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 used to only swim and weightlift. I totally bulked up and switched out 2 of my 4 weight sessions to dryland sessions.
Recently, I discovered that I can't motivate myself for the weightroom anymore so I picked up a power weightlifting class at the institution I teach swim lessons at. It's 60min of bar weightlifting and covers all muscle groups. I love it since it's more endurance lifting than going for heavy weights. It really helped become stronger and leaner at the same time. It's my death class of the week! I can't move for 3 days straight afterwards.
In addition, since no more running for me after foot surgery and I got tired of dryland, I have picked up kickboxing classes. I love it as cross training since it's something totally different than swimming and the changes in speeds during the class really help me in the water I have the feeling.
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.
In addition to swimming, I try to do a mix of running, cycling, and weights.
There's something to be said about health benefits outside of the pool regardless of what kind of effect they might offer towards swimming performance.
Research has shown that impact sports are ideal for developing bone density which is something that swimming really lacks. That said, any kind of weight bearing activity whether it be running, tennis or lifting should really be encouraged.
An interesting study was done at Texas A&M University regarding bone mineral density in college athletes and the swimmers ranked the lowest!
This study demonstrated more discouraging results as the collegiate female swimmers had lower bone mineral density (BMD) during the preseason by 10-15% compared to all other sports with the largest difference in the lower body, pelvis and spine mineral density. In fact, their total body BMD of 1.121 g/cm2 puts them more than two standard deviations from the mean for their age, indicating a risk for osteoporosis.
...imagine if you are a Master's female swimmer who drinks a pot of coffee a day and while working 12 hours at her desk job....might as well call up Sally Fields and get some Boniva.
www.swimmingscience.net/.../bone-mineral-density-in-swimmers.html
An interesting study was done at Texas A&M University regarding bone mineral density in college athletes and the swimmers ranked the lowest!
www.swimmingscience.net/.../bone-mineral-density-in-swimmers.html
Although it might also be interesting to see how the swimmers' BMD compares with that of a non-athlete. Does swimming actally reduce BMD, or simply not increase it as much as other sports?
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:
Cross-training means the exercise is intended to improve or supplement your swimming.
Hmmm...
Various times a major motivation for me to swim was the fitness helps me dance better (swing dance, contra dance, in the younger days modern and African). Swimming is mostly crosstraining. I dance for fun.
So because I swim to dance better and dance for fun, I shouldn't list "dance" as crosstraining? Seems backward.
I don't own a car so I walk and cycle a lot. That "so" in this case implies intention. A major reason to avoid car ownership is that getting around by walking and cycling keeps me fit far more consistently than the on-again-off-again regimens that I've had in swimming (or any "exercise" program).
Getting around in a car would just make me old. What would I do? Ride to the Gym? (HAHAHA)
Even in the last 3 or 4 months, when I've been averaging 4000 500 yards in the pool, I get more exercise doing other things.
I do yoga just to do yoga.
So of the five things I checked, three of them have nothing to do with
swimming (except that they do, in fact, improve my fitness which affects my ability to swim. Sometimes dramatically.)
Sometimes for the other two items - stretching and dryland calisthetics -I do to help my swimming. OTOH, I would still do those things with no swimming, and sometimes I do calisthetics during periods of time where I haven't been swimming much - instead of swimming.
If I've been a couch potato for a few months, I usually hit the track with squat-thrusts, jumping jacks, jump rope and similar things. But it's because I haven't exercised, not to improve swimming. Sometimes I do those things because my swimming "fitness" is becoming so specific that it isn't improving my dancing, so I need to do calisthetics to cross train for fitness that I'm not getting through swimming.
I had a conversation once with my boss about this, once. She said I probably wasn't fit because I don't work out. (I was going through a phase where I wasn't swimming regularly). If I rush to a dance by biking 8 miles from work, dance for a few hours, then bike 5 and a half miles home, it isn't a "workout." But it isn't sitting on the couch, either. It isn't a "workout" - but it's way more exercise than I get in a 2500 yard swim.
I do not swim as much as i used to due to my schedule. I do cross train using running, biking, and weights.
I have found that engaging in any fitness program haphazardly is counterproductive. Cross training has reduced my risk of overuse injuries while maintaining my athleticism. I tend to swim about 2-3 times a week which is a far cry of what i used to do. more quality yards instead of junk yardage. the benefits of cross training have also helped me build more mental stamina in the pool. swimming endless laps is a mind game.
Cycling (similar to spinning), yoga, walking and running, tap dance, and I've added tennis. Wish I could say weight training since I am sure I need it!
