workouts

DO you have a coach and a team? I am guessing not. If not, go to the top of this "workout" section in the area called "forums" and click on Coach Jeremy Kipp's, Coach Mo Chambers or Coach Nate McBride's forum and check out their workouts.

I would concentrate on building endurance while swimming as Fred said. While swimming you are working your muscles, too, and are less likley to get injurned. As with 14 you are still in your growing phase you should NOT consider weighttraining as you are likley to get injurned. If you still consider to have some dryland exercises stay with body resistance exercises only as this is not as harmful to your body as training with additional weights. brgds Matthias

What do you think of the "Total Gym"?

Well it was just the way it is handled over here. Here, you won't get access to weight training until you are at least 16. Surely leight weight training won't be that risky as heavy weight training but if you aim for leight weights you could also go for bodyresistance excersices and save the money for the dumbbells and set the injurny risk to a minimum brgds Matthias

Do you mean the machine? Well as I said in your age I would not consider training with any additional weights as it is very harmful to your body. Stay with body resistance exercises like sit-ups, crunchs etc. and wait till your a bit older (at least 16 that's the age when you can think about weighttraining with out the high injurny risk).

Originally posted by Matthias As with 14 you are still in your growing phase you should NOT consider weighttraining as you are likley to get injurned. Ehh... gotta disagree with this one. I started weight training (as part of the swim season workout) as a freshman in high school, and it was at least one of the reasons why my times really dropped. (Then again, I've always been weak for my size. Swimming helps my endurance, but not so much muscle strength.) You'll probably want to do endurance lifting, moderate-to-light weight, aiming for something like 12-15 reps. Or maybe lifting for 30 seconds, 30 seconds off. Matthias is right, that a heavy weight/few reps workout will increase the chance of injury. You'll want to do a lot of stretching, before and after the exercise. (Beforehand, it's mostly a little warm-up, loosening up, don't overdo it.) Do a search on the forums, there are a lot of threads (and suggestions) on dryland training. Jumping rope, push-ups, dips, stair jumping (good, but I hated it), sit-ups, etc.

Originally posted by mattson Ehh... gotta disagree with this one. I started weight training (as part of the swim season workout) as a freshman in high school, and it was at least one of the reasons why my times really dropped. (Then again, I've always been weak for my size. Swimming helps my endurance, but not so much muscle strength.) You'll probably want to do endurance lifting, moderate-to-light weight, aiming for something like 12-15 reps. Or maybe lifting for 30 seconds, 30 seconds off. Matthias is right, that a heavy weight/few reps workout will increase the chance of injury. You'll want to do a lot of stretching, before and after the exercise. (Beforehand, it's mostly a little warm-up, loosening up, don't overdo it.) Do a search on the forums, there are a lot of threads (and suggestions) on dryland training. Jumping rope, push-ups, dips, stair jumping (good, but I hated it), sit-ups, etc. We did weight training in early season when we were 14 as well. After the 2d week or so, we were in the pool full time and it was bye bye weights. As you say, though, it was light weight and high rep stuff with lots of stretching before and after to go with it. The total gym may be great. How much does it cost? Asked like the parent I have become!!:p