[FretDancer]

I've been thinking on incorporating constant swimming into my lifestyle. Say 2 hours of good swimming once every week. Friday mid-day til afternoon sounds great to me, I can already feel the relaxation.

I just wanted to get some input by fellow members who practice swimming the way I just mentioned or even more frequently as well.

How did it benefit your physique? Your health? Your overall being?

[freshcream]

I'm considering doing this.
There is a pool in walking distance from me. There's also the occean. I am actually considering buying a dry suit and swim in the freezing water

[Moma]

I've been swimming for the past month. I get in the pool maybe twice a week. I do front crawl one length and then breast stroke the other way. Hell of a workout. I will let you know how I look. Hoping to get that Dwight Howard, Mike Phelps look.

[R Smoov]

Uhhm. How do you swim?

No seriously, I don't know how.

[Kickb]

I love holding my breath and swimming underwater for as long as possible.

[Kona]

I swim every morning.

My thing is, I don't like to do it methodically like it's exercise and I feel like'm going to the gym. I just go far out and then back again, or one way or another up and down the coast. I look around, read the water, chase fish, catch lobsters, circle around girls, etc. Try getting a mile and a half out, and bringing back 3 spiny lobsters with your bare hands. Swimming makes you tough.

I've been doing it for years, and think I would die if I didn't.

Aloha!

[FretDancer]

(06-12-2012 10:01 PM)Moma Wrote:  

I've been swimming for the past month. I get in the pool maybe twice a week. I do front crawl one length and then breast stroke the other way. Hell of a workout. I will let you know how I look. Hoping to get that Dwight Howard, Mike Phelps look.

Sounds good. I plan on doing 1 hour free-style and another hour breast stroke + reverse (I don't know its called in english). How much time do you swim per session?

(06-13-2012 12:22 AM)Kona Wrote:  

I swim every morning.

My thing is, I don't like to do it methodically like it's exercise and I feel like'm going to the gym. I just go far out and then back again, or one way or another up and down the coast. I look around, read the water, chase fish, catch lobsters, circle around girls, etc. Try getting a mile and a half out, and bringing back 3 spiny lobsters with your bare hands. Swimming makes you tough.

I've been doing it for years, and think I would die if I didn't.

Aloha!

That sounds awesome. Sadly, impossible for me due to location. Someday though...

Would you say swimming has contributed highly to the way your phsique and build is currently at?

[Kona]

(06-13-2012 01:31 AM)FretDancer Wrote:  

(06-13-2012 12:22 AM)Kona Wrote:  

I swim every morning.

My thing is, I don't like to do it methodically like it's exercise and I feel like'm going to the gym. I just go far out and then back again, or one way or another up and down the coast. I look around, read the water, chase fish, catch lobsters, circle around girls, etc. Try getting a mile and a half out, and bringing back 3 spiny lobsters with your bare hands. Swimming makes you tough.

I've been doing it for years, and think I would die if I didn't.

Aloha!

That sounds awesome. Sadly, impossible for me due to location. Someday though...

Would you say swimming has contributed highly to the way your phsique and build is currently at?

Absolutely.

The best hangover cure (also a great way to drown) is a long swim after a night out.

I'm 35 and consider myself in way better shape now than when I was 25. At 25 I was in the Navy, and my physical activity was all tied into that. Now, I do it because I love it. Ican stay in the water for hours.

I think my body is conditioned to it because I don't get a sunburn, I don't get clammy withery skin, and I don't even feel salty anymore. I can see almost as clear without a mask. I couldn't do that ten years ago.

Aloha!

[Julio]

I used to do a lot of weight lifting until I hurt badly my back last December (slipped disc) so I started to swim since I couldn't do anything else.

Usually I go swimming 2 or 3 times a week (3-4 times/w when I felt worse), I swim during one hour or until I reach 2.5km. I do mainly back (70%) and crawl (30%).
I bought some gloves like this one: http://www.swiminn.com/natation/speedo-a...ve/14597/p
and it's even harder with these so when I go out I usually notice my arms/breast are huge and the shoulders hurt a lot

I started late February and I have noticed my shoulders are a bit wider and my upper back stronger after 3 months.

Swimming has helped me a lot and I feel much better today.

[FitAsFuck]

Not to take anything away from swimming. But you should be carefull with the assumption, that because an elite athlete looks the way he does, you will be able to look the same, if you train as he does. If you attend a swimmeet, you will most likely see all sorts of bodycompositions among the lower ranked swimmers, as the day progresses and the competition sharpens, the body types will start to align. If you look at the starting grid of elite swimmers, you will see almost identical body types, which of course can lead to the assumption: "swimming will make me look like that". And to a point this may be true, but the looks are far more an expression of what the ideal body type and genetics is, for competitive swimming.

I am not saying that you will not improve your physique, or that you will not develop wide back and shoulders by swimming, because you of course use those muscles quite a lot. But do not make your choice of exercise, based on the physique of the elite performers of that specific sport. They look like that because of 10.000's of hours of training and they are at the top of the pack because their genetic expression is favorable to that sport, and then of course because they are highly motivated to be the best.

Do not train to look like someone else, train to be the best YOU! Train to be the best genetic expression of you! Whether that involves bodybuilding, swimming, Crossfit, Football or whatever is totally up to you.

[The Fantasist]

(06-13-2012 02:45 AM)FitAsFuck Wrote:  

Not to take anything away from swimming. But you should be carefull with the assumption, that because an elite athlete looks the way he does, you will be able to look the same, if you train as he does. If you attend a swimmeet, you will most likely see all sorts of bodycompositions among the lower ranked swimmers, as the day progresses and the competition sharpens, the body types will start to align. If you look at the starting grid of elite swimmers, you will see almost identical body types, which of course can lead to the assumption: "swimming will make me look like that". And to a point this may be true, but the looks are far more an expression of what the ideal body type and genetics is, for competitive swimming.

I am not saying that you will not improve your physique, or that you will not develop wide back and shoulders by swimming, because you of course use those muscles quite a lot. But do not make your choice of exercise, based on the physique of the elite performers of that specific sport. They look like that because of 10.000's of hours of training and they are at the top of the pack because their genetic expression is favorable to that sport, and then of course because they are highly motivated to be the best.

Good point.

Also those elite swimmers we see in the Olympics spend a hell of a lot of time in the gym doing Olympic lifts and explosive compound exercises,they don't get their physiques purely from swimming. They get their shoulders from push presses,their explosive power from snatches and 20 rep squat sets etc.

[Moma]

Vorkuta, let's not knock the activity entirely though. Of course playing a sport won't make a person look like one of the elite athletes if they don't already have the genetic predisposition for that development.

However, they will get some approximations.

It's the same way most guys who play American football have a different physique from those who play soccer due to the specific demands on their bodies from the respective sports.

[Laner]

I grew up swimming, even competitively for a couple years in junior high and high school. The guys that swam the most, without a doubt had the "V" shaped torso swimmers are famous for.

I did not swim at all this winter. Not once. My first day surfing here in Spain I was close to puking after 1.5 hours. It was bad. The good thing about swimming though is it comes back quick.

Kona has the best routine for sure. There is something about being out past the breakers and just lolling about enjoying the ocean. Vancouver is no Hawaii, but for 5 months of the year I grab my flippers and head out into the sea and just enjoy the water and nature. Nothing like looking back into the forest of giant cedars and firs and watching the eagles play in the golden hour.

[FretDancer]

(06-13-2012 02:45 AM)FitAsFuck Wrote:  

Not to take anything away from swimming. But you should be carefull with the assumption, that because an elite athlete looks the way he does, you will be able to look the same, if you train as he does. If you attend a swimmeet, you will most likely see all sorts of bodycompositions among the lower ranked swimmers, as the day progresses and the competition sharpens, the body types will start to align. If you look at the starting grid of elite swimmers, you will see almost identical body types, which of course can lead to the assumption: "swimming will make me look like that". And to a point this may be true, but the looks are far more an expression of what the ideal body type and genetics is, for competitive swimming.

I am not saying that you will not improve your physique, or that you will not develop wide back and shoulders by swimming, because you of course use those muscles quite a lot. But do not make your choice of exercise, based on the physique of the elite performers of that specific sport. They look like that because of 10.000's of hours of training and they are at the top of the pack because their genetic expression is favorable to that sport, and then of course because they are highly motivated to be the best.

Do not train to look like someone else, train to be the best YOU! Train to be the best genetic expression of you! Whether that involves bodybuilding, swimming, Crossfit, Football or whatever is totally up to you.

Good post.

I want to train hard to improve, but looking like Phelps is definitely not my goal. What I really want is just another way of relaxing and doing physical activity, while at the same time just making my physique better.

I've always been fond of water. When I was a kid I could spend hours swimming in the sea.

It seems I've gotten very good feedback and interesting posts, I feel more motivated now. I will try to start next week with this, and I will myself post my overall experience of adding swimming to my lifestyle.

[The Fantasist]

(06-13-2012 10:27 AM)Moma Wrote:  

Vorkuta, let's not knock the activity entirely though. Of course playing a sport won't make a person look like one of the elite athletes if they don't already have the genetic predisposition for that development.

Oh no, I'm in no way knocking swimming,it's one of my favorite activities and gives enormous health benefits, I'm just pointing out that you need to have realistic ideas about just what the activity will do to your physique.

[Sabra]

Started swimming about 3 months ago as some nagging injuries caused me to reduce my lifting. So far it's great, and the nice thing is that you get those kind of rapid gains you can only get when first starting a new exercise.

Usually I swim in a 25m pool, and occasionally in the ocean for a change. But I'm not good enough yet to get a real workout in the ocean like Kona described, without drowning myself.

I started out able to do around 500m, with lots of breaks in between laps. A mixture of crawl, backstroke and breaststroke. Now I'm up to about 2.5 km, with almost no breaks. I also work in interval training, like 10 or 20 sets of 50 or 100 meters at 75 - 90% effort, with 1 - 2 minute breaks between sets. Use kickboard or leg floats to improve form. I'm also planning on doing a few sessions with a trainer, since it's so form-based, and I never learned from a pro.

The good thing about swimming is that it's cardio and muscular training wrapped into one, and hits a ton of different muscles at once. So far I've been seeing modest widening and toning in the shoulders and back, strengthening in the quads and hamstrings, tightening in abs, and a lot more stamina when I play basketball or soccer. I supplement it with weight training once or twice a week, just basic stuff squats, deadlifts, barbell press, curls.

One thing is, I've lost about 5 pounds since I started swimming, which for me isn't a good thing, but with the right diet that shouldn't be a problem.

If anybody's been swimming for a long time, would be happy to hear your training regimen.

[Beyond Borders]

I love swimming as exercise - need to get back into it.

Last time I lived in Thailand I got into swimming on a daily basis. I'd get up every morning and hit the pool at the condo. I have back issues - goes out a couple times a year usually. It was to the point where it always felt like it was about to give out, even when there was no pain - if that makes sense.

When I started swimming daily, that feeling disappeared entirely within about 10 days. My back hasn't gone out again since, even though I haven't been exercising lately. I've been living out in the middle of nowhere all summer, so no convenient pool nearby but I'm ready to get after it again.

I swam my whole life in the rivers and lakes around here but never actually took lessons. If you're in the same boat and want to learn some technique, check out Tim Ferris' article about it, including links to some good instructional videos. If you've never taken actual swimming lessons you'll be blown away how different it is to actually swim laps doing the crawl and breathing right, etc. http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/200...u-can-too/

[slubu]

Bump, just curious if any of you had any other thoughts on swimming for exercise.

[Engineer]

It's a great workout, low impact.

If you favor one side or have limited range of motion in your back/neck to one side, then breathing to both sides it will help even things out.

When my legs are cashed from too much running then I'll switch to a swim that day to go easy on them.

If you can get into the zone and focus on the rush of the water past your ears, it gets relaxing despite the physical effort.

One of my best memories was diving under a huge wall of atlantic surf in a mass start with a bunch of other racers, swimming parallel to shore for a while, then having to time the exit so as to not get demolished.

[saeta119]

Swimming is not so good if you're looking to lose weight, but quite nice to build muscle and work on stamina. Plus the low impact part, nice addition to your workout.

[thedavidgt]

Wanted to chip in here, I've been swimming competitively for about 4 years now, and I think there are a few misconceptions here.

It does not build much muscle. In general, no forms of long-distance cardio will build muscle. There are no magic properties of swimming that make it the exception.

Personally, last year I was 5'10 135 lbs after three years of ridiculously high volume swimming. After lifting for a year I am 5'11 160 lbs. And I'm slower now.

The better you get at swimming, the less effective it is as exercise. I've seen borderline obese people swim 3-4 days a week and not lose a pound. Elite swimmers are elite because they have broad shoulders, they did not acquire said shoulders from swimming. It has nothing to do with the "demands" of the sport. While its true that you use your shoulders and lats for swimming, in order to actually build muscle you need progressively increasing resistance, and swimming does not provide that.

Like Kona said, when I swim nowadays its basically like going for a walk. Not expecting it to change my physique at all. Just clearing my head and letting the cold water wake me up. It can be very therapeutic once you get decent at it. Not sure if I'd recommend it to most people though (it might fuck your shoulders up over time).

[Carlos100]

I think swimming is a good cardio exercise for a recovery day when your legs are tired from running or cycling. As others have mentioned, swimming doesn't burn as many calories as most people think it does, especially after your body gets used to it. Being comfortable in the water, however, is good for your confidence and helps give aerobic fitness to your upper body muscles.

[Switch]

Swimming is great. Full body cardio exercise, in addition to training your muscles for strength and endurance. Also trains your lungs really well.

[Remington]

Switch is spot on. It puts a good burn in your lats and triceps. Did it competitively from the ages of 5-18. Still do it consistently. Great part of any work out routine. This also burns off body fat incredibly well. If you are looking to get more toned, gym it up then swim some laps. Get a kick board, and do 500-600 yards, will get you in incredible shape, plus, after 200-300 yards, your legs pretty much go numb and you don't even feel like you're kicking...it's awesome. But you need to do it all freestyle kick.

[NewView]

the most cut i've ever been was due to swimming, but you can't do lazy laps back and forth. Incorporate HIIT techniques-you probably need a 25 meter pool as shorter isn't long enough and 50 meters is a beast. Swim one length as fast as you can, rest 90-120 seconds, repeat 10 times, you're done in 20-25 minutes.