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:
I've used aerobic cross training to loose weight (45 lbs in about 1 year), improve aeraobic conditioning, keep training and competition interesting for me, and build my leg muscles. It's been primarly cycling (lots of spinning too), but some running as well (I've actually begun to enjoy running), although i think i still need to lose additional weight to feel like ive reached an ideal weight for running. My weight lifting has been on-again off-again and helped build the upper body muscles.
Has cross training helped my swimming? Yes. If i used every cross training hour swimming, would i now be a faster swimmer? Yes. But, at least starting out in my relatively poor condition, i know that cross training quickly boosted base aerobic conditioning and increased the size and tone of my leg muscles appreciably. I don't think i would have made as much progress in the same time period if i tried swimming all of those hours, and perhaps would have lost interest.
Trying something new and different has been important to me and fun, and I've been able to compete in pool meets, OW swims, triathlons, and a 5k run over the past year as a result of cross training and that provides motivation. It was a return to swimming that led me to try these other sports, and I think there are both mental and physical synergies that exist. Perhaps not as much so for the TT under 50 swimmer, but for the rest of us in middle-earth and/or over 50 who have begun to hear the clock ticking, cross training provides diversity and helps with the bucket list. So, i think there may not be a single answer that applies to every swimmer. :2cents:
I've used aerobic cross training to loose weight (45 lbs in about 1 year), improve aeraobic conditioning, keep training and competition interesting for me, and build my leg muscles. It's been primarly cycling (lots of spinning too), but some running as well (I've actually begun to enjoy running), although i think i still need to lose additional weight to feel like ive reached an ideal weight for running. My weight lifting has been on-again off-again and helped build the upper body muscles.
Has cross training helped my swimming? Yes. If i used every cross training hour swimming, would i now be a faster swimmer? Yes. But, at least starting out in my relatively poor condition, i know that cross training quickly boosted base aerobic conditioning and increased the size and tone of my leg muscles appreciably. I don't think i would have made as much progress in the same time period if i tried swimming all of those hours, and perhaps would have lost interest.
Trying something new and different has been important to me and fun, and I've been able to compete in pool meets, OW swims, triathlons, and a 5k run over the past year as a result of cross training and that provides motivation. It was a return to swimming that led me to try these other sports, and I think there are both mental and physical synergies that exist. Perhaps not as much so for the TT under 50 swimmer, but for the rest of us in middle-earth and/or over 50 who have begun to hear the clock ticking, cross training provides diversity and helps with the bucket list. So, i think there may not be a single answer that applies to every swimmer. :2cents:
