Reddit mentions: The best swimming training equipment

I'm not a triathlete (yet!), but I am a nationally ranked college swimmer. If you have 57 days, that gives you just under two months of swimming. I don't know how you're currently training for the swimming piece, could you elaborate?

Some of this advice probably won't be helpful in two months, but I hope it can help you in the long term.

(If this comes across as too basic, I sincerely apologize. I just don't know your swimming experience).

Swimming needs to come from all parts of your body. Running and cycling use your legs, but swimming will need to focus on a bunch of different muscles, as I'm sure you already know.

The forumla for speed in swimming is (distance per cycle) x (tempo). The farther you go with each stroke and the faster you take them will determine how fast you go. We'll focus on the first half of the equation first.

The front crawl emphasizes a six beat kick per one cycle. A cycle is two arm strokes. So every you pull your left arm and then your right arm, you need to have kicked six times (optimally). Some high quality swimmers can use a four-beat kick, but let's not do that. To raise your distance-per-cycle (DPC) you're going to have to work on your kicking and your arm strength. As I'm sure you know, the swimming kick is a straight leg press from the hip. Keep your core engaged and tight throughout the entire kick. Swimming is completely centered around the core and the kick. If you want to be a successful swimmer, you need to have a strong core. This will keep the muscular connection between each cycle, meaning you won't lose energy as you recover your arms.

To strengthen your core:

Grab a med ball of 8-12 pounds. Do each exercise for 50 seconds on, 10 off for 2-4 (whatever you're comfortable with) rounds.

Russian Twists w/ ball

Flutter kick toss ups (lay on your back, kick your legs in a flutter kick pattern, and toss the med ball up vertically from your chest)

Bikes w/o ball

Plank on front

Plank on left and right sides, holding ball in off arms

Seated rows w/o ball

Then do leg lifts. Lift to 6in off the ground, hold for 20 seconds, Then lift to 90 degrees, break for five, back to 6in to hold for twenty. Repeat.

Crunches w/o ball

Full sit ups w/ ball.

Bridges w/ ball (basically a sit-up where you lift the ball over your head)

We will do these exercises before every swim practice without fail. They suck, I know, but your six-pack abs will thank you for it.

Now kick-ass abs are great, but how do they help swimming? Swimming is primarily a core-driven sport, which is something a lot of people don't realize. You need to have a tense core (my coach likes to say engaged) through the entire swim. You cannot falter in this. The tense core allows you to rotate your hips on each arm pull (which you absolutely should be doing!) As your arm enters the water, your corresponding hip should be down towards the bottom of the pool/lake/whatever. To elaborate: say your right arm is entering the water above your head. At that same moment, your right hip should be down towards the bottom. As your right arm pulls down along your body, you need to snap your hips. This will involve pushing your left hip down towards the bottom as your left arm begins to enter. How does one do this? Well with an engaged core of course!!

Now this is all a lot, I know. But bear with me. If I'm rambling, tell me, and I can give some more succinct advice!

You'll need to strengthen your legs and your arms. Buy yourself a kickboard and a pull bouy. (I don't know where you're training, but for simplicity's sake, I'm going to assume it's a 25 meter pool). You'll want to use that gear by itself in order to strengthen your individual body parts. Paddles will help, but are certainly optional.

Now two months certainly isn't long enough for you to become Phelps, but you can greatly improve! I'm going to assume that a 150 meter distance is difficult for you. Well, you're going to have to get over that obstacle simply by swimming more. I don't know how else to do. I know that swimming at times just sucks, but I promise you that it does get easier!!


Try this: (If this is too hard, tell me)

(focus on good technique and feeling the water)

3x50 m swim on 2:00.

2x25 m swim on :45 (try to swim these faster, work up your aerobic base. You should not be at an anaerobic pace)

2:00 break to grab your kickboard and grab some water.

3x25 m kick on 1:30 (focus on keeping your toes pointed, your core engaged, and make sure you're kicking from the hips)

1x50m swim on 2:00. (focus on adding what you worked on during the kick back into the swim)

2:00 break to grab your bouy (optional: and paddles)

3x25 m pull on 1:15 (focus on high elbows, smooth entry of your hands, and good hip rotation! )

1x100 m swim on 3:00 (add everything together)

1x200 m swim on 6:00 (Just keep your head down, and push through this. It'll be over soon)

2:00 break.

(Go back to the top and repeat all of that three times, or as many as you're comfortable with).

1x50 m swim ALL OUT on no interval. Just finish and be breathing hard.

2x50 m swim on 2:00 to warm down.


Repeat all of this at least three times a week. Feel free to adjust the intervals to fit your ability level. If you give me more information on what you can do, I can taylor this more accurately to you.

Now that will help your arm and leg strength, and get you more comfortable with swimming for longer distances. If there is something you don't like tell me, and I can work with it.

Now there's one more thing you should get to address the second half of the swimming equation. You should pick up a tempo trainer. It'll beep on an interval. You should be breathing on every third arm pull, and you should be taking roughly 1.3-1.5 seconds per cycle. Set the beep to that time, and just swim with it in. Wear a cap, and let it beep over and over. It's terrible, I hate them, but they work and that's what makes them good. You can time your pulls with them, time your kicks with them, whatever. But the main point is to get consistent . You need to maintain a constant tempo throughout the swim. As you get better and stronger, you can increase this tempo. I'm a short distance sprinter, and I pull at about .9-1.1. You shouldn't be that fast, it'll only serve to tire you out earlier than you need to.


Alright I know that was a wall of text, and since it's one in the morning, it might be a bit difficult to sort through. I hope that it helps! Best of luck to you in your first triathlon!! If you have any more swimming questions, I probably can answer them, and I would be more than happy to help! Cheers!

It sounds as though you aren't scared of the water, just that you don't know how to start. That's good.

Get yourself a kickboard. That way, you have something to hold onto while you learn the basics. Also, swimming goggles. The inability to see clearly under water scares some people.

Start by learning how to kick:
Hold the front of the board, so you're kind of propped up on top, and kick you legs. Do it rhythmically; don't flail. Keep your toes pointed out (away) and your legs straight.

Then learn how to breath:
Now hold your board at the end closer to you. Don't lock your arms, so you have room to turn your head. Keep your head facing down/angled away, you'll hurt your neck otherwise. When you need to take a breath, turn your head to the side (alternate sides if you can) instead of popping it directly upward. This should get you comfortable with having your head under the water most of the time.

Side note: getting pool water in your ears or eyes is really not that bad. The ears might hurt like a sonofabitch, but it doesn't happen often, and some alcohol drops make that go away. The eyes will just sting slightly, but you can still see decently without goggles. Don't be afraid of either.

Getting the arms going:
Same thing as the previous step, except now you'll be taking strokes with your arms, too. Stroke: dip your hand and a bit of your forearm in the water (don't go deeper!), and pull back steadily along the top foot-or-so of water until your hand is near your waist. Then use your elbow to bring it up and out of the water and move it just above the top of the water to hold on to the kickboard again. Alternate sides (must be left-right-left-right (apologies for the Coldplay reference)). When you have to breathe, turn your head to the side of that stroke (while your arm is coming up to the kickboard) and take a quick breath. These are short and strong breaths, lasting between half of a second and a full second. The more relaxed you are, the longer your breaths will last. Your strokes should not coincide with your kicks; kick continuously, but make your strokes long and slow.

Get rid of the kickboard:
Now, put it all together! You'll be stroking and kicking more quickly, so try to breathe every three or four strokes. Don't forget to look forward so you don't crash into a wall!

Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you want more clarity or suggestions on something.

Of course! I didn't start swimming till I was in my 40s. At first I could swim across a 25m pool and that was it. I now do 3 to 5 miles a day. If I can do it, anyone can.
Get good goggles and a swim cap (silicon not latex) and comfy one piece suit. Some swim paddles like these will help with keeping your hands in correct position for freestyle. FINIS Agility Paddles Floating Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQD7RP9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4kAUDbCMCP9FQ

Breast stroke is great, but to mix it up a bit try learning freestyle. It's hard at first but it will really get you covering more meters quickly. If you can, get a couple private swim lessons to refine your stroke. It will be hard at first, (keep one goggle in the water when you breathe), but just keep at it. If you only do 5 laps your first time, that's ok, do 10 laps the next time.

Swimming is a pretty solitary sport, which I enjoy, but I sometimes need company. Every swimmer I have ever met has been so nice and so helpful, so reach out to them, they are full of great information!

If there is a Master's Swim club in your area, check them out, even if you are a newbie swimmer. Many clubs take any level swimmer so don't be shy.

Don't worry about being a great swimmer right off the bat. Just do a little more each time. Good luck!!!

This is just a shitty advertisement for their equipment, but it's a good subject to discuss.

Former lifeguard/swim teacher here. Water wings and life vests don't promote good body position. For younger students, I always used floatie blackpacks (like this) and sometimes a noodle under their arms until they had a some confidence and relaxed. The important thing is to strap the backpack tight so it's near their lower back rather than upper back. This will encourage them to swim more horizontally, not vertically.

Honestly, 90% of swimming at that stage is confidence and relaxation. Kids are pretty buoyant on their own. If you take them to the pool on a regular basis (and make it a good experience!), they'll swim. Maybe not with good form, but they'll swim.

honestly, i am not breaststroker, but my other brother was and my coach (who went to OT) was. they say that a big thing to drop time is breaking down the stroke. they did a lot of breaststroke drills in practice including: breaststroke arms with a flutter kick and breaststroke arms with fly kick.

a big thing in all strokes are tempo trainers. you can have the most perfect technique but if the speed isnt there than the time will suffer. ill attach a link to a tempo trainer if you want one (amazon has the best prices).

i also think having a good coach who knows what he is talking about is a good way to improve; i have always benefited from being videotaped as well, so i can see exactly where i nee improvement. hope this helps:) best of luck!!

https://www.amazon.com/FINIS-1-05-120-Tempo-Trainer-Pro/dp/B005TVYVI2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1538069462&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=tempo+trainers&psc=1

I've had a similar new swimmer experience as you trying to swim free style for distance.

Pull buoy was great, but I used it too much.

So I graduated to fins (http://www.amazon.com/FINIS-2-35-003-Zoomers-Gold-Yellow-Zoomers/dp/B004O6G9W4), but tried to consciously not get hooked on using them more than whole stroke swimming based on my aforementioned pull buoy addiction. Fins are still lots of fun, but I use them sparingly.

From there, I went to using kick board in between sets and a LOT at the end of workouts. My basic goal being to get the muscle memory in place (my kick, like yours, was only good for short distances) so that I can kick without thinking about it. As has been stated above, it's really all about body position (mostly head and hips for me). This last piece worked wonders for me.

Good luck!

If you want to build up some arm/should muscle quickly in the pool, spend $10 on a nice set of paddles, I like these and do some pulling sets. If you're working out at any kind of a decent facility, odds are good they have pull buoys for public use, but it is still worth getting your own. Put the pull buoy between your thighs, just above your kness and (protip) cross your legs loosely at the ankle. Now do this set (I call it a 1/1-5/5): Swim one 25 easy and one 25 fast, then two 25s easy and two 25s fast... all the way up to 5/5. That's a 750 meter set and you WILL feel it and it will feel amazing and get you jacked quick.

Note: I see your are swimming in a 50 meter pool, so adjust the set for that or else you will end up with a 1500 meter pull set (which is totally fine, but will likely be your entire workout). Also, my definition of jacked may not be your own- I've been a swimmer forever and a day but I'm a girl, so our definitions of big shoulders probably differ. Also, I wrote this like you are a less-than-competitive level swimmer, apologies if you aren't.

A binder of workouts would be good. His own gear would be a great gift: they sell pull buoys, fins, [kickboards] (http://swimming.epicsports.com/prod/32101/the-finals-kickboard-swim-training-aids.html), and a mesh bag to put it all in.

Swim lessons aren't a BAD idea, but sometimes swim instructors aren't very good. What your husband probably needs is an actual coach. I know there are some sites (can't find them right now) that you can send in an underwater video of his swimming stroke to be analyzed by a professional (but that might be annoying?). This site has lots of swimming technique videos. I have some of these videos and they are actually pretty good.

I hope that helps!

If you don't have shoulder issues, pick up a set of swim training paddles to increase your shoulder and lat strength.

These are great for helping you unlearn cuping/closing your fingers if you do that (they should be slightly spaced) and good for power.

These are better for power and strength (but can strain shoulders more)

Honestly, I am pretty damn picky when it comes to tubing. There are a lot of ways for it to go south and be less than enjoyable and I am not about that life. What I would do if I were you (and when I am me on a new-to-me river) is find a livery that does tube rentals and do that for your first time out. What that does is usually puts you on a generally slow and shallow stretch of river that has been cleared of tube popping debris, lets you see if you like it, and, if it is just you and your kids, has the bonus of picking you up and taking you back to where you put in. Then you know for the next time and you buy this or this. We have both in our small flotilla and have used them dozens of times. Some extra pro tips: clip a life jacket to at least one of them so in case you do pop a tube you still have a way to float and pick up a cheap $1 plastic paddle from Goodwill if you ever see them, they are great for pushing off of potential obstacles.

edit- OR drive 2-ish hours to u/tipsycup’s kayak and tube livery and I will handle it all for you! F-r-e-e, plus keto boat snacks!

I am a relatively new lap swimmer and also love gear. I bought speedo medium paddles, a pull-buoy and fins http://www.amazon.com/Speedo-SCSP-Contoured-Swim-Paddles/dp/B005MVXPQ8 . The paddles are streamline hard plastic with 3 rubber straps, one for your thumb and index, one for your middle finger and one for you ring and pinkie. They stay snug while swimming. I think paddles should be used cautiously because there is a possibility of shoulder injury. This is why I went to a medium paddle. However, paddles are effective. Their use allows one to really feel hand and arm position during stroke. It is quite apparent when ones hand enters the water at an incorrect angle.
Using these aids in drills over the last month or so has allowed me to increase my lunch time 25 minute swim to 1250 meters. My fastest 100m pace is 110 seconds / 100m. Not bad considering I have never done any lap swimming in the past.

Yeah, they’re actually pretty dangerous. They give kids and parents a false sense of security.

And they hold kids in a weird position in the water, which can actually hinder their learning to swim.

-Former Lifeguard

For children who need a little extra help floating (with adult supervision), I would recommend a belt like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XPDLCYG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_uZQiDbYFYHW00

We used those at the YMCA where I guarded and taught lessons. You can take the layers off as kids’ swimming abilities improve.

Yes, to be specific, this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014Z9BPQE

It's bright and helps boaters see me if I'm swimming somewhere where that's an issue. It can hold my car keys and a tiny towel in addition to my iPhone. It's also nice to know I have something close by that floats should I or another swimmer get in trouble.

Since the iPhone is out of the water, the accuracy is usually spot on, with the iPhone being used for the GPS and the Apple Watch being used for the strokes, heart, etc... It's all automatic though, just start a swim exercise on the watch.

There are a bunch of other swim buoys available. I sort of just randomly picked this one, and it's "fine". I do put my keys and iPhone in sealed bags inside the buoy just in case.

Late to the game here but I would recommend [this] (https://www.amazon.com/FINIS-1-05-120-Tempo-Trainer-Pro/dp/B005TVYVI2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525976795&sr=8-1&keywords=finis+tempo). Slowly start to pick up your stroke rate. If you're gearing up for an Ironman than it's safe to say you have the cardio capabilities to swim sub 1hr, it truly is a matter of technique. Maybe dedicate more of your swim sessions to technique building as opposed to interval work

A new children's swimming school opened near us this winter - really stellar facility, so many things were well considered, highly impressed with it. One thing they use in every lane when my 3yo is taking lessons is this Finis Swim Teaching Platform, and all of the kids love them.


We've got a large shallow area, but it's adult-shallow, not toddler-shallow. As much as I'd love to get one, we've got a vinyl-lined pool, so that's basically a non-starter. Our liner is near the end of its lifespan, and is really the last remaining item that we'll need to replace soon. If we got one of those then I'm sure it'd wear a hole in the liner in no time.

Thanks to all for their replys, I appreciate your feedback. I am replying to this comment because the are two points I want to respond to....

1. I absolutely agree with your comment that these air filled buoys should not be marketed as a flotation device but should serve as visibility aid primarily. However, see the two links if you have time, seems like they are advertising as a flotation device of sorts ...
   http://saferswimmer.com/tablet/index.html
   https://www.amazon.com/New-Wave-Swim-Buoy-Triathletes/dp/B014Z9BPQE
   Both adverts mention in the second bullet point that this buoy can be used as flotation aid. This seems dishonest to me. My assumption is that some swimmers do want to mitigate risk and have a float aid in case of the unexpected but they are choosing these air bladders instead of a foam because the drag created by an air bladder is very low. Honestly want to know if there are other opinions out there.
   
   
2. I agree, if I can only swim a mile I shouldn't plan to swim 2 miles by swimming half way, resting on an aid, then swimming the remaining mile. The purpose of having a flotation device should be to mitigate risk like cramping or unexpected issues which might prevent you from floating on your own. We cannot expect to eliminate all risk, for example in the case of heart attack or unconsciousness.
   
   Thanks again for all your replys

I would not recommend doing the butterfly stroke right away then.. You can find it on youtube and they have some tutorials. A kickboard is this.

It allows you to float on top of the water and only use your legs to get to either side of the pool.

but for the other strokes and such I'm sure you can find a great website to teach you how to do it. I'm looking into it right now.

I have some swim bands the attach to my ankles to allow me to swim endlessly in hotel pools, which also provide resistance. Pretty amazing!

I just need a pool in every hotel I stay in to be able to use them.

I too practice TI from YouTube drills. So meditative. So enjoyable. Can now swim for what seems like forever.

As a matter of fact, the swim leg is now my strongest one! Too bad it’s such a relatively small part of the race.

Edit:
Meant to mention I also use earplugs and a metronome .

I usually just leave my tshirt and shorts on the beach with a towel. If I'm feeling paranoid I ball everything up and leave it next to the guard stand. I also have one of these so I have a place to put my keys and anything of value - it's also a good thing to have for many safety reasons.

Thanks for the info, I'm going to keep an eye on the 920xt as prep for next tri season.

I meant tempo, not pace. I guess vibration for tempo would nuke the battery. I was thinking of one of these: http://www.amazon.com/FINIS-1-05-120-Tempo-Trainer-Pro/dp/B005TVYVI2

Thanks again!

Not a problem!

Welcome to Missoula! (or whenever you get here)

Be sure to grab an Intex and join all of us on the river this summer :)

I have a set of these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q3LT8M/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're kind of weird, but you can swim with them. They stretch out a fair bit as you swim, so when you stop you're pulled back. Also, you never move past your "splash zone" if you can imagine what I mean, and so it makes breathing harder during freestyle.

They're pretty cheap, so give them a try.

They look pretty cheap on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Sphere-1003219-Stationary-Swimmer/dp/B001Q3LT8M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464613297&sr=8-2&keywords=pool+tether

I can't recommend one of these enough. I've been using mine for two weeks now, and it's very reassuring to know that you've got something to rest on when cramping or winded. Money well spent.

This is probably too heavy, but it says it's made out of really tough rubber. Perhaps they do lighter weights for your dog? :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001GPJ4R8?pc_redir=1407591289&robot_redir=1

i was thinking of maybe getting some of these http://www.amazon.com/FINIS-2-35-003-Zoomers-Gold-Yellow-Zoomers/dp/B004O6G9W4 and a kickboard. feel like that could work for a good while no?

I shot with the newer H4D with a digital back. It was kinda like photographing with a 10 lb diving brick

Here's an open-water visibility buoy with a compartment for all your things https://www.amazon.com/New-Wave-Swim-Buoy-Triathletes/dp/B014Z9BPQE

Can't you just buy one on Amazon ?

This is the one I used. My only issue with it is that, when I did start to kick again, the ankle straps would come loose. I'd go with a waist tether if you want to be able to kick without worrying about the tether.