just to add another data point, in our swim group of 6 - 8 in our lane swimming LCM ability level ranges from 25 minutes to 28 minutes for a 70.3 swim.
Our workout today was 4500m and the middle set of that was:
8 x 150m using pull buoy, paddles and tube*
6 x 100m using pull buoy and tube
4 x 50m using paddles and swim band**
2 x 50m using band only

so nearly half of your workout was some sort of pulling or band work

*tube, we use a 6" wide tire tube like a lawnmower tire tube around the feet (not the ankles)
**band is just a regular band from Finis around the feet (not ankles)

---

Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

so nearly half of your workout was some sort of pulling or band work //

Like I said Mike, most all the good triathlon squads are doing this, I had no doubt you were one of them!!!

wish I could take credit for it but that goes to Mike and Jenny Lyle of Lyle Fitness https://lylefitnessconsulting.com
They really know their stuff, especially when it comes to the swim.

---

Mike Plumb, TriPower MultiSports
Professional Running, Cycling and Multisport Coaching, F.I.S.T. Certified
http://www.tripower.org

Ah yes, Mike Lyle. Once I switched over to AG racing, he because my swim domestic, he kept me from hitting a lot of still water in a lot of races...(-;

meh, i'll pass. //

Didn't really expect an answer, but from the Ben Kanute ask me anything thread, I asked some swimming questions, and the most sought after answer in the swimming universe right now, here was his answer!!!


"I do a lot of pulling. I like it though and have never had shoulder issues from it".
If you want to see what else I asked about swimming and his answers, you can go to the thread. Suffice to say, he swims dam fast for a triathlete...

I do a fair bit of pulling too, but I can't say I like it. I've had shoulder problems in the past, but not in the last 20 years or so.

In our little club, the fastest female swimmer we have sucks at pull. I'm in the top 3 or 4 guys for freestyle depending on who shows up and the event and I suck at pull . The 2 guys who are reliably faster than me rarely pull in practice, and the third guy ( who I'm neck and neck with depending on the day ) never pulls. There are a few guys who I am about 10s per 100 faster than, but they can keep up when pulling.

I can kick better than most masters swimmers though and don't need to kick hard to get benefit out of it.

As I always say, more than one way to skin that cat. 95% is just showing up and doing the work, the rest is details. So if pull and paddles gets you doing the work, great. If you'd rather swim without toys, great. Just don't fool yourself into thinking that there are shortcuts.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

I think we should make it clear that pulling and band work are not the same thing. And squads are moving away from bands, finally.

This x2.

Pulling work is good, IMHO, if and only if you have decent stroke mechanics i.e. little to no medio-lateral aberrations or uncontrolled inertia.

A common vein of thought from the "pull, pull pull" crowd is it creates awareness of 'snaking' in the water which one can then correct.

I would counter that with "maybe but it doesn't teach awareness of where the problem lies" I have seen all the listed below create snaking in the water / supposed poor core stability....

1) poor head carriage & rotation during breathing
2) poor catch mechanics
3) excess "s" pattern to stroke
4) poor hip rotation timing
5) excessive external hip rotation
6) excessive anterior pelvic tilt
7) poor scapula mobility

Too many folks are looking for a panacea solution to swim when in many cases they are ignoring the fact that "you can't cue anatomical dysfunction".... a good coach on deck regularly or sporadically or even video of oneself can quickly help pinpoint gaps between what you perceive you are doing and what you are actually doing.

---

David T-D
http://www.tilburydavis.com