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?
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!
Solar -- you make a lot of sense -- there are huge benefits from strength training in all aspects of life. One thing I've noticed as I pursue my quest for the fountain of middle age, is that I do see results from less frequent weight training. In my twenties, I did some sort of strength training almost everyday with the workouts split so that every major muscle group was hit 3 times a week. The new and creaky me needs more like 3 or 4 days between each heavy weight workout. I have made huge progress in the strength department this year lifting on Wednesdays and most Sundays only. Very few of the published or posted guidelines for strength training seem to take age into account in any fashion.
Strength training helps me:
carrying multple children at once
not complain about walking home from the grocery store with many bags
stand up straighter
shovel snow (think the swimming was good for that too)
wrestle air conditioners (okay not so good there)
maybe with the weight loss thing
One thing I have to disagree with...Solar if that is you in those little videos you keep posting...you don't look like no old man!
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!
Solar -- you make a lot of sense -- there are huge benefits from strength training in all aspects of life. One thing I've noticed as I pursue my quest for the fountain of middle age, is that I do see results from less frequent weight training. In my twenties, I did some sort of strength training almost everyday with the workouts split so that every major muscle group was hit 3 times a week. The new and creaky me needs more like 3 or 4 days between each heavy weight workout. I have made huge progress in the strength department this year lifting on Wednesdays and most Sundays only. Very few of the published or posted guidelines for strength training seem to take age into account in any fashion.
Strength training helps me:
carrying multple children at once
not complain about walking home from the grocery store with many bags
stand up straighter
shovel snow (think the swimming was good for that too)
wrestle air conditioners (okay not so good there)
maybe with the weight loss thing
One thing I have to disagree with...Solar if that is you in those little videos you keep posting...you don't look like no old man!
