Which swim-style for what?

[Corny]

Hey guys,

I swim 2 km one on day every week since some time. In the past I did that just because I like swimming, and because I kinda missed swimming during winter since I left my swim team (when I was 15, lol). Usually I just do breast-strokes, but recently I noticed that my abs (ok, not that I really had some, but at least some definition ) are starting to fade. So I thought instead of running into the gym (which I hate), maybe I could train them a bit more with swimming.

My goals are
- a slight definition of the abs, maybe a bit more.
- not negleting the upper torso muscles (ok, THAT probably is impossible with swimming)

So I started to thing .. I guess I definitely need to swim more/week.
I believe Breaststrokes aren't really working the abs - but which swimming style does? Crawl? Hardly. I guess butterfly would be best for the abs, right? Damn .. I don't really like butterfly, but maybe some of the backstrokes are good as well?

Anybody with more experience here that can help me out ?

 

[Corny]

^ yep that's butterfly. The only swimming style that is a bit harder in terms of technique.

 

[alley]

I do freestyle for 1-2 miles every other day---definitely feel it in my abs--I give my hips a twist as I do a stroke----also do 20 or so laps with a kick board and flippers --hits almost everything in my lower body and can feel it in my stomach as well---just need to burn off a bit of extra fat for abs to show thru---can feel them though.

 

[panther21]

butterfly is going to be your best bet of the four main styles of swimming. However there are other exercises in the water that you can do to help your abs.

Take a pool buoy that you would use to build up arm strength and put it between your legs like normal. Float on your back with your feet barely out of the water and with your arms on your sides use them to make a figure 8 under the water and propel use self down the lane. It builds up great arm strength but i have found it works my abs as well.

I hope that written explanation makes sense.

 

[jockboy01]

I generally don't think of swimming as an ab exercise to be honest. It does work for toning I suppose. And in that sense, all of the strokes work your abs as they help to stabilize your body position in the water. The order from most worked to least would probably be butterful>backstroke~front crawl/freestyle (depending when you grew up)>breastroke. But I tend to use swimming more as a cardio workout and to tone muscles rather than to build them.

Backstroke and freestyle work the abs because you're rotating the hips a bit to gain arm reach... something that doesn't happen with breastroke.

 

[kangaboi]

Swimming actually works out all your muscles in your body, of course some you use more however all are being used, thats why its such a good workout. From what i know and what my coaches have told me if you want to work your abs its butterfly which is good because you are launching yourself up when coming up to breathe, using all your upper body strenght, you know that feeling 'corny' when you pull yourself out of the pool (not using steps) and you can really feel your abs working, its that same thing in butterfly. Surprisingly i was told that tumble turns also give the abs a good workout!!

 

[tallguy297]

Well.... if you can do an Ian Thorpe or Michael Phelps action that is crisp and clean with your crawl (even we dont call it that here...lol) then you'd be suprised how much influence the abs have... thier role in twisting the hips against the flow of the upper torso is huge...

Try to keep them taunt (the secret to any ab exercise) and use them to twist your hips... dont let your hips/legs follow your torso... they should almost lead it...

As to upper body... hmmm... butterfly gives your lats and delts a hammering... truth be told breaststroke resembles flyes to a point and backstroke is almost a one sided dip... so maybe they are the best for the chest....

 

[Corny]

@jockboy:
i am a bit confused.. what's the difference between freestyle and front crawl? or did you mean just that it's called different everywhere with that "depending on where you grew up"

as I said I don't really want to build up muscles, I just want a bit more definition (again) I'm fine with my upper torso, and my abs are still OK but not what they used to be

Thanks for all the input, so basically everything is like I thought. I do like backcrawl a lot, but unfortunately most of the time it's rather crowded at the indoor swimming pool, so that's not always the best idea. Or I just need to go there before uni/work in the morning (yuck) when there are no recreational swimmers.

Hmm .. since I already have the swimmers gathered in this thread - any tips to avoid the fogging of the goggles? I know the old "spit and let it dry" trick, but unfortunately that doesn't work anymore for my goggles and I really hate to buy knew ones every few months. It's not that I'm totally blind, but it's still annoying (plus I can't see the pretty boys in their full glory hehe).

 

[kangaboi]

damn yeah i know what you mean about the whole pool getting crowded thing!! when not training i go lap swimming and some days (most) you get all these people who do two or three laps and then just talk to someone for the rest of the time!! anyway enough ranting, there is this spray stuff that you can buy which forms a layer on the goggle which prevents fog!! or there are anti-fog goggles but they are more expensive. I personally find the best goggles to be Zogs or Rival, though dont know what brands you got in Germany!!!

 

[alley]

I have not had much luck with the anti-fog goggles or spray --so can't help on that front. I joined a very nice new gym and since it's open 24 hours I can go any time and have the pool usually all to myself---the YMCA I had been going to is the most crowded in the area and I got tired of being kicked and scratched by other swimmers thrashing about--and they kept the pool too warm-- in the 90 degree f area. And best of all no kids jumping in front of me--in my lap lane--and causing me to stop and walk around them and bitch--

 

[jockboy01]

i am a bit confused.. what's the difference between freestyle and front crawl?

It's a matter of when you grew up. In the "old days" we called it freestyle. More recently, they started calling it front crawl (in lessons, in competition thankfully they still call it free) because theoretically, you can do any stroke for freestyle (and crawl is the fastest so everybody does it). Don't ask, it's stupid. But they're the same thing.

As to anti-fog... I just deal. The only thing I've found that is great for it is the leaf of a plant that grows in Hawaii... don't ask me the name, but it worked AWESOME when I was there.

 

[drhladnjak]

My understanding of the difference between the two terms is that "front crawl" refers to the specific stroke of lying prone, flutter kick with alternating overhead arms, etc. while "freestyle" refers to the swimming event where you can do whatever stroke you'd like. Front crawl is the fastest stroke in general, which is why it's the one swum during the freestyle event.

As for abs, definitely butterfly. If you don't like doing full blown fly, I find just doing the kick on my back works the stomach well. Yes, it's tough but one has to suffer for beauty

 

[Corny]

^ that was what confused me .. since freestyle for me implies "free". and the german word is only used for the competition, never for the style. (and on a side note you have a great smile )

so it seems butterfly is the way to go. and at least i am not the only one having problems with damn foggy goggles

 

[3nipples]

I don't know about the spit and let it dry... I spit, rub it around and rinse in the pool without letting it dry and don't have a problem with fogging, provided I don't take them off until done... for that you need to have goggles with a good fit that won't leak. The only problem I have is the mark that the goggles leave on my face for a long time.

As for stroke, I suspect that the difference to the abs will be minimal, so you might as well go with the one that you like doing and can maintain the longest. While swimming is great for the upper body and not bad all around, it's usually not quite enough for the legs...

 

[drhladnjak]

The only way to work it all is butterfly...If you can master it. I know how to teach it but I can't do it myself.

I've heard a number of swim instructors say the same thing. The only way I learned it was with a little instruction and a lot of trial/error. Eventually, the rhythm just started making sense one day. It was really very odd.

 

[alley]

The guy is cute-- the lesson is a little hard to follow in places---



He's got other lessons posted as well that are pretty good.

 

[alley]

Well hell---might as well post them.

 

[Corny]

Ah well, actually I can do butterfly (or dolphin as we call it here). Well .. umm .. err .. that means .. I COULD do it 10 years ago *cough*. But thanks for the videos, I believe I have to watch them again and try not to look at the guy too much

Hey, Corny. You're supercute, so don't feel like you need to work more!

oh thank you but it seems that my definition isn't keeping itself anymore so I actually might have to work a bit for it. OK, I only did NO sport for like 1.5 years, but sometimes *some* sports isn't enough

This thread makes me want to start swimming again (which has been on my mind lately).

Do it! Ok, my pause (7 years) was much longer than yours but I guess I needed that after the overdose that I had before But now it feels great once again.