i know this has been posted before , but I used the search function and didn’t really find what i was looking for.
I’ve had the VE for about a month and have used it b/n 2-3/wk and have exhausted the suggested workouts on their website. They are all described as muscular endurance workouts. i am not a very proficient swimmer–24:00 in an olympic with wetsuit–and am hoping this will help me. i’ve had no trouble doing 2000 meters on this thing–broken into sets that is–over 30-40 min on b/n DD1 and DD3.
Anyone who has any experience with this thing please post what types of workouts you do, or should i just take the swimming workouts my coach uses in the water and just do them on the vasa. i have a coach, but he doesn’t have any experience with this thing either.
what i really want to do is all but 1 swim workout/wk on the vasa to save time and build better catch and strength. thanks.
Sorry can’t help with erg workouts, but am interested in what you think of the erg.
I am considering buying one, to save time etc. How much does it mimic swimming, and how easy can you set the resistance? I would be interested in any feedback you have. Like you, I would plan on swimming once every 1/2 weeks and using the erg for the rest?
Use it to supplement your swims, but don’t think it will replace your swims. If the pool is closed, or for some reason you can’t get to it, then use the Vasa. I’ll get on mine after a pool workout for a 1000-1500m pull and then one long one on the weekend.
One workout that I do is ladders. Set the door at a setting that is easy, then after each 100m go one up, then down with 15-20 sec rest.
example
100m door 2
20’
100m door 3
20’
100m door 4
20’
100m door 4
20’
100m door 3
20’
100m door 2
X2-3
Try to maintain the highest wattage you can through out the entire set.
I have been using the Vasa Ergometer for a few years. First I would recommend that you get a copy of the Swimervals DVD (either through VASA.com or through Spinervals.com). If you like the follow along format from the Spinervals indoor trainer series, you will like Swimervals. You get two workout formats. One is more tempo based the other is more sprint/intervals based.
When it comes to my own workouts, they are similar to what I would do in the pool. I will make adjustments to the dampener door for resistance. Workouts will vary being either distance based or time based. Here are just a few of mine.
Workout A – Time Based
3x 3-minutes with 10-sec rest – Door at 2.
5-minutes pull (simulating pull with buoy) - Door at 3.
4x 2:30 pick up each one with 10-sec rest – Door at 2.
5-minutes pull (simulating pull with buoy) – Door at 3.
6x 1:30 building on each with a 10-sec rest – Door at 2.
5-minutes pull (simulating pull with buoy) – Door at 3.
Notes: Maintain form with high elbow throughout workout. Look to maintain even Power and/or pace per 100m. On builds (6x 1:30), look to increase Power 5-8 watts per set. Adjust dampener door if form starts to change.
Workout B – Time Based
12-minutes swim: easy – Door at 2.
12x 1min building on each with a 10-second rest – Door at 2.
12-minutes pull (simulating pull with buoy): easy – Door at 3.
6x 2-minutes building on each with 10-second rest – Door at 2 or 3.
Workout C – Distance Based
2x’s (300 swim – Door at 2, followed by 200 pull – Door at 3)
2x 125 with 5 sec rest at Door 2.
2x75 with 10 sec rest at Door 2 or 3.
500 swim with negative split with Door at 2 or 3.
Cycle four times through the following:
2x 75 hard (Door 3) with 50 easy (Door 1 or 2) with 15 seconds rest
4x 25 hard (Door 3) on 30-seconds
100 easy (Door 2) with 15 seconds rest
600 pull (simulating pull with buoy), building on the odd 100’s - Door at 3.
Workout D – Distance and Time Based
2x through the following:
300 swim with Door at 2, followed by 300 pull with Door at 3.
4x 75 with 10 seconds rest – Door at 2 or 3.
6x 50 with 10 seconds rest – Door at 2 or 3.
12x 25 with 10 seconds rest – Door at 2 or 3.
Note: On the second round build to moderate pace on the repeats (5-8 watt increase)
12-min swim as follows:
3-minute easy (Door 1 or 2)
3-minutes Moderate (Door at 2 or 3)
3-minutes Easy (Door at 1 or 2)
3-minutes Hard (Door at 2 or 3)
Note: adjust door opening and/or pace per 100m to maintain proper form.
Again these are just samples of some workouts that I use on my Vasa Ergometer. Workouts A/B are early season. Workouts C/D are in-season (higher intensity). The Ergometer’s Power Meter is a great tool for feedback on power output, and pace per 100 meter. I have used the testing protocols from the Vasa Website to find my optimum stroke rate and power output. I use the Ergometer to supplement my pool training as well as stay on schedule for those days where I can’t get to the pool. I can just throw on my headphones and go for it! I hope that you found the samples to be helpful.
Thank you very much for your feedback. This is exactly what i was hoping to see. FYI–Vasa just sent me an email about a free DVD it is sending out to Vasa customers. I just got it in the mail and have yet to view it. You might want to check that out.
How often do you swim vs use the vasa and how do you think it has helped you swimming? I’m not a very proficient swimmer–24" wetsuit 1.5K, 35" HIM no wetsuit swim.
The new Vasa DVD has several workout suggestions for both swim replacement workouts, along with supplemental workouts to go along with you in-pool swimming. Power based swim training is perfect for the erg. workouts can be fairly short ( 500-1km). The goal is to maintain proper technique and raise power output.
The swimervals intervals often recommned high resistance levels ( door at 3 or 4). To work on specific power, try to raise power output at door 1 or 2 , while keeping the stroke rate fairly constant, requires acceleration of force on the paddles. This is an concept most trithletes lack. The erg is great for building swim specific power and fatigue restistance while maintaining swim form.
You guys did a great job with the Vasa DVD. Both the technique section and the section you did on how to effectively use the Vasa were very helpful to me.
I would love some suggestions for IM type swimming workouts to replace 1-2 swims per week. Sometimes I was planning to swim in the pool and the time just isn’t in the cards and I would love to be able to “replace” my swim with a Vasa session. Maybe the answer is to do several short Vasa sessions per week and 1-2 pool swims that are longer. I am very open on how to get the most from this excellent training tool. The Vasa is new territory for me and my coach.
My coach is very very good with Vasa workouts (Al Lyman, www.coach-al.com). You can look him up there. The Vasa, for me, was a life saver when I was living/working in Boston. I wasn’t exactly rich, and a year of pool memberships at any of the 25m pools in the city was more expensive than a Vasa… anyways, the first year I used them I replaced almost ALL of my swim sessions with the Vasa (I would swim 4x week on the vasa and 1x per week open water at Walden Pond). Now keep in mind, I was a pretty lousy swimmer before, but I actually went from a 38min HIM swim to a 30min HIM that season.
Hi Lou,
I just finished viewing the new DVD from VASA and it is very informative. The key of the DVD is how to properly use the Vasa Ergometer and using it to its maximum potential. They cover everything from set-up, proper stroke mechanics, Power Meter usage, and supplementary exercises to improve functional shoulder strength. One of the experts in the DVD is World Master’s Swimmer Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen. They show a split screen between her swimming in the pool and her swimming on the Ergometer. Her technique and body position are identical in both environments. I know many have commented in other posts that the Vasa Ergometer is limited because it does not allow for rotation. I personally never found it to be an issue and Karlyn nicely addresses that misconception and shows the difference between too much rotation and proper roll; where proper roll is an extension and reach.
If you are a Vasa owner, get the DVD. I do not work for VASA; however I would recommend that if you are someone who is on the fence about buying the Ergometer…get the DVD and see what it has to offer. Tim Crowley, whom is the USAT National Elite Coach and Coach Al Lyman do a great job explaining how they use and train their athletes with the Ergometer.
~~
I have used the Ergometer to train for the Sprint to Ironman distance. With the Ergometer at home, I swim train about 4 to 5 times per week (2 times per week in the pool with the remainder 2-3 sessions on the Ergometer), with sessions ranging from 20 to 90 minutes. When the weather is bad, or if time does not allow for a pool session, then all of my sessions for that week are on the Ergometer. I feel that it has really helped with my technique and improving my tempo and race pace. My biggest improvement was dropping 5 minutes from my 1.5K Olympic swim, without a wetsuit. With the tips from Karlyn in this DVD, I am excited about the potential for this session.
All the best,
-Joe
As a regular, dedicated user over a year, what did you see in terms of wattage on the Vasa, and correlation with times in the water? Did your wattage go up as your pool/OWS times went down?
What kind of numbers did you do, time-wise and power-wise? I’ve also wondered how it calculates “time per 100”. I assume it is a straight linear wattage as an inverse proportion to time, regardless of “swimmer”. If so, that would not seem to take into account a swimmer’s body size appropriately. For instance, the 10 y.o., 80 lb. girl that cranks out a 1:15 100 has got to be putting out a fraction of the power of the 200 pound guy swimming at the same pace.
I’ll be honest, I probably won’t be as helpful as you would hope
I actually haven’t really started paying attention to the wattage until just recently; I always went off the pace per 100 splits in my workouts. Probably not the best way to train, but it’s how I did it. That being said, I’d say for a 1000m test when I initially started, I was doing about a 1:50/100m split, and now I’m more around the 1:30/100m. Now, these are “erg” 100m times, which are supposed to equate to what you’d get for a pull set in the pool. In the water, that 1:30/100m effort typically yields me about a 1:20/100m time. Now I know, these aren’t groundbreaking times (I still have a ways to go before I am “fast”, I know), but consider that a few years ago a good swim for me would have yielded a 1:45-2:00/100m swim, and you understand why i love the thing so much.
As far as the technical side of how it computes splits… no clue! I’d imagine it’s probably akin to how Concept2 programs their ergs.
I HAVE finally started training with a focus on the wattage, so I’ll fill you in on how that goes in 6 months or so, hehe.
