A pull buoy is designed to help you focus on building your upper body strength and stroke technique. The Beach Company team has put together a guide to how they work, and how you can make them work for you…
Better balance, better stroke - With a pull buoy positioned between your thighs, your body will stay high in the water creating a more efficient, streamlined body position. Unless you’re a very strong swimmer, the pull buoy will probably do a better job of this than your own legs can.
With the lower body taken care of, you can focus on honing your upper body technique. For crawl, this means keeping your elbows high and pushing straight back through your stroke.
This improved body shape helps you avoid pushing water down and reduces the risk of shoulder injuries. (It will also make you realise just how important kicking is!)
Maintain intensity - A more efficient body shape will help you smoothly glide through the water. It is important that you keep your stroke rate the same as it would be without a pull buoy.
That way, when you are swimming without it, you are not combining a lower stroke rate with a poor body shape.
Different floats and different strokes - Pull buoys aren’t just for front crawl: you can use them for any stroke. Combining them with hand paddles will allow you to work particular areas of your body and focus on technique without too strenuous a cardio workout.
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