Discussion and Analysis of the Arm Stroke
Breastroke is a type of swimming stile were the swimmer glides and uses the breast where else the trunk does not rotate. The head is usually online with the trunk and also floats over water for a long hence a comfortable but slow style for swimming.
The swimmer lies horizontally to the water surface gliding on the chest. The arms extended forward, hands together and palms facing downward. The arms are turned sideways away from the shoulders, keeping the arms straight and the elbow close to the water surface. Flexing the arms at the elbow moves the forearm and palms backward, vertically, and facing downwards. The wrist is also supinated. The propulsive phase begins by exerting force and moving the arms backward then inwards and upwards. This enables one to sweep diagonally raising the head and shoulders above the water level. The hip also goes down and the legs move closer to the buttocks. The elbows should be lateral and in a higher position than the hands but at a lower position than the shoulders.
During the recovery phase, the head submerges again into the water, the hands are moved beneath the chest, and the elbows against the thorax. With the hands together, they are projected forward close to the water surface until the arms are fully extended forward ready for another cycle. Shoulders are abducted horizontally bringing the elbows together and the palms facing each other. The legs will helps to kick forward.
Propulsive phase anatomical analysis table
| Joint | Joint action | Segment moved | Force for movement | Muscle active | Kind of contraction |
| Shoulder
Joint Shoulder girdle Elbow Radioulnar Wrist Fingers |
Extension
Internal rotation Abduction and Flexion Flexed and later extension Flexed vertical position beneath the chest Facing each other |
Scapula
Scapula Forearm forearm Forearm forearm |
Muscle
Muscle Muscle muscle Muscle Muscle |
Triceps branchial
Branch radialis Brachialis Bicep branch Latissimus dorsi Pectoralis major |
Concentric
Concentric Concentric concentric static static |
Recovery phase anatomical analysis table.
| Joint | Joint action | Segment involved | Force for movement | Muscle active | Kind of contraction |
| Shoulder joint
Shoulder girdle Elbow radioulnar Wrist and fingers |
Abduct horizontally
rotated Extension squeezing the elbows together protonate Protonate The palm face downwards |
Upper arm
Scapula Forearm Forearm |
Muscle
Muscle Muscle Muscle |
Triceps branch
Anterior of deltoid Coracobrachialis Clavicular head of pectoralis |
Concentric
Concentric Concentric Concentric |
Attached is a video from YouTube doing breaststroke
Work cited
Guignard, Brice, et al. “KNEE AND ANKLE MUSCLES COACTIVATIONS IN BREASTSTROKE SWIMMING KICK AND RECOVERY: EXPLORATORY APPROACH.” ISBS-Conference Proceedings Archive. Vol. 33. No. 1. 2016.
