For all you swimmers out there - How much does actual strength play into speed in the pool?
Here’s the deal: I started doing tri’s at 21, had never swam before. Got faster until I plateaued in my late 20’s and stayed there for a few years. Then, at 32, inexplicably, the bottom dropped out. I lost far more speed than you would expect from aging, and I think most people at that age maintain for several more years anyway. I basically have gotten slower every year since. (I’m 41 now) Back then a 500 TT in the pool for me was under 6:30 on a good day. These days I can rarely break 8:00 - low 7:50’s maybe on my best day, and this is with basically the same quantity and intensity of training I used to do. I think this is way more loss than can simply be attributed to aging.
I have struggled trying to regain my stroke ever since. But lately after all these years of frustration I’ve wondered how much of it could be just purely about strength. I’ve always lifted some, and back when I was swimming my fastest I could put up about 260 on the bench. Today, at about the same weight, I probably max out at 180 or so.
I know swimming is mostly about form, but all other things being equal, could just being that much weaker cause me to be that much slower a swimmer? I’m wondering if I should take a shot at building back some strength over the winter instead of just doing light weight, high reps.
Thanks.