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.
Former Member
Allen what we did has now been so perfected that we now can do everthing we did as kids in a little room or in a pool even a swim in place pool in another little room.
But are our kids too over protected. We would ride our bikes all day, never be in the house. I never watched TV until the first Admiral 21 inch Black and white TV came out when I was 20 yrs old. I bought it for my parents for Christmas.
I think we are in the inactive world and tommorrow I am going to change and get very active if I can get away from the computer.
I agree with TI Devil, cross training can benefit your swimming and might just prevent you from getting burned out due to monotonous swimming and clock watching.
However, everybody is different and some might be better off staying in the pool. I am not much of a runner so any cross training for me would have to come in the form of cycling I guess. Of course, that would require me to have time do perform said activity!
But I don't do them with any sense that they directly impact my swim performance. That happens entirely in the water.
You might not be aware of the benefits while you are performing these activities but surely they are helping your swimming in some way, no? Rowing might be helping your rotator cuff muscles. Cycling will strengthen your legs. The fresh air and scenery will clear your mind.
I agree with Terry (that is not a typo). Maglischo argues that VO2max is sport-specific; it's a very interesting discussion.
Look at it this way, Geek. You'll be able to run to the locker room faster after I take you to school in the 500 next year.
I don't see how one's swimming performances can significantly benefit from either running or cycling, unless the subject is really 'unfit' swimming-wise.
8 years of coaching in triathlon and in swimming at elite level had lead me to this belief.
If I was was kept away from a pool for more than a week, and was given access to a gym, I would probably ergocycle for 30min and then would switch to a circuit-training mainly aimed at improving/maintaining upperbody muscular endurance.
I'd probably favor surgical rubber tubes to mimic swimming-like movements (link 1), chin ups to keep a healthy latissimus dorsi fitness (back muscles), dips and pushups for triceps and chest. I'd do abdominals and plenty of stretching too (link 2). All that at a uninterrupted rate so that a "minimal cardiovascular" activity be maintained thoughout the circuit training.
Last thing I'd do to keep swimming up to date : running.
Link 1 (tubing) : www.tritalk.co.uk/.../viewtopic.php
Link 2 (stretching) : www.tritalk.co.uk/.../viewtopic.php
I suspect the elite swimmers who "cross train" do so to get in some supplemental aerobic conditioning without further wear and tear on their shoulders. I doubt that they do so at the expense of pool time. My time is limited, and I hate running anyway, so I'll stick to the pool.
Is cross training only swimming running and cycling?
It seems that we forget the chin ups, the rowing, rope climbing, the medicine ball, kyaking and all the other sports. If you don't have water to train in you had better do something else.
I would rather do the swimming but it was not allways available.
I'll try to add a bit of actual science to the discussion to offset the folklore.
These guys found no transfer between swimming and biking or swimming and running in elite triathletes. The triathletes were swimming 5 hours, bking 8 hours and running 3 hours per week on average.
On the other hand, studies in untrained inividuals have found training cross over from anything and everything, pills, strength training, running, wishful thinking (no I'm not kidding) etc. So the question becomes how trained are you? For maters swimers, that answer varies widely even within the same year. I could probably be considered untrained in January and highly trained in August, a scy swimmer would probably have the opposite profile.
Another part of this not mentioned is simply mental health. At certain times of the year a break from the black line is very helpful.
It seems that we forget the chin ups, the rowing, rope climbing, the medicine ball, kyaking and all the other sports. If you don't have water to train in you had better do something else.
This we use to do on top of the pool program, all year long, for what it's worth.
I don't know if it was good or not, but it was specific, demanding and fun too. Especially medicine ball. The vasa trainer can come in handy too.
What I particulary like with ropes, vasa trainer and medecine ball, is that you can use them to teach high elbow pulling.
All that being said, I talked to one of the Physical Therapists I work with about this and he said that it would help with cardiovascular fitness, but that any swimming gains need to be made in the pool because it is too sport specific.
Exactly what Maglischo says. He believes your time is better spent in the pool.
