Vasa Ergometer

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » December 3rd, 2006, 10:50 pm

I have taken a break from swimming for a few months and I'm planning to start up agai sometime early next year.
Has anyone used the Vasa Ergometer Swim simulator? I am thinking about ordering one. They appear to have technology similar to the concept 2, but they cost about twice as much.
How are the cross-over benefits between swimming and rowing?

http://www.vasatrainer.com/asca/asca_ergometer.php

Francois · Post by **Francois** » December 4th, 2006, 12:25 pm

I am also a swimmer. I was very tempted to buy the vasa ergometer, especially with the free delivery they had if one ordered before December 1st. What I have decided instead, for the time being at least, is to use paddles of various sizes, since I am already swimming every day. Don't forget that the vasa doesn't allow body roll and doesn't make use of your legs. Also, it is very easy to drop the elbows which would make one faster on the Vasa, but slower in the water. To convince yourself, just take a look at the SWIMeRVALS DVD made by Coach Troy on the Vasa ergometer (you can download a clip from vasatrainer.com): their technique is plain awful!

IMO you get a more full body workout on the C2. The cross-training benefits are endurance and power. I find it easier to maintain a high heart rate while rowing continuously for an hour, compared to swimming. Regarding power, my legs and back are definitely stronger since I started erging.
I am a breaststroker and find a lot of similarities between erging and swimming breaststroke with an exaggerated glide (as we do in some drills).

Francois

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 4th, 2006, 4:22 pm

I considered a vasa trainer but they are wayyyy too expensive and not worth what you'd get.

Instead of that, I'd get a total trainer, or else you could make a roller board for a few bucks and it's just as good or better than the vasa.

Another alternative is to get a used nordic track for free up to $100.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » December 7th, 2006, 9:35 am

Here is an updated discussion on the slow twitch forum

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi? ... t=10022280

yehster · Post by **yehster** » December 7th, 2006, 2:05 pm

Isn't the body roll aspect of proper freestyle technique a significant element that's missing from the Vasa? I'm bad enough about not rolling enough in the water. The vasa would just exacerbate my technique flaws...

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 7th, 2006, 6:04 pm

Thanks for the forum link.

The halo swim training system is mentioned there which, after taking a look
at their site, I like better than the vasa and the price is more reasonable.

http://www.haloswimtraining.com/

You could even make your own if you were creative and wanted to save.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 7th, 2006, 6:15 pm

A comment from the halo swim training site:

"We need to learn the tempo first.

"And then we add the strength, to be able to hold that tempo, when we're in the water."

"Part of having a good tempo is taking the proper path through the water.

"Not only does the metronome tell you what beat that you have to have, but the halo itself and the template are what allow (guide) you to take the efficient path to be able to achieve that rate."

I like this.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » December 7th, 2006, 11:13 pm

yehster wrote:Isn't the body roll aspect of proper freestyle technique a significant element that's missing from the Vasa? I'm bad enough about not rolling enough in the water. The vasa would just exacerbate my technique flaws...

That is a valid point. I personally don't find the body roll too hard. It seems to come naturally as a consequence of gravitational and bouyancy effects during the stroke.

jfo · Post by **jfo** » December 11th, 2006, 8:25 am

It might make sense to have a Vase ergometer in case you fall of your C2

Pontus5 · Post by **Pontus5** » December 15th, 2006, 5:06 pm

Will someone come up with a "V-Breeze" to go along with this? What about jacking, is it legal. Can you swim downhill or uphill for added variety?

I'm not much of a swimmer, but even I could tell the technique used in their ads was pretty bad.

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » December 15th, 2006, 5:21 pm

Pontus5 wrote: Can you swim downhill or uphill for added variety?

It is done on the waterfalls around here (i.e. the Eastern Sierra country, mostly near Mammoth) in the winter. Uphill it is called ice climbing. Downhill it is whoops!

Bob S.

Pontus5 · Post by **Pontus5** » December 16th, 2006, 6:35 pm

That doesn't sound like swimming to me, but I still might enjoy the ice climbing. The other option doesn't appeal to me at all.

Concept2 Forum

Vasa Ergometer

Vasa Ergometer

Vasa Ergometer

Body Roll?

Re: Body Roll?

It makes sense...