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
To those of you who do not believe that strength training will benefit your swimming as you age I greatly encourage you to research Sarcopenia and what it does to the human body (and with that athletic performance). Here is a short article that outlines Sarco in brief and what can be done to combat it. This is ESPECIALLY important for females as strength training not only combats Sarcopenia but can increase bone mineral density which is something that EVERY female post 40 should be highly interested in. Swimming cannot increase BMD so strength training should be a high priority for not only athletes over the age of 35 but especially females.
The male animal should be highly interested in strength training for not only combating Sarcopenia and elevating bone mineral density but perhaps more so for the hormonal response that comes with lifting heavy weight. It is well documented that strength training increases testosterone levels and that is something that every man post 40 should care highly about. So whether you are a male or female regardless of whether or not you think strength training will help your swimming as you age (I believe it will) the actual health benefits of proper strength training far outweigh the possibility of it slowing you in the pool (which I believe it won't anyway).
"""
In physically inactive people there is a loss of about of lean muscle mass every year between age 25 and 60, and a corresponding decline in muscle strength. From age 60 on, the rate of loss doubles, to about 1%. It doubles again at age 70; again at age 80, and then again at age 90.
How does this translate to the human body? We are losing muscle mass, and that muscle mass is being replaced by fat cells. Typically an individual wonders why they develop a “pouch” gut, or why their thighs or buttocks are becoming larger. We realize we are not gaining muscle mass in these areas, but losing muscle mass and fat cells are gaining in size. Most people can envision this process occurring in their body from the age of 30 on.
Inactive people normally have the most servere atrophy (loss of muscle mass), but active people also may experience atrophy of the muscle. The greatest loss is experienced with the fast twitch (FT) versus the slow twitch (ST) muscles. The FT muscles are used for high-intensity, anaerobic movements (weight lifting) while the ST are employed for activities such as running, dancing, biking, etc.
With aging and inactivity, the most atrophy is seen in the fast twitch (FT) fibers which are recruited during high-intensity, anaerobic movements. Although sarcopenia is mostly seen in physically inactive individuals, it is also evident in individuals who remain physically active throughout their lives. Present finding suggests that physical inactivity is not the only contributing factor to sarcopenia. Current research is finding that the development of sarcopenia is a multifactor process. Many factors, including physical inactivity, motor-unit remodeling, decreased hormone levels, and decreased protein synthesis, may all contribute to sarcopenia. Fortunately, sarcopenia is partly reversible with appropriate exercise interventions.
The purpose of this article is to focus on Sarcopenia and the importance of resistance training in preventing it and reversing its effect. The other important aspect is the decrease of hormones and the reduction of protein synthesis to build and maintain muscle mass. These are also an effect of the aging process that few people are aware of.
What causes Sarcopenia?
The aging process
Physical inactivity
Reduction of hormone production in the human body as we age i. Testosterone - ii. Human growth hormone
Decrease of protein synthesis ability within the human body as we age
Female estrogen levels may also play a role in the development of sarcopenia during and after menopause. This topic has limited research, but it does appear that many females develop a “pouch” after menopause.I believe it is important to mention hormones and protein uptake, but I would like to keep the focus of this article on Sarcopenia. I will cover hormones and protein uptake for another article.
Why is resistance or weight training mentioned so often with weight loss?
We know weight training is considered anaerobic - The term anaerobic is defined as "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise uses muscles at high levels of intensity and a high rate of work for a short time period. Anaerobic exercise (weight training) helps us increase our muscle strength and therefore increases muscle size. If your strength increases, then muscle cell must increase in size.
If we go back to where this article started… Sarcopenia can be stopped and reversed with proper weight training. Moreover the muscle mass we are creating is also known as lean body mass. For every 10 pounds of lean body mass we carry on our bodies, 500 calories per day is consumed to maintain that body mass.
Yes, you may burn more calories by running or walking, but these activities will not increase muscle mass as weight training does.
If you consider weight training as curling 2 or 3 pound dumbbells as you watch TV, you should consult with a local weight lifting trainer or join a health club. These individuals or organizations will help you reach your goals in a safe and knowledgeable manner. It is extremely important that you learn the proper techniques and lifting form(s). Proper training will insure results, safety and help prevent unnecessary injuries."""
- Richard Train
Paul, I bolded those parts for you because I think that is a very important thing for you to consider for your sprints as you age.
Also, I have officially offered to fly you and Robert out to Pennsylvania in 2027 for an all expense paid trip to see me trap bar deadlift 450+ lbs at 44 years of age. Are you game?
To those of you who do not believe that strength training will benefit your swimming as you age I greatly encourage you to research Sarcopenia and what it does to the human body (and with that athletic performance). Here is a short article that outlines Sarco in brief and what can be done to combat it. This is ESPECIALLY important for females as strength training not only combats Sarcopenia but can increase bone mineral density which is something that EVERY female post 40 should be highly interested in. Swimming cannot increase BMD so strength training should be a high priority for not only athletes over the age of 35 but especially females.
The male animal should be highly interested in strength training for not only combating Sarcopenia and elevating bone mineral density but perhaps more so for the hormonal response that comes with lifting heavy weight. It is well documented that strength training increases testosterone levels and that is something that every man post 40 should care highly about. So whether you are a male or female regardless of whether or not you think strength training will help your swimming as you age (I believe it will) the actual health benefits of proper strength training far outweigh the possibility of it slowing you in the pool (which I believe it won't anyway).
"""
In physically inactive people there is a loss of about of lean muscle mass every year between age 25 and 60, and a corresponding decline in muscle strength. From age 60 on, the rate of loss doubles, to about 1%. It doubles again at age 70; again at age 80, and then again at age 90.
How does this translate to the human body? We are losing muscle mass, and that muscle mass is being replaced by fat cells. Typically an individual wonders why they develop a “pouch” gut, or why their thighs or buttocks are becoming larger. We realize we are not gaining muscle mass in these areas, but losing muscle mass and fat cells are gaining in size. Most people can envision this process occurring in their body from the age of 30 on.
Inactive people normally have the most servere atrophy (loss of muscle mass), but active people also may experience atrophy of the muscle. The greatest loss is experienced with the fast twitch (FT) versus the slow twitch (ST) muscles. The FT muscles are used for high-intensity, anaerobic movements (weight lifting) while the ST are employed for activities such as running, dancing, biking, etc.
With aging and inactivity, the most atrophy is seen in the fast twitch (FT) fibers which are recruited during high-intensity, anaerobic movements. Although sarcopenia is mostly seen in physically inactive individuals, it is also evident in individuals who remain physically active throughout their lives. Present finding suggests that physical inactivity is not the only contributing factor to sarcopenia. Current research is finding that the development of sarcopenia is a multifactor process. Many factors, including physical inactivity, motor-unit remodeling, decreased hormone levels, and decreased protein synthesis, may all contribute to sarcopenia. Fortunately, sarcopenia is partly reversible with appropriate exercise interventions.
The purpose of this article is to focus on Sarcopenia and the importance of resistance training in preventing it and reversing its effect. The other important aspect is the decrease of hormones and the reduction of protein synthesis to build and maintain muscle mass. These are also an effect of the aging process that few people are aware of.
What causes Sarcopenia?
The aging process
Physical inactivity
Reduction of hormone production in the human body as we age i. Testosterone - ii. Human growth hormone
Decrease of protein synthesis ability within the human body as we age
Female estrogen levels may also play a role in the development of sarcopenia during and after menopause. This topic has limited research, but it does appear that many females develop a “pouch” after menopause.I believe it is important to mention hormones and protein uptake, but I would like to keep the focus of this article on Sarcopenia. I will cover hormones and protein uptake for another article.
Why is resistance or weight training mentioned so often with weight loss?
We know weight training is considered anaerobic - The term anaerobic is defined as "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise uses muscles at high levels of intensity and a high rate of work for a short time period. Anaerobic exercise (weight training) helps us increase our muscle strength and therefore increases muscle size. If your strength increases, then muscle cell must increase in size.
If we go back to where this article started… Sarcopenia can be stopped and reversed with proper weight training. Moreover the muscle mass we are creating is also known as lean body mass. For every 10 pounds of lean body mass we carry on our bodies, 500 calories per day is consumed to maintain that body mass.
Yes, you may burn more calories by running or walking, but these activities will not increase muscle mass as weight training does.
If you consider weight training as curling 2 or 3 pound dumbbells as you watch TV, you should consult with a local weight lifting trainer or join a health club. These individuals or organizations will help you reach your goals in a safe and knowledgeable manner. It is extremely important that you learn the proper techniques and lifting form(s). Proper training will insure results, safety and help prevent unnecessary injuries."""
- Richard Train
Paul, I bolded those parts for you because I think that is a very important thing for you to consider for your sprints as you age.
Also, I have officially offered to fly you and Robert out to Pennsylvania in 2027 for an all expense paid trip to see me trap bar deadlift 450+ lbs at 44 years of age. Are you game?
