I have recently started using a Finis Tempo Trainer, and have found it invaluable to help me do fast sets. Are there others out there who have used these? Are there ways to use them in a diagnostic sense? (e.g. if you keep decreasing the time interval between strokes by 10% and find the place where your time stops decreasing by 10%, does this give you any useful information?) I really like how they help me keep up with hard workouts, but wonder if there are other ways in which they can be useful.
Anyone out there have experience with these they'd like to share?
Dale,
I've used them in two ways. First, when I am trying to build endurance, I set it so that it beeps three times on a specific interval. Usually, I'll use the 200 interval that I want to hold on a set of 3x1000. That way, I get some help keeping track of laps, and some immediate feedback about whether I am holding the pace I want. Sometimes, I'll set it so that the 200 interval is faster with each 1000.
I've also used it in a set where you set it at a certain tempo, then do repeats of 50s or 100s--but making the tempo get slightly faster every (or every two) repeats, while trying to keep your strokes per length the same. I haven't done that in a while, but when I did, I found it really helped me learn to increase my turnover rate while also keeping focused on my stroke. The idea, which I think I saw on GoSwim, was that it does you no good to move your arms fast if you have to flail at the water to do it.
Dale,
I've used them in two ways. First, when I am trying to build endurance, I set it so that it beeps three times on a specific interval. Usually, I'll use the 200 interval that I want to hold on a set of 3x1000. That way, I get some help keeping track of laps, and some immediate feedback about whether I am holding the pace I want. Sometimes, I'll set it so that the 200 interval is faster with each 1000.
I've also used it in a set where you set it at a certain tempo, then do repeats of 50s or 100s--but making the tempo get slightly faster every (or every two) repeats, while trying to keep your strokes per length the same. I haven't done that in a while, but when I did, I found it really helped me learn to increase my turnover rate while also keeping focused on my stroke. The idea, which I think I saw on GoSwim, was that it does you no good to move your arms fast if you have to flail at the water to do it.
