i have read (here actually: www.swimdcac.org/.../article5.html) that the bench press does more harm than good for swimmers. what is everyone else's opinion (and experience)??
I guess my gut feeling is this is hog wash. I really don't think a bench press and a push-up are that different. Certainly not enough that one would be encouraged and the other discouraged for swimmers. I'll say this, though. Whenever I've been swimming a lot I have a hard time benching much weight. The time in my life where I wasn't swimming at all is the time I was able to bench press the most weight. Granted I focused on weight training more at that time and that might be the only reason for the difference.
I guess my gut feeling is this is hog wash. I really don't think a bench press and a push-up are that different. Certainly not enough that one would be encouraged and the other discouraged for swimmers. I'll say this, though. Whenever I've been swimming a lot I have a hard time benching much weight. The time in my life where I wasn't swimming at all is the time I was able to bench press the most weight. Granted I focused on weight training more at that time and that might be the only reason for the difference.
