This is kind of an offshoot from the thread on heart rate monitors.
I just got back into swimming after taking about 10 years off and I absolutely enjoy it. Just joined a Masters team as well which is making it that much more enjoyable.
However, I do have a question. I've been off and on weight training for the past two years or so and never really much got into monitoring my heart rate. However, about four months ago I read an article on how important of a role your heart rate can play in training, for anything, much less swimming and tried screwing around with it. So needless to say, while I was reading the thread on heart rate monitors I saw some intriguing stuff. But most off all was the line by Breaststroker which read:
"If you are trying to loose rate, all your workuts shold be at 50-60% of maximum heart rate.
If you are training to win Nationals, you must do most of your training in the 70-85% range. Many swimmers (older) are training at 90-95% range. Your body will never recover from this and not fully develope. This maximum heart rate range should only be done once a week as it takes 72 hours for the muscles to rebuild."
So I've noticed since joining the Masters team and increasing the intensity of my swimming workout, that I am seriously whipped throughout the week. Right now I swim three days a week and do a minor full body workout three other days a week. I can't think that this is from doing too much activity throughout the week because I've weightrained six days a week before and never felt this whipped. But, when I am swimming, I pretty much give it my all on every set. As that relates to heart rate, when I check it after a set it's usually 130 bpm (no monitor, just finger to the neck). That said, is that normal for a 29 year old, 5'11" 180 lb. male? Or am I training too hard during my swimming practice? Or am I just whipped because I've only been doing this particular workout for about two weeks now and it just is going to take my body time to adjust.
Lastly, I would like to focus more on sprinting than distance/endurance as that is what I did in high school and the one year that I swam in college. Any recommendations as to what heart rate I should shoot for?
Sorry for the length of this, but I am curious as to what you all think and any input would be greatly appreciated.
BCK
Parents
Former Member
Feeling "whipped" is the number one sign of overtraining, and overtraining can be done in any sport or combination thereof.
Overtraining is caused by doing more exercise over a period of time than your body can recover from, it's not simply a function of how many days per week you work out (and just because you're not sore doesn't mean you've recovered). As you continue to train hard, you increase your body's capacity for work and you will be able to train harder and train more with less recovery.
However, overtraining has some very negative physical side effects, probably the worst of which is to increase your system's level of cortisol, a hormone which prevents muscle and strength growth and can actually cause you to lose muscle.
I'd first recommend taking at least a couple of days off with no exercise at all. Just rest. Then adjust your training level to where you don't feel exhausted anymore - as your swimming fitness improves, you'll be able to train more and more.
Feeling "whipped" is the number one sign of overtraining, and overtraining can be done in any sport or combination thereof.
Overtraining is caused by doing more exercise over a period of time than your body can recover from, it's not simply a function of how many days per week you work out (and just because you're not sore doesn't mean you've recovered). As you continue to train hard, you increase your body's capacity for work and you will be able to train harder and train more with less recovery.
However, overtraining has some very negative physical side effects, probably the worst of which is to increase your system's level of cortisol, a hormone which prevents muscle and strength growth and can actually cause you to lose muscle.
I'd first recommend taking at least a couple of days off with no exercise at all. Just rest. Then adjust your training level to where you don't feel exhausted anymore - as your swimming fitness improves, you'll be able to train more and more.
