Drag shorts and jammers? I'm so confused.?

Question

OK so I was talking with my friend who was a swimmer and he said that when he swam in high school they wore drag shorts. So I was like wtf? What are drag shorts? So he tried to explain and said it's basically a normal bathing suit and it gives you resistance when you swim so you get a better workout.

So my question is, if you are trying to swim for a good workout should you wear these drag shorts, or does a normal bathing suit give you the same amount of resistance like he said? Also if you could describe what they look/feel like that would be cool. Do 'drag shorts' really give you that much extra resistance, and would they be useful for improving your workout (if you are using swimming as a form of exercise)?

Also what are jammers? While trying to learn about drag shorts I saw people talking about jammers a lot and comparing the two.

Also where can you buy these things, and can someone give me a link w/ a picture of good ones???

Answer 1

Drag shorts do help you get a better workout, typically swimmers use them to help make themselves work harder int the pool so that when they do a race and don't have so much drag that they will go faster. Jammers are like a modern speedo for male swimmers. They are used to help reduce drag so that you can go faster in a race and also in practice.

Here is a good link with some jammers, you can also purchase them here too- they have some of the best prices I've been able to find for all of my brothers and my swim equipment

http://www.swimoutlet.com/Swim_Jammers_s...

Most people on my swim team don't buy their drag shorts, they just take a pair of long jersey shorts and cut off the bottoms and then take the extra fabric to make pockets to place around the waist which gives you the drag, and then finish the edges so they won't fray. By making them you can usually get more drag then buying most drag shorts, but here is what they look like when you buy them, and usually they are worn over your jammers http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/1438...

Answer 2

Go to kiefer.com for all your swimming apparel needs.

Yes, a drag suit does increase resistance.  The way most swimmers do it is to wear a normal speedo, then the drag suit over it.  The drag suit holds more water, and thus adds resistance.  The added bonus is the drag suit gives a sense of modesty, and avoids the need to get new suit as often, as it doesn't matter if either suit becomes slightly see through.

Jammers are suits that resemble bike shorts.  They come down over the thighs.  By covering more surface area and giving compression to the legs the Jammer in theory cuts resistance and allows greater speed.  However I find that Jammers tend to wear out faster, becoming stretched out and see through sooner than the traditional speedo.