Hi everyone,
I'm trying to get a good cardio/weight lifting routine going here and I need your help with some questions...
What I know, please correct me if I'm wrong...
- Swimming pretty much works out every muscle group
- Yet, freestyle works the arms/shoulders, while *** stroke is more towards working out the chest.
- Swimming tones muscles and doesn't work them as intensely compared to lifting heavy weights.
I've been lifting (exercising upper body) for a while now as well as running on the days I don't lift, but recently I've decided to drop one of my running days in exchange for swimming. Yet, swimming would mean I'd be working my arms out possibly two days in a row if I decided to swim and then lift the next day, compared to my current routine in which I work out my upper body and then legs (running) the next day. So therefore, I was wondering, do muscles technically need need 48 hours of rest after swimming to recover properly or is the muscle gain minor just like its OK to run nearly everyday? Also, If say I were to decide to swim on Monday and Wednesday, could I lift heavily in between those days on Tuesday without worries or would my muscles need more time to rest? Bottom line, I don't really want to decrease the amount of days I weight lift in order to throw in a day of swimming, but if I have to then I will. So if I work out my arms intensely by lifting weights, then can I swim intensely the next day and still gain muscle mass under the standards that one needs 48 hours of rest to completely recover that muscle group?
Also, what about running and swimming? Theres obviously, people out there that swim or run nearly everyday, so I'm guessing the 48 hour rule of rest/recovery doesn't really apply to those sports because the muscle gain isn't as intense as lifting weights?
Here is my routine that I have made so far, does anyone think I am not getting proper muscle rest?:
Sunday: run
Monday: lift
Tuesday: swim
Wednesday: lift
Thursday: run
Friday: lift
Saturday: rest
- Thanks!
Swimming works the whole body.
You need some chest muscles to do breastroke, but it actually works primarily the legs.
Swimming fast is more intense on the upper body muscles than lifting heavy. I come from a weight lifting background and I have lost no significant peak strength. The swimming has developed alot of strength endurance.....big difference.
I only work the legs in the weight room. I would do some upper body, but I don't have the time.
As far as recovery, runners run every day and swimmers swim every day, but the workout and intensity varies. A track sprinter may do high intensity one day, and then tempo work the next as a form of active recovery. Same for swimmers, but for swimmers there are even more choices for varying the workout.
It really boils down to your goals......fitness or competition
Swimming works the whole body.
You need some chest muscles to do breastroke, but it actually works primarily the legs.
Swimming fast is more intense on the upper body muscles than lifting heavy. I come from a weight lifting background and I have lost no significant peak strength. The swimming has developed alot of strength endurance.....big difference.
I only work the legs in the weight room. I would do some upper body, but I don't have the time.
As far as recovery, runners run every day and swimmers swim every day, but the workout and intensity varies. A track sprinter may do high intensity one day, and then tempo work the next as a form of active recovery. Same for swimmers, but for swimmers there are even more choices for varying the workout.
It really boils down to your goals......fitness or competition
