Weights & Swimming

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 17:21:57 GMT

The reason you lift before swimming is because you are fresh. If you swim before, you tire out your core which you need in lifting. You are setting up for an injury if you swim first. Its the same reason you do ab work at the end of a lifting workout. This, I strongly disagree with. Isolation movements, proper form and rep ranges all allow you to gain benefits from a weight workout post-swimming. If you're in the repetition ranges commonly used by powerlifters, sure, you wouldn't want to workout before that. For the higher ranges I have my swimming clients do, no problems at all.

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:50:41 GMT

I agree. Sprinters need to lift and they can benifit highly from doing power lifts in which case lifting must be done before swimming. Distance swimmers don't need to lift. Their dryland should be medicine ball, crunchs, push ups, pull ups...and that kind of stuff. This can be done after swimming. posted by Warren And of course 12 ounce curl lifting can (and should) be done before, during, and after swimming. Newmastersswimmer

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:43:55 GMT

This, I strongly disagree with. Isolation movements, proper form and rep ranges all allow you to gain benefits from a weight workout post-swimming. If you're in the repetition ranges commonly used by powerlifters, sure, you wouldn't want to workout before that. For the higher ranges I have my swimming clients do, no problems at all. I agree. Sprinters need to lift and they can benifit highly from doing power lifts in which case lifting must be done before swimming. Distance swimmers don't need to lift. Their dryland should be medicine ball, crunchs, push ups, pull ups...and that kind of stuff. This can be done after swimming.

RE: Weights & Swimming

dorothyrde — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 09:58:44 GMT

Warren, I think all swimmers can benefit from lifting in some form. As we age, lifting becomes more important, and should not just be sprinters. Distance folks need it as well.

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 17:03:41 GMT

I went to the physical therpist today. She gave me all kinds of exercises to do. She seems to think that my front upper body is more developed than my upper back causing my shoulders to roll forward giving me pain in da shoulders. Hopefully I can get rid of the pain and be in pool soon :-) greg Greg can you not do *** pullouts and continue underwater doing the fly pull arms coming straight back roughly shoulder width. It should hit rear delt and lats. You can even bend you elows a little to engage more lat--like a pulldown. Just thought...if you want to be in the pool.

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:54:14 GMT

Thanks for the reply Greg. You are very fast! I hope your minor rehab goes o.k. (and I'm sure it will and you will be back swimming tons of fly at practice again in no time!)....I don't think I'm quite ready to provide much of a challenge for you in that event (unless you were having a really really off day perhaps and I was having the race of my life...LOL!!) :rofl: :rofl: But I also like to race people for fun ...and there's nothing wrong with a friendly challenge....especially with someone who is in my agegroup now and swims my favorite event. I'm sure we will meet and race somewhere down the road anyway.....its practically unavoidable at this point. Newmastersswimmer

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:43:42 GMT

newmasterswimmer- thats right, you did challenge me in the 200fly. On a fairly good day I would be under 2:00. I'll be ready for competetion in the fall. Im taking summer off from meets. Have to much going on. Buying a new house at end of this month, and it has a pool :-) I see lots of verticle kicking with medicine ball in my future :-) greg

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:20:32 GMT

It depends on your goals; that's the first thing I say to all my clients in trying to help them reach their goals. If your goal is swimming, I would suggest swimming first if you absolutely have to do them back to back. I say this because you don't want to sacrifice your swimming for supplemental training, and weights are certainly supplemental. That's not to say they aren't good for you--they can be fantastic--but I would definitely suggest keeping them in order of priority. Also, given the rep ranges I generally would like to see swimmers use, doing weights after water training--assuming some nutrition has been taken in between--works just fine. The reason you lift before swimming is because you are fresh. If you swim before, you tire out your core which you need in lifting. You are setting up for an injury if you swim first. Its the same reason you do ab work at the end of a lifting workout.

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:01:10 GMT

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:29:10 GMT

swimstud- I probably could do lots of things in the water that are not hard on the shoulders. However, that being said, I think what I truely need is just rest out of the water. Im type of person where if I went to swim, I would want to go at it. I might consider just the kicking in another week. For right now I am kinda enjoying the break out of the water and sitting around eating bon bons all day :-)

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:19:55 GMT

hey Sarah-how did the meet go this weekend? Were there a lot of people there? I love that meet and was bummed I could not swim. I went to the dr on Friday, guess its not as bad as I thought. I have rotator cuff tendinitis in both shoulders. Im on some good anti inflamatories and have 3 weeks of physical therapy ahead of me. Thinking I will take all this week outta the water and get back in next week even though I was told to stay out. Figure I could just do some major kicking and rest the shoulders. I honestly do not think this injury is from swimming. I think its me trying to me he-man with the weights and doing some not advisable weight exercises with the 25lb dumbells as I try and simulate the butterfly arm motion while having dumbbells. I also have same problem on treadmill where I get on that thing and somehow I think I am a marathon runner, which im not. Sometimes I guess I am a little to over zealous with things and u would think I would learn, but Im one to always push myself. Anyways, hope to see ya in the pool next week. greg Hey there- Well, it will be good for you to come and just kick - it will be great for your fly. I'd hate to see you push yourself too far and have to get surgery (but, I'm sure you've gotten that lecture from your Doc). Ha ha! The meet was fun! It is a great pool (love those blocks)! Dan and I just talked (laughed) the entire time (HE IS SO FUNNY)! He got his national cut in the 50 back (pretty sure). But, I think I'm done with backstroke... my timing is way off and my swims were just, well... sad. No prob, though - I had a blast on the 50 fly! Felt strong! :D Get some rest and see ya on Monday! S

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:03:47 GMT

I love the 200 fly, anytime ya wanna race, let me know :-) posted by Born2fly Can you give me a "rough" idea what I might be facing here first...I know I made the initial challenge and all .....but what kind of time might I be expecting you to go on a fairly good day (If you don't mind me asking that is). Newmastersswimmer

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 09:36:54 GMT

Nice meeting you also. I think my meets are done for a bit. I was planning on not doing any meets this summer. Just wanted to take the summer off from competetion but still continue to train, just not as intense. I love the 200 fly, anytime ya wanna race, let me know :-) I went to the physical therpist today. She gave me all kinds of exercises to do. She seems to think that my front upper body is more developed than my upper back causing my shoulders to roll forward giving me pain in da shoulders. Hopefully I can get rid of the pain and be in pool soon :-) greg

RE: Weights & Swimming

FlyQueen — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 04:58:03 GMT

Greg that is super commong among swimmers. Work on your posture. Rows are good, too. Also backstroke, I know, blech, will help to work the opposing muscles.

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:28:45 GMT

So I guess we're in the same age group and we both listed the 200 fly as our favorite events.....somehow I think you are probably faster than me....but maybe we will get to race eachother somewhere down the road? I probably won't swim any meets untill next short course season....I want to be ready for SCYNats in 2008 (in Austin TX)...so this is the next big meet I am gearing for....I need to lose 40 or 50 pounds between now and then though...LOL! Nice meeting you Greg. Newmastersswimmer

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:09:54 GMT

I just entered the 40-44 group. I'll survive this shoulder problem,just a minor bump in the road. Who knows, I might even come back stronger after some physical therapy. Kicking will be good for me for a few week. I have a excellent fly kick, but my freestyle kick could use some improvements. So, maybe after 2 weeks of kicking only my shoulders will have healed then my legs will be all screwed up lol Its bound to even out at some point. greg

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:03:44 GMT

Sorry to hear about your injuries Greg....Good luck with the recovery...I hope you won't be hampered too much. Kicking a lot is a good idea for maintaining your fitness level (and to improve your kick anyway which is so crucial in fly)....Just curious....what age group are you in? I noticed you listed the 200 fly as your favorite event. Nice choice. Newmastersswimmer

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:53:42 GMT

RE: Weights & Swimming

poolraat — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:38:58 GMT

What specific lifting do you do? Ande had posted what he does what I'd like to see what others are doing for weight training. I'm trying to put together a 30 minute routine that I can do 2 or 3 times weekly. I already do a stretch band routine daily just for my shoulders, but am looking for some additional stuff.

RE: Weights & Swimming

dorothyrde — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 08:33:22 GMT

Actually with crosstraining, I find the one you want to have the best work-out in, is the one you want to do first. If you do weights first, the swimming will somewhat suffer because you will be fatigued from weights. If you do swimming first, weights will suffer because of fatigued from weights. There are also plusses as people mentioned. Weights first, stretch out in swimming, swimming first, be warmed up for weights. What I do, is I do these things at different times, actually for sake of my time. If I lift in the morning, I swim later in the day. Or I swim early, and lift after work. If I lift within 24 hours of swimming, I always feel a bit fatigued in my swim, just part of it. The older kids on the swim team and the HS team does lifting twice a week for one of their morning practices, no swimming with it, the time is entirely dryland.

RE: Weights & Swimming

The Fortress — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 08:20:39 GMT

We all had shoulder problems of one form or another, whether from overdistance, poor form, the weights, or just growth pains I can't say. :rofl: ;) Just had to have a laugh first as I put on my biofreeze to go to practice. Now, I lift before I swim if I'm doing both consecutively. (Plus, it burns more calories during the swim if you lift first!) Sometimes I lift and do other cardio on days I'm not swimming. I do rotator cuff stuff well after swimming, if possible. If you haven't done weights in awhile, you might want a personal trainer so you are using proper technique. Or, you could look at Ande's blog to see what swimming-specific type of weight training he does.

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:03:05 GMT

you have to lift before swimming ir you dont want to get hurt.

RE: Weights & Swimming

swim4me — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:08:37 GMT

What specific lifting do you do? quote] I swim three days a week with my coach and on weekends on my own when I can fit it in. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go to the gym first thing in the morning, do 30 - 40 minutes of the stairmill (or ARC or elipse to mix things up) to get my cardio as high as I can do without falling off of the stairmill :D . Then I do one set, as heavy as I can lift (usually the younger guys the lift before or after me use much lighter weights (I am a 44 yo F)) for 8 - 15 reps. I do the leg press, the push row, the pull row (the push and pull rows are much lighter weights than I can do if I just push or pull without the row, the row is more difficult, so I use lighter weights), the ham string lift, leg extentions, lat pull down (in front) and triceps. Then I go through a modified yoga stretch and meditate for 5 minutes before I begin my work day. This takes about 1 hour and I feel fabulous afterwards and can really tell the difference in my muscle definition. (The weights I choose to do for my arms help with free and breaststroke and hopefully butterfly).

RE: Weights & Swimming

dorothyrde — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:08:36 GMT

Actually, you all will think I am wacked, but I use video tapes. I specifically like this persons work-outs because she caters towards advanced exercisers and does not have a hokey persona. www.cathe.com

RE: Weights & Swimming

Former Member — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:44:58 GMT

I should have mentioned that part too. I usually give myself a light ten minute warmup before doing any weights. Then do weights. Then a longer cardio afterwards (30-60 minutes). So, maybe I should jump on the elliptical trainer (with the moving bars to get my arms warmed up) before I start lifting? Good point about lifting first... the arms won't be as tired. Thanks!:wave: