Running. Does it help your swimming or is it an interesting diversion? A lot of people here seem to cross train with running. (Some are obviously triathletes). USS teams now have their swimmers running. But does running really help swimming?
For me, I'm not so sure. I think it helps a bit on the cardio side and may build leg strength. I do it to tighten everything up, because I like being outside and it gives my shoulders a break. But I'm not sure I wouldn't be better off with more pool time if my body could take it.
Well the converse isn't true: I've been swimming for a year and a half now and I can't run (trot) more than a few hundred yards. But my swimming has gotten faster and I can swim longer that when I started.
Although.... from working on kicking my bird legs are showing some slight sign of
muscle.
Re; George's post, by my read he says you can go fast even if heavy.
Not directly Geek, no. However, when someone (average) states that something works for them...there's a lot of backlash from folks who either: have done better in swimming with a full life of participation, or from the white, fluffy, baaa-ing masses that can't look at anything other than the top swimmers.
Absolutely there are lessons to learn from the top placed group...but sometimes the other guy who is as fat, skinny, asthmatic, bronchial, gluten intolerant, one legged, blind, deaf, suffering from MS as someone else reading it, may have some insight that relates more.
Maybe land based cardio will do them more aerobic good than 20 x 100 on a 1:40 interval if they cannot hold the intensity.
That and a silly whale analogy...:cane:
...now I am leaving before Carlos Fernandez comes back on....
I get backlash all the time.
I have gotten great gluten free advice from PMs and on my blog and listen to it.
I think running is the best for burning off unwanted fat.
I don't want fat and I don't want to look like a whale.
Nor do I want to do 20 x 100 @ 1:40.
Land based training is very individual. Vlad Pleshenko runs 5 miles a day and think it helps; if I did that, I'd break down right away. Everyone has to find the right balance.
And there are loads of newbie postings on this forum.
Now, if I write than I've done 20 x 100 and no land based work on my blog, you'll know that's April Fools! I agree that CF and his "I won't listen to anyone who isn't FINA Top 5" attitude is offensive.
This is an interesting coversation. What seems to jump out from the proponents of running is that they lose weight and their swimming improves. I contend the weight loss is more valuable than the running. There is absolutely nothing about running specifically that improves swimming, zip, zero, nada. The same amount of time dedicated to swimming training will yield better results. If you want proof, stop swimming for 4 months and run only and then see how your swimming is. This isn't to say running isn't enjoyable.
The elitist point is a good one, however. Swimming at a club with a Team Elite (Olympic hopefuls, Olympians and pro swimmers) I have adopted the point of view that they tend to know what they are doing and talking about. So, why not adopt what I can of theirs versus doing something else less efficient for the same amount of time? They are elite for a reason, learn from the best.
I agree with Fort, do what you want and what makes your workouts most enjoyable.
This is my idea of an effective all-around conditioning circuit. Now remember guys, look at the exercises:bump:....
YouTube- Fitness - Killer 550 Rep Workout
Stud by that statement you mean that a skinny man is going to be a fast swimmer. Whales have lots of fat and they are pretty fast. But if they lost weight you mean they will be faster. I don't think so.
By that statement you think losing fat and losing weight are the same thing...I don't think so.
The average guy with flabby fat all over himself, who is not a previous age grouper, college jock, or ex olympian, or in fact just naturally damn talented at swimming, is going to find flab a hindrance. Whales have fat but it's squeezed into a Mother Nature B70 with build in aqua dynamics. Old or not so old, fat guys that have a long pedigree of swimming are not the average flabby guy.
Or is this forum just for ex age groupers, NCAA champs and Ex Olympians?
I'm going to go away from this forum again until the elitist crap stops.
Anyway Running helps me.
I have no idea what the discussion about running and swimming has to do with elitism, no one has even brought up the elite swimmers.
Not directly Geek, no. However, when someone (average) states that something works for them...there's a lot of backlash from folks who either: have done better in swimming with a full life of participation, or from the white, fluffy, baaa-ing masses that can't look at anything other than the top swimmers.
Absolutely there are lessons to learn from the top placed group...but sometimes the other guy who is as fat, skinny, asthmatic, bronchial, gluten intolerant, one legged, blind, deaf, suffering from MS as someone else reading it, may have some insight that relates more.
Maybe land based cardio will do them more aerobic good than 20 x 100 on a 1:40 interval if they cannot hold the intensity.
That and a silly whale analogy...:cane:
...now I am leaving before Carlos Fernandez comes back on....
I think running is the best for burning off unwanted fat.
I don't want fat and I don't want to look like a whale.
:agree: This is the ONLY reason I've added running to my workouts.
OK some of these responses echo exactly my point. You have do do what works for you!
I'd love to do Phelps' workouts and training regime but I can't. I have time, and physical limitations and then a lack of previous experience tells me I will be on the ortho's table with shoulder injuries in no time.
Adopting training ethics and habits of top swimmers absolutely. Only swimming 50% of what they do and using dry-land to work the rest for your health...even more so.
My thought: Top swimmers with the golden 12-21 age period development years can do more than me, who from 8-12 swam...coming back at 37. I am fortunate, I had good coaching as a kid, I had some ability in BR, I had the basics, I had an above average aerobic capacity, and still had to re-wire myself. That said I don't have all the development years that the top swimmers had...in general. I'm not getting :22 on a 50 :24 maybe...with a lot of work. Even so running won't impact a 50 at least aerobically.
In my youth I danced, I ran, I lifted, I did martial arts, I played badminton, so maybe my "golden development" is in my legs...hence I can go for hours on land and get more for my aerobic base there. Sure it won't lead to a better stroke but my view is that my stroke holds together better for longer now...and you don't have to believe me, but it jumped up after doing cardio.
Other points, Tim and I have more in common on sporting terms than me and Chris Stevenson for example. I can learn much from Chris' blog about ideas and behaviors, but I can't swim like him. Tim and I can read our blogs and see what is working for each other and think "Hmm he's a pretty good approximation of me...maybe I should try that...or see what he did to improve."
Lastly, yeah there are plenty of older, fatter swimmers that can beat me...it isn't about size...it's about "tone."
I am not into suits but having tried it, I know it makes a compressed, flab-wobble free body shape. I'm trying to get as close to that in my own skin as possible.
From that POV, running helps swimming. Not the technical stroke work or feel, but the ability to maximise those elements which I have right now--while I still train and work on them.
Stud by that statement you mean that a skinny man is going to be a fast swimmer. Whales have lots of fat and they are pretty fast. But if they lost weight you mean they will be faster. I don't think so.
