By Rob Sleamaker, Founder & CEO of Vasa
“Rob, remember that quality costs less” When I was ten years old, my grandfather graciously and gently shared that wisdom as we polished his pristine 1957 Chevy. “Buy quality products, take good care of them, and they’ll cost you less and give you more,” he advised.
I’ve hung on to his wise words ever since. In 1988, I invented the Vasa Trainer and started the company. “Quality costs less” became the mantra company-wide, including designing and building the parts used in all Vasa exercise machines. Your Vasa Trainer was designed and built to last a lifetime.
As long as you maintain it and keep it in non-corrosive environments, it will provide you with a lifetime of quality training. It’s easy to maintain and simple to replace the few moving parts when those wear. When you want to increase versatility and functionality, there are some excellent add-on accessories.
Vasa Trainer Maintenance:
NOTE: Click here for more detailed instructions for Vasa Trainer maintenance.
Troubleshooting
SYMPTOM: Seat carriage sticks or will not glide smoothly on the monorail.
For new Vasa Trainers: your new machine will need a break-in period so that the seat rollers can wear into and conform to the monorail. As the rollers conform to the monorail, some debris will slough off.
Remedy: Perform 100 – 200 repetitions on your machine. Clean the monorail of debris left from the rollers using mild soap and water on a rag or non-abrasive sponge (do not use abrasive detergents).
For older, well-used Vasa Trainers: If you have used your machine for a while, the monorail needs cleaning. Clean the monorail of dust and debris left from the rollers using mild soap and water on a rag or non-abrasive sponge (do not use abrasive detergents).
You might need to rotate the seat rollers (or install new seat rollers). See the video below for Seat Carriage Roller Installation and Rotation.
Video: How to rotate & clean Vasa Seat Rollers for longer wear
SYMPTOM: The Trainer Pro is wobbly.
Possible Causes:
- The black T-Knobs or Socket set screws are loose;
- The front telescope tube is not installed completely into the stanchion head. Remedy: Check that the front telescope tube is properly inserted into the stanchion head sleeve and that the safety locking pin is in place. Then tighten the black T-Knob. Tighten the socket set screws on the front and rear stanchions to ensure they are tight. These push the monorail into the inner walls of the stanchion heads. Tighten the black T-Knob on the front stanchion. This will press the telescope tube into the inner walls of the stanchion base tube. Check the tightness of all other joints, bolts, and T-Knobs. Call Vasa Customer Service for assistance if the machine is still wobbly after you make the adjustments.
Storing the Vasa Trainer
Be sure to lower the telescope tube when not in use. Tighten all socket set screws and be sure that all T-knobs and Safety Locking Pins are secure.
Use and store the Vasa Trainer in dry environments, away from humid, chlorine, or salt air, for best results.
If you keep your Vasa outdoors, remove the paddles, webbing straps, and stretch cords and take them inside. Cover the machine with a waterproof cover (like an outdoor furniture cover) to minimize moisture collection on the metal parts.
Corrosive Environments = More Vasa Trainer Maintenance
Unfortunately, humid, highly chlorinated environments such as pool decks or outside in humid, salty ocean air are corrosive to steel, even though Vasa steel parts are either stainless steel or powder-coated with anti-corrosion epoxy paint. If you must keep it in such environments, perform the above Vasa Trainer maintenance steps at least once each month.
It is common for stainless steel and aluminum components to discolor and appear rusted or tarnished. It can be removed by spraying WD-40™ and a ScotchBrite™ pad or non-abrasive scrubbing pad. Finish by wiping it dry with a clean rag.
If you use your Vasa Trainer on a pool deck, it’s best to place a rubber mat under the machine to prevent it from slipping and coming into contact with water from the pool.
Security in Public Facilities
Schools and teams will want to keep the Vasa Trainers set up in the training area, yet will not want to risk injury to students or vandalism. We suggest removing the paddles, handles, webbing straps, stretch cords, etc., and storing them safely between training sessions. Use a cable & lock between the bench U-bolt & rear stanchion to make the Vasa Trainer unusable.
Disclaimer: Storage and using the Vasa Trainer in humid, chlorinated, or salt air environments will void the lifetime guarantee.
Reconditioning:
After thoroughly following the maintenance steps outlined above, you may notice some parts have worn, such as stretch cords, webbing straps, and the pulley cable system. Replace those for safety and better function. All replacement parts retrofit to every Vasa Trainer ever made.
The Trainer reconditioning kit is a cost-effective way to make your machine look and operate like new:
https://vasatrainer.com/product/trainer-reconditioning-kit/
The padded bench is also available for replacement:
https://vasatrainer.com/product/bench-replace/
Review this page for other parts you might need.
Increasing functionality:
Consider adding any of the following accessories to increase the versatility and functionality of your Vasa Trainer:
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Power Cords for more resistance options:
The Deluxe Power Cord Kit is an effective way to add more resistance for any exercise or workout quickly. Each Power Cord is made “team tough” with a nylon safety sleeve over the latex tubing to maximize durability.
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Leg Power Platform for lower body exercises:
The Leg Power Platform allows you to do leg squats, lunges, explosive plyometrics & vertical leap training. It’s beneficial for physical therapy rehabilitation using non-weight-bearing exercises for the lower extremity. Adding a Leg Power Platform provides a complete lower-body strength training station. It’s a must-have for swimmers who want to improve their starts & turns.
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Forearm cuffs / wide ankle straps
The Forearm Cuffs allow a swimmer to execute a deep catch and apply pressure on as much surface area of the forearm & wrist as possible – creating the most effective way to generate forward momentum in the water. “Pulling” with the Vasa Deluxe Forearm cuffs allows the swimmer to focus on keeping “fingertips to elbow” as one straight “blade” to feel pressure on the forearm just above the wrists and to avoid the dreaded “dropped elbows” when pulling. They force the swimmer to use the arms as levers to engage the muscles of the back, lats, and core to gain more powerful propulsion in the water.
(NOTE: We are grateful to coach Matt Kredich of the University of Tennessee for bringing this idea to Vasa)
The Vasa Deluxe Forearm cuffs / wide Ankle straps feature a wide, comfortable padded construction for use on the forearms or ankles.
Check out the Vasa Video Library for workouts, technique coaching, and how-to demonstrations…