Eat and breathe.

We’re looking for swimmers to follow the choreography, not the “swim” yet. That will come with time and exposure.

Start with a strict 11, Eat & Breathe, 11 format until their kick provides all propulsion. Then refine the arms.

Testable goal:

Swim breaststroke for one excellent stroke following the specific sequence of “dance” moves. Do it three times to demonstrate mastery.

Bonus Goals:

  • Breath on “eat.”
  • A breaststroke kick that noticeably shoots the swimmer forward.
  • Relaxed posture and understanding that to go fast, you must glide.

Activities to achieve this goal:

3 x SL + 2x(11, Eat, 11, Glide for 2 seconds)

No kicking, no breathing. This is the MOTION of Breaststroke arms.

Streamline underwater, do the arms at the surface.

3 x SL + 1 BR

1 x 11,E&Breathe, 11 + 1 BR K and glide

Streamline with no kick. Do the arms first, with a breath.

As the arms shoot forward back to 11, initiate the kick.

Snap feet together, and hold in 11 for a long glide.

Move over, return, and repeat.

3 x SL with 2 BR kicks underwater

Streamline underwater with nothing, then while still streamline and still underwater, do 2 breaststroke kicks to torpedo self forward.

3 x SL + 1 BR arm (11, Eat & Breath, 11) + 2 BR K (long glide underwater)

Streamline with no kick.

At the surface do the arms with a breath. 11, Eat and breathe, 11. Avoid chicken wings, or hands pushing water past shoulders down to belly.

Get underwater again in position 11.

Do 2 BR kicks one after another underwater.

Feel how kick launches body forward.

4 x 25: Position 11 with 11, Eat & Breathe, 11.
Flutter kicks on belly, whenever you need to breath go from 11 into “eat” then back down into 11 again.

Challenges to achieve this goal:

Challenges are like games but with less moving parts and quicker.

Challenge:
Swim BR on your back, underwater from T to the Flags.

Challenge:

Float on BK and change direction (orientation) only using BR Kicks.

Challenge:

Without bending your legs at the start, push off the wall ONLY using your feet and toes.

With NO U.B.P. get to 1/2 way with only 3 complete BR strokes.

Final Test:
Three times in a row, push off the wall in streamline and do the breaststroke arms, the breaststroke kick, then hold a glide in 11.

  • Long glide
  • Legal kick
  • Arms happen first.
  • Kick provides forward movement.
  • Arms follow the strict 11, Eat, 11 movement (no chicken wing elbows).