Swimmers Are Improving Rhythm With Electronic Tempo Trainers
Like all athletes, swimmers are in a constant quest to improve their technique. That includes everything from breathing to kicks to arm extension, but new technology is creating an even wider range of trainable skills. New devices called tempo trainers are allowing swimmers to work on their stroke rate consistency during regular training.
Tempo trainers are waterproof and attach to any goggle strap or swim cap. They work by emitting an audible beep at regular intervals which can be set by the swimmer. The constant checkpoints allow athletes to keep perfect time as they stroke.
The typical tempo trainer also comes with a long-interval setting. This setting can be used to set a pace for laps or interval training rather than individual strokes. Both settings are highly beneficial to any training swimmer.
Aside from simply wearing a trainer during daily practice, specific workouts have been developed to help swimmers improve their pacing more quickly. Typically, these workouts start with finding the ideal stroke rate for each individual athlete. There are many ways to continue from there, but a common technique is to swim the same distance with the same stroke interval while trying to improve each time.
Pacing is highly beneficial. When stroke interval is constant and optimized, the swimmer has no option but to improve their speed through kicking speed or distance-per-stroke, resulting in higher performance.