La brasse, l’apnée

Breaststroke and diving! Some movies on the net can approach techniques breaststroke swimming and sometimes pure that used to practice diving. Methods are not the same, but the result of our actions on our muscles after a long drive him yes! Indeed breaststroke swimming is a challenging one for the back, neck and lower back, which can lead to painful episodes and muscle contractions. Personally, I do not practice the breaststroke learned during my swimming lessons at the club when I was a kid. When I ‘m leads only, I certainly am using the technique described legs learned swimming club but I am using a technique completely different arm. As unsupervised training can not do great distances apnea alone, I do 3 or 5 full movement and breath I thoroughly by pushing the legs to catch my breath in ‘loser’ full arm movement (by relation to the movement ‘s own apnea), it’ s only in this case that j ‘executes the movement of breaststroke surface … Contrary to standard practice the breaststroke, the arms have a great importance in my movement, however they are also big consumers ‘O2! So what is the right balance between the strength of ‘pulse that will drag us and the power to exercise best to save his O2? J ‘y’ j works regularly and look forward to your opinion of course :-)


Several people around me as I ‘d also had pain in the back, I’ll list the muscle groups used in breaststroke during the’ test:

  • Psoas-iliac
  • Square loins
  • Chest
  • On infraspinatus
  • The infraspinatus
  • deltoid
  • Subclavian
  • latissimus dorsi
  • rhomboids
  • Angle of the scapula ‘
  • posterior cervical
  • in occipital
  • scalene
  • trapeze
  • Sterno-mastoid cleido

So stretching should be in relation to all these areas and most importantly they must be practiced regularly if trainings are sustained and frequent …

50m en DNF à NYU, an exceptional moment in a beautiful pond!

Voici pour conclure ce post ceux que je pratique :

1) Complete relaxation before starting (deep breaths, relaxed body on the ground or standing based movements and location etc …)

2) I try to identify the bodies that I have the most sought after exercise

3) I stretch completely (hands to the sky on the tips of the feet)

4) Then I attack: Sitting preferably, back straight, hands on head, fingers crossed, we drop the head slightly at the end, elbows to the floor (posterior cervical) and then keep the position, it slips a hand under the buttocks and the other at the end, we get that the head is placed at 45 ° to the opposite hand under the buttocks (you follow me!) and you drop the head again. We change course aside when you’re finished (Scalene later) then still in this position, we get this time head through the front, elbow raised and directing the neck to the opposite shoulder to the hand under the thigh (SCM find in the list) then always in the same position, the head is tilted to the side toward the shoulder opposite hand under the thigh (always) (Keystone) and these exercises, you always leave your shoulders straight. Then we go down to relax on infraspinatus: start legs relaxed, knees slightly bent, back straight, the right arm and pointed at the left hip, the forearm before and stretching outward exhaling slowly. We pass under the thorny yogi sitting or even position but grabs the arm below the elbow which is brought slowly to the end to the opposite shoulder. (For the deltoid and pectoralis major), I have a small variation compared to traditional exercises: it is positioned against a wall corner and let yourself go to the wall flat hands, arms bent at 90 °, we respect the axis head-trunk-legs, breathe normally, the body weight by stretching alone. (For the latissimus dorsi), one kneels on the heels facing a wall about 30 cm, arms in the air. We look forward to your hands resting against the wall. As you exhale, let the head flex freely and the body weight acting. The best time fun: (The Rhomboids!) Put yourself in front of a yogi table leg or support any table if you miss, you catch the stand with both hands at shoulder height, you leave your head fall forward and exhaling let you return your bust back … There is?! Shoulders relaxed and well head and the arms. (The square Lombes) is a muscle that is often overlooked and can be a source of pain, it extends from the iliac crest (pelvis) to the last rib. It contributes to the end, moving the last rib down, and flexion of the trunk, you need to specify that it should be treated. In yogi, his hands behind his neck, ending the angle of the left elbow to the ground, hold your right side released although deep breathing, increase the flexion of the torso. To facilitate the return to the initial position help you in placing your left hand on the ground.


Here, I hope you enjoyed these explanations, attention to basic safety precautions while stretching (never smoothly, never painful point, focus, feel your body (keep your brief apnea but once the maximum position , hold this position …) soon … David Mesmacque Demonstration of 50m DNF, lungs empty in New York in 2012

This post is also available in : French, Spanish

One thought on “La brasse, l’apnée

  1. David, I have learnt with great pleasure about your recent record as empty lungs, which is well-deserved, and send you my congratulations. I look forward to meeting you in the near future. Yours sincerely Sadye

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