swim equipment

during the last weeks my Biestmilch colleagues wrote a lot about the pro's and con's of using technology gadgets during bike training, like srm powermeter, garmin etc.

now I think it could also be interesting share some ideas/experiences about using gadgets during the swim workouts!

believe it or not, as a teenager I was a swimmer (pb 1'00"7 on the 100m freestyle) and we used pullbuoy, hand paddles, kickboards, drag rings, stretch cords and even swam with cotton t-shirts :-)

now, as a triathlete I use primarly the hand paddles or the drag ring (which is made of an old bicycle inner tube) to improve arm strenght!

I do long stretches at a moderate pace as endurance sessions (such as 3x800 with the tube) or short reps at high speed for max power and speed.

swimming with the tube is also very helpful to work on core stability, with your feets tied together it's not so easy to stay in alignment, active assistance of the center of the body is required!

anyway another good exercise for the abs in the water is the dolphin kick laying on your back! I integrate a few laps in almost every swim workout.

a gadget I never use are the fins, but I think for athlets with very stiff ankles they can be helpful..

so, what about you? using everything?, nothing?....why? why not? would be nice to hear your opinion/experiences :-)