Pull Buoy

I'm not the greatest swimmer, I usually get out the water just after 1/2 way in the Tri's I do, and typically do sessions like 15 to 20 x 100 with10 sec rest in the low 1:40s, or 400s around 7:00 with 15sec rest. 

When I first started out I did some swimming with a Pull Buoy and was lots quicker with it. recently I've been reading a lot that folks do pull bouy and paddle work. Today I did some 200s alternating PB and non PB and was ~5sec quicker on average without it. So I must now swim with a better body position or kick than I used to.

Why do folks train with a PB ? is it to recreate a wettie swim position/style ? and should I be doing some PB swimming ? When I first used it when I was a novice, it made me loads better but I stopped using it as I was worried it would become a crutch and I'd be carp without it,

I think that using paddles is no go as I only swim during public swimming times and then arn't allowed then.

I am no expert and for me using a pull bouy seems to bring on back pain. Probably because I have plenty of buoyancy already in my thighs and @rse and it ruins by position.

The good thing about them is doing drills and mixing training up a bit. My OH is loads quicker with one and I put this down to poor technique

I tried using one once and my legs sank! Not quite sure why but I cant quite seen to get the hang of them. Not tried again. I do all my drills with no aids.

TR - video!

Pull buoy hurts my back too. Bends it the wrong way, so does a wetsuit.

Think about what it is supposed to do TR, raise your legs up. If you are doing 7 min 400s, you ain't slow. I can manage a 1.45 100 at best and maybe a 7.40 OW 400 on a good day.

I woudl guess that if your core is strong, you don't need it. But despite what some may say on here (lots of opinions) a strong kick in the swim is essential for a swimmer. It's just about how many beans you use up there and don't save it for bike/run.

recently seen a tri coach who has told me to use a PB to reflect the bouancy of a wetsuit. He also said then add a band to your ankles to restrict leg movement which I've not tried yet! Again all to reflect the feel of an OW swim as I'm aiming for Outlaw

He's given me 2 sets - 1 with band and PB the other adding in paddles to make my arms stronger

I was carp last night on my 1st attempt but ache today and was too tired to get up and turbo! So it must have done something. I also have rubs from 1hr with a PB!

i thought the pullbuoy was so that you could concentrate on your arm technique.........

I have cap buoyancy so always swim with a pullbuoy...............it has never given me a problem with my lower back which is tempremental ...............so confirms that my core and buoyancy without it is totally cocked up...

disadvantage of using one all the time is that i can not enter the majority of eurpoean IM races as there is always the outside chance of non wetsuit swim.....and i would then be totally fucked

Seren uses one in case she drowns  

sweetfeet - good idea, I had a couple of lessons instead of that video a couple of years ago when you had yours.

interesting re the back ache, cos I did feel my back ache a bit using it and I do get backache on the bike in Tri's - probably cos I rarely swim in my wettie. So I guess I should swim in my wettie more, it sounds like I can replicate the position a bit by swimming with a pull buoy sometimes. It makes a change of routine at the least.

or you could get a wetsuit with little buoyancy so that it replicates your normal swimming position

TR - you might want to have a look at these - will give you extra bouyancy in a pool. Never tried them, so no odea how good they are. If they work let me know

Ha ha, Pull bouys are free to use at my pool so I'll take that option over buying a new wettie or shorts. I'm a cheapskate when it comes to triathlon.

I swim with it to work on arm technique and make my arms work harder. I kick quite hard so when i stop kicking completely my arms have a lot more work to do. Without the pull bouy if i didn't kick my legs would sink. I don't really see an advantage to trying to replicate a wetsuit position but maybe there's something there.. I've started using the pull buoy with paddles as well, again just to work the arms a bit more.

Rather than regurgitate....

http://www.teamtbb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1426%3Alooking-for-clues-&catid=37%3Anews-headlines&Itemid=17

I hadn't read that Sutto missive before but as someone who always uses a pullbuoy in the pool because I do all my tri events in open water in a wetsuit, then he's onto something I guess...  

Sutto talks sense; writes like shit.....

He's never going to be a best seller

But I never question the SSS, I just follow.

out of interest - have you tried neoprene shorts for extra flotation??  been toying with getting a pair but not sure if they offer any more than a decent pullbuoy does although perhaps adding the 2 together might get the arse even higher in the water!  

Nope not been suggested. Only time I've seen Sutto use them was for Chrissie's hamstring strain.

Apparently a bicycle pump up the arse and some vaseline is what the East Germans did!

excellent, thanks. So it is indeed important to replicate the position, which seeing as I rarely don my wettie must be something I need to include.

Gary Fegan wrote (see)

Apparently a bicycle pump up the arse and some vaseline is what the East Germans did!

nice....

that and a few buckets of assorted pills from the age of 8