Dynamic, powerful, explosive: These associations spring to mind when we think of butterfly swimming. It’s impressive when professional swimmers dive the first 15 meters through the pool after a dive with outstretched arms and eyes down. The body moves in an elegant wave motion, the closed legs wag up and down at high frequency. And then comes the magic moment when the swimmer takes a deep breath, explosively lifts his/her arms out of the water, and performs a tremendous “wing flap” forward.

Because of this movement, the official name is the butterfly. The second fastest swimming style, after the front crawl, is an evolution of the breaststroke. It is not only highly strenuous but also technically the most demanding swimming style. Butterfly swimming competitions are only held over short distances of up to 200 meters. 

The butterfly technique is just right if you are looking for a sporting challenge while swimming. With butterfly, the muscle build-up is high, and you burn tons of calories.

History of the butterfly swimming style

An evolution of the breaststroke technique, the butterfly is the youngest of four styles, including the front crawl and backstroke. Butterfly made its debut at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne over the 200-meter distance, and butterfly swimming has been part of the Olympic program ever since. 

Long track world record holder over 100 meters and 200 meters has been Michael Phelps (USA) since 2009.

Body position in the butterfly stroke

In the butterfly stroke, proper body position is vital. The swimmer should start by lying in the water with their arms extended overhead. From there, they should arch their back and raise their legs so that their body forms a crescent moon shape. Next, they should tuck their chin and begin dolphin kicking. As they kick, they should extend their arms forward and bring them back to their sides. Finally, they should reach up with their hands and return to the starting position. Following these steps, swimmers maintain the proper body position throughout the butterfly stroke.

Arm stroke

The arm stroke in the butterfly is unlike any other swimming stroke. Most strokes involve circular motion, but the butterfly stroke is more of a figure eight. Keeping your arms parallel to your body and moving them synchronously are the keys to a good butterfly stroke. This can be difficult to master, but you’ll swim like a fish once you get the hang of it. 

Just remember to keep your arms parallel and move them in a figure-eight motion, and you’ll be sure to impress your friends with your killer arm stroke in the butterfly stroke.

Leg stroke

The butterfly stroke is a beautiful thing to watch. When done correctly, it looks like the swimmer is floating on the water, their legs kicking gracefully in unison. But many people don’t realize that a lot of legwork is involved in this stroke. The leg stroke is one of the most critical aspects of the butterfly stroke. 

Without a firm leg stroke, swimmers would quickly tire, and their speed would drop dramatically. So the next time you’re watching someone swim the butterfly stroke, take a moment to appreciate the strength and power of their legwork. It’s truly impressive!

Breathing in the butterfly stroke

The sport of swimming is great for working out and enjoying the water, but it can also cause breathing problems. The butterfly stroke is a perfect example of this. To breathe correctly while swimming the butterfly, you must inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it turns out that it’s actually quite challenging to do, more so while swimming. 

If you don’t exhale fully before inhaling, you’ll end up swallowing water, and if you inhale too deeply, you’ll take in too much of the chlorinated pool water, which can be nasty. So the next time you’re swimming laps, take a few deep breaths and practice your butterfly stroke breathing technique. Otherwise, you might end up with a mouthful of water. Trust me, it’s not worth it.

Conclusion: Learning the butterfly is easier this way

Mastering the correct butterfly technique is a challenge. For beginners, it is advisable first to learn how to swim breaststroke and front crawl correctly. Once these two styles are in place, you can move on to butterfly swimming. 

Consider these tips an incentive to have a swim coach at a swimming school show you how to do it properly. He or she will correct incorrect posture directly and prevent incorrectly internalized movements from having to be painstakingly retrained at some point. 

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What’s up Friends? I put together this video showing Saunders’ Rock Tidal Pool, located in Bantry Bay between the Seapoint swimming pool and Clifton beach in Cape Town South Africa.

There are some epic views from some of the massive boulders there and I managed to record some 360° time lapses of it, as well as of the icy cold swim in the pool! You will have to go there and test the waters to feel how cold it is and how beneficial it is for you I hope you enjoy it

Epic Cape Town Views! 

A quick ‘spinning’ video on some cool Cape Town views that I managed to capture, on a recent trip there. I hope you enjoy the transitions

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Quick Stats

Name:  Luly Guerra
Age:  40
Height:  5′
Competition weight:  104 lbs
Current weight:  105 lbs
Current city:  San Antonio, USA
Occupation:  Nutritional coach

Give us a brief background on how you got into competing in Ironman competitions?

I have always been a gym enthusiast since high school. I really got into seeing myself as an athlete after completing a half marathon after I had my third child. I was suffering from post par-tum depression and running became my escape. Soon after, I started training for my first triathlon, which then became half Ironman races. I knew I wanted to become an Ironman and I then became an Ironman finisher in 2012.

Following that, I wanted to go back to another one of my goals which was to become a bikini competitor. The reason being when I was trying to get back into shape in 2009, after my third child I read all the fitness magazines and followed the nutrition and training plans. The competitors in the magazines were my inspiration and motivation.

How do you stay motivated?

“Motivation is something I learnt is extremely vital on bad training days or when your life gets complicated.”

I find my motivation from women around me. I have always had the gift of uplifting or motivating other people. When they are uplifted it in turn motivates me to be a better version of me.

What do you love about triathlons/Ironman competitions?

I love that it’s three sports: swimming, biking, and running. Using the powerful vessel we are given to do these three sports and the challenge of juggling three sports in training!  It’s freedom. Ironman to me represents the holy grail of triathlon. I get chills whenever I watch one. Finishing an Ironman was a beautiful experience, I cried on and off the entire day.

3 tips for someone entering their first Ironman?

1. Have a support system (coach, loved ones)

2. Keep life in balance

3. Make sure you keep up on your nutrition throughout your training

You’re a women over 40 with three kids. What would be your response to the women your age or younger who are mothers and use their age or the fact that they have kids as an excuse for not exercising? How do you manage everything?

Well, you just have to make the time for it, carve it out and stick to it. I plan my days around my training not the other way around. I taught elementary school full time and I woke up early to get my training done. I also trained a lot running stairs outside my apartment door. But I do give up a lot of other things in exchange like social events or outings for instance.

What are your future plans?

One of my dreams is to become an IFBB Pro so that in the big picture I can support other women to become empowered, strong, and independent. I hope people will see that they can hit the reset button at any time in their lives.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• I wake up for fasted cardio, then eat my breakfast.
• Work; I do my weight training either during my lunch or evening depending on my work schedule.
• Then it’s home for organizing meals for the next day, chores, time with loved ones.
• Sleep Zzzzz

What type of eating plan do you follow?

I prep my meals on the weekends. I eat 6 small meals a day.

Have you encountered any major setbacks in your training or in your life and how did you deal with them and move forward/keep moving forward?

Yes, I was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) syndrome during my Ironman training. It is a genetic nerve disease that has resulted in severe nerve damage in my lower and upper extremities, and muscular atrophy. Running has become less frequent and so has high impact cardio. Frustrating is an understatement but I am more stubborn than it is!

What do you think are some of the biggest mistakes or myths that many girls fall prey to when starting out in the gym/exercise?

The biggest one I see is they want things to come QUICK and EASY. Results take patience and time.

What has been your greatest accomplishment to date?

Four things: Each one of my three children and becoming an Ironman, in that order

Is there anything that you would have done differently in your career to date?

“I can become so focused and driven, I wish I was more balanced during training.”

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training:

I train 6 days a week; a cardio session and a weight training session.

How different is your training when training for a fitness competition as opposed to a triathlon?

It is very different! Bikini training is 24/7 and the training takes more gym sessions. The nutrition component is different in that my meals are VERY planned and CLEAN with no room for error.

Triathlon training however is tricky when you have to get out for your long bike rides.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Running, hands down, however it is now shorter and less frequent due to my disease.

What are your 3 favorite exercises?

1. Squats

They make beautiful glutes while burning calories.

2. Deadlifts

Create gorgeous hamstrings and glutes.

3. Leg press

There are so many variations of foot placement to work different areas of your legs and glutes.

What are your top training tips?

• For cardio, I like to do Hiit training (high intensity interval training)
• I hit weights everyday even if my time is limited.
• If I have to choose because my time is constrained I choose weights!
• And lastly, you can’t out train a bad diet.

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

Jaime Baird and Ava Cowan

Favorite Quote:

“She believed she could, so she did.”

Advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

I would first advise them to completely revamp the way they view food; that food is fuel for the body, and you’re eating for a purpose. To allow themselves during this change one cheat meal a week. That if they find themselves weak, to self-talk, ie. does this short term satisfaction meet their long term goal?

I also kept motivation pictures of physiques I admire, still do, to keep my eye on the prize. Drink lots of water and green tea at every meal also helps with weight loss. Which reminds me the only sweetener I use is liquid Stevia.

What competitions have you competed in and your placings?

• Calaveras Duathlon | 2^nd AG
• Memorial Hermann Ironman | 70.3 finisher
• Longhorn Ironman | 70.3 finisher
• Ironman Texas | 140.6 finisher
• Natural Bridge trail run | Overall female | 1^st
• Battle of the Beach | Masters | 4^th
• Texas Shredder | Masters | 15^th
• Adela Classic | 16th

Where can people get hold of you?

• Instagram: @lulymguerra
• Facebook: Luly Guerra
• Email: lmgconsul[at]gmail.com

Photography credits

• S.L. Smith Photography
• Dirty Dolly Photography
• Rosetti Glamour Athlete Photography
• J.M. Manion Photography
• Lift Studios Photography
• Chris Pichado Photography

Luly Guerra Gallery

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