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?
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Former Member
Jazz hands - I appreciate your post and opinion but please explain your statement "What you're saying has no connection to the reality of how a body creates thrust in the water." I am not implying that we should mimic a stroke on land to improve our skill in the water. We just need train the muscles in the same manner that they are used.
Jazz hands - yes, I do understand that you when you do a lat pulldown other muscles come into play such as the biceps and forearm. When i say in isolation I am referring to the fact that the core musculature is not being trained at the same time. Ap4305 made a great analogy as to why performing this exercise locked down in a machine "limits" your ability to develop strength and power in the water.
The lats basically attach to the spine. If the spine cannot stabilize it will certainly inhibit the amount of strength that the lat can express while in the pool. Exercises that strengthen the core and all of our spinal stabilizing muscles must be trained in order to utilize all of our strength. For example, a rope climb really challenges that lats and the core at the same time - this would have a better transfer of strength and power to the pool than a seated lat pulldown.
Heavier loads do increase force production and rate of force production (power) but this is more effectively trained with faster explosive movements not heavy slow ones. Either way, this increase is mostly seen in the lifts themselves.
I have no problem incorporating traditional strength training with my athletes - its just not the only thing i do. If all you do is traditional machine training your wasting your time. No training is the end all be all - its just another tool in the tool box.
Jazz hands - I appreciate your post and opinion but please explain your statement "What you're saying has no connection to the reality of how a body creates thrust in the water." I am not implying that we should mimic a stroke on land to improve our skill in the water. We just need train the muscles in the same manner that they are used.
Jazz hands - yes, I do understand that you when you do a lat pulldown other muscles come into play such as the biceps and forearm. When i say in isolation I am referring to the fact that the core musculature is not being trained at the same time. Ap4305 made a great analogy as to why performing this exercise locked down in a machine "limits" your ability to develop strength and power in the water.
The lats basically attach to the spine. If the spine cannot stabilize it will certainly inhibit the amount of strength that the lat can express while in the pool. Exercises that strengthen the core and all of our spinal stabilizing muscles must be trained in order to utilize all of our strength. For example, a rope climb really challenges that lats and the core at the same time - this would have a better transfer of strength and power to the pool than a seated lat pulldown.
Heavier loads do increase force production and rate of force production (power) but this is more effectively trained with faster explosive movements not heavy slow ones. Either way, this increase is mostly seen in the lifts themselves.
I have no problem incorporating traditional strength training with my athletes - its just not the only thing i do. If all you do is traditional machine training your wasting your time. No training is the end all be all - its just another tool in the tool box.
