Swimming with fins, is it effective?

Question

Okay, I have started swimming in the pool. I am slowly but steadily building up my endurance and stamina. I do a lot of breast stroke and I'm going to try and work on the butterfly because it really takes the most energy. I'm not the biggest freestyle or backstroke fan but will do them when I feel like it... I swim for a total of 40 minutes but probably 10 of that is used for rest, so I would say 30 is used swimming.
But today I tried on the fins. I was constantly moving, not taking as much 'rest' time as I did a few days ago and found it much easier to swim with them on. They helped me focus on my actual technique which I know is good... if I got too winded I would turn to my back and just work my legs until I felt okay to do laps again.
Is this effective? Is it okay to leave the fins on? Rather, will I see the same results this way as I would without fins?
Any advice is welcomed! Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm a little confused as to what your actual set was, but I will answer your original question simply. Yes, fins are the best way by far to build up leg strength, endurance, and lactic acid threshold(essentially how hard your muscles can work while racing). If you are looking to build your leg strength in the pool and only kick with fins your leg strength will improve, without a doubt.

Answer 2

Fins help you swim faster, at the COST of expending more energy, contrary to the incorrect second answer. They work your leg muscles much harder, which is always useful and beneficial provided you are aware of how your muscles feel throughout the swim. Don't put yourself in danger by cramping underwater...

By the way - you shouldn't use fins for breaststroke. The fins will cause you to move forward with each kick, and then backward when you retract your legs in preparation for the next kick.

For fun, try treading water with your fins - using a scissor (freestyle) kick, with or without your hands.

Answer 3

Fins when worn helps to increaes the pull frequency and when removed helps to increase the leg action.Yes usage of fins is heplful but only for some extent.Fins are basiclly used in drills and stroke correctness.Never use fins when you are doing long event (400,800 or 1500) in prctise also .By doing this you cannot reach the final results .In the end usage of enhanceres should be less and more concentration should be given to ground and gym exercises.

Answer 4

I used fins when I was a pro-swimmer and helped me to relax and enjoy more the painful training and long hours inside the pool. I find it very cool cause you feel going faster. If you are building your resistance I don't know how fins would damage your improvement. Maybe you would have to train harder if you have them on.. Anyway, you'll have fun and aren't we all about that.. DE NADA!

Answer 5

Isn't the kick board normally used to develop kicking strength and technique?

I can imagine that the fins might help large, non-explosive muscle fibers, but a competitive swimmer uses the quick-twitch "explosive" muscle fibers. If you get used to kicking slow, it would be like a sprinter working out by walking long distances w/ ankle weights.

Answer 6

Yes!! Very helpfully because :
- It will give you the feeling of lieg kicks ( if you are moving your legs wrong ) and specially that little knee bend in water.
- Give you more strenth as you are puling larger ammount of water at each leg kick, which will improve your leg kick !!!
-Make you have better concentration of using your arms and breathing technique
-Improves your butterfly kick
Never forget to do good stretch for your calves and hamstrings before using them.

Answer 7

fins are not that helpful to build stamana, they actually help u swim faster without using as much energy. swim companies created swim bottoms that cause drag and help build speed and stength.

Answer 8

fins make you go a lot faster