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
People greatly overestimate the importance of supplements. I'd say for about half of the time I've been lifting I didn't use any supplements at all. They are kind of expensive, and while there is a lot of research supporting the use of certain supplements, the benefits for me have been rather small compared to my overall progress. The ones I have used are:
Multivitamins
I've been doing this since I was a kid. Just making sure I cover all the essential nutrients.
Fish oil caps
This is maybe something I should read more about. It has that general overwhelming "good for you" vibe that nobody seems to question. Lately I've been buying omega-3 eggs instead of taking the pills.
Creatine monohydrate
Oooh, controversial! I generally take 5g a day. Used to do it before workouts, but I never noticed any acute effects. It seemed more like I would get a little performance boost in the weight room after several days of building up the creatine levels in my body. Early last year I would forget to take my dose all the time, and I basically gave it up for a while. Then I had a conversation with a friend of mine about creatine, how people misunderstand it (it's not a hormone), and how it's been shown to enhance performance. And he asked me, "If it's so great, why aren't you using it anymore?" Good question, so I started back up this fall.
People greatly overestimate the importance of supplements. I'd say for about half of the time I've been lifting I didn't use any supplements at all. They are kind of expensive, and while there is a lot of research supporting the use of certain supplements, the benefits for me have been rather small compared to my overall progress. The ones I have used are:
Multivitamins
I've been doing this since I was a kid. Just making sure I cover all the essential nutrients.
Fish oil caps
This is maybe something I should read more about. It has that general overwhelming "good for you" vibe that nobody seems to question. Lately I've been buying omega-3 eggs instead of taking the pills.
Creatine monohydrate
Oooh, controversial! I generally take 5g a day. Used to do it before workouts, but I never noticed any acute effects. It seemed more like I would get a little performance boost in the weight room after several days of building up the creatine levels in my body. Early last year I would forget to take my dose all the time, and I basically gave it up for a while. Then I had a conversation with a friend of mine about creatine, how people misunderstand it (it's not a hormone), and how it's been shown to enhance performance. And he asked me, "If it's so great, why aren't you using it anymore?" Good question, so I started back up this fall.
