Swimming with banded ankles

[Deleted User]

I've seen a lot of talk about this in various places on the Internets, but don't think it's been mentioned here. Anyway, do any of you swim with an ankle band? Basically, the gist of it is to keep your legs from kicking so you can focus on your pull, I think. The legs tend to sink, so the purpose of the exercise is to get a really good pull to keep you moving forward.

Also, is this more of a technique or fitness based thing? I'm thinking of trying this during the OS since I'm mostly doing light, easy technique-focused swims, but I don't want to be shelling myself since this is apparently a pretty difficult exercise to do well. Any tips?

cgres123

@ Ansom, IMO I would not practice that as I see it as a distraction from the drills that R wrote up for swimming. Doing his drills is time consuming enough. If you have plenty of extra time on your hands go for it. I remember someone posted about not breathing for a lap as a training method too. Meaning one could do whatever they want to with their time but the focused time in the pool is best spent doing the specified drills. Then get out of the pool for the sake of admin time, my 2 cent.

belljd@gmail.com

I have done and continue to do a reasonable amount of band only swimming. It has helped develop a much better sense of front quadrant swimming, a focused fast high catch and a continuous propulsion cycle.

Be warned, this drill is VERY hard. You are probably going to want to start with a short series of 25m with lots or rest at each wall. Personally, I find 50m to be edging past useful. I can handle 100m but I start to cheat - I really focus on long pull outs with lots of dolphin off the wall so I don't have to swim that much...

When I was living in Penticton I would meet up Tom Evans at the pool and he would often include several 100m (400m tops) continuous band swimming as part of his warm up. Dr Tommy can easily hit out under 50min for IM swims if that gives you any perspective.

So while band swimming can be considered a drill I also consider it main set fitness material as well. If you struggle with the eBook swimming drills band only might be a bit advanced. If you don't have any real trouble (we always can do a drill better) with the position and propulsion drills then give it a go.

Al Truscott

I don't understand the value of a drill designed to improve your swimming technique which deliberately puts you into a poor body position. Now, using bands WITH a pull buoy might make sense. IMO, though, even with a pull buoy - and I do a LOT of my swimming with a pull buoy - I want to keep a good sense of longitudinal rotation going, which requires some up and down movement of my legs around the PB - the ankle band inhibits that, which is why I don't use it. If I want to improve my swim fitness and/or my technique vis-a-vis hand postion while pulling, I use paddles and the PB.

Full disclosure ... I USED to be a fairly good swimmer, but age has ravaged that. So my ideas may be decades old.

afrost

The idea of the band is to force you into good body position. Otherwise, you can swim only 50 m at a time and it will kill you. With a band, you are forced to get your back end up. It generally requires your head to go down and your stroke to flatten out so you are not over-rotating. If you want to work on your pull, do what Al says - use paddles and a pull buoy (and don't cheat by kicking anyway). If you want to improve your body position, use the band. 1000 m band only - now there's proof you have good body position!

rmiller

I've never tried it, but I'd like to at some point. The intriguing thing about it to me is that it supposedly helps prevent your legs from splitting when you think you are keeping them together, thus increasing drag. So, it gets your body used to the mechanics and front quadrant balance that is needed to keep from using your legs to cheat-kick. From what I've heard, the amount your legs cheat is pretty significant (mostly evidenced by the 'holy crap this is an eye opener!' response from people who start using ankle bands). I'd also tend to think that it's difficulty depends on the persons body composition - as that would affect how 'floaty' their legs vs torso might be.

Dino Sarti

Pull buoy guy....

William Jenks

I see no point for people like us to be using ankle bands without a pull buoy. Perhaps different for people that are training for short swim races.

Same thing for controlled breathing workouts (e.g., breathing only once per lap or something). If you are sprinting for the first few hundred yards, that might be more worthwhile, but most of us are swimming pretty much aerobically for the whole race.

[Deleted User]

Interesting, thanks for the feedback everyone.

So I guess this is a pretty "advanced" drill. I haven't tried it recently as I've mostly been focusing on my body position and technique, but might give it a shot once I have my technique solid. I see a lot of elite level coaches (ex. Joel Filliol) recommend the band as a training tool, but I guess that's if you are already a pretty good swimmer. I can see how it might be counter productive for someone who has issues with their body position to begin with.

Spokane_Al

I tried swimming with ankle bands once. As I got closer to the shallow end my legs and feet were pointed straight down and I was dragging on the pool bottom. I ended up pulling a back muscle as I swam like a crazy man attempting to get horizontal. This may be a method for others to improve their technique, but it seemed to have the opposite effect for me.

Although I do suspect I did provide some entertainment for the lifeguards.

morpheus

I did for a few months, too. I think I got up to about 10x 25s. Never got ez, but it did help, IMO. Very hard.

In the beginning, I'm sure that I saw a Locker belonging to some guy named Jones, Davey.

Carl

The bands seem to do exactly what the pull buoy does iMO.
I like Al do some of my swimming with a buoy especially if my legs are fried from a bike or run.
I have to pay attention to my roll though otherwise it makes you swim flat!!

Al Truscott

Posted By Al Olsen on 02 Dec 2012 05:08 AM

I tried swimming with ankle bands once. As I got closer to the shallow end my legs and feet were pointed straight down and I was dragging on the pool bottom. I ended up pulling a back muscle as I swam like a crazy man attempting to get horizontal. This may be a method for others to improve their technique, but it seemed to have the opposite effect for me.

That's me, too. I think I'm an airhead/leadfoot (although I drive a Prius now, all my previous cars were 0-60 in <5 sec type sportscars ... airhead/leadfoot is required for their use.)</p>

nigelfranklyn

Anson, From the reading I have done in the recent the value of the drill is exactly what Dan and Anne said. The drill is also a staple in the swim smooth set of drills. See quote from one of the swim smooth stroke correction booklets, "This drill is usually used as a strength building exercise but also simulates the down-drag created at the start of a mass participation race when everyone is swimming over each other. Do not over practice this drill as it can lead to shoulder pain. Effective performance of the drill requires a higher than normal stroke rate with attention paid to holding the water. Also, ensure that you are fully stretching out to maintain high hips in the water." I plan to trying it over the next few months........

my two pennies..........

morpheus

I'm sure Rich is just chuckling away at the thought of us trying this drill.

afrost

And at the thought of passing us all like we are standing still as he swims by with his banded ankles! ha!