1. When the core of your training is aerobic you
don’t need to lift aerobically. Lift for speed and strength.
2. Flexibility work is key especially after lifting.
Stretching after lifting increases blood flow which aids in recovery.
You must maintain your flexibility for swimming and retain full
range of motion.
3. Large, compound, multi-joint exercises (i.e.
the deadlift) should go first in a weight training program designed
to improve athletic performance
4. Lift for improved performance, not to induce
soreness. Unnecessary soreness will not only hinder general recovery
but reduce power and speed in the water.
5. Maintain bar speed through out your lifting.
6. Lifting is for total body strength, improved
nervous system function and increased power and speed. Lifting must
compliment your swim training and will improve your swimming performance.
7. Do not lift to muscular failure. It is
old school to lift aerobically if you train 2-6 hours a day aerobically
in the pool. You eventually reach an aerobic threshold and then
the rest of your training is useless.
8. Distance swimmers will gain speed and
power from lifting. Lifting as prescribed here is a great form of
cross training that will not only help your power and speed but
help in recovery from all your slow twitch swim work.
9. You must remember the key ingredient to this
whole program is based on training for the exact event. Lifting
for speed and strength should be the basis of any lifting program.
Most coaches don’t understand how weight lifting, body strength,
speed and power work to help swimmers.
10. Weight lifting is one dryland component of
swim training. Deck-based dryland, active stretching, yoga or any
exercise regime that increases whole-body strength can be included
in your complete training program.
11. Each person has a certain muscle make-up that
helps pre-determine success for particular events and if a coach
doesn’t try to recognize individual differences then true
success or full potential will never be known. In short there are
fast twitch and slow twitch muscles in everyone and each person
has a different percentage.
12. I have had a handful of swimmers that
came from programs that over-trained and were in excellent aerobic
shape but had no speed and power or ever trained for specific events.
It took about 6-8 months to get these swimmers to train with speed
and power (quality for each event). This can be accomplished through
13. Kicking drives speed and power comes from
dryland. This needs to be a larger part of practice. Add slow controlled
kicking while using correct body position without kickboards as
an alternate way to kick in practice.