I currently swim 6 sessions per week (Mon Tue Thu Fri morning, Tue evening, Sat afternoon, with 2 rest days (Wednesday and Sunday). Recently I have added weight training into my routine, and I would like to do it for 4 weeks. I have currently put them on evenings Monday, Wednesday and Sunday last week (45 minutes each season), but after my weight training, I feel my muscle stiffness and tightness (especially my pecs) sustained overnight, sometimes affecting my swim training as well.
Am I putting my weight training to inappropriate times, or should I sacrifice some of the swim sessions for that? (I am using a progressive overload schedule for my swim training, gradually increasing my training mileage, but that does not include any weight training which I never had before)
Miklcct,
I am very much in favor of adding strength training to a fitness routine - just for general living purposes. So, adding strength training to your routine is a good thing.
There is a caveat though - given your other posts. Swimming is a technique driven sport. A weak person with good technique will beat a strong person with poor technique every single time. If you are adding strength training because you think it will instantly overcome technical weaknesses, you are mistaken.
I use this analogy with my swimmers. Swimmers are like dragsters on ice. It does not matter what our horsepower is (aka "strength") if our tires are bald (aka "technique"). If you add studs to the tires (aka "technique"), horsepower will matter. Speed and endurance will improve when technique improves.
Paul
Miklcct,
I am very much in favor of adding strength training to a fitness routine - just for general living purposes. So, adding strength training to your routine is a good thing.
There is a caveat though - given your other posts. Swimming is a technique driven sport. A weak person with good technique will beat a strong person with poor technique every single time. If you are adding strength training because you think it will instantly overcome technical weaknesses, you are mistaken.
I use this analogy with my swimmers. Swimmers are like dragsters on ice. It does not matter what our horsepower is (aka "strength") if our tires are bald (aka "technique"). If you add studs to the tires (aka "technique"), horsepower will matter. Speed and endurance will improve when technique improves.
Paul
