I’ve been using zoomers for a few years for drills, etc. I have a REALLY weak kick. What are the best fins to use to strengthen my kick, specifically?
I like Zoomers but they really hurt the tops of your toes after a while. I wonder if those Aquasphere fins are any better?
If the zoomers don’t cause significant discomfort, i would continue to use them. you only need enough thrust to help with your body position and keep your legs from sinking. kicking strength is overrated anyway. most swimming publications estimate that freestyle swimming propulsion is generally 80% upper body, 20% kicking. i would say the ratio is even less for triathlon swimming, especially swimming in salt water and using a wetsuit.
proper body position in swimming is what needs to be emphasized, and that come from a combination of weight distribution (press down slightly with you chest and your hips ride higher in the water) and kicking sufficiently enough to keep your legs from sinking. this is affected by ankle flexibility, and proper kicking technique. kick from your upper leg, not with your feet, and don’t bend your knees excessively. done right, the motion should be almost like a whip.
IMO, kick drills are overrated, and they do not provide enough benefit to justify the limited time that most of us have to devote to training. if you bike, or run on a regular basis, then you should have sufficient leg strength, it’s just a matter of technique. you’d be suprised how low of a cadence and exertion is needed if your body is correctly positioned in the water, and if your kicking form is efficient. i’d suggest reading some of terry laughlin’s articles or publications for further reference.
This is excellent information. I quite agree. FWIW adding socks mitigates toe discomfort with Zoomers.
I use slimfins, but I don’t think that has much to do with developing kick. Not that I’m a fast swimmer or anything, but what kind of drills do you do? I find I feel my glutes, quads, and hams working most when I just do kicking drills on my back first, arms over your head outstretched, making sure your feet get to the surface of the water. Flip over, and then I really feel my kick in regular freestyle. I think there’s too much emphasis on just freestyle in tri - swimmers practice all four strokes, why shouldn’t we? And like the previous poster said, really focus on kicking from the glute…
I swam through college before taking 18 years off until a couple months ago to train for my first Tri. I am amazed by all of the different paddles, fins etc that I have seen at practice and heard about here. We used fins some so that we could do the kick sets a little quicker and therefore swim more yardage. My recollection is that paddles were a really good way to make your shoulders hurt a lot instead of just a little.
I know that things change over time so do people really think that fins and paddles help a lot?
I think there’s too much emphasis on just freestyle in tri - swimmers practice all four strokes, why shouldn’t we?
competitive swimmers don’t have to worry about biking and running afterwards. unless one plans on doing an individual medley for their swim leg, there is no specificity in training by doing all 4 strokes, or attempting to mirror workouts done by competitve swimmers. that said, i like to mix in a few laps of backstroke or breastroke, just to maintain some sanity while doing swim workouts, as well as to briefly mix up mucle groups being used. however, majority of my time is spent doing distance sets of freestyle, since that is specific to what i need to train for in connection with a tri race.
i would like to add that you really shouldn’t feel it in the glutes or hammys, in freestyle kicking, as those would be the muscles involved in brining the legs upwards. the propulsion from kicking is primarily generated from the downward motion, which would be the quads, and to some extent, the hip flexors. you should only make a conscious effort to kick downwards. the downward motion done by the alternate leg will force the kicking leg back upwards, without even thinking about it.
swimming mechanics becomes much easier when you become more aware of how newton’s first law of physics plays into things. since you have to work within a dense medium, it’s better to make it work for you, than against you.
I think there’s too much emphasis on just freestyle in tri - swimmers practice all four strokes, why shouldn’t we?
competitive swimmers don’t have to worry about biking and running afterwards.
What’s that got to do with anything? Swimming different strokes is a great way to develop a feel for the water, body position, the effects of drag, etc. (In addition to just being fun and relieving boredom.) I bet 90% of triathletes could significantly improve their swim time by spending one day a week swimming the “off” strokes.
swimming a different stroke helps make you faster in that particular stroke. it doesn’t make you faster for swimming freestyle. and i never said you shouldn’t mix it up, as i did say it helps with getting bored. my point is that we as triathletes should not seek to emulate how competitive swimmers work out, as they are designed for specific events competed within in a regulated distance pool. we have a different purpose for swim workouts, and they should be designed with them in mind. yes, you can build conditioning for freestyle by mixing up backstroke or breastroke, but not to the same extent if you spent that time swimming freestyle (assuming that you utlize freestyle for the swim leg of tris). there is a tradeoff when you divert away from workouts designed in mind for improving open water swim times. some of it being acceptable, in order to keep training interesting. however, since many of us are training under time constraints, you need to consider how much of your time needs to be devoted to workouts specific to your competition needs.
swimming a different stroke helps make you faster in that particular stroke. it doesn’t make you faster for swimming freestyle. Yeah, I disagree with that, particularly when talking about triathletes. I think most triathletes have no idea what they should be feeling while swimming- what it feels like to slip through the water. I believe that regularly swimming different strokes would help them develop that sense a lot faster than pure freestyle workouts.
**my point is that we as triathletes should not seek to emulate how competitive swimmers work out, as they are designed for specific events competed within in a regulated distance pool. **I agree with that, just as I think we shouldn’t train like pure cyclists, or pure runners.
yes, you can build conditioning for freestyle by mixing up backstroke or breastroke, but not to the same extent if you spent that time swimming freestyle I agree, but I don’t think physical conditioning is what keeps most triathletes from swimming faster.
**however, since many of us are training under time constraints, you need to consider how much of your time needs to be devoted to workouts specific to your competition needs. **I definitely agree. I’m just saying that I think a lot of people could improve their swim speed more quickly if they didn’t keep swimming the same bad freestyle day after day, and making glacial progress with their stroke. The off strokes can jump start their swim speed.
you have enlightened me by bringing in the perspective of those who are relatively slower or inexperienced in swimming. in that case, i do agree with your points, as mixing up time between different strokes (and drills) probably would be more beneficial for someone who may end up ironing in severe mechanical flaws by way of repetition. given the amount of people who come from primarily a bike/run background, with limited experience in swimming, that would apply to a significantly large population.
for a more proficient and experienced swimmer, i respectfully stand by my original points.
for a more proficient and experienced swimmer, i respectfully stand by my original points. Oh. Well, if we’re talking about a proficient swimmer, I stand by your original points, too. But this *is *triathlon board, at least nominally. 