Top Exercises to Enhance Your Breaststroke Skills

The breaststroke is a unique and highly technical stroke that demands precise timing, flexibility, coordination, and strength. Whether you’re a competitive swimmer aiming to shave seconds off your time or a beginner learning proper form, the right exercises—both in and out of the pool—can significantly improve your performance.

In this article, we’ll explore the top swim and dryland exercises that directly target the muscles and movement patterns needed to master and enhance your breaststroke skills.

🧠 What Makes Breaststroke Unique?

Unlike freestyle or backstroke, breaststroke features:

• A simultaneous arm and leg motion

• A glide phase that requires strong body alignment

• A whip-like kick for propulsion

• Complex timing between pull, breath, kick, and glide

Because of this, your training should focus on:

• Leg and hip mobility

• Core and glute strength

• Proper timing and rhythm

• Breath control and streamline

🏊‍♂️ Top In-Water Breaststroke Drills

1. Single-Leg Kick Drill

What it does: Improves kick symmetry and leg strengthHow to do it: Swim using only one leg to perform the breaststroke kick, keeping the other extended. Alternate legs every 25m.✅ Builds isolated leg strength and corrects uneven kick mechanics.

2. 2-Kick, 1-Pull Drill

What it does: Emphasizes kick timing and glide phaseHow to do it: Perform two breaststroke kicks for every one arm pull.✅ Improves rhythm and teaches swimmers to maximize propulsion from kicks.

3. Underwater Pullouts

What it does: Strengthens your start and turn glideHow to do it: Practice push-off into full pullout—glide, arm pull-down, dolphin kick (if legal), recovery, and breakout.✅ Builds power and efficiency in the underwater phase.

4. Sculling in Breaststroke Position

What it does: Increases water feel and catch controlHow to do it: Float horizontally and move hands in a small figure-8 motion under the chest.✅ Improves hand positioning and connection with water.

💪 Top Dryland Exercises to Improve Breaststroke

1. Wall Sits with Ankle Flexion

What it targets: Quads, glutes, and ankle flexibilityHow to do it: Hold a wall sit while actively flexing and pointing your ankles.✅ Improves the leg drive and foot positioning for a stronger kick.

2. Resistance Band Pulls

What it targets: Chest, lats, and triceps for the pull phaseHow to do it: Use a resistance band anchored at shoulder height. Mimic the arm movement of a breaststroke pull.✅ Builds strength in the exact muscles used during the arm sweep.

3. Glute Bridges and Marches

What it targets: Glutes, hamstrings, and lower backHow to do it: Lie on your back, lift hips, and hold. March one leg at a time.✅ Strengthens your posterior chain for a more explosive kick.

4. Butterfly Stretch and Hip Mobility Drills

What it targets: Inner thigh flexibility and hip range of motionHow to do it: Sit in butterfly stretch or perform leg swings and hip openers.✅ Improves the range of motion for a wide, circular kick.

5. Core Rotations with Medicine Ball

What it targets: Obliques and transverse abdominisHow to do it: Seated or standing, twist side-to-side with a medicine ball.✅ Stabilizes your body during the breath-glide phase and supports balance.

🔁 Sample Weekly Workout Combo

In-Water (2x/week):

• 4x50m Single-leg Kick Drill

• 4x50m 2-Kick, 1-Pull Drill

• 4x25m Underwater Pullouts

• 200m Easy Swim Focused on Timing

Dryland (2x/week):

• 3 sets:

  • 30-sec Wall Sit + 15 ankle pulses

  • 15 Resistance Band Breast Pulls

  • 12 Glute Bridges + 12 Marches

  • 1-minute Butterfly Stretch

🧠 Pro Tips to Enhance Your Breaststroke

• ✅ Timing is everything: Practice the “pull, breathe, kick, glide” rhythm consistently.

• ✅ Don't over-glide: Maintain momentum—glide should feel like a pause, not a stop.

• ✅ Keep hips high: Avoid letting your lower body sink between strokes.

• ✅ Film your swim: Visual feedback can help spot inefficiencies in pull or kick mechanics.

• ✅ Focus on flexibility: A strong whip kick starts with loose hips and ankles.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Breaststroke may look effortless when done right, but it takes dedicated, focused training to master. With the right mix of in-water drills and dryland strength and mobility work, you can build the power, control, and coordination needed to swim breaststroke faster and more efficiently.