Though my form still needs a lot of work, I am considering starting strength training in the near future, since I have read about how it can help swimming speed, form, etc.
However, I am still struggling with the idea of why strength training is needed. Lets assume that lifting a certain weight in a certain way improves a core muscle, which will help steady my posture (?).
Now assuming I don't weight lift, but instead try to hold the proper posture (high elbow, etc.) for a long period of time, and gradually increase the time I do that over weeks and months, won't those muscle(s) automatically improve?
It seems to me that intuitively the proper muscles would gradually get stronger in order to adjust to the frequent usage - that way the exact muscles I need would get stronger, instead of having to train a large array of muscles that have a relation to swimming.
What am I missing?
Parents
Former Member
Swimming is a great exercise,I'd say the best exercise,but it is not weight bearing so it may not help prevent osteoporosis as much as weight bearing exercises.More importantly for swimming speed ,it is fundamentally a high rep/low weight exercise and therefore it doesn't increase power as readily as proper lifting can. A few recent comprehensive discussions led me to come to the following conclusions:
1. As we get older, the benefits of cross-training become greater.
2. Anyone that has some body weight to loose may have better results in adding gym/cardio work. Some don't get good results in the pool in term of controlling body weight.
3. Dryland doesn't have to be done in a gym.
4. Cross Cardio work doesn't have to be done in a gym neither.
5. About weight training. Doing just a little makes a huge difference compared to doing none.
It's point 1 which is of particular interest for me. I do not mind spending little time in the gym, even if it has a slightly detrimental impact on my swim performances, if it allows me to become a healthy strong old man!
Swimming is a great exercise,I'd say the best exercise,but it is not weight bearing so it may not help prevent osteoporosis as much as weight bearing exercises.More importantly for swimming speed ,it is fundamentally a high rep/low weight exercise and therefore it doesn't increase power as readily as proper lifting can. A few recent comprehensive discussions led me to come to the following conclusions:
1. As we get older, the benefits of cross-training become greater.
2. Anyone that has some body weight to loose may have better results in adding gym/cardio work. Some don't get good results in the pool in term of controlling body weight.
3. Dryland doesn't have to be done in a gym.
4. Cross Cardio work doesn't have to be done in a gym neither.
5. About weight training. Doing just a little makes a huge difference compared to doing none.
It's point 1 which is of particular interest for me. I do not mind spending little time in the gym, even if it has a slightly detrimental impact on my swim performances, if it allows me to become a healthy strong old man!
