I like to swim with fins some days, I have the zoomers and some regular fins. I notice when I swim finless that I feel slow as a snail.If I have been using the fins for a couple of days. I know some swimmers that only use fins as thats the only way they have been able to learn, to them I say great what ever works for exercise but have noted to them that they should at least be able to swim finless to get out of the pool for safety if they fell into water anywhere.
Here is my philosophy:
I view swimming ultimately as a sport between me and myself. I can therefore make my own personal rules and guidelines. Swimming with fins makes me swim faster/with less energy. I count my yardage as swimming naturally or doing something that makes it harder. Drills, kick boarding, pulling, etc make me work harder to go the same distance.
I'm not saying fins are bad, that they don't have benefits and that I didn't swim x amount of yards w/fins, I just don't count them in my distance for the day. I would only be cheating myself.
It's like saying I biked 40 miles today, but it was all downhill.
That's my method. You can do what you want too.
And I always do! "Cheating" seems like a harsh word. People here even say one is cheating if one wears a legal tech suit.
If you are using less energy with fins, you're not swimming hard or fast enough with them. My AFAP fin sets leave me absolutely exhausted. I think I should get double credit in the GTD for them.
Fins a great tool for developing flexibility. There is a time to stop using them. I have used fins occasionaly by putting the left one on the right foot and the right one on the left foot to looein up the ankles.
"Cheating" with regard to the use of equipment in swimming = "The opinion of those resistant to change and critical of others using said devices and who often times are not seeing the progression in their own development...unlike the accused"
uuaaauu! Had to read twice to understand , like it:)
“cheating” is, like most abstract concepts, whatever we want it to be… at this particularly thread there is no cheating in the use of fins or any other swim toy.. any toy that makes a adult to move is wonderful..:applaud:
the goal to use it is always the decision ´s swimmer….
I think fins can be a really good tool. On kicking sets they really tire me out, are fun, and reduce the amount of time it takes to finish the set.
When swimming they can help with body position, and dealing with race speed for turns.
What bothers me is when people use fins to make a set, or move up a lane that they otherwise couldn't keep up in. It is a real drag to swim behind someone wearing fins. If you are the only person in your lane wearing fins during a swimming set, please take them off.
I think fins can be a really good tool. On kicking sets they really tire me out, are fun, and reduce the amount of time it takes to finish the set.
When swimming they can help with body position, and dealing with race speed for turns.
What bothers me is when people use fins to make a set, or move up a lane that they otherwise couldn't keep up in. It is a real drag to swim behind someone wearing fins. If you are the only person in your lane wearing fins during a swimming set, please take them off.
What exactly is the problem swimming behind someone with fins? On any given day in my usual lane we all occasionally use fins and no one has complained.
Perhaps I should have added, or go last. Swimming behind someone who is wearing fins sucks.
Why? Are you getting fins in your face? If so, you need to back off.
Using fins in a race would certainly be cheating, but making comments about "cheating" in a workout seems pretty childish to me. It's Masters and we're all adults. We can make our own choices about how we want to train.
You have no idea what the person in the lane next to you might be doing in their life other than swimming. They could be low on sleep due to work, tired from running, dealing with shoulder issues, or just plain bored of swimming endless yards like an age grouper. Or maybe they just want to swim faster to get faster. All are valid reasons for using and there are plenty of others.
I think that if you feel the need to complain about someone else's training routine, you're only exposing your own issues.
If you are the only person in your lane wearing fins during a swimming set, please take them off.
Perhaps I should have added, or go last. Swimming behind someone who is wearing fins sucks.
