Hi all!
In this thread: forums.usms.org/showthread.php
...there are a lot of different opinions on how to lift weights in combination with swimming. The opinions are all spread out in between other comments and quotes so I thought I would start a separate thread about this topic as I think it might be of value for everyone to get it sorted out how and why you should lift weights in combination with swimming. If you know of another thread with exactly this topic pls let me know and i will add this comment in that thread instead.
My strong belief so far is the following (not at all stating that this is the truth, but it is the best theory I have heard so far):
You lift weights to become stronger
If you are stronger you need less % of your total capability to travel at the same speed you did before you bacame stronger.
This will lead to that you can swim at the same speed for a longer period of time OR simply do the same distance as before, but faster
This means that both sprinters and distance swimmers benefit from becoming stronger.
You don't want to build muscle mass, since that creates drag. However, for most of us this is not a problem because if you train on a regular basis in the gym, 3-4 times a week in a very focused way you might add on 0,5-1,0 kg/year....if you are under the age of 30. Above this age you tend to add on much less if anything at all.:cane:
You become stronger by lifting heavy weights. High reps does not make you stronger, it increases your endurance capabilies. Endurance you typically practice in the pool. I therefore focus on sets of 3-6 reps with heavy weights. The next week I focus on fast movements (beacasue heavy lifting is often a rather slow movement), reducing the weights to 60-70% of max to practice fast movements under pressure (like swimming, but to the extreme). The week after that is for high reps letting the muscles rest a bit but dont let them rest completely....then I start all over again.
I typically focus on basic exercises like: squats, dead lifts, bench presses, chins and a variety of stomach and lower back exercisesVery interested to hear your opinions of the above and also your own experiences.
/Per
Parents
Former Member
I really don't care what Michael Phelps does. And I really don't care that you have absolutely no idea what the function of skeletal muscle is in swimming (hint: you can't swim without using your muscles).
I have the experience with this. No one else on this board would even try what I did, including you. So how can you tell me that it doesn't work? The time I'm talking about is 21.5 in yards, and a 20.9 relay split (rt of 0.3). I think that's pretty good considering that I never broke 22 in high school, I only swim about 200 yards per workout, and my pool doesn't have starting blocks.
It's very frustrating that I found a great way to drop time, and nobody else will try it because it contradicts their preconceptions about training. Some would rather berate me for not being as fast as Nick Brunelli.
I really don't care what Michael Phelps does. And I really don't care that you have absolutely no idea what the function of skeletal muscle is in swimming (hint: you can't swim without using your muscles).
I have the experience with this. No one else on this board would even try what I did, including you. So how can you tell me that it doesn't work? The time I'm talking about is 21.5 in yards, and a 20.9 relay split (rt of 0.3). I think that's pretty good considering that I never broke 22 in high school, I only swim about 200 yards per workout, and my pool doesn't have starting blocks.
It's very frustrating that I found a great way to drop time, and nobody else will try it because it contradicts their preconceptions about training. Some would rather berate me for not being as fast as Nick Brunelli.
