Fins

Originally posted by bckirkland Here's a question for you guys. Since I've been back in swimming, I've noticed alot more workouts contiaining the use of fins. When I used to swim in high school, we never used them. So really, what is the advantage of using fins during a work out and why would I want to use them? It seems like everytime I turnaround my workout says to kick with fins, or swim with fins. Any input on that would be much appreciated. It all depends on the type of fins that you use. There are traditional long fins that have been used for scuba and many swimming organizations. My preference today is to use shorter fins that look a lot like ZipFins. If you can't find any pictures, just picture a normal pair of long fins that have been chopped off so the fin only extends about 2 inches past the “cup” where your feet fit into the fin. I like these because they don't provide a huge amount of propulsion, and they add weight to my feet which makes my legs work harder. I've also noticed that using fins when doing backstroke and butterfly kick helps me to kick harder and longer so my legs get a better workout than without fins.

Originally posted by bckirkland Here's a question for you guys. Since I've been back in swimming, I've noticed alot more workouts contiaining the use of fins. When I used to swim in high school, we never used them. So really, what is the advantage of using fins during a work out and why would I want to use them? It seems like everytime I turnaround my workout says to kick with fins, or swim with fins. Any input on that would be much appreciated. It all depends on the type of fins that you use. There are traditional long fins that have been used for scuba and many swimming organizations. My preference today is to use shorter fins that look a lot like ZipFins. If you can't find any pictures, just picture a normal pair of long fins that have been chopped off so the fin only extends about 2 inches past the “cup” where your feet fit into the fin. I like these because they don't provide a huge amount of propulsion, and they add weight to my feet which makes my legs work harder. I've also noticed that using fins when doing backstroke and butterfly kick helps me to kick harder and longer so my legs get a better workout than without fins.