What Triathletes Must Learn: The Cross-Training Value of Backstroke and Breaststroke

Most triathletes focus exclusively on freestyle during swim training—after all, that’s what they use in competition, so why waste time on other strokes? This reasoning seems logical, yet it overlooks the enormous benefit that cross-training can bring to athletic performance.

Backstroke and breaststroke not only improve your overall feel for the water and strengthen different muscle groups, but they can also become life-saving skills in critical moments in open water.

Why Triathletes Need Multi-Stroke Training

Avoiding Overuse Injuries

Freestyle heavily engages the shoulder rotator cuff muscles, and training only freestyle over the long term can easily lead to:

• Swimmer’s shoulder (shoulder impingement syndrome)
• Tightness in the front shoulder muscles and weakness in the rear
• Decreased thoracic spine mobility

Backstroke and breaststroke use different muscle patterns, giving the muscle groups commonly used in freestyle a chance to rest.

Improving Overall Feel for the Water

Each stroke perceives the water differently. Practicing multiple strokes allows your body to better understand the properties of water—the subtle changes in buoyancy, resistance, and propulsion. This “feel for the water” will in turn improve your freestyle efficiency.

Emergency Capability in Open Water

During open-water races, you may encounter:

Situation	Suitable Alternative Stroke
Kicked or bumped by other athletes	Breaststroke with head up to observe and reorient
Entangled in seaweed or pushed by currents	Breaststroke to manage the situation and stay calm
Shoulder cramp or fatigue	Backstroke to float and rest
Need to sight the course	Breaststroke with head up to navigate
Panic or breathing difficulty	Backstroke float to stabilize breathing

Backstroke: A Shoulder Care Remedy for Triathletes

Three Major Benefits of Backstroke for Triathletes

1. Strengthens the Back Muscles

The pulling motion in backstroke primarily uses the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids—exactly the muscle groups that freestyle tends to neglect. Once the back muscles are strengthened, overall posture improves, which also benefits the aerodynamic riding position on the bike leg.

2. Increases Shoulder Range of Motion

Backstroke requires the shoulders to rotate at completely different angles, which can:

• Stretch the pectoralis major and anterior deltoids
• Strengthen the stability of the rotator cuff muscles
• Increase the shoulder joint’s range of motion

3. Improves Core Stability

Backstroke requires keeping the body horizontal without visual assistance (you can’t see ahead), relying entirely on the core muscles and proprioception to maintain position.

Backstroke Technique Key Points

• Head position: The back of the head rests on the water surface, gaze directed straight up, with the waterline at ear level
• Body rotation: Similar to freestyle, the body rotates approximately 30–45 degrees side to side with each stroke
• Pull path: The arms perform an “S-shaped” pull along the sides of the body, entering pinky-first
• Kick rhythm: Primarily a six-beat kick to maintain steady propulsion

Incorporating Backstroke into Training

Sample workout (incorporating backstroke):

Warm-up: 200m freestyle
Main set:
  6×100m freestyle (pace practice)
  4×50m backstroke (focus on back engagement)
  4×100m freestyle/backstroke alternating (switch every 50m)
  2×200m freestyle (steady pace)
Cool-down: 100m easy backstroke

Total distance: 1,700m

Breaststroke: A Survival Skill for Open Water

The Unique Value of Breaststroke in Triathlon

Breaststroke contributes little to speed, but its practicality in open water is irreplaceable:

1. Sighting and Navigation

The natural breathing motion in breaststroke lifts the head above the water, making it easy to observe course markers, the position of other athletes, and surface conditions. When the freestyle “crocodile eye” sighting isn’t clear enough, switching to breaststroke allows you to judge direction better.

2. Recovery and Pacing

If you become fatigued swimming freestyle during a race, breaststroke can serve as a means of “active recovery”:

• Heart rate can drop slightly
• Breathing becomes easier to control
• Gives the shoulder muscles a temporary rest
• While still maintaining forward progress

3. Moving Through Crowds

In the chaos of an open-water start, the wide pulling motion of breaststroke can naturally push aside the surrounding water and swimmers, making it easier to advance in congested conditions.

Breaststroke Technique Key Points (Triathlete Practical Version)

For triathletes, there’s no need to pursue perfect competitive breaststroke form, but mastering the following fundamentals is essential:

Movement	Key Point	Practical Tip for Triathletes
Pull	Hands sweep outward and backward from the front in a heart shape	No need to go too wide; stability is what matters
Kick	Heels draw toward the glutes, then kick outward and snap together	Make sure the feet are dorsiflexed (hooked) to generate propulsion
Breathing	Lift the head naturally to inhale during the pull	Use the head-up moment to sight your direction
Glide	Maintain a streamlined glide after the kick	The longer the glide, the more energy saved

Common Breaststroke Problems

“My breaststroke kick produces no propulsion at all”

This is the most common breaststroke issue, usually caused by the feet not being dorsiflexed. During the kick, the feet should be hooked like “hooks,” with the soles facing backward, pushing water with the bottom of the feet. If the feet are pointed (like in a freestyle kick), the kick is just “kicking air.”

“Breaststroke feels very slow”

For triathletes, breaststroke speed is not the point. What matters is being able to switch to breaststroke when needed to complete tasks such as sighting, recovering, or avoiding obstacles.

Mixed-Stroke Training Plan

Here is a suggested arrangement for incorporating multiple strokes into three weekly swim sessions:

Training Day	Main Focus	Backstroke/Breaststroke Ratio
Day 1	Freestyle technique and pacing	Add backstroke in warm-up and cool-down (about 15%)
Day 2	Mixed-stroke training	Backstroke and breaststroke each 25% (50% total)
Day 3	Freestyle long-distance/intervals	Add breaststroke in recovery segments (about 10%)

Advanced Mixed-Stroke Workout

Warm-up: 100m freestyle + 100m backstroke + 100m breaststroke

Drill set:
  4×50m backstroke pull (with pull buoy)
  4×50m breaststroke kick (with pull buoy)

Main set:
  4×200m mixed pace
    (each 200m = 50 breaststroke + 100 freestyle + 50 backstroke)
  4×100m freestyle (race pace)

Cool-down: 200m easy breaststroke

Total distance: 2,200m

Transitioning from Training to Racing

In an actual race, you won’t deliberately swim the entire course with backstroke or breaststroke, but these strokes will come in handy at the following moments:

1. Chaotic start: Breaststroke to move through the crowd
2. Sighting confirmation: Breaststroke with head up to observe
3. Mid-race fatigue: Backstroke float for 5–10 seconds to recover
4. Shoulder discomfort: Switch to breaststroke to reduce shoulder strain
5. Approaching the exit: Breaststroke to sight the exit route

Summary

As a triathlete, freestyle is of course your primary stroke, but allocating 15–25% of your swim training time to backstroke and breaststroke not only prevents injuries and improves feel for the water, but also gives you greater adaptability in open water. Next time you’re in the pool, try adding different strokes during your warm-up and cool-down phases—you’ll find that when you return to freestyle, your body feels more relaxed and efficient.

Related Reading

• The Cross-Training Value of Breaststroke and Freestyle: Why Triathletes Should Take Breaststroke Seriously
• Mixed-Stroke Swim Training: How Balanced Four-Stroke Training Enhances Individual Stroke Performance
• Mixed-Stroke Swim Workouts: Freestyle-Focused Full-Body Training with Breaststroke and Butterfly
• The Complementarity of Swimming and Yoga: How Flexibility Training Affects Swimming Technique