# Exercises for Swimming, In the gym...



## Tom B (19 Aug 2015)

I am planning on another sprint tri 2016.

Cycling.... No Problem
Running, well its only 5k my knees and flat feet can take it - just.

Swimming, I'm probably not build for swimming. I struggle to gain and maintain upperbody strength... The last sprint tri i did the first time i had managed the 16 lengths was the same week as the tri having only learned to swim on my front about 4 months earlier. SWMBO is a qualified swim instructor and is working on my technique.

Anyway the point is, getting to the pool at time that the full 25m is open is hard work for me with work commitments. But we do have a gym at work. can anyone recommend some gym exercises that will help build/maintain my swim muscles/fitness?


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## Dayvo (19 Aug 2015)

Swimming is a marvellous sport/hobby/exercise, but if you are not a strong or confident swimmer, you will struggle. 

Stroke and breathing technique are equally important as fitness. If you tried to do the full distance by doing the 'fastest' stroke (front crawl) then you will tire quickly.

I'd suggest you try the slower, but less tiring breast stroke. Breathing and coordination are easier for not so experienced swimmers.

To build up your strength, have a look at some of these exercises: in the pool http://breaststrokezone.com/breaststroke-workouts

outside the pool http://breaststrokezone.com/

Good luck.


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## Tom B (19 Aug 2015)

Dayvo said:


> Swimming is a marvellous sport/hobby/exercise, but if you are not a strong or confident swimmer, you will struggle.
> 
> Stroke and breathing technique are equally important as fitness. If you tried to do the full distance by doing the 'fastest' stroke (front crawl) then you will tire quickly.
> 
> ...



Thanks;

I can't do breast stroke... i just can't get the legs bit going. I have shoot co-ordination (dyspraxic). I'm working on the stroke and improving it and the breathing is getting there. (SWMBOs dad is a sub 5 min swimmer and is giving me pointers on this) Cardio fitness is not such an issue as i am generally cardio fit. my problem is strength, never been good at press ups or pull ups and can barely do ten of each. i do very little that will train up my upper body so need to work on that. I have a swim plan that has built up to about 70odd lengths per session, with three lots of 16 included. I just feel weak, especially towards the end of the session and my muscles are generally sore/stiff after a session. 

I have access to a gym and half an hour of an hours unpaid lunch break and thought I'd take advantage of the gym and hopefully build some upper body strength to help wiht my swimming :-)

Ill have a look at the sites


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## Dayvo (19 Aug 2015)

This, also, might be of some help.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/category.asp?catid=19


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## Tommy2 (19 Aug 2015)

Whenever I go swimming it always for more than 5 mins, I think you're father in law may not like swimming 

I haven't looked but
Swimsmooth website might have some good info anyway.


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## ColinJ (19 Aug 2015)

Tom B said:


> Thanks;
> 
> I can't do breast stroke... i just can't get the legs bit going. I have shoot co-ordination (dyspraxic). I'm working on the stroke and improving it and the breathing is getting there. (SWMBOs dad is a sub 5 min swimmer and is giving me pointers on this) Cardio fitness is not such an issue as i am generally cardio fit. my problem is strength, never been good at press ups or pull ups and can barely do ten of each. i do very little that will train up my upper body so need to work on that. I have a swim plan that has built up to about 70odd lengths per session, with three lots of 16 included. I just feel weak, especially towards the end of the session and my muscles are generally sore/stiff after a session.
> 
> ...


Strength might be an issue for top swimmers, but I think swimming technique is far more important for the average swimmer.

I used to go swimming 3 evenings a week after work in my 20s. I was physically strong from 50+ hours a week of hard manual labouring, but I was a fairly slow swimmer. A small girl aged about 8 or 9 used to be training most nights when I was there and she typically swam 100 metres for every 50 that I did and she would keep that up for an hour, completing about 4,000 metres in that time. She definitely was not anywhere near as strong as me!


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## Dayvo (19 Aug 2015)

ColinJ said:


> She definitely was not anywhere near as strong as me!



She was, just that she wasn't as fat as you, err, I mean she was more _streamlined_.


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## ColinJ (19 Aug 2015)

Dayvo said:


> She was, just that she wasn't as fat as you, err, I mean she was more _streamlined_.


Nice try ... I was 25 years old, doing 50+ hours of manual labouring a week, doing 3 one hour swim sessions a week, and running 2 lunchtimes a week. Even I didn't manage to get fat at that time!


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## Tin Pot (19 Aug 2015)

Tom B said:


> I am planning on another sprint tri 2016.
> 
> Cycling.... No Problem
> Running, well its only 5k my knees and flat feet can take it - just.
> ...



All the advice I've had is that gym work is virtually useless for swimming - there is nothing in the gym that will improve your swimming.

Any cv work will improve your fitness, but forget "strengthening swim muscles".

All my effort in swimming is guided by SwimSmooth. Everyone likes these guys:

http://www.swimsmooth.com/


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## ColinJ (19 Aug 2015)

Tin Pot said:


> All the advice I've had is that gym work is virtually useless for swimming - there is nothing in the gym that will improve your swimming.
> 
> Any cv work will improve your fitness, but forget "strengthening swim muscles".
> 
> ...


I was thinking of starting swimming again so I will check that site out later.

I have dodgy joints these days though and I am not sure how they would stand up to the stresses of swimming. I suppose that there is only one way to find out ...


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## Tommy2 (19 Aug 2015)

I feel that tri swimming is more about being efficient with a good technique so that the work you are doing in the water isn't taking too much out of you for the bike and run.

If you wanted to lead the pack out of the water then you would have to be a great swimmer with strength and technique.

I feel the only way to get better at tri swimming is to spend time in the pool doing drills and intervals unfortunately.


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## fimm (20 Aug 2015)

+ another one for Swimsmooth.


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## Saluki (20 Aug 2015)

What about finding a Swimfit class near you? They will help with stroke technique as well as letting you swim at your pace. Suitable for people who can swim for miles and for people who can swim for 25 metres.


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