Weight training is a great way to augment your strength and overall conditioning, which can directly translate to improvement in the water.

Although lifting weights should also be done with intent, as it is far easier to injure yourself while weight training than doing any other form of conditioning. When you are first starting out, you are especially susceptible to making mistakes that can become injuries if you’re not careful.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when lifting

• Perform fewer reps for strength and sprinting, and higher reps for endurance and longer distances

• Form and control are much more important than weight

• Proper form is the most important aspect of injury prevention, have an experienced partner or coach assist with your technique for each lift

• Lift with your muscles, not your ego. You are lifting to benefit your swimming, not to look a certain way or get better at lifting itself

• Accelerate force when resisting the weight, and be slow and in control when returning to the neutral position

• Start with more simple lifts, and progress to more complicated ones as you gain experience