Fins, pull buoy, snorkel and a kickboard, does that sound familiar? If you've been to the pool at least once, you've already seen these accessories on the poolside. But did you know that swimmers also use other, more original equipment?
Today, we wanted to talk about 2 unusual accessories: parachute and foam.
Parachute
The swimming parachute is a training accessory designed to create additional resistance when swimming, helping to develop strength, endurance and movement efficiency.
It can be used with all swimming styles (crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) and is generally used during swimming sets to increase difficulty.
How to use it?
The parachute belt is fastened around the waist, and the parachute itself is connected to the belt by a short rope. Once in the water, the parachute opens and creates resistance.
Concentrate on your technique, as the additional resistance of the parachute can disrupt your movements. Maintain good body alignment and fluid movement.
Our advices
Progress : Start with a smaller model, offering less resistance, then switch to a larger one once you have made progress.
Work breakdown : Alternate training sessions with and without a parachute. This will avoid overloading your muscles. And improvements in strength will be easier to see.
Warm-up: As with all resistance training, a good warm-up is key to avoid injury.
There is no specific exercise with the parachute. You have to use it little by little to understand how it works.Start by doing some speed exercises over short distances (15 m - 25 m).
The foam
Like the parachute, foam is a little-known swimming accessory. It is designed to create extra resistance when swimming. The foam has a special shape, similar to a doughnut. In the center of the foam is a belt (the same as on a parachute or resistance elastic).
How to use it?
Tie the foam belt around your waist; the foam should always be pointing towards the bottom of the pool. Once in the water, the foam soaks up water and becomes heavier and heavier. This weight creates a resistance and slows you down in the water.
Foam can be used for all types of strokes. For crawl/butterfly/breaststroke, place the foam on your stomach; for backstroke, place it on your back.
The aim is to stay focused on your technique, the additional resistance can disrupt your movements. Maintain good body alignment and fluid movement.
Again, no special exercises. Use the foam for short distances, to get used to it, before gradually increasing the lengths.