Strength for 50-200m racing or exercises just to work the upper body for endurance (as they are two separate things, one fast twitch, other slow twitch muscle activation). For the latter, I used stretch chords and rowing machine combo (the former for lats and shoulders, the latter for core) during pandemic, and three weeks back in the pool my times were close to what I left off from. Plus assuming you are running, you'll have plenty of endurance to hop back in.

All variations on rotator cuff strengthening

Hanging on a bar. Build up to 10x30 seconds

Pull ups.

Push ups.

Foam rolling on the back. Get a hard foam roller. Roll on it

Arm raises with dumb or kettle -3x10

While I make no claims to be a fast swimmer in any age group below the age of sixty I can confirm that stretch bands are pretty good at conditioning for swimming. Coupled with a heart monitor so that they are used at a level that is challenging ( I would suggest aiming for a HR that is similar to your run HR) for a similar time to a swim workout.

I got bored with swimming pools a while ago and managed last season to get by training almost exclusively with them. I didn't get faster, but conversely, I didn't get slower.

Certainly pushups, pullups and horizontal pullups are great. I would also throw in some Tricep Muscle Dips great for the last portion of the stroke.
If you are an adult learner then you probably have never developed those muscles to the same extent that a club swimmer would have.

It's an interesting idea, but if I tried to get my heart to the same pace using my back muscles and arms as I do using my leg muscles, belly muscles, chest and everything else I use for running, then the "swimming muscles" would be deader than O'Ren within a minute or two.

I will however apply your advice to monitor heart rate, i.e., use a chest strap and place the watch in front of my face. It will be interesting to see how the HR jumps. For now I've only been able to see the average HR after a workout.

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

follow dandaly on insta for power, and theswimmingpt on insta for the stuff you should do to prevent swimmers shoulder

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Some half-ass help coming your way :-).

Try searching the forum for dry land workouts in the COVID years. Band workouts are often great for 'integrated' workouts with swim exercise and resistance. Other workouts that feature some pushups (of many configurations) and core work are also good.


In my band workout series, I do lots of movements that hold a position in the stroke, or use a half or partial stroke, or use very heavy resistance at times. These act (to my non scientist/coach mind) like strength training. Best 2: fast fly strokes w heavy resistance and short time; hold the stroke (2-5 seconds or more) when your forearm is perpendicular to the ground in any mode/speed/resistance. YMMV but my stroke count plummets when I do this stuff for a month.


I would link to the series I used, but it's gone from youtube and my mail search came up empty. I have printouts of the workouts that are 2 years old that I still use. I actually just went to email the guy and don't seem to have a contact. If I find it I'll PM you.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6915385/


https://www.usms.org/fitness-and-training/articles-and-videos/articles/heart-rate-training-part-i?Oldid=109


Aye and there's the "rub" for most swimmers in triathlon. They don't go hard enough, often enough, long enough, to increase their muscle efficiency when swim training. When I did swim with a Master Group made up of ex-competitive swimmers my HR would routinely go into zone 4 and 5 levels. When I swim alone, not so much because it interferes with the "lane" dwellers. When running or biking there are no such restrictions.

I do punch weights. 10lb in each hand and punch. The time I do this non stop usually correlates to the time I can do non stop swimming, not so much speed... So 20min of non stop weight punches is 20 min of endurance with no toys or wetsuit

I am not familiar with that as a swimming exercise. Do you do that standing or lying on a bench. Punching up or like a bench press. Curious about which muscles that would activate.

It is possible to maintain some swim fitness and swim strength with cords.

I bought a used Vasa for my cabin.
That's probably a bit better.

What you need are activities that are as close to swimming as possible.

I would NOT go to deep into the weeds with "gym guru" stuff.

Swimming fast (especially sprint swimming) does require strength.

But the best way to develop that strength is through natural movements (or as "natural" as possible,).

Standing up, it's works the lats specifically for swimming. Another variant I do is on a bench and do with arms (holding weight) as if doing a dry land kicking drill

I need to go to the gym and strength train so I can beat the 10 year olds in the lane next to me.

Not familiar with "gym guru"

The OP was asking about what to use as they didn't have access to a pool for some months. And the vasa isn't much of a short term answer as they don't give them away with petro points . The cords can do a lot if a person is diligent and explores all their options. And they are a quick and dirty answer for training you just need a convenient door jamb or post and with weights you need a bench and a rack and a variety of plates, it get's expensive real quick without really covering the range.

Right now I'm too lazy to do any of it. "I'll thank about it tomorrow" (or March whichever comes first)

Expensive, supervised, strength training is essential for out-swimming 10 year olds.

I think your posts are quite helpful.

I have used swim cords.
They do work...
A little...

The reason that they work (a little) - is because they are a little bit like swimming.
The more you use cords to imitate (all aspects of swimming)- the better they work.

A vasa is a bit more like swimming. (But it is not always possible to use one.)

Real swimming is best. (But also not always possible).



A "gym guru" is the guy who believes strength training is the core of what we are doing.
The gym guru thinks actually swimming is just a "cardio" supplement to the more important activity of weightlifting.
The gym guru thinks looking like a body builder will necessarily make you a fast swimmer.

A "gym guru" is the guy who believes strength training is the core of what we are doing.
The gym guru thinks actually swimming is just a "cardio" supplement to the more important activity of weightlifting.
The gym guru thinks looking like a body builder will necessarily make you a fast swimmer.




On that basis alone I'm a gym gnu...how do you do


(old, really old joke)

I have not been doing pull ups nor pushups lately and after swim and doing a rowing workout, I hung 5x30 seconds and realized how tight things have become. Good advice.

Quite self promotional but you can’t argue with the results Kelly has

The hanging stuff I picked up from Kelly pallace

https://www.championsmojo.com/p/shoulderhealth/

https://swimswam.com/...ecords-in-six-weeks/

I bet some of these records are pretty soft - 3000 and the short course meters

The record were actually pretty tough all around that she broke. I know the gal she took the 1650 from, and that had stood for the past 5 years. And dont forget that ladies like Laura Val(now 70+ and crushing all the records) and Karlyn Pipes swam through this age group in the past, setting all sorts of records that had been broken.

Her times are super solid, and no doubt her records should last some years, unless she breaks them of course. Next up all the SCM and LCM distance events, and maybe even some 200's in the odd distances.

I have kind of wondered if scm doesn’t get pushed too much by the real fast crew in the states.

Obviously the 500 and 1k yards are blue ribbon distance events but if you’re telling me they are legit times then I’ll take your word for it. She’s been fairly transparent (Kelly) in her training and sounds like she’s had a real tear at it this season and improved a lot. She’s done usrpt in the past but now sounds like she’s just working hard and lifting and racing herself into top shape

Her records will definitely get broken as the masters just gets faster and faster

I have a much better feel of the meters events - can compare those with the Aussies easier

:)
No, it doesn't take a lot of strength for a 10 year old to swim 1:30's
It just takes swimming and coaching

This whole thread is like asking why someone who can legpress a ton of weight can't run the mile or even an 800 really fast, whereas small skinny runners who can barely leg press anything, can smoke those distances.

The bottom line is that you can maintain and develop some swim fitness with cords.

The more you try to imitate the aerobic and muscular demands of swimming the better it will work.

There are a whole list of problems with this approach however.

List of problems:
1) It feels like a strength activity. Therefore, you treat it as one and don't bo aerobic activity at all.
Solution- don't forget to do regular aerobic sets.

2) You won't get the feel for swimming.
Solution- try to use arms as you would while swimming.
Pretend you are swimming in your minds eye.
Make sure you get as much real swimming in as is practical.

3) Most arm power is deployed under core while doing real swimming.
Cords will overwork triceps.
Solution- adjust cords to do occasional strength exercises directly under core.

4) Swimming also requires specific core strength and leg/kick strength.

I don't have a good answer to this?