Adding weights to a swim workout

Chris, I love weight training, but you do have to be careful with it, because you can injure yourself. I have crunchy shoulders from incorrect weight training and years of ball playing. Anyway, there are some good books you could probably get at the library, weight training for dummies, things like that. Also, do a search on the web for weight training and especially weight training for beginners. I would also search for weight training specifically for swimmers. Swimmers use their chest and back muscles quite a bit, and you can overtrain or create an inbalance which can cause injury if you are not careful. A basic rule of weight training is to allow the muscle you work at least a 48 hour rest period before you weight train again. So starting out with a full body weight work-out twice a week might be best. Other thoughts are to do split routines, such as work lower body Monday, upper body Tuesday, no weights on Wednesday, and then repeat on Thursday and Friday. I also like to combine a week of split and whole body, by doing a split earlier in the week and a whole body later in the week. The advantage of a split is better focus and more time to really get in and work the muscle. Doing whole body can be a time saver in hitting all body parts in one day. It really depends on the time you have and your focus. It also pays to shake up your weight and exercise routine every 6 weeks or so. I think this goes along with the periodazation discussed in another pos. When lifting, you want to pick a weight heavy enough to work to exhaustion by 12-15 reps. Lifting lighter will work on endurance but will not build muscle. Of course, if you are just starting out, you will build muscel because you have not done it before. Working to exhaustion means it would be painful to lift the weight again and just like doing sprint repeats all out, is a hard thing mentally to make your body do. Many gyms have people working there whose job it is to help you learn the equipment. I prefer free weights, but machines do have a place, and are especially good for beginners. However, if you are small or short, or large and tall, they sometimes are not a good fit. Link to Weight Training for Dummies book: www.dummies.com/.../productCd-076455168X.html Adding, when you start investigating the world of weight training, it is inevitable you will find information on muscle enhancing supplements......stay away from them, you are young, you don't need them, K?

Seems like you are doing a lot of things but not very much of any one thing. Ask your personal trainer to help put together a rational schedule to help fit your fitness goals. I think you'll end up doing things a lot differently than you are doing them now. The personal trainer that you can talk to will be your best bet.

Originally posted by geochuck After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks. LOL!! You had me going there!:D

Allen, I agree, it has been over 20 years since I started weight lifting, and I forget sometimes. :) I think anything you do exercise wise you want to start gradually for the sake of reducing injury, and weight lifting is an area where you can cause yourself permanent injury if you are not careful. In fact, if you cannot afford a personal training, try and find someone who knows something about form to watch what you are doing. Don't shy away from mirrors, they are there to watch your form, not admire your muscles. :D

Sometimes Chris, you have to shop around for a PT. Just because he does not work for you, does not mean someone else might not click. If there is more than one working there, try someone else out.

I mostly agree with Dorothy,but i'd recommend starting with lighter weight than she said. To build strength you want to work to the max weight for 8 to 12 lifts,but if you start there you risk injury.Start with a weight you can lift easily(you'll be sore the next day anyway) then increase 5% per week until you can't lift the weight 12 timesX2. Stay there until you can then increase 5% again. I like the machines as they are harder to hurt yourself with,especially if you are lifting alone,but free weights do work more muscles.As she said, most gyms will show you how to use the weights and it's much better to get instruction by someone who can watch you.

I have a personal trainer now, but I don't think he is helpful. Maybe I should ask him to show me the equiptment, all of it, and be done with him. Best, Chris

I'm thinking about joining the local workout place, and getting a personal trainer through them. There are no other options at the Y available. Best, Chris

I just came across this exercise suggested for seniors, to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. It seems so easy, so I thought I'd pass it on to some of my friends. The article suggested doing it three days a week. Just don't overdo it. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb. potato sacks. Then 50-lb. potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.