I’ve been doing some band work. I like it, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be getting out of it. Is it an arm strength thing or a body position thing? Should I be dolphining with my legs to keep them up, or letting them drag? Should I be rotating like crazy or just trying to swim normally?
I’ve done quite a bit with the band, but nothing seems to be changing, and I’m still in the 55-60 sec per 50 pace range. That’s cool, slow is fine with me for drills, I just need to know what to concentrate on.
Body position is the main thing. You’ll need to fight to keep your hips up as much as possible. Your head position and core will be big factors.
Also think about your catch and arm stroke. You don’t have you kick to help you maintain momentum so it will quickly become obvious if your stroke is uneven (you’ll lose momentum with each stroke). Focus on a high catch and getting over the stroke as much as possible. Probably more important when using a band, focus on maintaining a continuous circle of power. This basically means as one hand stops propelling you the other should have started. Basically less like catch up more like a windmill.
The primary function of swimming with a band is to work on core strength to improve body position. If you are inexperienced with the band, then it will be somewhat vice versa. Picture that ab exercise in the gym where you put your elbows on the pads and hold yourself vertically. Then, you lift up your legs front and back. Now, get in the pool and rotate forward 90 degrees. How do you get your hips and legs to the surface? Answer - engage the core to lift the legs. When you get good at this, put on a set of paddles and do a few thousand yards like this - that’s a full body workout.
The primary function of swimming with a band is to work on core strength to improve body position. If you are inexperienced with the band, then it will be somewhat vice versa. Picture that ab exercise in the gym where you put your elbows on the pads and hold yourself vertically. Then, you lift up your legs front and back. Now, get in the pool and rotate forward 90 degrees. How do you get your hips and legs to the surface? Answer - engage the core to lift the legs. When you get good at this, put on a set of paddles and do a few thousand yards like this - that’s a full body workout.
No problem. I love doing these sets with the paddles and band. It is the best way to gain strength in the water. Most triathletes WILL NOT use p/bnd because it is too difficult (kind of like PowerCranks). Over time, you will see much improvement from these sets. I take it you practiced this successfully for a week before writing back?
Make sure the band is one of those punk, skin head bands that have less drag in the water. Avoid swimming with Twisted Sister, Poison, Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran, and other similar bands from the 80’s. David Lee Roth to be avoided at all costs.
After doing it for a while I can really feel where my feet are going since they are not kicking. For example, if I am sloppy they drop when I turn my head to breath. Try to keep them up and in line.
Make sure the band is one of those punk, skin head bands that have less drag in the water. Avoid swimming with Twisted Sister, Poison, Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran, and other similar bands from the 80’s. David Lee Roth to be avoided at all costs.
Why did you list only pretenders? I swim exclusively with Metallica.
Over time, you will see much improvement from these sets. I take it you practiced this successfully for a week before writing back?
Yeah, for sure, and it’s really working. My speed/feelforthewater/form all went up almost immediately. The visualization of just rotating the gym exercise that you referenced works very well, both with and without the band. I tried a short set (500yds) with paddles+band. I guess I didn’t find it terribly hard, I wasn’t really sure what the point was. That most certainly means I was doing it wrong, I’ll try again tomorrow.
No problem. I love doing these sets with the paddles and band. It is the best way to gain strength in the water. Most triathletes WILL NOT use p/bnd because it is too difficult (kind of like PowerCranks). Over time, you will see much improvement from these sets. I take it you practiced this successfully for a week before writing back?
I was talking with Barb Lindquist about two days ago at an expo we were both at and she mentioned the same thing. She said the best thing to do was to band the legs together without a board and suffer for the couple of months it takes to learn how to get your legs up, sort of like going cold turkey with the PowerCranks. Pure sufferfest until the adaption occurs then worth every minute but most athletes who claim to like to “suffer” will not put up with what it takes.
Just curious as to how much slower you should expect to be if you are using a band without paddles and swimming more or less correctly with the band. Obviously you would have to be somewhat slower because you are not kicking. Or, put another way, how much does Dick slow down intervals if you are swimming with the band on instead of just swimming, assuming that he uses them.
