Bench marks

Swimming Technique, Jul-Sep 2001 by Stott, Michael J, Whitten, Phillip

As for use by Masters, ringing endorsements come from the likes of Rowdy Gaines and George Boles, head coach of the 1997 long course national champion St. Petersburg Masters. Both credit Vasa Trainers with making a significant contribution to performance, as does Julie Wynn of Thousand Oaks, Calif.-a mother of two and thrice-- honored silver medal winner at World Masters in Sheffield, England.

Frequency of use during the taper period depends upon the coach. Marsh utilizes benches slightly more toward the end of the season when he is looking for specificity of stroke, while Bauerle and Richardson are examining what the benches have done to manufacture productive swimmer speed.

Words of Caution

Coaches are quick to offer words of caution. Supervision, to ensure that swimmers are using proper motion, is a must. "If you are training with improper technique, you are only hurting yourself," says Marsh. One way to check for technique is to have the equipment placed by mirrors, suggests Phoenix Swim Club's Pierre Lafontaine.

"The machines don't yet have the ability to connect the core body to the extremities," says Richardson. Neither bench accommodates body roll very well, and the only one that did was an expensive European version that has since slipped from most coaches' consciousness-and, presumably, their pocket books.

Benches are not cheap, and therefore, not for everyone. The Biokinetic Swim Bench retails for $2,995. The Vasa Trainers most used by professional coaches, the Pro SE and Pro, go for $1,099 and $849, respectively (includes $50 coach discount). Unquestionably, they are expensive devices and permit use by only one swimmer at a time. "In some ways, I think we'd be better off buying surgical tubing and making our own dryland devices, like in the old days," says Marsh.

Yet coaches acknowledge that each swimmer has a different dryland routine and no one really wants to be deprived of the options they provide. Bauerle's Stephanie Williams, third this year at the 2001 NCAAs in the 100 and fourth in the 200 free, is a big bench person. Richard Quick had Dara Torres on benches before water workouts to the point she was a "hurting pup." Still others don't require as heavy a load.

"Benches are not the answer, but they work as a tool like fins and hand paddles," says Marsh. What they offer is the variety that is so critical to swimmer motivation. "You need exercise choices for athletes. We look for things where kids will work hard outside the pool," says Bauerle, "and the benches provide that."

Basic Swim Bench Exercises

By Phillip Whitten with Coach Pierre LaFontaine Photos by Michael Aron

Pierre LaFontaine, head coach at the Phoenix Swim Club, is a strong advocate of swim benches. Here, under his supervision, Danielle Hildebrandt and Roger Panneton demonstrate some basic swim bench exercises. Danielle, 16, primarily a breaststroker, just missed making her senior cuts in 2000 and expects to make them this year. Roger, 53, is a Masters swimmer who excels in butterfly and breaststroke.