Part 2: How I justified my decision to get a Vasa Trainer Pro to my spouse!
(This article is hypothetical and based on stories from many “Jack & Jill Vasa athletes.)
As described in Part 1 of this series, I have loved swimming since starting summer swim league at age six and have been competitive through high school, college, and beyond. It doesn’t matter if I swim at the pool, in the ocean, or at a lake… it doesn’t matter because I like it all.
Several life circumstances made it challenging to swim and train consistently as an adult in the real world. Thankfully, I’m now able to do more swimming. Available time was one of several factors that made working out at the pool and open water venues challenging.
Being analytically oriented, I started looking for some simple “life hacks” that would help me get in my training efficiently. So I took a closer look at the pros and cons of doing some of my swim training at home using an indoor swimming machine, namely a Vasa Trainer Pro model.
Full disclosure first: My college swim coach had a fleet of Vasa Trainers and had the men’s and women’s swimming teams training on them throughout the season. The results were very good. We were challenged with some crazy-hard workouts. We all got significantly stronger and faster, reduced swimmers’ shoulder injuries, and increased swim-specific strength, which improved my race times… and confidence.
Fast forward 15 years, and my life had changed quite a bit. A demanding job, family, and a new house competed for my available time. My fitness routine became inconsistent. I missed regular swimming. To stop the slide and regain my fitness and my love of swimming, I found a way to do some open water swimming, which was fun. It felt great to get swim fit again. Then I started training for triathlons. I also realized it’s not a simple matter to squeeze in all the proper training sessions while juggling my other commitments.
Back to my cost-benefit analysis. In addition to analyzing financial costs, I wanted to review the time savings of swim training at home. Note: the total time commitment varies from person to person, based on how much and where to do your swim training.
My “Time Costs” Included:
Preparation and driving to and from the pool – for me, it’s about 20 miles round trip to the pool. I was averaging 3 to 5 swims per week, so at a minimum, it meant driving about 3,000 miles per year. Each way takes me about 15 minutes, door-to-door (and a total of 30 minutes round trip).
Once at the pool, prep time takes about 15 minutes (changing, showering, getting out on the deck, etc). Then the pool workout is usually 60-minutes.
Add those up, and the total time per swimming workout at the pool averages 105 minutes.
Pool swim time per workout: If I average 105 minutes to do one pool swim session and do 150 swims at the pool per year, that adds up to a whopping 262 hours per year!
Saving Valuable Time Swim Training at Home
I reckoned that it would save me precious time by doing some of my swim training at home.
So I invested in a Vasa Trainer Pro and started using it a few times weekly. I still swim in the pool or open water once or twice weekly.
My
college swim coach had already instilled the value of swim-specific strength training using a Vasa Trainer. He also showed us how to prevent shoulder injuries using the Vasa and with bodyweight, swim cords, and weights like dumbbells and kettlebells. So I started using the Vasa Trainer for total body strength and shoulder prehab exercises. What a difference it has made! 
Best of all, my freestyle swimming is stronger than ever.
My confidence and safety in triathlons and open water races are solid because I know I can power through most situations.
Most importantly, my family is happier I am around more. Sometimes my kids join in and do some of the exercises with me. They love “swimming” on the Vasa! What a bonus!
Here’s What Other Athletes Say About the Time Savings of Swim Training at Home
“But Wait, There’s More!”
Coming soon:
In Part 3, we’ll review the results and other benefits of swim training at home.
Do You Want to Know More About Why Swim Training at Home Makes Sense?
These blog articles will show you how: