Swimming + Gym: Is it possible?

Former Member
Former Member
Hi there! I'm new to this forum and I'm interested in asking you some questions. I've read somewhere on the net that swimming trains pull muscles a lot so, to build a great body, swimmers complete the training with a push session in the gym. Is it true? By the way, the question is the following: Is possible to swim and to train with weights simultaneously? I'll explain it better: I go to swim three times a week and I was wondering if it's possible to complete the training with some exercises in the gym without overtraining. I'll be clear: I'm not interested in becoming a great swimmer but I've read that swimming and gym can be very effective if you want to build a fit body! If gym + swimming is possible, can someone redirect me to some "swimming + gym" training? Thanks in advance for the advices!
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    My daily swimming is for fitness unlike many of you here who are working out to compete. I'm 50. I've been back in the pool for the last 1.5 years using swimming as my main cardio training. I have also been doing high rep lower weight free weight training. But in the last 3 months I recently switched my strength workouts to heavy weights, less reps. I swim first then hit the weights. I chose that because cardio workout is main objective, strength second, and mobility third in order or importance. Here's what I'm doing and have been for about three months now: swim workout 5 days a week. Usually 40 minutes total with about 1200-1800 or so yards per workout. I go for one day medium exertion about a 1000 yard session, then slow down and finish another 500-800 yards breaking it up into 100's, 50's. Next day is light exertion swimming, usually doing 100's, 50's, and then kick/pull/swim's. 3rd day is more sprints for 1/2 workout then leisurely laps. 4th day is very light exertion for 1500yards doing anything but just keep moving. 5th day is light day usually all 50's but adding flips for 1500 yards. I go upstairs to the weight room after each swim. I've figured out I'm best if I don't do multiple body parts on the same day and stick to one body area per day. Monday: Squats 3x6, leg extensions 3x6, hamstring pulls 3x6, 2 sets of static rubber band side stepping, and 2 sets of static rubber band monster walks. Then I take about 15 minutes to work on mobility with various stretches on the ground or stretching cage. Tuesday: Bench presses 3x6, flys 3x6, overhead rows, 3x6, dips 3x6, mobility work with asian squating, small foam ball rolling out shoulders, back. Wednesday: chin-ups 3x6, rowing weight machine 3x6, deadlifts 3x6, mobility work stretching on ground. Thursday: Back to the same leg routine as monday and same mobility routine Friday: Same as Tuesday but add shoulders with military presses 3x6, sam mobility stuff. Saturday: just back work same as Wednesday. Add steam, whirlpool. Sunday: off day. I figured only doing one day of shoulder weight work cause I'm doing a ton with them in the pool. Like I mentioned I've been in this routine for about three months now. Overall I'm seeing big strength increases across the board I think due to the 3 sets of using weights I can only move for 6 times. I'm not sure what is happening to anything like lap times in the pool though. Being that I'm not competing I'm not sure it matters. As long as I dont' get into some kind of over-training problems. I plan to do this particular routine for another month then change it up a bunch. Oh yeah...I'm always hungry and sleep like a log.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    My daily swimming is for fitness unlike many of you here who are working out to compete. I'm 50. I've been back in the pool for the last 1.5 years using swimming as my main cardio training. I have also been doing high rep lower weight free weight training. But in the last 3 months I recently switched my strength workouts to heavy weights, less reps. I swim first then hit the weights. I chose that because cardio workout is main objective, strength second, and mobility third in order or importance. Here's what I'm doing and have been for about three months now: swim workout 5 days a week. Usually 40 minutes total with about 1200-1800 or so yards per workout. I go for one day medium exertion about a 1000 yard session, then slow down and finish another 500-800 yards breaking it up into 100's, 50's. Next day is light exertion swimming, usually doing 100's, 50's, and then kick/pull/swim's. 3rd day is more sprints for 1/2 workout then leisurely laps. 4th day is very light exertion for 1500yards doing anything but just keep moving. 5th day is light day usually all 50's but adding flips for 1500 yards. I go upstairs to the weight room after each swim. I've figured out I'm best if I don't do multiple body parts on the same day and stick to one body area per day. Monday: Squats 3x6, leg extensions 3x6, hamstring pulls 3x6, 2 sets of static rubber band side stepping, and 2 sets of static rubber band monster walks. Then I take about 15 minutes to work on mobility with various stretches on the ground or stretching cage. Tuesday: Bench presses 3x6, flys 3x6, overhead rows, 3x6, dips 3x6, mobility work with asian squating, small foam ball rolling out shoulders, back. Wednesday: chin-ups 3x6, rowing weight machine 3x6, deadlifts 3x6, mobility work stretching on ground. Thursday: Back to the same leg routine as monday and same mobility routine Friday: Same as Tuesday but add shoulders with military presses 3x6, sam mobility stuff. Saturday: just back work same as Wednesday. Add steam, whirlpool. Sunday: off day. I figured only doing one day of shoulder weight work cause I'm doing a ton with them in the pool. Like I mentioned I've been in this routine for about three months now. Overall I'm seeing big strength increases across the board I think due to the 3 sets of using weights I can only move for 6 times. I'm not sure what is happening to anything like lap times in the pool though. Being that I'm not competing I'm not sure it matters. As long as I dont' get into some kind of over-training problems. I plan to do this particular routine for another month then change it up a bunch. Oh yeah...I'm always hungry and sleep like a log.
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