Swimming is good for your condition and your muscles. In this blog we tell you everything about how to train your muscles with swimming, and which swimming stroke suits which muscle group. We also tell you how many strokes swimmers swim on average per minute and how many laps they do on average in an hour, so that you can compare your performance with that of top athletes! Curious
Lap swimming is good for everything! Whether you’re training to swim harder or just having fun, swimming benefits your body from the movement in the water. You train your cardiovascular system with swimming and you strengthen your condition and muscles, without putting any strain on your joints. You are constantly challenging your body in the water. By slowly building up the swimming and moving a little harder and more in the water, your fitness will skyrocket with lifeguard course.
Which muscles do you train with swimming?
Which muscles you use the most while swimming depends on which stroke you do. When you go swimming, the strain on your back is minimal. This is also a smart sport to get rid of the tension in your back. But it always applies: the technology makes the difference. So make sure it’s good before swimming harder!
Which muscle groups do you train with which swimming strokes?
Front crawl : The main muscles are the trapezius muscle and the broad back muscle. In addition, you need for this stroke: your chest, arms, shoulders, upper back, abs, lower back, buttocks, hips and legs. Almost all your muscle groups!
Breaststroke : You mainly train your back: the broad back muscle. Your abs stabilize your body in the water and your glutes support the complex leg movement. Your thighs are also doing well during this stroke.
Back crawl : This mainly trains your glutes. Thanks to the shallow location in the water, you also strengthen your core with this swimming style. In addition, you also use your arms and back a lot, just like with front crawl.
Butterfly Stroke: This stroke is the most athletic. You train the arm and back muscles a lot with this. But also the abs and core, because the entire upper body has to come out of the water every time. The leg muscles are also trained to keep your body stable.
The more concentrated you swim, the better you train your muscles with lifeguard course.
If you want to swim performance-oriented and therefore really put your shoulders under it regularly, you will mainly see this in your shoulder and back muscles. With swimming you train all major muscle groups, which is quite unique and you only see in a few sports! You mainly strengthen your back and arms and this will eventually give you a wider back. If you swim regularly, your muscles do not necessarily become wider, but more powerful. Muscle building of course does not work without the right nutrition. Support your muscles with high-quality proteins and healthy snacks. Choose healthy food !
How healthy is swimming?
During a workout in the water, your heart rate is lower than when you practice a ‘dry’ sport. This does not mean that swimming is less effective: on the contrary! The main reason for a lower heart rate is the diving effect: because your body is in the water, the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated. This is the part responsible for your recovery. It regulates the control of your heart rate and the centralization of your circulation. Or to put it more simply: underwater, your body is completely focused on supplying oxygen to your vital organs.
The water pressure and the horizontal position of your body in the water improve the stroke volume of your heart and simplify blood flow. This means that your heart has to pump blood less often and your heart rate is therefore automatically lower in the water.
How many calories do you burn swimming?
How many calories you burn during a swim workout depends a lot on your training condition and condition. The training intensity also makes a big difference.
The average is approximately:
- Front crawl: 500-800 kcal per hour
- Breaststroke: 400-700 kcal per hour
- Backstroke: 200-500 kcal per hour
