For those looking to improve their swimming, in particular the skill and fitness of their pull, a swim leg band, which goes around the ankles, can be an attractive strategy.
It makes perfect sense, too – take away the legs and stress the arms. While simple in concept, it’s actually an advanced training strategy, and swimming well with a band is hard to do. It demands a lot of skill and fitness from the upper body.
The other challenge is that when the legs are removed, it becomes very difficult to maintain good body position, and that can make it very hard to move through the water, which makes is even harder on the upper body. All of a sudden, a good idea can become a technical disaster, and it can do more harm than good.
That doesn’t mean bands aren’t worth it. You just have to account for the downsides. If you want to optimise your use of a band, the follow these strategies can be useful for ensuring that you get the most out of doing so. You’ll minimise the benefits and minimise the downsides.
You don’t have to choose between the strategies, either. You can use them at different times, or you can use them all at the same time.
Add a pull buoy
The easiest way to solve the body position issue is to throw a pull buoy on with the band. That will help keep your hips up while still preventing you from using your legs. You’ll be really challenging your arms, but you won’t be ruining your body position along the way.
Keep distances short
The longer you swim with a band, the more likely it is that your skills are going to fall apart. Remember, you’re using the band to challenge your skills and your upper body.
And you can really challenge them by keeping the effort up and the distances short. That allows you to get the work in while swimming well, stopping before you start to really struggle.
If you want to keep the work focused on developing endurance, just keep the rest periods short. By taking the breaks, you’ll continue to swim well, and by keeping the breaks short, you’ll develop your endurance.
Count your strokes
Another way to make sure that you’re using the band effectively is to count your strokes. It’s a great tool to make sure you’re staying on track. If your stroke counts are holding steady, you’re likely doing well.
However, if they start to climb up, you know you have a problem, and it’s time to take a break. It means that you’re getting too fatigued and your skills are starting to fall apart. Just take a break and start up again, ensuring you’re staying efficient.
Top image credit: Nils Nilsen
