Weight lifting and swimming

08JKgirl
08JKgirl Posts: 44 Member
edited November 25 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone,

So I am wondering if anyone here has used swimming and lifting weights as a way to get into shape and lose weight. I started a couple weeks ago and I'm really enjoying it so far (I even started doing couple early morning workouts and I have always LOATHED doing those) so what I normally do is 20 min in the pool first (instead of 15 min warm up on the elliptical) and then try off and go up and use weights.
When I was looking online most sites said never do this try and do one day of one and the next day of the other. Most of these sites were referring to people who are either just straight muscle building or swimmers. Does anyone have insight on doing it this way?? I want to lose weight but keep and maybe build a little lean muscle.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I have always pretty much just done lifting, however I don't see any reason why you couldn't do swimming as well.

    Generally speaking the reason why people separate different exercises is to give the muscles a chance to rest but swimming for most people is quite a gentle exercise in comparison, plus it's quite common to see people at leisure centres go to the gym and then swim after as a way of relaxing.

    The only thing I'd say is if you want to give your all to the lifting session, I wouldn't swim first as you may be too tired to get the most out of the weights, in the same way as doing cardio before lifting. Swimming for me isn't physically demanding on the muscles, but it still makes me tired. It depends what you'd rather focus on of course, but that's what I'd do. You'll still be able to swim ok after lifting, you may not feel the same the other way around.

    As far as weight loss goes, it won't make a difference there since all you need is a calorie deficit, just it may hinder muscle progress if you're not feeling your best for lifting.
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    I agree with PP. That advice applies mostly to people who spend hours swimming or lift REALLY heavy, progressively overloading weights. 15 minutes in the pool is barely enough time for me to warm up... I'd suggest warming up on the elliptical if you need to, lifting, THEN swimming.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Maybe not quite the answer, but I've started swimming on days I lift, but I lift before work and swim after. I run 3-4 days a week, lift 2-3 and find I can't swim on days I run but I can on days I lift. But my lifting is pretty minimal (30 mins).

    My goals are more running related than anything though.
  • 08JKgirl
    08JKgirl Posts: 44 Member
    My goal is just to lose weight and keep my muscles... and the calorie deficit I never know just how much I burn on the elliptical, during swimming, or weight lifting... so I am just trying to eat generally healthier and see what works and what doesn't...
  • clh72569
    clh72569 Posts: 280 Member
    I swim and lift weights. The only reason I lift first and then swim is logistics. Changing out of gym clothes to swim is much easier than swimming, being wet and changing into gym clothes.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Generally you should do weights every other day to give time for muscle recovery. I'm in maintenance now and swim and Weight train on alternating days. I tried swimming one day right after weights and could barely make it one length of the pool lol.
    I find weights great for strength and "toning" etc and swimming great for cardio and mobility. That plus my walking gives me a well rounded program
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    How frequently are you working out? Are you working the same muscle groups every time?

    The advice to alternating days is premised on allowing yourself enough recovery time.

    With swimming you could, if you wanted to, swim 7 days a week and not worry too much about recovery as long as you mixed up distances / intensity / strokes (I'll do 1,500 to 2,00m in the pool 3 x weekly and it's the only activity my Garmin doesn't suggest recovery time for)

    If you don't allow yourself recovery time with strength training you hamper your progress, the way around that is to work out alternating days (assuming you're doing a full body workout like Stronglifts 5 x 5) or workout different muscle groups on different days ( a fairly common approach to strength training is to alternate push, pull & legs allowing the muscle groups to recover between workouts)

    The way you structure your workouts is based entirely on your goals. Personally I like the Stronglifts 5 x 5 program (it's simple, it's pure strength using compound lifts as opposed a body builders approach, and takes about 45 min 3 x weekly) and would probably alternate between swimming one day & strength the next with a recovery day once a week. The other advantage to this approach is that you could, as your swim fitness improved, be doing longer workouts in the pool.

  • 08JKgirl
    08JKgirl Posts: 44 Member
    I go about 3 days in a row... then take a rest day then 3 days again. I am just getting into weights so most of my workout is on the machines the gym has... so it's always a full body. I do either 20 min in the pool doing as many laps as I can (or 20 mins on elliptical if I'm short on time) then making a round through the machines upstairs. I want to start getting into more free weights so I have more activities so I can add things to my list so I'm able to make a routine like that... and I do like the idea of having the push, pull, and leg days.
  • daltontf
    daltontf Posts: 63 Member
    Be careful with your free style form. I had shoulder problems that seem to be exacerbated by doing bench and over head presses combined with not enough hip and shoulder rotation while swimming.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    it's the only activity my Garmin doesn't suggest recovery time for)

    Same here, but I think it's more because it doesn't do HR in the pool so it can't determine anything, rather than not needing recovery. Do you swim with a strap?
  • 08JKgirl
    08JKgirl Posts: 44 Member
    My swimming definitely needs work... I am taking a class in a couple weeks to learn a couple different strokes so I don't wreck my shoulder cause I do have problems with the one shoulder if I over do it
  • Amazonagirl915
    Amazonagirl915 Posts: 1 Member
    Lifting and swimming back to back is definitely not unheard of. In high school, my team would do full body gym workouts and then swim. I ended up doing the reverse in college. It sounds like you use it to get a good low impact cardio warm up before the weights. When you do decide to get into a routine leg days, consider swimming after? It’s always felt amazing to swim right after leg day for me, even if it’s just a little bit. Kind of helps with soreness. You could also try using a kick board to give your shoulder relief and get more of an aerobic workout
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    it's the only activity my Garmin doesn't suggest recovery time for)

    Same here, but I think it's more because it doesn't do HR in the pool so it can't determine anything, rather than not needing recovery. Do you swim with a strap?

    Not yet, I'm too cheap to fork out $180 for the triathlon chest strap! :smiley:
  • Rose18l
    Rose18l Posts: 147 Member
    I sometimes go swimming after lifting as a cooling down. For warm up, your muscles cool down again when drying off amd changing in workout clothes. So I would advise to still do some type of warm up before lifting other than swimming
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
    This is exactly what I do, but perform them on alternate days. My weight training is intense however, over an hour of pretty intensive work. I also don't just swim leisurely, after the first few laps I really give'r for at least 30 minutes. You should give your muscles a day of rest after weight training so I swim laps on the alternate days for my cardio as I have very bad knees so still a good cardio workout without the impact. I have also devised a good HIIT workout I can do at home on swim days if Im really feeling energetic for an extra cardio boost that day!
  • 08JKgirl
    08JKgirl Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks for the replies everyone! Lots of solid advice here :)
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    it's the only activity my Garmin doesn't suggest recovery time for)

    Same here, but I think it's more because it doesn't do HR in the pool so it can't determine anything, rather than not needing recovery. Do you swim with a strap?

    Not yet, I'm too cheap to fork out $180 for the triathlon chest strap! :smiley:

    Yeah, I hear ya (says the guy who forked out $250 for earbuds).
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I lift and swim during the summer only. Usually twice a week each, on alternate days. I found it difficult to freestyle after lifting the same day, my arms were too tired. I also do a cardio workout early morning before either of those activities.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    When I was at a gym with pool, I did upper body lifting, then a mile swim or as much as time would allow.

    I noticed it helped so much with recovery, as long as I was very careful with swimming form after being tired from lifting. With shoulder problems it was easy to make things worse rather than better if not watchful.

    On lower body lifting days, went outside for 6 mile run with hill sprints - that was not intended to aid recovery.
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,520 Member
    I used to lift then swim on Tues and Thurs. No problems :) as someone above mentioned, I found it much easier logistics wise to go to the gym - then swim. Less clothing faff. Also helped me to stretch out after weights.
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    I used to often take my kids to the local high school pool to swim.

    There were some very obese women who were always there swimming lap after lap after lap. They were obviously very experienced swimmers. It's great cardio and low impact.

    However, these women never got any thinner. They looked like whales.

    My conclusion: Swimming is great cardio but is ineffective for weight loss unless you eat less calories than you burn.
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,520 Member
    Lean59man wrote: »
    I used to often take my kids to the local high school pool to swim.

    There were some very obese women who were always there swimming lap after lap after lap. They were obviously very experienced swimmers. It's great cardio and low impact.

    However, these women never got any thinner. They looked like whales.

    My conclusion: Swimming is great cardio but is ineffective for weight loss unless you eat less calories than you burn.

    waves hand! :D

    I was one of these! I swam every weekday for 2 years before I started using MFP. Proper lap swimming, not stood in pool chatting. I could do a 5km swim in around 1hr45. But still overweight for those 2 years......with squash and the swims and BodyPump and BodyCombat as my exercise............

    Totally about eating less calories for me! When I started logging food - that's when swimming paid off - as said above, it is great cardio and gives you a mammoth amount of calorie leeway......once you are tracking and aware of your basic calorie intake goals :)
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