Spaghetti arms
juleso
Posts: 279
in General Chat
I'm hoping that someone can help......
Having spent the last year working on my swimming technique, I'm now building up my stamina in three sessions a week. Trouble is, while my swimming fitness is improving, my arms don't get any stronger and now I find that the spaghetti arms, rather than the general swimming tiredness, are preventing me from swimming as strongly as I should be.
I'd like to avoid the gym if possible, because it's less economical time-wise. Does anyone have any exercises (or a book recommendation) that could help? I suppose I'm thinking press-ups, that sort of thing; something I can do at home in a spare half hour.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Having spent the last year working on my swimming technique, I'm now building up my stamina in three sessions a week. Trouble is, while my swimming fitness is improving, my arms don't get any stronger and now I find that the spaghetti arms, rather than the general swimming tiredness, are preventing me from swimming as strongly as I should be.
I'd like to avoid the gym if possible, because it's less economical time-wise. Does anyone have any exercises (or a book recommendation) that could help? I suppose I'm thinking press-ups, that sort of thing; something I can do at home in a spare half hour.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
0
Comments
http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Ways-Work-Out-Ball/dp/1592330843/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237294486&sr=1-2
may be all you need.
I do about 20mins of general stuff on the ball, using weights too, about 3 times a week at home in front of the TV/DVD and have strange new muscles....
blurredgirl
DOnt us ethem to much though.
Maybe more what you need is some swim stroke analysis - I doubt strength is the problem.
Barny, I think if you saw my arms you might rethink! They are actually like spaghetti, but perhaps a bit less muscular.
Blurredgirl, thanks for your input. If I get a red Swiss ball, perhaps my muscles will grow faster.
yawn.
To build up strength paddles are a good bet as youll be strengthening the specific muscles you use for swimming. I wouldnt do weights (IMO) because its difficult to reconstruct on weights the EXACT muscle groups used in the pool. However dont over-use paddles as injuries can occur.
Just watch you don't give the old dear doing the breaststroke a left hook by mistake as you flail past.
Mark Foster is very muscly (yes, I know that from Strictly Come Dancing) - apparently a lot of his work is done in the gym. Surely he can't be wrong?
Obviously most of swimming is technique, but even the best technique done with arms that have yet to do five pressups in a row would not lead to a reasonable swim time. IMHO.
By all means work on strength but dont get hung up on it, work on your core (tummy) in the gym as you'll find this improves your posture in the water. The more you swim the stronger your arms become, and the more you swim the better your endurance will be.
Good luck.