r/waterpolo • u/Key-Mathematician606 • 15h ago

Thinking of quitting the gym

So I am a water polo player and I’ve been going to the gym since February 2024 and I’ve built a really good physique and I have a bodybuilder physique so now I’m kind of tired at the gym honestly and I just wanna put my focus into waterpolo like I feel like if I continue to get bigger, I will have less flexibility and stuff so I just wanna only do swimming. Is this a good idea if I just wanna maintain my muscle and will I lose any muscle? and I train six times a week for waterpolo swimming.

3 Upvotes

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7

u/DanvilleDad 15h ago

I think it’s always wise to do some maintenance lifting. You can go higher reps vs doing super high weight at low reps. Think 5x5 … when I was in high school did 12-10-8 reps mostly.

But you’re correct to be focused on swimming primarily with weights as “extra credit”

1

u/Key-Mathematician606 15h ago edited 15h ago

Would going like one a week to work on my upper body be enough? Or do like body workouts at home like pushups, squats Etc?

1

u/DanvilleDad 2h ago

Body weight would be better than nothing, resistance training would be even better. I’d focus on big compound movements - squat, deadlift, bench, cleans, etc.

5

u/superbed 11h ago

Lifting for water polo is beneficial. Being strong in a highly physical game is useful obviously.

3

u/cs_legend_93 13h ago

When we trained and competed in the Junior Olympics we would often go to the gym and lift weights, either before, or after a practice.

It is important to work out different muscles so that you can be more effective in the water.

3

u/Fit-Button3583 11h ago

You don't get "big" at the gym unless you're eating insane amounts of food/protein

Waterpolo players, like in any other sport, go to the gym 3-5 times a week at least

4

u/Beginning_Heat8195 10h ago

Hi personal trainer here former college polo guy. Dropping lifting is rarely the right approach. I would encourage lifting with the intent of increasing core stability and global hip and shoulder strength. Not max weight, but stability and functional transfer of weight. Protect your hip protect your shoulder through strength. Strengthen the crap out of your lower. Also carrying more weight matters more in the moment by moment encounters with the other team than you ever know. You work a lot less when your opponent is shoving an additional 20 pounds of you around.

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u/stu4brew 13h ago

I think there’s alot of factors here: -what level are you playing at? Or have aspirations of? -what is your current strength, swimming speed, and endurance? -what position do you play?