Hi,
I'm a 41 year old masters swimmer. I have no past experience in swimming. Started swimming 2 year ago, took a few private lessons to learn free style. Today I swim about 3 times a week with a masters group, 2-3 Km each time.
I'm not competing, but I do want to challenge myself and improve my times. The problem is that it is hard for me to incorporate more than 3 swimming sessions a week. So I started thinking about dry land exercises. I thought about running in order to improve my cardio, and gym training in order to improve my power and speed. But I find it hard to find reliable and relevant information on which exercises or technics to use. Most resources I find are designed for young competitive swimmers. I'm really not there. For example, I don't need exercises to improve my exit from the blocks. That is the least of my problems. I encountered some resources which state that Crossfit is a good match for swimmers. But again, some other resources dispute that.
I would appreciate of someone can share or recommend from his personal experience.
Thanks !
CrossFit would be good - IF you have a good gym around you. I've been doing it for 6+ years now, first as my only fitness regimen in my swimming hiatus and now as my swimming dryland. CrossFit taught and programmed well is good for general athleticism and cardio and power/speed. CrossFit taught and programmed poorly is a recipe for burnout and injuries. I could check websites of gyms around you if you wanted.
Otherwise, if you're OK with working out by yourself, a simple squat/bench/press/deadlift/auxiliary lift all rotated around a couple times a week would be something that would work well. Plenty of different options for doing that - no need to reinvent the wheel.
I would say swimming 3x per week you don't need any extra cardio. Maybe a brisk walk once or twice a week if you wanted.
Swimswam.com posted an article on this in the recent past. Most of the recommended exercises were aimed at those best suited not to cause injury. I've been doing similar dryland for 4-5 years now and believe it's made a substantial difference.
Planks, planks, planks! Good for core development and holding your streamlines. Front, side and back planks, done correctly and in sets that increase in duration over time are very helpful.
Also, a good stretch regime done regularly will add to your flexibility.
None of these require any equipment or special training.
The Dryland Difference department in the magazine has had a ton of exercises with explanations of how to do them this year. We're also doing some =Article&contentType=Video&filter=yoga&page=1&perPage=10&filterItem=20cf26a9-68b1-490f-8408-471cdd7513f8"]yoga articles online.
I think running won't help most pool events much unless you are doing lots of short sprints maybe or trying to lose weight. More intense exercises that target swimming muscles I think are best like pull ups (or lateral pull down), dips, jump rope, box jumps, etc. They will give you strength and explosiveness to swim faster. The race club has good ideas although some you need a partner:
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I would first of all advise approaching any dryland training with caution. Be sure that it is is appropriate to your individual level and you may even want to consult a personal trainer/fitness coach. While swimming is by definition a low impact sport, dryland training can do more harm than good if it is "too much, too soon" (or not appropriate to your level).
That said, some of the best dryland exercises that are very specific to swimming include the Vasa Ergometer, which is a swim bench that helps develop and strengthen your pull, specifically the early vertical forearm, or longer StretchCordz with paddles, which can also mimic the pull phase of the stroke, helping you develop and strengthen your pull technique. Again, however, approach these and any other dryland routine with caution. The Vasa Ergometer in particular requires an ability to fine-tune, control and slowly increase the level of difficulty, and for the Stretch Cordz be sure to choose the appropriate tension by using the color codes indicated.
Ultimately, nothing can substitute for practicing in the pool, especially based on your description of your swimming level. If you can only incorporate 3 sessions per week, be sure to make the most of those sessions by developing your technical foundation to be sure you increase your efficiency and avoid any potential injuries caused by poor technique. Good luck!
CrossFit would be good - IF you have a good gym around you. I've been doing it for 6+ years now, first as my only fitness regimen in my swimming hiatus and now as my swimming dryland. CrossFit taught and programmed well is good for general athleticism and cardio and power/speed. CrossFit taught and programmed poorly is a recipe for burnout and injuries. I could check websites of gyms around you if you wanted.
Otherwise, if you're OK with working out by yourself, a simple squat/bench/press/deadlift/auxiliary lift all rotated around a couple times a week would be something that would work well. Plenty of different options for doing that - no need to reinvent the wheel.
I would say swimming 3x per week you don't need any extra cardio. Maybe a brisk walk once or twice a week if you wanted.
Observation from an orthopedic surgeon friend: "Cross Fit is the best thing to happen to my business since home trampolines."
