ASK THE DON
Do you use any swim aids? Pull buoys, paddles, etc? If so, which ones, why those ones and how do you use them in training sessions?
Oh man, I’m a triathlete, and boy do we love our toys in the pool, or even open water for that matter. Also, as a coach, I find them even more beneficial when using them with my athletes. But saying that, some toys tend to be used when we are, let’s say, a little bit lazy in the water! Or we want to go just that little bit faster to keep up with the person in front of us.
THE SNORKEL
There’s a time and a place to use most toys in the pool, especially as a triathlete when maybe swimming is not our strongest discipline. Wall work isn’t important, nor are tumble turns, glides, etc, but stroke rate and some specific open-water drills, like head-up freestyle/water polo, are.
When I was coming back from my broken neck and could finally get in the pool the snorkel was my best friend. Well, I couldn’t turn my head to breathe, so it was my only friend! I find even now with fins on that it’s a great tool for working on rotation and developing a smooth stroke.
THE PULL BUOY
The biggest tool, and the one I use the most, is my pull buoy. It can be used in so many different ways, but mostly between your legs. For me, it really helps promote my open-water rhythm, with or without a wetsuit, as I have a two-beat crossover kick and hardly use my legs so it helps keep my hips up. I sometimes use it for warm-ups and cool-downs as well, or even in the main set if I’m doing a big run or bike block. It gives my legs a big rest, but keeps the arms ticking over and ups my stroke rate.
THE BAND
I’m also a big believer in band work. I have an old inner tube tied up to make a nice band. Again, with and without a pull buoy, it really helps me focus on my core and
body position, as well as stroke rate, which for me is key (20 strokes per 25m). I’d be careful adding this into you workouts, though, as it can put extra stress on your shoulders and the last thing you want is a sore shoulder. I’d recommend adding it in slowly and do the strength set before the main set so you’re a bit fresher. And maybe only do up to a set of 50m-75m so you get that little bit of wall time and recovery.
DRAG SHORTS
Another great tool which is similar to a pull buoy are drag shorts, they do the same thing but allow you to kick a bit more. They’re great for open-water practice and working on body position.
PADDLES
Along with all of the above, I use paddles for strength but also some overspeed when doing 25m sprints. I have a small pair of paddles as they really encourage me to work on my catch and high elbow, and not to get lazy with them. It’s so easy to whack a big pair of dustbin lids on and just power through the water, but trust me this will just fatigue your arms earlier and also teach you lazy habits with your stroke. I’ve also messed around with finger paddles and Hungarian paddles, but, for me, I didn’t find any big gains.
THE PACE BEEPER
I’ve just been in Singapore and swam with a great Swim Smooth squad out there. I found the beeper (Finis Tempo Trainer) for pace work to be so good. It took a while to dial it in, but I can highly recommend it for helping pace your reps better, especially on the longer reps. I can imagine it’d really help you to not go out too hard and blow up big time while racing.
THE PARACHUTE
While swimming in Loughborough with the crazy fast ITU athletes, I discovered they use a sponge a lot. A sponge tied to about 2m of string that ties around your waist, like a parachute. Man it’s tough. You push off the wall then the resistance hits you. Again, turnover and fast kicking come into play here. It’s a great tool, but only for short blocks of strength work. As with all the above, consistency is key, as is planning in the different components of each toy into your training.
Some people, especially the swimmers in my lane, say I use the pull buoy too much but when I beat them out the water they can’t really say I’m doing it wrong! Ha! It’s what works for you and how you get the best out of a session with all the tools or toys available to you. Remember, there are no medals in training!
Need some advice from The Don? Send an email to askthedon@220triathlon.com