Swimming Medley Training: How Balanced Training Across All Four Strokes Boosts Individual Events

Introduction

In Taiwan’s amateur swimming community, freestyle is by far the most popular stroke, while the other three strokes (butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke) are often only swum symbolically for a few laps during warm-up. However, many high-level swimming coaches and training studies point out that practicing all four strokes in a structured manner can significantly improve a swimmer’s overall feel for the water, aerobic capacity, and even have a direct positive impact on freestyle performance.

Physiological Characteristics and Training Contributions of the Four Strokes

The Unique Contribution of Butterfly

The full-body undulation movement of butterfly strengthens the connection from the core to the hips. This connectivity directly affects hip rotation efficiency in freestyle, allowing each stroke to generate more rotational momentum from the body.

Backstroke’s Shoulder Balance Benefits

Freestyle training primarily strengthens the front and internal rotator muscles of the shoulder, which over time can lead to an imbalance between front and back muscle groups—one of the main causes of swimmer’s shoulder injuries. The pulling motion in backstroke primarily engages the posterior and external rotator muscles of the shoulder, creating a natural muscular balance training.

Breaststroke’s Development of Water Feel

Although the breaststroke kick is less efficient in terms of speed, it offers a unique training effect for “feeling the resistance and support of the water.” Many swimming coaches have found that athletes who incorporate breaststroke training tend to have smoother freestyle pull paths.

Designing a Medley Training Plan

Method 1: Add One Secondary Stroke to Each Session

The easiest way to implement, without completely changing your workout structure:

• Change the 200m warm-up to: 100m freestyle + 50m backstroke + 50m breaststroke
• Designate one session per week where half of the main set is replaced with short butterfly or backstroke sets

Sample workout (secondary stroke day):

• Warm-up: 400m (100 free + 100 back + 100 breast + 100 easy swim)
• Main set A: 6 × 50m butterfly, 45 seconds rest between reps (butterfly is more taxing, so rest longer between reps)
• Main set B: 6 × 50m freestyle, 20 seconds rest between reps (maintain feel for the primary stroke)
• Cool-down: 200m easy backstroke

Method 2: Medley Combination Training (IM)

Individual Medley (IM) is the standard training format of swimming butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle in sequence for each segment.

Common IM training formats:

• 4 × 100m IM (each 100m: 25 fly + 25 back + 25 breast + 25 free), 30 seconds rest between reps
• 4 × 200m IM (each 200m: 50 fly + 50 back + 50 breast + 50 free), 45 seconds rest between reps

IM training engages four different muscle groups within a single set, demands high cardiorespiratory intensity, and is a high-quality training method for improving overall swimming fitness efficiency.

Method 3: Stroke Periodization

On a monthly basis, rotate which stroke is the primary training focus:

Recommended Order for Learning Other Strokes

If you are not proficient in the other strokes, it is recommended to learn them in the following order:

1. Backstroke (easiest to pick up, and provides the most direct benefit to freestyle)
2. Breaststroke (requires more technical skill, but has a low injury risk)
3. Butterfly (most physically demanding; recommended to learn after establishing a backstroke foundation)

When learning a new stroke, it is recommended to schedule one “technique practice day” per week, focusing on the breakdown drills of the new stroke rather than chasing distance.

Practical Recommendations

• Set a “non-freestyle percentage” goal: An initial goal is to have 20–25% of your weekly volume consist of the other three strokes
• Butterfly doesn’t need long distances: Butterfly training should focus on short sets (25–50m), emphasizing stroke quality over distance
• Use a kickboard and short fins: When practicing backstroke kicking, short fins can effectively strengthen kick power and provide immediate feedback
• Medley aerobic swimming: Change a 400–600m “easy aerobic swim” into 100–150m of each of the four strokes, adding variety while maintaining aerobic benefits
• Don’t compare speeds across strokes: Breaststroke pace is naturally slower than freestyle; don’t judge training quality by speed

Conclusion

Swimming is a sport that equally emphasizes technique and fitness, and the breadth of technique often comes from training experience across multiple strokes. Systematically incorporating butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke not only makes you a more complete swimmer but can also unexpectedly make your freestyle faster and more efficient. Broaden your stroke horizons, and your training will reach another level.

Related Reading

• Swimming Medley Workouts: Full-Body Training with Freestyle as the Focus, Paired with Breaststroke and Butterfly
• Swimming Medley Training: Pacing and Technical Challenges of 25m per Stroke
• Swimming Medley Training: A Weekly Workout Plan Training All Four Strokes
• Individual Medley (IM) Strategy: Pacing Across the Four-Stroke Order