Swimming

Freestyle (front crawl)

Alternating arm pull with body rotation and a flutter kick. Lats and triceps propel, the core transfers rotation, and the shoulders must stay healthy over thousands of strokes.

Build a plan for this Open in the app

Muscles worked

FrontBack

Lats
Rotator cuff
Triceps
Obliques
Serratus
Abs
Rear delts
Upper back

The movement, phase by phase

01
Entry, extension & catch
Hand enters in front of the shoulder, reaches forward, then sets a high elbow catch with internal rotation.
- Shoulder rotation
- Front raise (shoulder flexion)
Best exercises for this phase:
02
Pull & push
The arm pulls under the body and pushes past the hip — lats, chest and triceps create propulsion.
- Straight-arm pull (shoulder extension)
- Vertical pull
- Elbow extension
Best exercises for this phase:
03
Body roll
Hips and shoulders rotate together; obliques link the pull with the kick.
- Trunk rotation
- Anti-rotation (brace)
Best exercises for this phase:
04
Recovery
High-elbow recovery over the water with the rear and side delts; the shoulder blade must glide freely.
- Lateral raise (abduction)
- Reverse fly
- Shoulder rotation
Best exercises for this phase:
05
Flutter kick
Kick from the hip with relaxed, pointed feet: hip flexors, glutes and quads.
- Hip flexion
- Hip extension
Best exercises for this phase:

Most specific exercises

Drills & sessions in the sport

Work done in the water or on the run itself, next to the strength exercises above.

Common technique mistakes

The technique faults behind most injuries here, and how to fix them.

✗ Crossing the hand over the centre line on entry.
Why it hurts: The arm enters inside the shoulder and rotates the joint inward, a leading cause of swimmer's shoulder (impingement).
✓ Instead: Enter the water in line with the shoulder, fingertips first, as if on rails.
✗ Breathing on one side only, lifting the head.
Why it hurts: Lifting the head strains the neck and drops the hips; one-sided breathing overloads one shoulder.
✓ Instead: Roll the head with the body, keep one goggle in the water, and practise bilateral breathing (every 3 strokes).
✗ Too little body rotation.
Why it hurts: A flat body forces the shoulder to do all the recovery work, over-rotating the joint.
✓ Instead: Rotate the hips and shoulders together about 30–45° per stroke.
✗ Jumping up in mileage too fast.
Why it hurts: Swimmers take thousands of strokes per session; big increases overload the rotator cuff.
✓ Instead: Raise weekly distance by about 10% at a time and include rotator cuff and upper-back strength work.

Training notes

Single-arm cable/band work mirrors the alternating stroke and exposes left/right imbalances.
Keep the rotator cuff and lower traps strong — "swimmer's shoulder" is the most common overuse injury.
Anti-rotation core work helps you hold a long, stable body line while the arms rotate.

Mobility to pair with it

Sleeper stretch / internal rotation
Thoracic rotation (open books)
Ankle plantar-flexion

Freestyle (front crawl)

Muscles worked

The movement, phase by phase

Entry, extension & catch

Pull & push

Body roll

Recovery

Flutter kick

Most specific exercises

Rope Straight-Arm Pulldown

Straight-Arm Pulldown

Incline Straight-Arm Cable Pullover

Cable Incline Pushdown

Side To Side Chins

Stability Ball Dumbbell Pullover

Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover

Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover

Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover

Wide-Grip Barbell Pullover

One Arm Lat Pulldown

Band Assisted Pull-Up

Drills & sessions in the sport

Catch-up freestyle

Fist swimming

Kick on the side

6-3-6 drill

Fingertip drag

Front sculling

Push-off and streamline glide

Freestyle technique session

Common technique mistakes

Training notes

Mobility to pair with it