frog Swimming Technique
By focusing on the correct technique, from the powerful frog kick to the precise arm movements and breathing pattern, swimmers can harness the full potential of frog swimming.
To further refine your breaststroke technique, your swim coach will train you to master the fundamentals and add drills to your training. The following tips will help you tackle common challenges and elevate your performance.
1. Master The Frog Kick And Arm Movement
To swim longer distances efficiently or to become the slowest competitive swimmer in races, mastering the frog kick and synchronised arm movement is essential.
The kick starts by bending your knees and snapping your lower legs outward, then quickly bringing them together to push the water and propel your body forward. The arm and chest muscles work together in a heart-shaped motion, which propels the swimmer forward along with the kick.
2. Strengthen Key Muscle Groups
Incorporate exercises that strengthen the chest, arms, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and inner thighs into your training regimen. Stronger muscles contribute to more powerful strokes and kicks, enhancing overall performance.
Dryland training, such as squats, lunges, and resistance band exercises, can significantly improve the muscle groups used in frog swimming or breaststroke.
3. Utilise Pull Drills
Swim breaststroke using one arm at a time while keeping the other arm extended forward. This drill improves arm technique and helps focus on the pull phase, enhancing your strength and coordination.
Use a pull buoy between your thighs to keep your legs together and float. Focus solely on your arm movements and breathing technique without kicking. This isolates the upper body, allowing you to concentrate on arm strength and stroke efficiency.
4. Do Kick Drills
Practise your frog kick in a vertical position in the water, with your hands either out of the water or on your hips. This drill emphasises the power and snap of the kick, improving the propulsion you get from each kick.
Using a kickboard, focus solely on your kick. Pay attention to the outward snap and the quick bringing together of your legs. This helps build leg strength and fine-tunes the kick movement.
5. Improve Timing And Rhythm
Incorporate three-second glide drills, as this encourages efficiency in your stroke and teaches you to maximise the distance covered with minimal effort. To do this, glide for three seconds after each stroke and kick.
You also need to do breath control drills. Practice extending the number of strokes between breaths to improve lung capacity and comfort in the water. Start with breathing every other stroke, then extend to every third or fourth stroke.
Benefits Of Frog-Style Swimming
Incorporating frog-style swimming into your fitness routine can provide health benefits, making it a versatile and enjoyable way to stay fit. Whether you’re swimming for leisure, fitness, or competitive purposes, the breaststroke offers a unique blend of physical and mental health advantages.
Full Body Workout
Breaststroke provides a full-body workout, engaging multiple muscles simultaneously. It uniquely works the chest, shoulders, arms, back, gluteal muscles, and legs.
The arm strokes help tone the upper body, while the distinctive frog kick strengthens the lower body, particularly the inner thighs and hamstrings. This comprehensive engagement results in balanced muscle toning and strengthening without additional weight training exercises.
Cardiovascular Improvement
As with other forms of swimming, the breaststroke technique is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. It increases heart rate and promotes better blood circulation, contributing to the strengthening of the heart and lungs.
Regular participation in breaststroke swimming can help reduce the risk of heart-related diseases, lower blood pressure, and improve overall heart health. The rhythmic breathing pattern required for this stroke also enhances lung capacity and efficiency.
Flexibility And Mobility
The smooth, gliding movements of the frog-style stroke promote flexibility and joint mobility. Each stroke cycle includes a wide range of motion in the hips, shoulders, and knees, which can help in reducing stiffness and improving joint function.
The gentle stretching involved in the kick and arm movements enhances muscular flexibility, which is beneficial for injury prevention and overall physical well-being.
Mental Health Benefits
The rhythmic and repetitive nature of the frog-style technique has a meditative effect, helping to reduce stress and promote mental well-being.
The focus required to coordinate the movements can also serve as a form of mental distraction, allowing swimmers to temporarily set aside worries and stressors. Additionally, the endorphins released during this activity are natural mood lifters, contributing to happiness and relaxation.
Burn Calories
Breaststroke, often perceived as less intense than other swimming strokes like freestyle and butterfly, can still offer a substantial calorie burn, making it an excellent choice for those looking to manage their weight through swimming.
The advantage of frog-style is that it can be sustained for longer periods due to its lower overall demand on the body’s oxygen system compared to faster, more intense strokes, allowing for a significant cumulative calorie burn.
Depending on the intensity of training, frog-style swimming calorie burn can reach 400-817/hour for a person weighing 130 pounds.
Conclusion About Frog-Style Swimming
Frog-style swimming offers a unique way to propel the body forward in water and provides a comprehensive workout that benefits the mind and body.
Whether you’re a recreational breaststroke swimmer aiming to swim longer distances or a competitive swimmer looking to refine your technique, understanding and applying the principles of frog-style swimming can enhance your overall swimming experience.
If you want to master this swimming stroke, join JustSwim’s swimming lessons in Singapore and get trained by expert NROC coaches. They will design a program tailored to your skill levels and swimming goals.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our adults’ and kids’ swimming lessons in Singapore!
Frequently Asked Questions About Frog-Style Swimming
What Are Some Common Mistakes To Avoid In Frog-Style Swimming?
Common mistakes include not coordinating the arm and leg movements properly, which can reduce efficiency, not utilising a powerful enough kick, and lifting the head too high out of the water, increasing drag and slowing you down.
Is Frog-Style Swimming Good For Joint Health?
Yes, because it’s a low-impact exercise, frog-style swimming is excellent for individuals looking for a workout that is gentle on the joints. The water supports the body, reducing stress on the hips, knees, and spine, making it a suitable exercise for those with arthritis or joint pain.
How Often Should I Practice Frog-Style Swimming For The Best Health Benefits?
It’s recommended to incorporate frog swimming into your exercise routine 2-3 times per week. This frequency allows recovery time between sessions while providing consistent cardiovascular and muscular benefits.
Can Frog-Style Swimming Improve My Swimming Speed In Other Strokes?
While frog-style swimming is generally slower than strokes like freestyle or butterfly, practising it can contribute to overall swimming performance. It helps build endurance, lung capacity, and muscle strength, which are beneficial across all swimming strokes.
