Which Swimming Stroke Is Best?

We may earn commissions for purchases made through links on our site. Learn more on our about us page.

There are going to be different reasons for each swimming stroke having the right to be called the best. One such reason is that Freestyle is the best if you are swimming for speed reasons, such as a race or to get away from a shark.

Another reason would be to get a full-body workout, wherein a butterfly stroke would engage the upper body, back and core, lungs and diaphragm, legs, and other muscles throughout the body.

In another instance, a person might be injured, and, in that situation, a backstroke will be helpful to keep their mouth above water.

What Swimming Stroke Works the Most Muscles?

The swimming stroke that works the entire body, as mentioned above, is the butterfly; there is going to be a full body engagement when you perform this stroke correctly.

The bulk of the work will be from the chest and legs, and the body is pulling and kicking its way through the water.

Plus, you have the core, which stabilizes both sides in order for them to work together—the abs and back act as planks for the two motors of the body to propel it forward through the water.

 

Which Swim Stroke is Best for Abs?

This one is debatable, and the butterfly has the most active muscles used in each stroke; the breaststroke is a more accessible version of the butterfly, which can be considered a good starting point for new swimmers.

The Freestyle is best for shoulder, back, and abdominal workouts, making it best for toning abs.

Now bear with this idea; swimming with a kickboard naturally engages the abdominal muscles through the heavy kicking needed to propel oneself when on one of these floatation devices. Of course, you can master all four primary swimming strokes.

 

What is the Most Exhausting Stroke in Swimming?

This, again, can be looked at in a pair of ways; to start, the Freestyle stroke is a very intense workout. It includes maximum effort as swimmers attempt to propel themselves faster at each length of the pool, improving their times and toning their muscles.

Then you have the most challenging swimming stroke to learn: the butterfly, which engages every muscle in the body when performed correctly. It is one of the more complex techniques to master because of the synchronization needed between the arm and legs.

 

Can You Get a Flat Stomach by Swimming?

There are not many ways better to get your body in shape and toned than to swim daily, and with a solid effort, the effort will be the key to success. Swimming engages all of the muscle groups in a healthy, free-form, naturally moving way.

To break it down anatomically, the upper body and legs are both connected to the abdominal region and require the use of the ab muscles to work correctly.

Therefore, it is easy to see how, by performing the four major swimming strokes, one can genuinely become fit and look at it as well.

 

How Many Laps is a Good Swim Workout?

There is a solid strategy out there for intermediate and advanced-level swimmers, but to start, we will detail the beginner’s route to getting to the more challenging workouts.

To start, a beginner should consider utilizing the breaststroke and begin by counting the reps it takes to get from one end of the pool to the other or to swim a length.

The next step would be to improve the number of reps by subtracting one stroke from each length down the pool. Doing so will, in effect, increase the difficulty involved in the workout, which will also increase the effectiveness of the exercise.

The advanced swimmers will reduce their stroke counts to between eight and twelve reps for each length of the pool, aiming to subtract a stroke each time down the lane until they reach their max.

 

Final Thoughts on Which Swimming Stroke is Best

There are swimmers that have mastered all four of the swimming strokes, and their bodies show it. If you have ever watched the Summer Olympics, you know the athletes on that stage will have chiseled abs, fine upper body muscles, and defined legs.

The best thing for a beginner to focus on would be to master the breaststroke, and this is an ancient form that has been utilized for generations.

The body will more than likely have a natural feel for it, and the swimming technique will engage each of the muscle groups and make it easier to learn and master the other three forms.