Essex Junction, VT -- Innovation, technologically advanced design, and a dedication to great customer service has allowed Vasa to emerge as the market leader in sports-specific exercise equipment. The Vasa Trainer, a swim specific exercise machine, gives swimmers the opportunity to simulate swimming strokes without water. Swimmers are able to build strength, power, and endurance for freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke in as little as 15 minutes a day. The Vasa Trainer provides the benefits of swimming without the cost or hassles of a swimming pool.

Lying on a padded, rolling swim bench, and pulling on paddles attached to the front of the machine, the athlete "swims" by pulling his/her body up an inclined monorail. This patented Vasa pulling motion exactly simulates the fundamental swimming concept of "pulling the body past the hands". This concept is one of the key coaching techniques taught by swim coaches around the world. This feature sets Vasa apart from other swimming devices that require the swimmer to pull the hands towards the body.

Vasa's unique design also allows the swimmer to see and duplicate correct stroke mechanics on the machine, while at the same time, build a powerful swim stroke. While using the Vasa Trainer, swimmers make a "neuromuscular imprint" of correct stroke mechanics. This creates "muscle memory" – which means that a Vasa Trainer stroke translates to a strong, efficient stroke to the pool. The Vasa Trainer can isolate and help correct the two of the most common and most serious errors made by swimmers: dropped elbows and incomplete finish. The ability to improve stroke efficiency, isolate stroke segments, correct stroke mechanics, and build swim-specific strength, power, and endurance makes Vasa an invaluable training tool.

The Foot Platform is the latest innovation that transforms this highly effective functional training machine into a complete "athlete's gym". As the newest improvement to the widely used Vasa Trainer equipment, the "Foot Platform" expands the functionality and appeal of the Vasa Trainer for athletic, fitness and sports-medicine professionals.  It allows the athletic enthusiast to perform essential leg exercises including squats, lunges, plyometric vertical leaps and powerful starts.  Incorporating the new accessory allows athletes to more effectively perform plyometric leg push offs, lunges,
calf raises and aerobic total body exercises.

The top swim coaches in the world train their swimmers on the Vasa Trainer, including U.S. Olympic coaches Richard Quick of Stanford University and Mark Schubert of USC. The Vasa Trainer can also be found at most of the top collegiate, high school, club and masters programs around the U.S. and the world.

Ironman Triathlon legend Dave Scott used the Vasa to train for his remarkable comeback from retirement at the 1994 Ironman, where he was second place by a mere 4 minutes. "The Vasa Trainer provides me with exactly the right swim-specific strength and endurance that I need. Since swimming is often the weak link of triathletes, I think the Vasa Trainer is absolutely essential for all triathletes and competitive swimmers."

Surfers have discovered the versatility of Vasa and are using it to get in top shape for surfing. They use the Vasa to simulate paddling as well as to strengthen the legs and torso for better balance and power. Surfers face the inconvenient predicaments of not being able to get to the waves due to other commitments, or an uncooperative ocean with a slack surf. The Vasa Trainer keeps surfers in shape to catch every wave, as well as give them the strength and stamina to stay out for as long as possible.

In addition to swim and paddle-specific exercises, athletes are discovering the Vasa Trainer can be applied to other sports. For example, athletes needing explosive jumping ability and leg strength in sports such as basketball, track, volleyball, gymnastics, skiing, running and cycling have found the leg push-off exercise to be superior to any other type of leaping machine or weights (at a fraction of the price).

Total body conditioning is another benefit of the Vasa Trainer. Exercises such as biceps curls, triceps extensions, chest press, rowing, deltoid flys, trunk rotations, and abdominals are just some of the 100+ exercises available with Vasa Trainer. Since you pull your body weight up a variable inclined monorail, the Vasa Trainer is safe, non-jarring, and fun to use. Many strength and conditioning coaches, including Vern Gambetta of the Chicago White Sox, use the Vasa to prepare their athletes for competition.

Vasa was founded in 1986 by Rob Sleamaker, M.S. while he was working with the U.S. Biathlon and Nordic Ski teams as a sports physiologist. As cross-country skiing evolved to include the ski-skating or "freestyle" technique, it became evident to Rob that the propulsive forces were generated differently than traditional ski striding or "classic skiing". In "freestyle", the skier uses the upper body much more than in classic style. Rob used this concept to design a new machine that developed the upper body specifically for this freestyle motion. This first machine, introduced in 1988, was the Vasa Nordic Trainer.

In early 1989, Rob, an avid cross country skier and a triathlete with mediocre swimming technique, saw a way to redesign the Vasa Nordic Trainer to be used for swimming and cross country skiing. By adding a swim bench and swim paddles, the Vasa Nordic Trainer could also be use for simulating swimming motion. In the fall of 1989, Rob introduced a new model designed specifically for the swimming market called the Vasa Swim Trainer.

Immediately upon introducing the Vasa Swim Trainer at the American Swim Coaches Association World Clinic in 1989, several top coaches, including three U.S. Olympic coaches, purchased several Vasa Trainers. Since 1989, Vasa has worked to refine the design of the Vasa Trainer in order to meet the requests and demands of its customers. In fall of 1994, Vasa introduced two new designs modeled after the Vasa Swim Trainer, the Vasa Pro and the Vasa Sport. These two models were designed in response to customers needs for easy storage, portability, and a lower priced model for home use. Both models feature the Vasa "easy-fold" system for storage and portability. The Vasa Pro, designed for team and health club use, features a corrosion resistant stainless steel monorail, telescoping tube (for raising and lowering the monorail), and hardware. The Vasa Sport, a lower priced model designed for home use, features a chrome-plated monorail and telescoping tube.

Most recently, Vasa introduced the Pro SE and the Clinical models. The Pro SE features a stainless steel monorail and telescoping tube like the Pro, but also has the added feature of stainless steel bases. This is ideal for use in harsh environments, such as pool decks. The Clinical model is designed for Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation use and features a wider and longer bench and a low profile design that's ideal for rehab exercises.

First introduced in 1989, the Vasa Trainer has become a "household name" among swimmers, swim coaches, and triathletes in the U.S. and around the world. The recently launched low profile models, the Vasa Pro SE, Pro, Clinical and the Vasa Sport, have become even more popular than the previous models. Vasa products are sold directly to U.S. customers by mail order, secure online ordering (www.vasatrainer.com) or a toll-free 800 phone number (800.488.8272). International sales are made directly through Vasa or through designated distributors. All models have a lifetime guarantee.

For more information or a brochure call 1.800.488.VASA or write to: Vasa, Inc., 1 Allen Martin Drive #5, Essex Jct, Vermont 05452.

-Paige Erikson Kaleita of Vasa 
Tel: 802.872.7101 Fax: 802.872.7104 Email: info@vasatrainer.com