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Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative
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Hello STers trying to improve your swim:

I have been trying to come up with a cheap(er) alternative to Vasa for dryland swim strengthening. I have seen lots of posts with folks struggling with EVF, and some of it may be a strength and/or flexibility issue. So I found these things called PowerReels, its a pair of dumbells connected with a cord that is on a spring loaded reel they sell for around $80. You can do all kinds of exercises with them. I put a strap around one and hung it over the door (make sure door is securely closed and that there is something on the other side of the strap blocking it from sliding out). Sit on an appropriate height chair or stool, and voila!

Enjoy!





Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [DrTriKat] [ In reply to ]
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I've seen those (or similar) on late night ads. Didn't know anyone bought them.
I thought you were going to be asking what to use - I would recommend StretchCordz.
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [DrTriKat] [ In reply to ]
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I also recommend StretchCordz because they can loop around almost anything. That range of motion in the video looks like you'll need rotator cuff surgery in the near future
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [jdais] [ In reply to ]
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jdais wrote:
That range of motion in the video looks like you'll need rotator cuff surgery in the near future

What do you base this on, may I ask?

Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [jdais] [ In reply to ]
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jdais wrote:
I also recommend StretchCordz because they can loop around almost anything. That range of motion in the video looks like you'll need rotator cuff surgery in the near future

Ya, +3 on the StretchCordz, have used those for about 13 yrs now. And agree 100% that this dumb-bell setup is putting too much pressure on her shoulder at the wrong time, plus she's finishing her stroke at the bottom of her rib cage rather than at the hips as you would normally in the pool. The StretchCordz allow a full range of motion; the only thing you don't get with the cords is the over-the-shoulder (OTS) motion of each stroke. I used the cords extensively across 6 tours in AFG/IRQ (37 months spread over about 7 yrs) and whenever I started back swimming, my pull was strong but my deltoids got more sore than normal due to my arms not being used to the repetitive OTS motion, so it took a few months to build back up to normal swim volume. As a supplement to swimming though, the cords are pretty much ideal.


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [Rumpled] [ In reply to ]
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Rumpled wrote:
I I would recommend StretchCordz.

Could you tell us how you could use stretching rubber bands to do the same thing?

The length of this movement is such that if there was some resistance on the cord at the beginning of the movement, you would not be able to complete it as the resistance with all that stretching would get very hard quickly, unless you used a very stretchy/low resistance one. And where would you attach it, as the cord itself will have a considerable length before it stretches? I used to do this with stretch cords lying prone on a weight bench, with cords tied around the treadmill for support, and the problem is the resistance is variable due to the length the cord stretches, and ones head/neck can get quite uncomfortable in a prone position (and getting down and up from prone position on the bench can be hard too).

Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [DrTriKat] [ In reply to ]
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I'm no swim pro, but once your forearm is perpendicular to your body, then you should be pulling with your lats and not internally rotating your shoulder. Watch some Vasa videos to save your shoulders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBHhQn3j7i0&list=PLndFq9-c_rxD_obLvtKa70K71S0SCGCyh
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [jdais] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you all for the dryland swim form analysis. Here is a video where I attempt to "swim" with proper form. We don't want anyone getting hurt.



Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
Last edited by: DrTriKat: Feb 24, 17 16:43
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Re: Dryland swim training - cheap(er) Vasa alternative [DrTriKat] [ In reply to ]
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DrTriKat wrote:
Thank you all for the dryland swim form analysis. Here is a video where I attempt to "swim" with proper form. We don't want anyone getting hurt.


Dr. Kat - Your form does look much better now but OTOH the exercise looks a bit too easy, at least to me. You asked above about how to get the right tension and technique with the tubing, so check out this video from Sheila Taormina, wherein she shows the correct technique for pulling with the tubing. In her book Swim Speed Secrets, she swears by the tubing and said that she simulated her 200 free every night using the tubing, same stroke timing and all that. She went 2:00 flat for 200 lcm and, at age 27, made her first Oly team, swimming on the 4 x 200 relay in the '96 Oly Games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr570KZvyBQ


"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
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