Which muscles do I need to strengthen in my legs for fin kicking?

[snorkler]

Which muscles do I need to strengthen in my legs for fin kicking? And what kind of exircises is good?

 

[Glenn08]

Is there a local pool and rec center that you can get in to actually use your mask and fins ?

 

[supergaijin]

You need all the muscles- doesn't matter if you have 60inch quads, if you don't have lower leg power, your extra quad power will make your calves cramp up.

Squats and bike riding are good all-round leg builders.

 

[divad]

Swimming with fins.

 

[RJP]

Focus more on proper finning technique than brute-force strength. You'll get much more out of an EFFICIENT kick than you will out of a STRONG kick. Plus you'll burn less gas, not be as likely to cramp, and will not tire as easily.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

There are two things you need for fin swimming, a good set of quads and calf muscles, and very flexible ankles. The latter has been mostly forgotten, but for fins to work efficiently they must really be an extension of our legs, and in the same plane as our legs. This means ankle flexibility is highly valued, and the ability to points one's toes slightly beyond 180 degrees is also important. Most fins these days have a blade that is angled slightly from the foot pocket. Some of the first fins were "straight," or without the blade offset. This meant that in the old days (about 50 years ago) it was even more important to be able to point one's toes beyond 180 degrees. But even today, this is a plus. This is why actually swimming with fins is important, and cannot be really duplicated with land exercises. You may be interested in finswimming, which is a competitive spot which originated in Europe, and became very popular in Eastern Europe and Asia (China):

Finswimming - YouTube

USA Finswimming | Facebook

USA Finswimming

List of United States records in finswimming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Finsimming Germany 2008 - YouTube

FINSWIMMING
("BF" means "Bi-Fins")

SeaRat
Past (1980s) Finswimming Director, Underwater Society of America

 

[OneFastEuro]

I would train for lactic acid build up in your leg if anything. that will help you also.

 

[cmburch]

Check out swim classes at your local Jr. college. Best would be working out with a kickboard and bicycle riding.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

And as you build up leg strength, remember to to stretch a lot. Cramps are no fun when swimming/snorkeling. Be sure any exercise regiment you engage include proper stretching at the beginning and at the end of each session. And remember to stretch out before each snorkeling event.
DIvemasterDennis