Swimming - lift weights before or after?

My physical therapy department advised me to swim due to mid back pains that occur because of the imbalance I created on my body (disproportionate muscle allocation, weak back muscles comparing to the rest of my body).

My goal = healthy body. Muscle growth will occur and fat loss will occur by themselves due to nutrition.

How should I allocate swimming and lifting? Do both on the same day? Which one do I do first? Or maybe lift one day and swim the other day?

I want to perform PROPER swimming that would work my muscles and my heart as well. I know how to generally swim, but is that enough? I don’t have a coach.

I'd advise swimming on a different day, although if you had to, you could swim after you lift.

There are many different books with swimming tips and workouts. Here is one: [url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0809254549/ref=pd_bxgy_text_b/104-2534944-7171969?%5Fencoding=UTF8[/url]

my workouts at college were always lifting in the am, swimming in the pm.

yea, muscle imbalances are a bitch.

well, swimming is interesting because you can do several things:

1) aim for a total distance to swim (distance)
2) aim for a total time to swim (time)
3) aim for a total distance in a total time (intensity)

a few tips just from personal experience, not necessarily the best way to do things:
a) if possible, lift and swim on different days. if you are swimming as hard as you should be, and lifting as hard as you should be, your body will be so stiff or sore that you won't be able to swim much more than 2,000 yards MAX.
b) use interval training. if you choose swimming for a distance, you can probably cover that distance as long as you keep pushing on at a very slow speed. if you choose swimming for a time, likewise you can swim at any speed and have a low heartrate for that time. i do swim sets of intervals because they give a distance and time, which results in a set intensity. ALL swim teams in america use interval training.
c) actually swim, your first couple of day you may be sore, just because your body isn't used to swimming, even if you lift a ton, but just keep going, it goes away very fast and i personally love when i can barely move my lats after swimming
d) choose only one stroke you are going to use, and perfect the form. i play waterpolo so i swim only freestyle, and when i swim during the swim season i chose to swim only freestyle events. butterfly is the hardest stroke, backstroke sucks, breastroke is energy conserving, freestyle gives the best workout...that's my opinion. you don't need incredible form, but DO learn to kick while you swim and not just use arms.
e) learn to clear your mind, and think about stuff...its just as boring as running, except theres no tv to watch and no music to listen to. i usually do mental games...i practice times tables in my head, try to remember famous peoples' quotes, or just think about life.
f) buy a speedo or spandex suit of sorts. even if you think its gay, training with that much resistance on you will make swimming seem impossible. i wear board shorts for the 1st week of season and then i switch to a speedo, and it makes me realize how much better it is.