“Warming up for a triathlon can be problematic. Competitors want to prepare their bodies for the strain they’re about to experience from swimming, biking and running. One drawback is that, sometimes, you can’t get into the water to warm up for the swim. That’s why StrechCordz® are an integral part of my warm-up routine.

StrechCordz with handles are swim-specific tools for strength training, but you don’t have to be in the water to use them. When I can’t physically swim before a triathlon, I use StrechCordz on dry land to warm up.

I swim five days a week, and I use StrechCordz five days a week. They’re part of all of my training. The exercises I can do using StrechCordz improve both my strength and speed in addition to helping me warm up at races. They’re also useful for over-speed work, and they help improve my stroke and efficiency in the water.

The resistance I get from using StrechCordz is similar to using weights at a gym. Instead of piling more weight on a machine, I change my position to increase or decrease the resistance of the tubing during my workouts. When my yellow resistance level stopped being challenging, I moved up to the green resistance level.

After nearly 20 years of swimming and competing in triathlons, StrechCordz continue to have and hold a place in my training because they are so adaptable. They transitioned across sports as I brought them along with me from my career as a swimmer to a professional triathlete. StrechCordz helped me reach my potential as an athlete, and that’s why I like them for other athletes.

Some people might look at the price of a StrechCordz product and think ‘Why would I pay $30 for elastic resistance tubing?’ I would encourage those individuals to buy a StrechCordz product. Used diligently, they will improve efficiency, speed, power, strength and endurance for any user. It’s a small price to pay for a big personal improvement to the athlete in all of us.

A word to the wise, though: StrechCordz are made for professional athletes and provide much more resistance than you might imagine. When you select a resistance level, err on the side of caution. You can always increase reps if need be, but a tube that’s stronger than you won’t do much good.”

Andy describes one of his most reliable exercises with StrechCordz:

“I use it for a standard free style smooth stroke. I attach the StrechCordz to a pole, fence post or backstroke flagpole, making sure the attachment is higher than my head. Then I bend at the waist until my upper body is in a horizontal position, and I practice my free style swimming with fingertips pointed down, emphasizing high elbow all the way through the top of the stroke through the finish.”

 

Editor’s Note: Andy Potts is an Olympic triathlete, two-time winner of the USAT Triathlete of the Year award and 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Champion.