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
Does it make you Faster Faster? (Sorry, couldn't resist the Ande pun) :D
Funny the testing I am doing at the moment. Let me briefly explain.
I cut all speed work in the pool for summer time. That got my aerobic pace to drop significantly. I can usually hold 1:30 quite easily, but these days I am struggling holding 1:40.
I am discovering that every time I spend little time in the gym doing dryland, the swim session that follows (my gym and my pool are in the same building), my aerobic pace is getting a boost. Either the same day or the day that follows.
Does it make me faster faster, no. I do not think so. I think that fast sets remains the best way to swim faster faster. But I still find this link between weights and its impact on basic aerobic pace fascinating enough to continue on this scheme for a while.
Does it make you Faster Faster? (Sorry, couldn't resist the Ande pun) :D
Funny the testing I am doing at the moment. Let me briefly explain.
I cut all speed work in the pool for summer time. That got my aerobic pace to drop significantly. I can usually hold 1:30 quite easily, but these days I am struggling holding 1:40.
I am discovering that every time I spend little time in the gym doing dryland, the swim session that follows (my gym and my pool are in the same building), my aerobic pace is getting a boost. Either the same day or the day that follows.
Does it make me faster faster, no. I do not think so. I think that fast sets remains the best way to swim faster faster. But I still find this link between weights and its impact on basic aerobic pace fascinating enough to continue on this scheme for a while.
