If you don't have access to a Vasa Trainer then I would urge you to find one in your local community. Baron improved his swim split by 8% at IMNZ and, I believe, a good part of it was due to the Vasa being able to teach him a proper catch. I'll be hitting the Vasa seriously throughout the next six months.

Cords or Increased Angle — two ways to increase resistence on the Vasa.

#1 — Jack up the front end. This increases the load on the front end of your stroke, the initial catch phase. If your elbow starts to drop then you have lifted the front end too much. Remember that the rotator muscles at the front end of your stroke are weak — initially, all you want to be training is the movement pattern. So don't be in a rush to crank the Vasa way up. You will find that these muscles fatigue very rapidly at first. So have patience and use a resistance that will enable you to get in at least 30 reps.

#2 — Use power cords. The power cords increase resistance on the back end of the stroke. Quite useful for a swimmer that has excellent swim mechanics and is looking to build strength through the whole stroke phase. Again, I don't think that you need to go crazy here. I'm a mid-50s swimmer and a moderate angle with a light cord is enough for me.

For the first 12 weeks of Vasa use, most of the gains are simply muscle recruitment gains. Just like in weightlifting, you are teaching the muscles to work together — rather than adding a whole lot of strength. Once you have been doing the Vasa for 8-12 weeks, you want to start to challenge the muscles — just like weightlifting. You want to be "feeling it" in the 24 hours post Vasa session. Challenge yourself through increased load, increased reps and/or increased rep speed. Ensure that you keep your shoulder blades down and in (just like with Lat Pulls and Seated Row). Letting your shoulder blade climb when the shoulder is under load can cause shoulder impingement.

A Vasa is not a requirement for swim success — those of you who don't have $750 to spend on the trainer can achieve good results with a pair of swim cords.

Basic Vasa Protocol

If you are using Vasa pre-endurance or pre-ME swimming then very light resistance -- the goal being to reinforce good stroke mechanics.

If you are using before skills swim then you can make the session more challenging.

Vasa is complementary to strength training -- I see no issue with overlapping. When using light resistance you could easily be doing 4-6 sessions per week -- each one lasting 10 mins.

For my athletes with "non-pool access vasa", I schedule on non-swimming days. With myself, I hope to build up to vasa in the evening 5-6 nights per week. This is the protocol the Baron used pre-IMNZ and he made HUGE progress.

You should have the resistance such that you can do at least 3x30 on 30s RI, if not then you should jack up the back end to reduce resistance. If you have a modern machine then use the pulley system -- else you will need to jack up the back end.

The first 6-8 weeks you are merely trying to learn the correct initiation of the catch. Don try to increase strength. Your mind-set for the first two months... "this is a skills session, I am teaching my muscles to fire in the correct pattern".

The muscles you are using at the top end of your stroke are small and weak -- you should be careful not to overload them.

Just like with lat pull downs and seated row, seek to keep your scapula pulled back and under control -- weak scapula control can cause shoulder joint impingement -- you'll feel it if it is happening.

The correct protocol is as per my swim cord tips article.

Don't increase the height until you have done at least six sessions of 5x30 reps slow and controlled on 30s RI. Until you can do that, no point in increasing the load.

Vasa Trainer Sessions

I treat Vasa sessions just like swim cords (see my swim cords article on the tips page). You can do all that and more on the Vasa. Workout 2x per week on non-swimming days and/or as a warm-up before a Skills Swim. I don't think that the Vasa impacts weights so I don't really consider the Vasa sessions location vis-a-vis weights.

Vasa Trainer and Swim Workouts

I have my guys incorporate their Vasa work on non-swimming or skills swimming days -- I do the same with my own training.

Do you lift weights at the same complex as the pool? If yes, then I would lift on a non-swimming day and do the vasa then.

If that is not an option, then I would use the Vasa after lighter swimming days. It is mission critical to maintain absolutely perfect technique on the Vasa (and in the water). My concern would be that pre-swim Vasa would fatigue key swimming muscles to the point where you weren't able to hold good form in the water. This is a reason why I don't recommend paddles for weaker swimmers -- holding a good catch is very challenging at first (even with a pullbuoy and no paddles).

I've been surprised that (done properly) it only takes 10 mins to get a good Vasa workout. Some of my guys have built up to 20 mins and that is a challenging session. We have the whole range of athletes using the Vasa from 90 min IM swimmers down to min-50s.

Do you attach a very strong cord to the base of the platform? Some swimmers need to start with no cord attached as that can really increase the load on the back half of the stroke. Your main focus should be simply learning to set up the catch and then pulling straight through with a high elbow..

Also, I have had athletes that started with the back end jacked-up a bit as well. Kick boards are useful for jacking the back end up. Find a structure that will enable 20-30 reps. You don't want to smoke your rotators in the first week.

Vasa Trainer vs. Stretch Cords

I think that Vasa is far superior to stretch cords. For me, the investment was worth it. They are made really well and will last a long time, Molina has one that dates back to the 80s. One of my athletes got one on eBay so there is a used market.

Question: I was curious on what the difference between home stretch cords and making the big step up to the Vasa swim trainer is?
Answer: The Vasa gives a more swim specific workout that enables you to move your body over your hands just like in the water. Whether this is "worth" it depends on your financial means and goals. For me, it's worth it.

Question: You mentioned doing reps of 30 (if I remember right) on your Vasa, what about just doing 30 reps on swim cords?
Answer: 30 reps is the cord protocol that I recommend as well.

Click on images for larger view

Step 1: Place hands in the paddles before getting on the Vasa.

Step 2: Proper mount and dismount position.

Step 3: Stroke starting position.

Step 4: Correct set-up of the catch.

Incorrect set-up of the catch
-- elbow behind the wrist.

Incorrect set-up of the catch
-- "muscling" through the stroke.

Correct set-up of the catch
viewed from the front.

Incorrect set-up of the catch
viewed from the front.

Step 5: Push through the stroke. Note wrist is pointing up and palm is facing straight back.

Incorrect push through the stroke.
Note high arm/wrist.

Incorrect push through the stroke.
Note palm is facing up.

Vasa Trainer Q&A

Question: Does the "catch" not impinge the shoulder cuff due to the restricting positioning of the body (laying flat and not being able to rotate) ? I know you can do the exercise with one paddle - can your body rotate some to allow for this positioning?
Answer: The catch shouldn't impinge -- if athletes are getting impingement then, odds are, they are shrugging their shoulder leading into the catch. So you might want to check that.

Question: How is this machine different than a multi-position cable machine other than the feeling of the body over the arms motion? I work with the cable, progress to one leg/opposite arm, bend forward (depending on pulley position) to create as much a straight line as possible and I'm able to rotate and feel the diagonal "core pull". This is about as exact as a swim stroke strengthening I can get. I do not feel the stretch cords give enough resistance at the top end of the catch as needed.
Answer: The bench doesn't rotate but that's not been an issue for my athletes. It's a lot better than swim cords and my athletes learn very quickly from the Vasa -- it is a big help to have head-on and side mirrors so the athlete can see their movements. Vasa is a lot more specific than a cable machine -- while you can theoretically train the same muscles, it simply doesn't transfer to the water as fast. The biggest benefit of the vasa (for my athletes) is in technical improvement transferring to the water. The strength benefit is, in my view, secondary for most athletes. Many athletes have an inability to learn the catch 'muscle firing' patterns in any other environment -- I've seen this with 17 to 35 minute 1500m swimmers -- I don't have direct, personal experience with using the Vasa with sub-17 minute swimmers.

Vasa Trainer User Reports

After a week on the VASA, here are some of my thoughts:

1. Easy to set up, I was very careful and still had it together in under 90 minutes.
2. Easy to learn to use, it comes with a detailed book of exercises and a video so the form was easy to learn. Plus, if you don't do it right it either hurts or you don't move!
3. The deluxe hand paddles are well worth the investment, especially for bigger people. (weight and height)
4. It really targets the appropriate muscles and I learned the proper feeling of the catch and pull and it has translated to the pools.
5. I think this is a very valuable tool for time-constrained people. I can see my endurance and the feel for the water increasing by using this piece of equip.
6. My pool workouts this week have been some of my best so I have to think it's already making a difference. Swam a 1:23 100 (yards) at the end of a set of 100's and I haven't seen times like that in awhile. I was struggling to hold sub 1:35 the last few weeks.
7. I've been going 2 days on, 1 off. 3 x 20-30 reps on lowest incline and no cords attached. I feel a good burn with this. Usually do my sessions in the evening after my other swim, bike, run, or weight sessions.
8. It was well worth the money I spent since I bought mine from the demo sale, which I would highly reccommend to anyone wanting to purchase on next year. Saved over 300.00 just because the monorail had markings from the rollers going up and down, probably would have developed these quite quickly anyways. Everything else looks brand new!
9. It's fun to use!

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It [vasa] has been eye-opening. I am using the pulley system and setting the machine on the lowest level. I didn't realize how much I dropped my left elbow or how incomplete my stroke was before getting on the bench.

Even with using the "easiest" settings, (pulley system and level one on the front stanchion), I was very sore in my traps, deltoids and triceps after the first 3 sessions on the bench, which told me that those muscles are weak and that I lack swim-specific strength.

Currently, I am using the Vasa 4x a week, on days that I do not lift. I am doing two sets of 20 pulls with the pulleys, freestyle and one set with the straps and paddles. I am also using the Vasa for crunches, fly and pec work. I am trying to schedule my Vasa sessions right before I get into the water. So, I enter the water a bit fatigued.

- Laura

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I have been using Vasa before workouts (2-3 times per week with masters) for 15-20 minutes each session over the last 5-6 weeks. The first two weeks adaptation was very quick. Since then, I have plateaued on gains.

My swim times seem to have dropped between 5-10 seconds per 100, (from 1:35 per 100 to 1:25 per 100) based on 400m time trials. The machine really teaches a good catch.

It is free access for me- due to the swim club, but if I had no access to a pool, this would be a useful tool to seek out- particularly for those with lousy technique.

If you have a pool, but no Vasa, It seems to me that "fist drills" are a decent approximation to the catch gains I have seen with the double arm paddle Vasa drill. The only other drill I do on Vasa is the "recovery" drill with the pulleys. Alternate 15 double arm with the paddles, then 12 recovery (facing downhill) with the pulleys. Repeat 5-6 times at level three or four, with one resistance band.

Your mileage may vary.