How to learn to swim front crawl

The front crawl style of swimming is one of the most recommended modalities to start in this discipline. It is more comfortable than other variants and has different forms of coordination.

No swimming experience is necessary to learn to swim the front crawl. In fact, this is one of the most recommended modalities for beginners , since it is easily learned and comfortable when you do not have as much technique.

The word cral is derived from the English "crawl", whose meaning is "crawl" or "crawl". It is one of the styles where you can find more variants in coordination, since it allows you to perform a bilateral breath, each arm cycle or every two cycles .

Would you like to learn to swim front crawl this summer? In the following space, the advantages, disadvantages and some keys to execute this swimming with lifeguard classes near me technique will be reviewed.

Do not hesitate to try it!

Front crawl swimming: advantages and disadvantages

Before you make the decision to learn to swim the front crawl, it's good to know why it stands out and what the potential drawbacks are . Although the trainer can also provide this information, it is convenient to know it in advance.

First, within the concept of this technique it is emphasized that it consists of a coordinated action of arms, legs and trunk , whose main purpose is to reach the maximum speed of movement of the swimmer through the water, this concept was stated in a recent study carried out in the year 2020.

Advantage:

• It is one of the forms of swimming that provides greater comfort in the water .

• It offers the possibility of advancing greater distances with less physical effort.

• It has different swimming rhythms that facilitate the experience.

Disadvantages:

• A poor execution of the breathing technique increases the risk of cervical pain.

• Keeping the breath on one side increases the load on the spine and reduces performance.

• Since much of the exercise is done while looking forward, underwater, it provides poor visibility.

Also Read About Lifeguard: What to Look for in a Good Lifeguard Class and Training Program

Learn to swim front crawl

To facilitate the learning of the front crawl style, it is essential to divide the technique from the posture of the body to the action of the arms and legs. The ideal is to do it in order and dedicate some time to each movement.

1. Body position

To achieve optimal physical performance during front crawl exercises it is important to adopt a streamlined posture. In other words, the position of the body should favor resistance to water and prevent it from slowing down movements, as expressed in a study carried out in 2015.

What should be done?

To start, get in a horizontal position with respect to the water, so that you can move your feet effectively.

Keep your back straight and check that your head is not too high or too low.

Then, the body is aligned laterally , as a result of the changes it undergoes due to the alternative movement of the arms. If the stroke is made with the right side, the body will lean towards the left and vice versa.

Finally, you will have to do a roll or turn (roll) to breathe and achieve less resistance to progress.

2. Arm action

The most important propulsive action in the front crawl is that performed with the arms. This is often divided into the following phases:

Grip:

Submerge the arm almost extended in the water, above the head, so that the fingers first touch the surface.

Then, direct the palm of the hand out and down, until the elbows are extended to achieve a better amplitude of the stroke.

Jerk:

Bend your elbow to almost a right angle and point your hand in and up .

Push:

Extend the elbow little by little until reaching an approximate angle of 160 degrees. This time, the hand heads up and out.

Recovery:

Flex your arm progressively to get it out of the water. When in the air, the elbow should be higher than the hand.

3. Leg action

Leg movements consume more energy than arms. However, they play an important role as stabilizers throughout the exercise . In general, the action of the legs consists of alternating the sweep in a diagonal fashion.

Ascending phase:

Keep the leg extended and direct it towards the surface. Once the sole of the foot reaches the limit of the water, do a knee bend.

Descending phase:

After bending the knee, forcefully extend the legs down in a downward motion.

4. Breath

One of the aspects that cannot be overlooked when learning to swim front crawl is breathing. If there is no good technique to take a breath, physical fatigue increases and it is difficult to finish the exercise routine .

The mechanics of breathing seem simple: take air in through your mouth and expel it underwater. However, this becomes tedious in practice due to coordination with the other movements of the body .

What to consider:

• Inhale through the mouth and exhale through the mouth and nose.

• Keep in mind that the moment of maximum inhalation is when the shoulder is at its highest point.

• While taking a breath, a part of the face must remain in the water .

• The expulsion of the air begins immediately after taking inspiration.

• It is recommended to learn to breathe bilaterally to prevent imbalances in lateral alignment.

Although the front crawl is one of the easiest swimming variants, it is important to know how to execute this technique to have a good performance. Therefore, in the learning process, we must focus on mastering the coordination of movements and breathing .