If you swim and/or weight lift long enough, chances are you are going to get hurt.
I maintain that you are probably more likely to get hurt weight lifting than swimming, partly because there is considerably more force involved in the former, and partly because most of us on these forums are swimmers first and weight lifters second (if at all), and hence our bodies are more used to swimming than to weight lifting.
I could, certainly, be wrong.
In any event, please participate in this simple poll. Assuming you swim and at least occasionally lift weights and/or do dryland exercises in hopes of improving your swimming performance, which do you personally find more problematic for injuries?
You will have to make a judgment call here, especially if you spend MUCH more time swimming than lifting. (For example, say you swim 6 hours a week and lift 3 x 30 minutes or 1.5 hours a week. Your swimming time is 4x greater than your lifting time, so if you've suffered the same number of injuries from swimming and lifting, then lifting--hour per hour--more dangerous. )
Thanks for participating!
One might dare say that dumb bells are the Sarah Palin of exercise--attractive to some in a weird way, but ultimately a horrible, horrible mistake to get involved with.
Yes, but the comedy value of watching other people use dumbbells mandates that they be kept around.
Yes, but the comedy value of watching other people use dumbbells mandates that they be kept around.
????
Not sure I get the point of these dumbbell bashing posts. As with all things, if you don't know how to properly use somthing, leave it alone.
But...
If you want to identify strength differences between arms? Use dumbbells.
If you want to create a blance between right and left side strength. use dumbbells.
If you want to recruit more stabilizer muscles during your lifts? Use dumbbells.
If you want to be able to attack muscle groups from differing angles to create more overall strength? Use dumbbells.
If you don't know how to properly use dumbbells, stick to the machines.
Put me in the pro dumbbell group!!
1. Good for balancing your muscles and involving all those little stabilizers.
2. Safer than barbells and they take up less room.
3. More satisfying than machines (you are actually moving real weight)
4. Looks good in the mirror while lifting (no comedy I assure you)
5. I have had and seen more injuries from machines -- with less results
6. Better range of motion than machines
What's not to love?
????
Not sure I get the point of these dumbbell bashing posts. As with all things, if you don't know how to properly use somthing, leave it alone.
But...
If you want to identify strength differences between arms? Use dumbbells.
If you want to create a blance between right and left side strength. use dumbbells.
If you want to recruit more stabilizer muscles during your lifts? Use dumbbells.
If you want to be able to attack muscle groups from differing angles to create more overall strength? Use dumbbells.
If you don't know how to properly use dumbbells, stick to the machines.
I agree on all points! The comedy comes from the people who don't follow your last recommendation. My favorite stereotype is the white-haired man with 50-pound dumbbells who thinks he is doing standing bicep curls. He straightens his knees and thrusts his pelvis with each repetition so that his biceps are lifting far less weight than it would appear. But he doesn't know that. As far as he knows, he's as strong as he was when he was in the service.
????
Not sure I get the point of these dumbbell bashing posts. As with all things, if you don't know how to properly use somthing, leave it alone.
But...
If you want to identify strength differences between arms? Use dumbbells.
If you want to create a blance between right and left side strength. use dumbbells.
If you want to recruit more stabilizer muscles during your lifts? Use dumbbells.
If you want to be able to attack muscle groups from differing angles to create more overall strength? Use dumbbells.
If you don't know how to properly use dumbbells, stick to the machines.
Well put. In my experience in gyms, people (okay, men) seem to put on too much weight too fast with dumb bells. I think its because you can bail-out on them by dropping them to your sides with that "too cool sound." No fear of the bar leads to over-confidence and injury. (IMHO)
????
Not sure I get the point of these dumbbell bashing posts. As with all things, if you don't know how to properly use somthing, leave it alone.
But...
If you want to identify strength differences between arms? Use dumbbells.
If you want to create a blance between right and left side strength. use dumbbells.
If you want to recruit more stabilizer muscles during your lifts? Use dumbbells.
If you want to be able to attack muscle groups from differing angles to create more overall strength? Use dumbbells.
If you don't know how to properly use dumbbells, stick to the machines.
Spot on, Paul. I've been using dumbbells and cables a lot lately. So much more freedom of movement than barbells (and machines!) which means less joint stress.
I have to say strength training. I torn tendon in my shoulder joint,then left it injuried for about 6 months. Totally trashing my shoulder joint,now I am careful with everything so I can save my shoulder to swim. My orthopedic surgeon blames swimming for increasing the disease in my joint,but the smell of chlorine and the feel of the water when you jump in , keep me swimming.
Most of my permanent injuries (broken bones not included) are from road and mountain bike racing/rides from over 15 years ago. However, recently one of few non-injured parts of my body (right shoulder) has started to ache:bitching:.
I cannot pinpoint if the cause is related to swimming, weight lifting, other activities (i.e., work, yard work, etc), or a combination of these, but I do favor my right arm while swimming and feel it's partly from overexertion throughout my 2 year swimming history.
