We have had a lot of inquiries over the past few weeks about which StretchCordz products are best for you! So we decided to create this blog post to help provide some more information to you, and help answer some FAQs. StretchCordz are a FANTASTIC product for swimmers, especially considering the current situation that we are all in! They are specifically designed for swimmers and can help keep your swimming muscles in shape so you are ready when we are all able to jump back in the pool!
They have a few different types, each with their own features and benefits! We’ll go over those in a bit of detail here, breaking it down by each product individually and what their specific uses are!
In addition to this information, we are also going to be posting lots of workout ideas, videos, and challenges that can be done with StretchCordz! So check out our Facebook and Instagram pages to follow along with those!
StretchCordz with Paddles or StretchCordz with Handles?
- Paddles or handles? Which one is best?
- The paddle option is by far the most popular with swimmers as you can mimic all 4 stroke movements, and really emphasize good technique.
- The paddles are not as versatile as the handles but generally you can order heavier resistances since you will be using major muscle groups.
- The handle option can also work to mimic swim stroke movements, but its best use is for more dryland specific exercises. See the Youtube link below for some ideas!
- We recommend ordering a lighter resistance for the cord with handles, as you can target many smaller muscle groups (such as rotator cuff muscles).
- The handles are also a great tool for injury prevention exercises and targeting stabilizing muscles.
- What tension to choose?
- Checkout the chart that breaks down each colour with a range of tension.
- From our own experience this is what we would recommend.
- Silver: 11-12 year old, novel swimmer.
- Yellow: 12-13 year old, more experienced swimmer training 5+ times a week.
- Green: 13-16 year old. Older provincial to national level swimmers. Experienced with strength training.
- Red: 17+ strong older mature swimmers, experienced with weight training.
- What if the tension I want is not available?
- The good thing about these cords is that you can play around with the tension even if you only have one tension to work with. For example, if you were looking for the yellow tension but it is not available, you can go down one tension to the silver cord and focus on higher repetitions for a longer amount of time. If you want more tension, simply take a step or two further back. Same thing goes for going up a tension level to the green. You can focus on less repetitions for a shorter time (strength focused).
- What exercises can I do with both? Check out this youtube video by former Olympian Chris Hauth which shows a wide variety of exercises and ideas on how to use stretch cords with both handles and paddles.
If you would like to follow Chris Hauth's StretchCordz workouts, you can visit AIMP. Chris Hauth is a former Olympic swimmer that quickly joined the ranks of world-class triathletes. In 2006 Chris won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene and went on to be the first American amateur & 4th overall American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Chris nowadays exclusively runs his coaching program ‘AIMP’ for athletes throughout the world.
We hope that you’ve found this useful! Remember to follow us on all socials for daily workout ideas and challenges!
If you have already purchased a StretchCordz product and are loving it, remember to leave a review and you’ll be entered in for a chance to win a $50 TAS gift certificate!!
We wish everyone the best of health, and encourage everyone to keep practicing social distancing! We will see you on the pool deck when this is over!