which would be a more valuable way to spend my limited $$ over the winter…swim with a master’s team or buy a gym membership (with a pool but no masters). i’m built like a true distance runner (i.e. skinny arms and torso) and am not very good in the water (i.e. @ 25:30 tri 1500). this is an either or with no chance of both. i am initially intimidated by the master’s programs i see due to the complexity of their workouts (at least from my vantage point).
if the only reason to join the gym is to have access to the pool, then join the masters instead… and don’t be intimidated. the whole purpose of masters programs is to provide a great environment for all levels of swimmers to get a good workout and improve on thier strokes.
i have yet to swim with a masters group (and i have moved a lot) that wasn’t very helpful and encouraging. my swimming has improved signficantly over the years as a result of some great masters coaches.
Join the team, you can do a lot of key gym/strength type exercises at home. No reason to be intimidated.
the thought on the gym membership was to spend some time in the weight room as well
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You could get the gym membership and try to hook up with some swimmer at that pool. There will likely be some swimmers there that would not mind helping you out.
Spending hours and hours at the gym pool will help your upper body strength and endurance, but will do little to improve your swim times. Swimmming is about technique, strength will only get you so far until your crappy form makes it impossible to go faster no matter how strong you are. Flailers like me, and apparently you, need somone to show them. Join the Master’s program. Do not be intimidated. You will fell like your dieing for a session or two, but when your coach or fellow swimmers mention your progress, you’ll know it was worth it.
i’m defenitely not a ‘flailer.’ i’ve had “swimmers” look at my stroke and they say i really don’t have any serious flaws that are slowing me down. i just haven’t spent much time in the water
Spending hours and hours at the gym pool will help your upper body strength and endurance, but will do little to improve your swim times.
I beg to differ. There’s no better way to get faster in the water than spending hours and hours in the water. Period.
That said, I’d join the masters team, and do some home pt to take care of any strength training.
you swim 25:30 @1500 meters and call yourself not good???
when i’m getting beat by my ‘rivals’ out of the water by 5 minutes or more, i need to close that gap to even have a chance
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I swam many times under 20:00 for 1500m and never lift a single weight…It’s all about the technique get in that pool… There’s kids of 14-15 years that have arms and legs not bigger than lolipop that swim 17-18mins…
Masters swim for sure!!!
But you need to follow these rules:
1- Swim all strokes don’t only swim freestyle, the other strokes will help you strenght your body. Try to swim 200 fly and let me know what harder bench 200lbs or 200m fly. Also the benefit from swimming the other stroke is feel for the water. Once you get the water feeling it’s there for life!!!
2- Ask the coach to verify your stroke at least once every two weeks, if you have access to get taped that’s the best.
4- Finally, to improve in the water it’s a minimum of 3-4 times per week. Even if you only just for one hour it’s ok, you need to find that “feel for the water”.
Alex
Gym.
Then, you don’t feel bad when/if you can’t make it to Master’s. Find fast swimmers at the gym pool and work with them…
gym…muscles…yeah baby.
Don’t be intimidated - most of them are or were no different than you - in fact you swim faster than more than half the people in our program.
Which will be a more enjoyable way to spend your time? You’re going to spend a lot more hours doing whichever you choose than you’re going to save seconds in a race even if one were somehow quantifiably a little better for you at this point (which as an aside I think is the masters route if any). To me, that - the training mode itself - is the “which is more valuable” question that you need to ask (yourself). Man is a social animal. Time is all we’ve got. Triathlon is a lifestyle, and suffering (I mean that in the best possible way) together in the pool is part of it for many. Get on the bus! Drink the Koolaid! It’s not going to hurt you!
Is there any reason you can’t try out the masters program for one month and then switch if it’s not your cup of tea? I’d give it at least that long to get past the intimidation part and make a few pals and hopefully start to enjoy the social and positive peer pressure aspects of it. Nothing beats knowing your lane-mates are waiting for you to get you out of bed in the morning (sort of the reverse approach of whoever said join the gym and then you won’t feel as guilty about blowing off training)
thanks for all the info ya’ll. i think i’ll probably end up in a master’s program this winter and doing pushups in my living room.
Join your local ymca, a pool and a bunch of programs that will help your swimming. I just searched your y, I wish mine had these swim programs, I wouldn’t have dropped my membership.
http://www.ymcatriangle.org/Assoc_Search.aspx?NID=EAA20FF85F4A4EDF87DBCE456DB407DD
Dustin,
Come on out to Durham Area Masters-- just $3 per session, pay as you attend. Schedule is available on the website - http://www.dama.nseg.net/. Located at Campus Hills Pool, right on the edge of RTP.
Alicia
The good thing about the gym is you can go when convienent. I swim based on my schedule with my daughter. Ususally means swimming mornings I do not have her and any other time I can get a few moment in the pool. A masters program never works with my schedule. I am stuck having my 8yo teach me drills and look at my stroke 
Gym works great for winter weight training too.
i’ll defenitely check it out this winter. i’m assuming i can come a few times before i join the master’s thing though?
Yup! To be honest, I’ve been coming 3-4 times per month since Spring, and no one has asked me to join the USMS.
See you there!