Just wondering how other folks here balance gym and pool workouts.
Now that I'm back in the pool I'm adjusting my lifting quite a bit to complement the swimming.
Used to, I'd alternate upper/lower body on alternate days, with one day a week off.
Now that I'm in the pool, I feel like I'm not giving my muscles enough rest time, since a swim is essentially a whole-body resistance set.
So far, I've been swimming Mon/Wed/Fri, and lifting Tue (upper), Thu (lower), and Sat (core). As I get better swim-conditioned, I plan to re-adjust, probably with more pool time.
Any thoughts, tips, experience?
Assuming you are leading a real world life (family,career and all other obligations) you will have to prioritize. Is lifting supplementing your swimming or vice versa? If swimming is your priority then you schedule the lifting around the swimming. Never skip the swimming in order to lift. Remember, s... happens so there will be times when you have to miss a day of training. Cancel a lifting session if you have to. Remember, lifting complements and optimistically (but contentiously) improves your swimming.
Another thing is the question of intensity and recovery. As you grow older recovery takes longer. I am nearly 56 and there is no way that I can do an intense session of full body lifting with composite movements (squat,deadlift, clean etc.) and the next day swim an intense session. I would suggest considering a twice a week full body session or possibly a split along the lines that Sharpsburger mentioned.
My primary activity is lifting. Swimming is supplementary so I schedule my swimming around my lifting with the major effort invested in lifting. During the year I employ different lifting routines ranging from twice weekly to every other day. Swimming is arranged around lifting frequency and intensity.
Assuming you are leading a real world life (family,career and all other obligations) you will have to prioritize. Is lifting supplementing your swimming or vice versa? If swimming is your priority then you schedule the lifting around the swimming. Never skip the swimming in order to lift. Remember, s... happens so there will be times when you have to miss a day of training. Cancel a lifting session if you have to. Remember, lifting complements and optimistically (but contentiously) improves your swimming.
Another thing is the question of intensity and recovery. As you grow older recovery takes longer. I am nearly 56 and there is no way that I can do an intense session of full body lifting with composite movements (squat,deadlift, clean etc.) and the next day swim an intense session. I would suggest considering a twice a week full body session or possibly a split along the lines that Sharpsburger mentioned.
My primary activity is lifting. Swimming is supplementary so I schedule my swimming around my lifting with the major effort invested in lifting. During the year I employ different lifting routines ranging from twice weekly to every other day. Swimming is arranged around lifting frequency and intensity.
