RE: Thought you'd never ask . . .
Good equipment: a pair of Ryka Aquasport or Aquafit shoes (you can get the same size as your regular athletic shoes) (
www.ryka.com); a pair of Speedo swim mitts (
www.speedo.com); and Hydrofit hand buoys (come in moderate, medium and heavy resistance) (
www.hydrofit.com OR .org {I'm not sure which}).
Good music: tempos between 148-157 bpm for long-leg half-time front kicks, "V" front kicks, back kicks, "wide" back kicks, knee extensions/flexions, karate kicks, and fast jumps; then tempos between 125-140 bpm for power jumps (legs together, heels together but knees turned out, squat jumps) (My favorite music company for fitness music is Power Music
www.powermusic.com)(music is optional)
In the shallow end, start with the water at a level just underneath the breastline (xyphoid level) and do runs in place or forward and back with fast breaststroke arms or reverse breaststroke (like you're hugging a tree over and over), kicks forward and back (as noted above), jack-legs or ski-legs and upper body work like standing pec flyes, lateral delt raises, long-arm shoulder flexion/extensions, FAST biceps curls / triceps extensions. With long-arm moves keep the hands flat or moderately cupped; with short-arm fast moves keep the hands fisted. Also do power jumps. NEVER STOP MOVING - if you can't think of a good leg move or upper body move, just go into a fast run (think Cathe's "high-knee run" intervals in MIC and Circuit Max etc.)
Use the hand buoys as floats (do not wear your swim mitts or shoes for this) and do flutter kick and frog/whip kick (the kick used in a standard breaststroke) drills anchored against a wall so you don't have a back current helping you along. Also use the hand buoys as floats in the deep end and do long-leg scissors with the feet either flexed (moderate) or pointed (harder) for good glute / hip flexor work. Also use the handbuoys as floats for supine ab work, using the abs to press DOWN into a crunch with the legs in various positions (center, gentle twist right / left, straight-leg or bent-knee).
Use the hand buoys in the shallow end for upper body resistance work: vertical pec flyes; press-downs in front of the body (think of a "reverse upright row"); press-downs in a long arm position to the sides of the body (think of a lat press-down machine in the gym); "reverse" biceps curls (keeping elbows anchored at sides and palms up - extend the elbows / forearms down - killer triceps work!)
Hope this is enough to get you started! Lemme know if you have any other questions!
A-jock
