Swam in college and currently swim masters. I prefer the sprints. I have a very strong kick but don't feel I have the upper body strength of a female swimmer. I hit the weight room and as long as I am consistent, can get very strong out of the water. The only problem is that the out-of-water strength does not necessarily translate into power/strength in the water.
Would a pull buoy help me to have more power in the water? I am concerned that I am too dependent on my kick for my speed. My only concerns are that I don't want the pull buoy to mess up my rotation on freestyle. Also, I have never had any shoulder issues and am hoping to keep it that way.
Any suggestions on how I can improve my upper body strength in the pool?
I believe you swim faster by improving your technique and feel for the water. Feel for the water can be roughly translated as "being sensitive to feeling and generating water pressure". I eschew paddles for that reason.
Minimizing resistance - frontal, eddy and laminar are more important than muscular strength. Generally, required power (strength) cubes as a function of velocity.
Having said that, let me confuse the issue by saying that I believe it is very important to lift weights - but with the goal of strengthing all or as many as of muscles possible - to protect one's joints, build bone mass, exercise important muscle groups that swimming alone can not condition, etc.
Let me "second" the focus on technique. I've done more technique work in the last three months, really trying to re-build from freestyle from the ground up, and am swimming my fastest Master's times (by a lot) since starting back at 33 years old eight years ago. I am lifting somewhat outside of the pool but not in a consistent or well-structured manner. I think the biggest initial incremental gains (for me) have come from learning how to really:
catch & hold onto the water,
connect my hip rotation to my pull, and
connect a strong, continuous kick to my stroke
With that said, I do know I need to be stronger. Once I finish up this SCM "season" next week, I'm planning on building in a weight-training regimen like the one Jason Lezak (see www.bodybuilding.com/.../jasonlezak1.htm). Mind you, I'm a lifelong distance swimmer now wishing to become a solid mid-distance guy (400/500) and feel like I need to add some power to a better technique.
I believe you swim faster by improving your technique and feel for the water. Feel for the water can be roughly translated as "being sensitive to feeling and generating water pressure". I eschew paddles for that reason.
Minimizing resistance - frontal, eddy and laminar are more important than muscular strength. Generally, required power (strength) cubes as a function of velocity.
Having said that, let me confuse the issue by saying that I believe it is very important to lift weights - but with the goal of strengthing all or as many as of muscles possible - to protect one's joints, build bone mass, exercise important muscle groups that swimming alone can not condition, etc.
Let me "second" the focus on technique. I've done more technique work in the last three months, really trying to re-build from freestyle from the ground up, and am swimming my fastest Master's times (by a lot) since starting back at 33 years old eight years ago. I am lifting somewhat outside of the pool but not in a consistent or well-structured manner. I think the biggest initial incremental gains (for me) have come from learning how to really:
catch & hold onto the water,
connect my hip rotation to my pull, and
connect a strong, continuous kick to my stroke
With that said, I do know I need to be stronger. Once I finish up this SCM "season" next week, I'm planning on building in a weight-training regimen like the one Jason Lezak (see www.bodybuilding.com/.../jasonlezak1.htm). Mind you, I'm a lifelong distance swimmer now wishing to become a solid mid-distance guy (400/500) and feel like I need to add some power to a better technique.
