Swimming is one of the best cardio exercises you can do and an excellent life skill that everyone should learn. It is also that rare full-body workout that works simultaneously on multiple muscle groups with much less impact than other cardio workouts like running. You can practice different swimming strokes as part of your swimming routine and difficulty level.

The breaststroke, backstroke, front crawl, and butterfly stroke are the four common swimming strokes you can learn. They all have varying degrees of effectiveness and skill required to master. In this blog, let us understand the front crawl stroke, also known as freestyle in great detail and have a look at the benefits of this swimming stroke.

Front Crawl Swimming Stroke: What is It?

The front crawl swimming stroke which is also known as freestyle is quite a popular stroke among swimmers. This is especially true in swimming competitions because the front crawl is the fastest swimming stroke. The freestyle category in competitions allows other strokes as well but swimmers choose the front crawl because of the speed advantage.

As far as the learning curve for front crawl swimming is concerned, it is not the easiest to master because it requires certain breathing techniques since a part of the head remains underwater. The basic stroke consists of alternatively circling arms in the forward direction while the feet move up and down quickly performing a flutter kick. You get amazing forward propulsion due to this unique movement, allowing you to cover longer distances in a quicker time.

Benefits of Front Crawl Swimming Stroke

So, why must you choose the front crawl stroke and include it in your swimming routine? Here are some of the excellent health benefits that the front crawl stroke offers.

Excellent Calorie Burn

The front crawl stroke is one of the most effective in burning calories. It is second only to the butterfly stroke in the number of calories burned. 30 minutes of front crawl swimming results in burning approximately 300 calories. If you’re aiming for weight loss, this is an excellent swimming stroke to choose that’s not as difficult as the butterfly stroke.

Full Body Workout

The front crawl stroke has a unique advantage in that it works on every main muscle of the body. This not only gets you a full-body workout but also effectively tones your body. The muscles of your arms, core, back, and legs all get an excellent burn with front crawl swimming.

The Best Stroke For Back Muscles

If you want to build your back muscles, the front crawl stroke may be the best swimming technique to master. The stroke specifically targets the trapezius, latissimus dorsii, and deltoid muscles for a great all-around back workout.

It Is The Most Efficient Stroke

If you’re in competitive swimming, the front crawl is by far the most efficient stroke, enabling you to cover maximum distances with the least energy expenditure. Long-distance swimmers swear by the front crawl stroke.

Mastering The Front Crawl: The Basic Moves

Now that we know more about the front crawl stroke and its benefits, let us understand the basic moves of the stroke starting from the head to the feet.

Body Position

The front crawl requires that your body be horizontal in the water, parallel to the floor, and partly submerged. Your head, spine, and hips must be positioned in a straight line to improve hydrodynamics.

Head Movement

The head should be straight, looking down, and slightly submerged to follow the basic body moment, except when a breath is taken. The head is tilted alternatively from side to side following the arm movements during the breathing part. Breathing technique in a front crawl can be challenging and requires some practice.

Arm Movements

In a front crawl, the arms provide the maximum propulsion. Both arms are circled alternatively in and out of the water in the forward direction. While one arm is in the air, the other one will be underwater, and vice versa. The strong underwater push from each arm will give you the propulsion needed to move forward.

Torso and Hips

The middle portion of the body should also be straight and streamlined while maintaining parallelism to the floor. Stretching the body as long as possible helps in getting elongation and better control.

Feet

The feet have a crucial role to play in the front crawl stroke. Perform a steady flutter kick by alternatively kicking one foot and then the other from the hips. This will keep your body afloat and stabilized.

Breathing Technique

The breathing technique during a front crawl stroke may be the most difficult to master since the head is mostly submerged in the water. The key is to move your head out of the water from side to side in coordination with your arms to inhale and then exhale underwater.

Coordination

Your arms, feet, and head are all moving differently in a swimming stroke, and it is necessary to achieve limb independence in your movements to master the stroke. Just like driving, this means doing different things with different limbs. The legs perform the flutter kick, the arms circle, while the head goes from side to side. Well-coordinated and rhythmic movements of arms and legs that complement each other will result in a smooth and efficient stroke.

Tips to Refine Your Movements

Now that you know the basic body movement, here are a few tips to refine your front crawl stroke.

Body Streamlining

The body moves easier in water when resistance is the least and hence you need to keep your body as streamlined as possible. This means keeping your body elongated and narrow, with your head straight and bent down a bit, arms stretched and legs and torso flexed as much as possible.

Rotation

When you move one arm forward, you should rotate your body a little on the same side to get more reach and movement. Again as you circle back your arm and move the other arm forward, rotate on the opposite side.

Improving The Flutter Kick

The flutter kick in a front crawl keeps your body stable. You can practice the kick by holding on to some bars in a pool. Try to maintain a steady rhythm.

Refining Arm Movements

Modify your arm movements to achieve maximum movement with minimal drag. If parts of your elbow jut out at odd angles during the swim, this can drastically increase your drag and reduce swimming efficiency.

Other Strokes: Which is Most Effective?

Let us look at the other strokes you can choose if you’re not comfortable with the front crawl.

Breaststroke: This is the easiest stroke to master because it is a slow stroke and if you’re new to swimming, your instructor will probably teach you the breaststroke first. It burns the least amount of calories but it’s still a great way to start your swimming journey.

Backstroke: The backstroke is the second easiest stroke to learn because the head remains out of the water. It is almost the reverse of the front crawl. It also burns the second lowest calories among all strokes.

Butterfly: The butterfly stroke is the most challenging stroke to learn. It burns the most calories, with 30 minutes of swimming resulting in a calorie burn of 400 to 450.

Conclusion

The front crawl is a great stroke to learn and incorporate into your fitness routine. Its efficiency and speed mean that it is also a handy stroke in emergencies. So learning it is not just beneficial to your health but you also acquire a life skill.

Learning the front crawl stroke is all about practicing with a certified instructor. Yes, reading the techniques will help you become more efficient but the actual skill-learning will be via practice alone. With the FITPASS app, you can quickly find the best swimming classes near you that have the best swimming coaches to guide you in mastering the front crawl stroke. Get into the pool and learn freestyle swimming to avail the physical and mental health benefits of swimming.

FAQs

What is freestyle vs front crawl?

The front crawl is a type of swimming stroke whereas freestyle refers to a category in swimming competitions that allows swimmers to choose whichever stroke they want during the race. Because the front crawl is the fastest stroke, swimmers tend to use this during freestyle competitions and hence the name freestyle is sometimes used interchangeably with the front crawl.

Is freestyle swimming good exercise?

Freestyle swimming is a terrific full-body exercise that has excellent health benefits. It improves cardiac health and improves muscle tone and strength. It is one of the best exercises for back muscles. Additionally, the front crawl stroke burns a lot of calories, contributing to weight loss.

How many stroke styles are there in swimming?

There are 4 basic swimming strokes you can practice:

– Breaststroke

– Backstroke

– Freestyle/Front Crawl

– Butterfly

Out of these, the breaststroke is the easiest to master but least effective as an exercise. On the other hand, the butterfly is the most challenging but also the most effective.

Disclaimer: Above mentioned article is a Consumer connect initiative, This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.

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Mastering Front Crawl Swimming: Essential Techniques For Beginners and Beyond