Hi,
I've been enjoying my swim workouts and have noticed a big improvement in my weight, physique, and lungs (I'm a smoker and swimming has helped me considerably in cutting down with a goal of quitting.) Plus I'm feeling much more lively and focused.
I generally swim 4-6 times a week for an hour and always hit the number of laps I target for the day. every week or so I up the lengths a bit while sticking to my hour workout. But the one thing I have difficulty with is my stroke count. It seems I lose focus, form and rhythm when im counting in my head.
I've looked at swim watches but I can't seem to find what im looking for.
Can anyone recommend a swim watch that hits these needs (or as many as possible):
- count stokes for freestyle, back, and breaststroke (my current workout strokes)
- swim time and rest time
- heart rate
- calorie burn
- anything else I may not be thinking of.
Additionally, I've worked in using a kickboard for a total of 400 meters doing freestyle and breaststroke kicks. Anyone know how a swim watch handles this? you're not moving your arms so how does it count strokes, heart rate, burn etc. and I would really like the watch to factor this part of my workout in. (as a side note - using a kickboard has been amazing. I never realized how much using a kickboard isolates your lower body to the point of being an amazing workout for your abs and legs.)
Thanks for your help in this and good luck in your swimming!
Parents
Former Member
I have just recently acquired a poolmate swim watch. I am still experimenting with it and will post on it when I have a bit more data, but my initial impressions are very good.
It will most certainly:
count strokes for freestyle, back, *** and fly (very accurately)
count your laps
count your total distance (yards or meters)
count your total calories expended
give you your average stroke count per lap
give you your average speed (worked out as your average speed in seconds per 100 meters or yards)
give you your average efficiency using the swim golf method (your time for 25 meters or yards plus the number of strokes you took to swim the distance)
It won't:
tell you your heart rate
separate your pause time from you swimming time (However, it will give you a total time which includes your pause time. You can pause the watch between repeats and each repeat will have its own set of data. This is a very helpful feature for me. I can do a set 10 x 100 meters and have all my data: stroke count, speed, efficiency all together within one log which is great when you want to descend a set and compare how it impacts on your stroke count and efficiency). If you really wanted to, you could subtract your swimming time from the total time to work out your rest time, but it would be a hassle.
measure in tenths or hundredths of a second (this is a pity in my estimation)
As I said, though, I have only recently acquired it and haven't used it enough to give a more detailed review of it. Hope this answers some of your questions.
With regards to the smoking: You already had your last one. There are no soft landings when it comes to quitting. Make swimming your new goal and realize that you will never be good at if you smoke. It will get easier with time.
best,
Syd
I have just recently acquired a poolmate swim watch. I am still experimenting with it and will post on it when I have a bit more data, but my initial impressions are very good.
It will most certainly:
count strokes for freestyle, back, *** and fly (very accurately)
count your laps
count your total distance (yards or meters)
count your total calories expended
give you your average stroke count per lap
give you your average speed (worked out as your average speed in seconds per 100 meters or yards)
give you your average efficiency using the swim golf method (your time for 25 meters or yards plus the number of strokes you took to swim the distance)
It won't:
tell you your heart rate
separate your pause time from you swimming time (However, it will give you a total time which includes your pause time. You can pause the watch between repeats and each repeat will have its own set of data. This is a very helpful feature for me. I can do a set 10 x 100 meters and have all my data: stroke count, speed, efficiency all together within one log which is great when you want to descend a set and compare how it impacts on your stroke count and efficiency). If you really wanted to, you could subtract your swimming time from the total time to work out your rest time, but it would be a hassle.
measure in tenths or hundredths of a second (this is a pity in my estimation)
As I said, though, I have only recently acquired it and haven't used it enough to give a more detailed review of it. Hope this answers some of your questions.
With regards to the smoking: You already had your last one. There are no soft landings when it comes to quitting. Make swimming your new goal and realize that you will never be good at if you smoke. It will get easier with time.
best,
Syd
