Calling all USMS members. Your response to this post will be used to create an article in Swimmer magazine about cross training. What types of training do you most commonly do outside of the pool? How often? What cross training works the best, and what types are the least helpful for swimming? :bliss:
For me at least, my swimming has greatly benefited from participating in other activities. I certainly don't excel at them, but I don't excel at swimming either.
Since I began doing things in addition to swimming, I've dropped a bit of weight, and every single swimming event has gotten better.
Good for you!! :applaud::applaud::applaud: I think that my other sports definitely benefit from my swimming as well - I think that may be why I can get around on the tennis court better than a lot of my competitors! And my swimming has benefited from my tennis because tennis forces me to stretch and bend and move in ways that I generally would be too lazy to do on my own (i.e. yoga or other isometrics). It's not weight lifting, but I KNOW my forearm is stronger - you can SEE the muscle growth - and guess what - that helps the back half of my pull - something a distance swimmer values when they are so tired they can't make the arms go around any faster!! :D
For me at least, my swimming has greatly benefited from participating in other activities. I certainly don't excel at them, but I don't excel at swimming either.
Since I began doing things in addition to swimming, I've dropped a bit of weight, and every single swimming event has gotten better.
Good for you!! :applaud::applaud::applaud: I think that my other sports definitely benefit from my swimming as well - I think that may be why I can get around on the tennis court better than a lot of my competitors! And my swimming has benefited from my tennis because tennis forces me to stretch and bend and move in ways that I generally would be too lazy to do on my own (i.e. yoga or other isometrics). It's not weight lifting, but I KNOW my forearm is stronger - you can SEE the muscle growth - and guess what - that helps the back half of my pull - something a distance swimmer values when they are so tired they can't make the arms go around any faster!! :D
