Novice swimmer here, 40 y.o. male. Never had any formal instruction, then started up with my local masters club about 9 mos. ago after an injury forced me to cut back on jogging. Hoping some of you old pros can help me out with answers to some basic questions:
1. Are there any muscles that swimming DOESN'T develop, and that I should work separately in order to have a "balanced" physique? For example, if you do quad exercises, you also want to work the hamstrings. What are the "equal and opposite" exercises I should do to balance out the swimming muscles? We always do some IM sets so I'm getting in at least some work in all 4 strokes. I also continue to run, about 15 mi./wk., altho I don't know why--most of the time I'm thinking I'd rather be swimming.
2. I live in CA and swim 3x a week in an outdoor pool at lunchtime so I'm getting lots of sun exposure. BESIDES sunscreen, is there anything I can wear in the water to protect at least my torso? I tried a rash guard once but it was too "draggy". Maybe I just need a really tight one.
3. My *** stroke kicking is especially bad. I think it's because I have inflexible ankles. In the "fully loaded" position, I can't seem to get my ankles cocked enough nor my feet turned out enough. Is there a stretching exercise to improve ankle flexibility?
4. How do I know when I'm ready for (i.e. able to finish) an open water swim of say 1 mile in a lake? Yardage in a pool can't be the same . . . you rest between sets, you push off the wall, there are no waves, you don't have to look up to navigate, it's significantly warmer, etc. Is there a rule of thumb such as, if I can swim 2000 yds continuously in a SCY pool I should be able to swim a mile in a lake? I don't mind finishing last, I just don't want to have to be pulled out of the water!
5. What and when do you eat and drink before an open water swim?
Thanks in advance!
Parents
Former Member
1. Swimming is a full body workout. You probably don't need to do additional exercise to get a full body workout, and if you have specific goals outside of swimming, those will need to be taken into consideration when determining what other workouts would benefit.
2. You could try to find a used fast skin that is no longer good for racing, but tight enough to practice in. It sounds like you are really worried about sun exposure, and if that is the case, you might want to track down a covered pool.
3. Are you a ninja? Only ninjas and the genetically strange can do *** stroke kick well when first starting out swimming. Here is a good place to start with ankle stretching. www.goswim.tv/.../dryland---ankle-flexibility-exercises.html The real key is probably practice.
As for 4 and 5, I don't open water swim. But I agree with the previous comments that it is mental. If you are mental, you are ready to swim open water :)
1. Swimming is a full body workout. You probably don't need to do additional exercise to get a full body workout, and if you have specific goals outside of swimming, those will need to be taken into consideration when determining what other workouts would benefit.
2. You could try to find a used fast skin that is no longer good for racing, but tight enough to practice in. It sounds like you are really worried about sun exposure, and if that is the case, you might want to track down a covered pool.
3. Are you a ninja? Only ninjas and the genetically strange can do *** stroke kick well when first starting out swimming. Here is a good place to start with ankle stretching. www.goswim.tv/.../dryland---ankle-flexibility-exercises.html The real key is probably practice.
As for 4 and 5, I don't open water swim. But I agree with the previous comments that it is mental. If you are mental, you are ready to swim open water :)
