What Muscle Groups Are Targeted in Front Crawl Swimming? Which Body Parts Benefit the Most?

Front crawl swimming for fitness and strength building

What muscles are we exercising when swimming the front crawl?

Depending on the sport practised, certain areas of the body will be worked harder than others, but what about when you swim the crawl? Will you tone and slim your figure by swimming the crawl? Below is a list of the muscles and muscle groups strengthened and sculpted by the crawl!

Upper limbs (shoulders, arms and forearms)

• Shoulder muscles: These are all the muscles that link the arm to the rest of the body. They include the muscles of the rotator cuff (subscapularis, infraspinatus, lesser ring, supraspinatus) and the trapezius, deltoid, grand dentle and angular muscles. These muscles provide mobility for the arms and shoulders (rotation, elevation).
• The biceps: These muscles are located on the front of the arm and are surrounded by two joints (scapulohumeral, elbow). The biceps comprise two muscles(long biceps and short biceps) which help flex and rotate the arms.
• The triceps : Located on the inside of the arm, they comprise three muscles (the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis and the long head of the triceps) which complement the flexor role of the biceps brachii. The triceps allow the forearm to be extended.

Trunk and pelvis (Chest, stomach and back)

The crawl involves very little effort from the trunk.

Lower limbs (Buttocks, thighs and calves)

• Buttocks: Located at the intersection of the lower limbs and the trunk, the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) are among the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. In particular, they provide mobility for the thigh and support for the pelvis.
• The quadriceps: These are located at the front of the thigh. The quadriceps are each made up of 4 muscles (the vastus femoris or rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus medialis and the vastus intermedius). These muscles facilitate flexion of the thigh on the hip and extension of the leg on the thigh.
• The hamstring muscles: Located on the back of the thigh, there are four of these muscles(biceps femoris, semi-tendinosus and semi-membranous). They flex the leg and extend the thigh.
• Calf muscles: Also known as the sural triceps, the calf muscles are made up of 3 muscle groups, including the soleus and the gastrocnemius. These muscles help to extend the foot down the leg

Of the four strokes, the crawl is an effective swimming technique. As well as having health benefits, the crawl helps tone the whole body. The muscles most involved are mainly those of the upper body. The alternating rotation of the arms accompanied by the kicking of the legs helps to strengthen the shoulders, arms and, to a lesser extent, the legs and buttocks