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!
Parents
Former Member
Yeah good point tomtopo, I guess I'm still trying to figure it out. I posted that route down to ultimately, find out if it was OK to swim the day after lifting weights or vise versa. I really want to incorporate working out 6 days a week because I'm just to eager to have those two days off. And I'm thinking 3 cardio/3 lifting won't be bad? Than again, that might be my problem when it comes to my muscles needing rest. Heres another routine suggestion (just to let everyone know, the poll up on top will still be for the first routine):
New Routine
Sunday: upper body (intense 1.5-2hr: 3 sets/8 reps)
Monday: run 8miles
Tuesday*: Run 5-6 miles -OR- legs and maybe a little 15-20min easy cardio afterwards, to loosen up the build up in my legs (moderate to easy: 1hr)**
Wednesday: swim (moderate: 45min-1hr)
Thursday: upper body (intense 1.5-2hr: 3 sets/8 reps)
Friday: run 10miles
Saturday: rest
*Might end up occasionally substituting this day to rest or for a really easy swim, depending on how I feel that day.
**Not a big fan of using weights to workout my legs, since I'm only 18 and still plan on growing a little taller and from what I know squatting and excessive leg workouts could possible stunt my chance of growing that extra inch or so. Than again, its about time I start working out my legs, realizing how crucial they are to enhance other workouts.
- Thanks for the help everyone, I appreciate it!
Yeah good point tomtopo, I guess I'm still trying to figure it out. I posted that route down to ultimately, find out if it was OK to swim the day after lifting weights or vise versa. I really want to incorporate working out 6 days a week because I'm just to eager to have those two days off. And I'm thinking 3 cardio/3 lifting won't be bad? Than again, that might be my problem when it comes to my muscles needing rest. Heres another routine suggestion (just to let everyone know, the poll up on top will still be for the first routine):
New Routine
Sunday: upper body (intense 1.5-2hr: 3 sets/8 reps)
Monday: run 8miles
Tuesday*: Run 5-6 miles -OR- legs and maybe a little 15-20min easy cardio afterwards, to loosen up the build up in my legs (moderate to easy: 1hr)**
Wednesday: swim (moderate: 45min-1hr)
Thursday: upper body (intense 1.5-2hr: 3 sets/8 reps)
Friday: run 10miles
Saturday: rest
*Might end up occasionally substituting this day to rest or for a really easy swim, depending on how I feel that day.
**Not a big fan of using weights to workout my legs, since I'm only 18 and still plan on growing a little taller and from what I know squatting and excessive leg workouts could possible stunt my chance of growing that extra inch or so. Than again, its about time I start working out my legs, realizing how crucial they are to enhance other workouts.
- Thanks for the help everyone, I appreciate it!
