Total Conditioning for Swimming?

I was hoping you would chime in because your schedule seems to be what I go for as well. I'm regretfully cutting weights back to 2x/week because I was just running myself into the ground. The upper body strengthening is frustrating to me because yeah, it trashes the swimming but I really do want to build my maximum strength more, and fill in with swimming for endurance strength. I hope that makes sense.:blush: It does to me. I also want to work upper body in an "opposite" way to what swimming does. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just did lower body work and some injury prevention stuff and pushups for upper body and left it at that.:) ARGH!! If I can't swim fast I want to at least LOOK intimidating on the pool deck!:applaud: I have been swimming much faster in practice this season with 2x in the gym, and have swum faster in my two in season meets. Though I will occasionally sneak in another quick core workout, which doesn't take it out of me nearly the way weights do. I am a kick intensive swimmer, so the lower body weighs (and plyos) are key for me. However, strong lats are important for every stroke. So if I'm only doing one upper body exercise, it would probably be late pull downs or rows. I have no proof for this whatsoever, but I think my shoulders are healthier when I'm doing some upper body back work. The injury prevention exercises don't seem quite enough. Even though I haven't been doing much upper body work, I still look "jacked" to quote someone at my last meet. It's probably all the power work in the pool. Shoulders like the Hulk. If you want dryland ideas, check the blogs of Jazz Hands and Funky Fish. They both are extremely knowledgable about lifting. Or mine, though I'm a bit more idiosyncratic than them. I also take a recovery work every 4 weeks or so where I don't lift at all. I try to have this coincide with a meet.

I was hoping you would chime in because your schedule seems to be what I go for as well. I'm regretfully cutting weights back to 2x/week because I was just running myself into the ground. The upper body strengthening is frustrating to me because yeah, it trashes the swimming but I really do want to build my maximum strength more, and fill in with swimming for endurance strength. I hope that makes sense.:blush: It does to me. I also want to work upper body in an "opposite" way to what swimming does. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just did lower body work and some injury prevention stuff and pushups for upper body and left it at that.:) ARGH!! If I can't swim fast I want to at least LOOK intimidating on the pool deck!:applaud: I have been swimming much faster in practice this season with 2x in the gym, and have swum faster in my two in season meets. Though I will occasionally sneak in another quick core workout, which doesn't take it out of me nearly the way weights do. I am a kick intensive swimmer, so the lower body weighs (and plyos) are key for me. However, strong lats are important for every stroke. So if I'm only doing one upper body exercise, it would probably be late pull downs or rows. I have no proof for this whatsoever, but I think my shoulders are healthier when I'm doing some upper body back work. The injury prevention exercises don't seem quite enough. Even though I haven't been doing much upper body work, I still look "jacked" to quote someone at my last meet. It's probably all the power work in the pool. Shoulders like the Hulk. If you want dryland ideas, check the blogs of Jazz Hands and Funky Fish. They both are extremely knowledgable about lifting. Or mine, though I'm a bit more idiosyncratic than them. I also take a recovery work every 4 weeks or so where I don't lift at all. I try to have this coincide with a meet.