Swimming without tools?

[ra ra]

Hi doc,

I know that you are a big advocate of the pull buoy and paddles into swim training.  I have been using the pull buoy and paddles for most of my workouts, and I like that I can strengthen my upper body and hold onto my technique while training.  I know that the tools cap the heart rate but sometimes I actually like the feeling of a hard swim workout, where I can't breathe by the end of the set and my arms and legs are going to fall off.  Is it ok to have a swim workout like that once a week, or should I stick to the tools?

[Brandon Marsh - "-Tex"]

Doc comes from a swim coach background...and has coached triathletes for a long time, so he has figured it out a bit!  It is safe to say that we do a bit of work with and without toys.  When I came to the team this year, I ended up using toys a bit more than I did at home, but I certainly do a fair bit of swimming without them as well.  And, even before camp, Amy and I made it a point of making sure that we swam FAST to swim FAST, and that means plain old swimming.  So, you're on the right track.

[Matthieu O’Halloran - "M@"]

Hey ra ra swimming with tools is often individual.

Paddles are great for weaker swimmers who tend to slowly fall appart swimming over 200m continous.
They also help cure the swimmers "claw" by flattening your hand and opening your thumbs.

If you do races which are mostly wetsuit, then the pull bouy is great to simulate that body position.

But if you race in hot climate, and now with the new speedsuite rule.
Or do pool triathlon's (does exist in Canada)
Working on your legs might be good investement.

Or putting a **** around you waist to create drag while keep your normals swim style.

But the best way I know to get a high heart rate while swimming.
Is to slap on some fins or some cheap shoes.
But thats very energie consuming!

[DamienC]

ra ra, personally, I love doing sessions like that, they remind you of just how much harder you can push when you're motivated enough.

I did one of those yesterday, and for the first time in a looooooong time, I had to use the ladder to climb out.  It took me a good few minutes to walk in a straight line too!

(Actually, if I'm honest, it's James' fault that I did it. I swam next to him last week while he was doing an "easy recovery" swim, and I was swimming "hard", and he was going the same pace!  It was the wakeup call I needed to get my (not quite fat) arse in gear and start training properly again. Thanks James!  )

The trick is not to do these sessions too often, as they can impact on your other training, so just make sure you plan them in properly.

[doc]

the boys have it right
its very individual
we have some that dont swim at all , and i mean at all  belinda granger used to have a standard joke
when asked when she actually just swam
she would say
thats why i race , cause  he never lets me do it in training say it makes him sick early of the morning .
im a very scientific guy .

[andrej]

How do you if a specific person should use tools more (or less)

[doc]

there are a number of indicators
one
 the better the swimmer  the less time with  toys
2
those with better stroke mechanics  , the less time with toys
3
those that are physical strong  , the less time with toys
4
 males   compared to female   , the less time with  toys
5
people who do not like swimming should spend more time with toys
 

[bob]

I have another paddle question. A while ago I read somewhere here on the forum to swim all the long intervals with the paddles and pull buoy. I used to do short intervals with paddles, but I changed and started doing only a few short reps without paddles and 75% off all swimming with them. At first I thought the paddles slowed me down, cause when I swim without them I feel very slow. But then I looked at the clock a couple of times and I noticed the huge progression. And now I love the paddles, cause I rather feel slow then swim slow.

Funny enough, many start to laugh at the stroke now. A few months with this training and I am turning over quickly, not finishing the stroke at the end and I am now swimming with a more or less straigth arm recovery on the breathing side only. I can easily change breathing sides and then the one straight arm changes sides too. Off course I don't care cause it is faster, but I wondered a bit if this "ugly" stroke is coincidence or if it might be an important part of the improvement.

Oh yeah, I am in 3 out of 5 indicators for using lots of toys while swimming. I am male and I love swimming, but physically weak, not a good swimmer at all and I have no good stroke mechanics. Maybe that is why I improved so much with using the paddles I again read some good advice here.

[doc]

all good
mate yuo tube
janet evans
and any problems you have with the mugs , that know ,you swim pretty  makes you go faster
just give them the you tube number
that will shut them all up .atleast to your face .

[pantani]

Holey Cow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YrZXqBKwuc

Also a good public speaker. Janet's version of being a champion  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdaixhk3ETg

[doc]

i think pantini  that will
keep it all in perspective
however , i will say
for those about to write  , but if she did it with a proper stroke she would have swam faster ,
dont 

[pantani]

It's a sort of combination stroke - half 'uh ah Glenn Mcgrath' and half the Warney Flipper!

[DamienC]

people who do not like swimming should spend more time with toys

Doc, that's a loaded statement, because NOBODY likes swimming!  It's as oxymoronic as "fun run"! 

for those about to write  , but if she did it with a proper stroke she would have swam faster ,
dont 

Ah Doc, sometimes you take all the fun out of it, you know that? 

[doc]

what can i say ,
just a natural born kil joy
but id rather be that , then
a trained kill your swim  type of guy with fluidynamics, 

[Jocelyn Wong - "Wongstar"]

there are a number of indicators
one
 the better the swimmer  the less time with  toys
2
those with better stroke mechanics  , the less time with toys
3
those that are physical strong  , the less time with toys
4
 males   compared to female   , the less time with  toys
5
people who do not like swimming should spend more time with toys
 

1. not a great swimmer +
2. terrible stroke mechanics +
3. physically weak +
4. female +
5. don't like swimming =

oh that's me. Funny I swim with the toys ummm all the time