Beginner's guide to the different swimming styles

Beginner's guide to the different swimming styles

Whether it's summer or not, a dip in the pool is a great way to mix up your workout routine, relieve pressure on your joints, and work pretty much every muscle in your body.

Not sure where to start or how to perform the different swimming strokes? Consider this your guide to the most common swimming moves—and how to incorporate them into your next water workout. (Don't want to do laps? Try this non-pool workout instead.)

4 different swimming styles you should know

If you've ever tuned in to the Summer Olympics, you've seen the four most popular swimming strokes - freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly - in action. Even if your strokes don't quite look like those of a pro swimmer, nail the basics and you're pretty much guaranteed to get a killer workout. (Once you've mastered these swim moves, try one of these swim workouts for every fitness level.)

Freestyle

“Freestyle is definitely the most well-known type of swimming,” says Julia Russell, CPT, a former Olympic swimmer, NASM-certified personal trainer, and owner of Inside Out Fitness. “It is not only the fastest and most efficient, but also the easiest to master,” she explains. If you're new to swimming or want to get a solid workout in the pool, freestyle is a great exercise to get you started.

How to perform the freestyle swim stroke:

AFreestyle is performed in a horizontal prone position (i.e. face down in the water).

b.Kick your feet with pointed toes in a quick, compact up-and-down motion known as a flutter kick.

CMeanwhile, move the arms in a continuous, alternating pattern: one arm pulls toward the hip underwater from an extended position (in front of the body, biceps at the ears), while the other arm recovers by sweeping outward across the water from the hip to the extended position in front.

DTo breathe, turn your head to the side of the arm that is recovering and inhale quickly before turning facedown again. (Typically you breathe every two or more beats.)

“The most difficult aspect of freestyle is breathing, but with a kickboard it's easy to work on,” notes Russell. Flutter kicks while holding a kickboard in front of you and practice turning your face in and out of the water to breathe until you feel comfortable.

Muscles trained during freestyle:Core, shoulders, glutes, hamstrings

Backstroke

Essentially the reverse counterpart of freestyle, backstroke is another easy-to-master swimming style that is popular with swimmers of all levels, says Russell. This move offers a big advantage: your face stays out of the water, so you can breathe whenever you want. “Backstroke is extremely useful when you need a little rest,” she adds.

Plus, it's also handy if you "want to really strengthen your abdominal and back muscles," notes Russell. Combine backstroke and freestyle in the same pool workout and you'll have trained your body from all angles. (Here's what you should know about swimming during your period.)

How to perform the backstroke stroke:

ABackstroke is performed in a horizontal supine position (i.e. face up in the water), hence the name backstroke.

b.As in freestyle, kick your feet in a short, constant flutter while your arms move in a continuous alternating pattern.

CWhen swimming backstroke, pull one arm through the water to your hip from a stretched position overhead, while the other arm recovers by making a semicircle motion in the air from the hip to this stretched position.

DThe body rolls slightly from side to side as each arm pulls underwater, but the head remains in a neutral, upward position, meaning, yes, it's easy to breathe when needed.

Muscles trained during backstroke:Shoulders, glutes and hamstrings, as well as more core (especially back) than freestyle

Breaststroke

Although the pace of breaststroke, which is very different from freestyle and backstroke, can be difficult to nail, "you get it for life," says Russell. “It’s like riding a bike,” she adds.

Because it is less strenuous than other swimming styles, it may not be your first choice for a high-intensity workout. However, because it uses such a different movement pattern than freestyle and backstroke, it's a great way to switch things up and focus on other muscle groups, says Russell.

Plus, "If you're hesitant to hold your breath, breaststroke is great because you breathe with every stroke," explains Russell. Heck, you can even do it without putting your face in the water (although that's not technically correct).

How to do the Breaststroke Stoke:

ALike freestyle, breaststroke is performed in a horizontal prone position. However, in breaststroke, the body moves between a more horizontal, streamlined position (when the body is underwater like a pencil, with the arms and legs extended) and a more vertical recovery position in which the upper body is pulled out of the water to breathe.

b.Here, the legs perform a symmetrical "whip" or "frog" kick, in which the feet are pulled together toward the buttocks and then whipped to the side in a circular motion until they meet again in a streamlined position. (Seriously, just imagine frog legs.)

CMeanwhile, the arms move in a symmetrical, triangular pattern. As the legs recover toward the glutes, the hands (which are extended in front of the body) swing forward, outward, and then pull into the chest, creating that triangle shape. As the legs perform their frog kick, shoot the arms back to their extended position and repeat.

DWhen swimming breaststroke, breathe by lifting your head as your arms pull through the water, and pull your face back down as they extend in front of your body.

Muscles trained during breaststroke:Chest, all leg muscles

butterfly

The butterfly may look the most epic of the four different swimming styles, but it is also (by far) the most difficult to master. "It's a pretty unusual move. Plus, it uses pretty much every muscle you have," explains Russell. The result: a swimming style that is not only technically very demanding, but also absolutely strenuous for professionals.

Because butterfly is so tricky, master the other three strokes before attempting it, Russell recommends. However, once you get there, the average person burns about 900 calories per hour doing this intense exercise. “It really gets your heart rate up,” says Russell. (See also: 10 Benefits of Swimming That Will Make You Dive Into the Pool)

How to do the butterfly stroke:

AButterfly, performed in a horizontal prone position, uses an undulating, undulating motion in which the chest, followed by the hips, continuously rocks up and down.

b.Start in a streamlined position underwater. From there, the hands form an hourglass shape underwater as they pull toward the hips, and then exit the water and recover to this extended position, circling forward just above the surface of the water.

CMeanwhile, the legs perform a “dolphin” kick, where the legs and feet stay together and push up and down with pointed toes. (Imagine a mermaid tail.)

DWhen butterflying, breathe as needed by lifting your head out of the water while your arms rest above the surface of the water.

“When I teach butterfly, I break it down into three parts,” Russell says. Start by practicing the general movement pattern of moving your chest and hips up and down alternately, just to get a feel for the rhythm. Then practice the dolphin kick. Once you get that down, just work on the arm movement before finally putting it all together. (Next: How to Dive into Open Water Swimming Safely)

Muscles trained during butterfly:literally all of them (especially the core, lower back, and calves)