Back in the mid 80's when I was a competetive swimmer, our coach had us lifting weights, and I remember we also used these crude machines that were basically thus: pulleys mounted on a wall and a padded, angled sawhorse perpendicular to the pulleys that you would lay down on (stomach down). You'd grab the pulleys and pull back and forth for a certain number of minutes. Anyone here ever use such a thing? Do they still use something like that for today's modern swimmers? We practiced at a crummy old YWCA and the workout room looked like some random person's basement with homemade equipment. Then one day, they get this new pulley machine that had a digital readout on it. We all fought to use it rather than lay on the crummy sawhorse versions. :p
Parents
Former Member
Slimy,
I don't know, I am not a modern swimmer anymore, but I am an advocate of weight training as long as it is in a form that will help a swimmer and not hurt them. Laying on a sawhorse? That sounds iffy to me, but I get the jest of what the equipment is there to provide.
My dad made homemade pulleys for me out of bricks and lines and I swam my best ever in the 13-14 age group and placed high in the Nationals. (way back then...).
Weight training yes; make sure the body will not injure itself if it is home-made and rickity. I think the word rickity is the important word here.
PS: I use StretchCordz because I have no weights here and they are the 93 pound resistant ones. The best I can do living on an island in another country.
Donna
Slimy,
I don't know, I am not a modern swimmer anymore, but I am an advocate of weight training as long as it is in a form that will help a swimmer and not hurt them. Laying on a sawhorse? That sounds iffy to me, but I get the jest of what the equipment is there to provide.
My dad made homemade pulleys for me out of bricks and lines and I swam my best ever in the 13-14 age group and placed high in the Nationals. (way back then...).
Weight training yes; make sure the body will not injure itself if it is home-made and rickity. I think the word rickity is the important word here.
PS: I use StretchCordz because I have no weights here and they are the 93 pound resistant ones. The best I can do living on an island in another country.
Donna
