Hey, solo swimmers! :wave: Welcome to the thread for all of us who train solo. Whether you train on your own due to a lack of a Masters team in your area (or for any other reason), this is our virtual locker room. Please post training tips that you think would be helpful, or anything else you would like to share with the rest of us. Have a rant? Go ahead and vent here! :rantonoff:
I'll start with a tip:
The most frustrating thing for me training solo is not having a coach on deck to evaluate my stroke and keep me on track, so I bought a waterproof camera and enlisted the help of my husband to periodically shoot video of all four strokes. Shooting underwater video became a knee/back buster, so I bought a camera mount and attached it to PVC pipe, so my husband could stand up straight to shoot underwater video. The camera gets dunked underwater, and he twists the pipe to pan the camera as I swim by.
Today, I bought a 2-pack of 12-inch "Gear Tie" reusable rubber twist ties (available at Home Depot), so I can tie the PVC pipe to the pool ladder (located in the corner of the pool) and shoot video myself. (If I angle the camera just right and keep it on wide angle, I can video me coming and going.)
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After each video session, I upload the videos to my desktop computer and compare my stroke to my favorite Go Swim stroke videos to see what I'm doing well (or not). I also post them on the Forums for feedback.
Ok, solo swimmers, what's your tip?
I do not use any "toys" - they are crutches.
Pretty much disagree completely. So long as they are used PROPERLY. FIns are great for UDK to build up anaerobic performance and to strengthen the core. I have only used them once (following the authored workouts posted in that forum) for anything else, it was a sprint. And because of the added speed, one can feel things not normally realized. Specifically, I have not used the high elbow pull in freestyle. But when swimming with fins, the arms almost feel like they are doing more harm than good, and by experimenting with my pull, I was able to feel the tremendous difference in drag between my more conventional pull and the high elbow one.
Paddles can help teach one proper hand positioning. I use paddles that are really too small for my hands, my fingertips reach the end. I only attach them through the middle finger. If your hand positioning gets off, the paddle will pull away from your hand or twist, which you will instantly feel. It communicates to you in ways that swimming wihtout paddles never will. That said, double edge sword - I have noticed that while twisting my hand as it exits the water near my hip, which reduces drag, I have picked up the habit of swinging my arm wide, which prevents me from reaching as far forward as I can.
I can't do pull sets without the pull buoy, my legs just sink. And the pull buoy also isolates the legs and prevents one from subconsciously kicking. The one I use actually goes around my lower legs, rather than my thighs, whiich helps engage the core, and also alleviate the tendency to kick a little (like bands do).
I use a snorkel with my kickboard, pushing the kickboard out ahead of me and resting only the palms of my hand on it. Press down, which again, engages the core. Using the snorkel helps reinforce proper head positioning my keeping the face down in the water.
Now, all that said.....just throwing on toys and swimming certainly isn't good. But proper use of them is by all means beneficial.
I do not use any "toys" - they are crutches.
Pretty much disagree completely. So long as they are used PROPERLY. FIns are great for UDK to build up anaerobic performance and to strengthen the core. I have only used them once (following the authored workouts posted in that forum) for anything else, it was a sprint. And because of the added speed, one can feel things not normally realized. Specifically, I have not used the high elbow pull in freestyle. But when swimming with fins, the arms almost feel like they are doing more harm than good, and by experimenting with my pull, I was able to feel the tremendous difference in drag between my more conventional pull and the high elbow one.
Paddles can help teach one proper hand positioning. I use paddles that are really too small for my hands, my fingertips reach the end. I only attach them through the middle finger. If your hand positioning gets off, the paddle will pull away from your hand or twist, which you will instantly feel. It communicates to you in ways that swimming wihtout paddles never will. That said, double edge sword - I have noticed that while twisting my hand as it exits the water near my hip, which reduces drag, I have picked up the habit of swinging my arm wide, which prevents me from reaching as far forward as I can.
I can't do pull sets without the pull buoy, my legs just sink. And the pull buoy also isolates the legs and prevents one from subconsciously kicking. The one I use actually goes around my lower legs, rather than my thighs, whiich helps engage the core, and also alleviate the tendency to kick a little (like bands do).
I use a snorkel with my kickboard, pushing the kickboard out ahead of me and resting only the palms of my hand on it. Press down, which again, engages the core. Using the snorkel helps reinforce proper head positioning my keeping the face down in the water.
Now, all that said.....just throwing on toys and swimming certainly isn't good. But proper use of them is by all means beneficial.
