benefits of swimming?

bragan

So I have been doing some research online about the benefits of swimming for weight loss and toning, and everything seems to contradict each other. Some people think its benefical, other don't.

Anyway, I'm sick of the gym, and I was thinking of taking up swimming a few times a week. What are people's personal experiences with swimming? Did it keep you toned/help you tone up? And what about weight loss? I'm not that worried about losing weight, more interested in toning up.

connundrum

As a hobby swimmer (2-3 times a week 30-50 lengths per session) it will do very little to get weight down, what it will do is improve flexibility, general fitness levels, lung capacity and it will tone up your body.

If you take it more seriously (4-5 times a week, 50-70 lengths per session) it will get your weight down, because you are doing a sh1tload of exercise but it will also lead to muscle development, in the chest, shoulders, upper arms and legs of course.

Swimming is a great all rounder exercise ie. gets all muscles going. It will never make you a muscle bound Hercules (unless you did a load of gym work with it), but it will keep your fitness levels up.

What I might do from now on is 30 - 40 minutes gym then a good 20 minute swim. Gives me the best of both worlds.

iregk

swimming is a great exercise and is a great weight loss tool provided its used right. I see too many people go lane swimming and float up and down the pool. If your prepaired to put in the work you will get huge benefits. Its not impact so great for joints and gives you a full body workout.

When I do a swimming set after a workout its usually about 20-30 lenghts. Nothing too taxing. If you can learn how to tumble turn it will keep up your intensity and eliminate the temptation on having numerous breaks inbetween lenghts.

bilbo79

Swimming is not very good exercise unless its done at a near competitive pace-most people who swim might aswell do a scabby walk and stop every hundred meters to relax for a minute like most casual swimmers do-as far as toning goes-the resistance is better than nothing but not really enough for any major tone results..:D

Unpossible

Swimming is not very good exercise unless its done at a near competitive pace-most people who swim might aswell do a scabby walk and stop every hundred meters to relax for a minute like most casual swimmers do

I'd agree with this (although I might not use "compeditive pace", but compeditive-like sets), I have heard people in the past come out with "swimming isnt helping me get into shape like I heard it would", said person would never push themselves just swim casually, nice and relaxed and take plenty of rest at the walls. I suggested doing aerobic sets (sometimes even gave them distances and times to go off) and was told "oh thats too hard, I just want to get in shape not compete".

So basically you'll get out of it what you put into it. If your really interested maybe you can join a masters club, I've only expirence with Kingdom masters, but if all clubs are similar to them then you'll get to make friends and get some good sessions in.

iregk

Well as I said in my previous post swimming can be great provided its used correctly. Casually swimming and wall rests are not going to do you much good. When I'm getting ready for triathlons I do sets. 60 lenght min keeping a high pace and alter swimming styles. Different strokes and different body parts. Go arm only for 4 lenghts, then legs only. Then 1 arm etc.. and do alternative strokes. These type of sets will get you in great condition and really work certain muscle groups extra hard.

bragan

Thanks for the replies everyone. Too be honest, I don't care about been super fit. I'm a healthy weight, and I look fine. I could do with toning up a bit, and i plan to continue my resistance training. But honestly I think ill give the swimming a go. Even casual swimming is going to be better than nothing at all.

Dr_Teeth

I'm swimming a little at the moment, and I can definately feel the difference between a single 'hard' lengths and ten 'hard' lengths. I'm wondering is there a heart-rate monitor that would work for swimming? I'd like to try and keep my heart-rate up in the right place, it's too easy to take a break at the wall and lose the benefit of the exercise.

cowzerp

Cardio sport and polar heart monitors work in the pool-just dont press the buttons while in water

bragan

Dr_Teeth wrote:

I'm swimming a little at the moment, and I can definately feel the difference between a single 'hard' lengths and ten 'hard' lengths. I'm wondering is there a heart-rate monitor that would work for swimming? I'd like to try and keep my heart-rate up in the right place, it's too easy to take a break at the wall and lose the benefit of the exercise.

If you try this, let me know how you get on. Id be interested to know!

Dr_Teeth

Right I'm off searching for these monitors.. there was actually a typo in my post, I meant I could really feel the difference between a single hard length and ten easy ones.

I've been swimming since I was a child (I grew up in Africa), competed in galas, did lifesaving courses etc. I'm really unfit now though after years of sitting in front of computers, but I can still swim for kilometers with no trouble.. it really isn't taxing at all. However after one length of swimming as fast as I can I'm utterly ****ed haha. But that's where the real benefit is so I'll have to focus on it.

HammerHeadGym

bragan wrote:

..What are people's personal experiences with swimming? Did it keep you toned/help you tone up? And what about weight loss? I'm not that worried about losing weight, more interested in toning up.

Yep. Swimming's great and i can prove it. Name one fat swimmer

maxi-twist

HammerHeadGym wrote:

Yep. Swimming's great and i can prove it. Name one fat swimmer

Thats stupid.Name a fat runner.

Edit: Most people who do aerobic exercise at a competitive level arent fat.They all still dont help you to "tone up".

connundrum

maxi-twist wrote:

They all still dont help you to "tone up".

I can't make sense of that statement. Who don't help you?

fletch

I have started swimming pretty much every day(got bored of the gym also) and can most definitely notice a difference in my upper body. At first I was swimming about 10lengths a day (pathetic I know) with a 30sec break after every 2 lengths. After a few weeks I'm up to 40-60 lengths a day swimming ten lengths at a time with a 15sec gap in between each 10 lengths.
My shoulders and biceps have definitely gotten bigger and i've a muscle growing on my upper back(not sure what it's called ).

Sp@rtacus

Hey, just a suggestion that might help... youve probably tried this, but if not, try taking a 6(or 10) second pulse count from the lap clock on the pool wall and simply multiply it by 10 (or 6) to get your heart rate. I know its quite basic, but I swam at international level for a few years and it always worked fine for me.

Dr_Teeth wrote:

...but I can still swim for kilometers with no trouble.. it really isn't taxing at all. However after one length of swimming as fast as I can I'm utterly ****ed haha. ...

Hey Dr_Teeth, thats a funny one.. if you've the stamina to swim several k with ease, a 25m sprint shouldnt destroy you as you say. Are you making sure to maintain a breathing rhythm during the sprint as you would when coasting? If not, youre just going into oxygen debt and therefore moving from aerobic to anaerobic burn? Maybe give yourself a set of 10 50's off 35/40/45 whatever time you can handle and work on keeping your breathing regular and consistent. That'll be the ticket for both fitness and tone/definition in your chest/shoulders/arms. Anyway hth, good luck

Unpossible

At first I was swimming about 10lengths a day (pathetic I know) with a 30sec break after every 2 lengths. After a few weeks I'm up to 40-60 lengths a day swimming ten lengths at a time with a 15sec gap in between each 10 lengths.

Sounds like you have the right idea, but it might be nice for you to mix it around every so often. For instance one day do sets of 200m (8 lengths in a 25m pool), the next day do sets of 400m (16 lengths of a 25m pool), possibly even sets of 100m. Just make sure you are going at around 80%, not taking too much rest and make sure you do the same distance (pick a goal maybe 2000m).
¨

try taking a 6(or 10) second pulse count from the lap clock on the pool wall and simply multiply it by 10 (or 6) to get your heart rate.

We did this too, non of these fancy monitors for Kingdom SC

poobum

swimming wont burn as many cals as running for instance but it if done right can be very good for toning! i teach classes and iv been approached by people asking why they arent all of a sudden ripped etc like the swimmersthey have seen...but most of thoe people are those who A. come to one class aweek if your lucky or B.nvr push themselves! and slack whenever possible!

blorg

I've been swimming for just around a month now, took it up from cycling with the dark nights etc. Do it four or five times a week (most week days.) I've found it very beneficial, starting out I could barely stick two lengths together but at this stage I'm doing 1500-2000m continuously without a bother. Now I am _not_ killing myself at all doing this right now, pulse probably around 125 (65%). My upper body certainly feels a lot fitter than it did when I started and my arms have less of a tendency to get sore when out for long cycles. I want to start looking at technique and increasing speed now, hope to do triathlons and open water swimming next year (lee/liffey swim etc.)

hunnymonster

be very careful swimming in the Liffey. Someone ended up very ill after this year's Dublin triathlon. Unless you particularly want to do these events could I suggest some of the sea swims instead? less polluted water.


[edit to correct unfortunate typo :-)]

blorg

I have heard similar stories all right. I guess with the liffey swim in particular I am putting my faith in the ESB reservoir flooding; wouldn't apply to the Dublin triathlon though. I'm hoping my chances will be OK if it's only one out of that number of competitors though. Did you do the Dublin triathlon this year yourself (as I know you cycle from the cycling forum?)

hunnymonster

Nope, I didn't do it this year. I was just a supporter. I did do the 2005 race and it is a great, well organised event. It's unfortunate that the water quality is a bit dodgy. Last year it luckily (can't spell fortutiously) fell on the same day as the liffey descent which is a rowing/paddling race that the ESB do open the sluice for. There was a good flow. I have a mate who is a doc and the Dublin race is the only one where he actually takes the time in transition to wash his mouth out with alcohol and wipe himself down.

I assume you have had a look at the triathlon ireland website. You'll find all the info on the various races there. The cork masters is the one to check for swimming events in the south.

HammerHeadGym

maxi-twist wrote:

Thats stupid

It always makes me and sometimes :mad: when people don't realise that means i'm only having a . I suspect that you knew that but were just trying to be :cool: and frankly i'm :eek:

In case you can't tell i'm being :rolleyes:

iregk

I did the liffey swim before. Trust me, while the sense of achievement is still strong it plain and simply aint worth it at all!!! Its disgusting. We were all told to wear nose plugs before it as the liffey is about 20% diesel and the smell of it is dreadful. When we got out we were given a chemical shower and doused down with a type of powder afterwards. Basically the chemical shower to get the oil and polloutants off your skin, the power to stop the chemicals that have just gone onto from corroding your skin.

After this I got a solution to wash my mouth out and then a bottle of water to drink straight away. Think about it, it aint just getting on your skin, when your in the pool how much water do you take in? My mouth was burning by the time I finished and wasn't until the following day until I felt over it.

Trust me, do not swim in the liffey!!!