Swimming and losing weight

poobum

hey people i just thought i should inform yous of this ssport and how good it can be to lose weight! especially for those who are heavily obese and find even walking streneous!
im a lifegaurd and swimming tearcher and was a club swimmer for years and i have to tel yous! it rules for losing weight! poeple always say to lose weight do cardio etc...but always neglet swimming especialy for the obese! for obese it is handy becuse it is easier to do exercise in it etc....
it is a great thing for losing weight! and i find it dosent interrupt with your other exercises at all i often on a recovery day go swimming and find it speds up my recovery! when swimming you basically just stretch your muscles ect...i go and do heavy weights minimum of 3-4 days a week and swim most of the rest and my weight has never stopped its gaining(althought i think i have slightly more weight on me as im losing my 6 pack its more of a 2 pack now but thats due to i wnt on a rest week!
just people dont neglect this as a way to lose weight or tone up as i find its 1 of the best especially when accompanied with heavy weights! as you build up and tone and with all the extra swimming you lose weight!
in the end all i want to say is for those who want to lose weight or tone up consider it along with cardio etc...
if you have a problem or disagree with anything i said please tell me! or if you want any more information pm me!

Stark

poobum wrote:

Swimming and losing weight
hey people i just thought i should inform yous of this ssport and how good it can be to lose weight!

"Swimming" eh? Never heard of it. It sounds like one of these new fads you keep hearing about. Do you need lots of equipment for it? Is it something you need to do in the gym, or can you do it at home? I could keep my dumbbells next to the bathtub for an all-round workout

DAEDULUS

So THATS how you have a postcount of nearly 4000, Stark :P

Good advice poobum,I'm definitly going to take up swimming when I move(pool and gym in my new house YES YES YES)

poobum

Stark wrote:

"Swimming" eh? Never heard of it. It sounds like one of these new fads you keep hearing about. Do you need lots of equipment for it? Is it something you need to do in the gym, or can you do it at home? I could keep my dumbbells next to the bathtub for an all-round workout

i love the sarcasm! but dude i was being serious! alot of heavy people think they can do anything etc...because they are to overweight! but not in the water! in fact fat helps people float better in the water makes them more boyant! but it realy is a good way to lose weight and tone muscle!

scuba steve

I heard some boxers go under the water and just throw digs for half hour or whatever coz its harder to do stuff under the water so it builds up your muscle

KlodaX

I recently started swimming after finding running hurted my knee ... oh my arms hurt now! but dats ok ... I'll get fitter ... totally different type of work out. Feel great afterwards.

Gonna get goggles and keep it up for a while.

annR

I swim most mornings and swear by it. Great way to start the day feeling all refreshed and stretched. It's great for stretching and for toning.

I do find you have to do a fair bit of it for it to make a difference.

Zapho

poobum wrote:

in fact fat helps people float better in the water makes them more boyant! but it realy is a good way to lose weight and tone muscle!

Thats true, fat does make you more boyant.But swimming is actually a harder way to loose weight because your body wants to keep its fat to keep you warm and to keep you floating. When running your body tries to burn its fat to make you lighter so you can move faster.

rubadub

Only problem is that the very obese would be embarrassed to be seen in a swim suit. They may well have special classes though. Good because it is low impact, jogging with a lot of weight can't be good for the joints.

BossArky

Zapho wrote:

But swimming is actually a harder way to loose weight because your body wants to keep its fat to keep you warm and to keep you floating. When running your body tries to burn its fat to make you lighter so you can move faster.

Are you serious?

Stark

annR wrote:

It's great for stretching and for toning.

Interesting, I could do with some stretching, my muscle's are extremely tight. Cycling to work doesn't help much in that regard either.

Zapho

Why wouldn't I be?

BossArky

Do you think the body reacts so quickly to know which exercise it is actually doing? i.e. Its knows it is swimming now so wants to save fat... and at other times knows that it is running and needs to burn fat?

peckerhead

Swimming is a brilliant all-round exercise, whether you're overweight or not, and especially if you've knee problems or have ever had any kind of injury.

1. Low/no-impact. Practically impossible to hurt yourself ('less you drown! ) OK, your arms might ache a little after a strenuous few lengths, but that's only 'cause you're working muscle groups you wouldn't normally use for anything else...
2. Great cardio-vascular benefits. Unless you stand still in the shallow end, you're (gently) working out just to tread water. Absolute myth to believe you'll burn more calories by getting hot & sweaty. All you'll do is get dehydrated. Sure, you can 'sweat off' a couple of pounds, but you'll regain them as soon as you drink a couple of litres of water.
3. I don't think anyone overweight would feel any less self-conscious, sweating away in the gym in shorts & tee. Also, once you're in the water nobody sees too much of you from the neck down.

Swimming in the sea is the best feeling in the world. And even a smelly old chlorinated swimming pool washes off in the shower. 10 minutes in a Sauna/Steam room is also great for the skin (just don't overdo it).

As a kid I lived in a hot country where everyone swam every day. It has to be one of the most sorrily neglected forms of exercise in this country... and I'm far from being the sporty type!

Sarsfield

Yay for swimming! I'll be in the pool in about an hour. Can't wait

Fantastic way to work off the stresses of a day in the office too.

peckerhead

Most of our back garden is a feckin' shallow end in its own right, after the rain last night...

Er, poobum - given your username, do you mind me asking where you swim, just so I can avoid it? (only messin'...)

mad m

Yup,have to agree on swimming.I normally do around 2000meters three times a weeks.Start off with a 500meters and then five 100's.Then six 75's and a couple of 50meter sprints and then back to a couple of 100's and a 200.I havent lost much weight since I went back to it a few years now,I suppose I've toned up but its my fault in my diet as well.

I dont really do any gym work and I've been told I should as it would help me better in swimming.But one thing I hate is the threadmill,I just cant run for life of me,never could.Maybe the cross country machine? Would that help me build up my strength in swimming?..

Dont forget people when doing swimming drink some water to prevent cramp.

Easygainer

I wouldn't recommend swimming as the best cardio by a long shot. It has its benefits, certainly for those with joint problems and the severely obese, but if you're anyway normal sized it's not good cardio. For cardio to be effective for burning fat, the body temp needs to rise. This is why you're warm when exercising (also why metabolic drugs like t3 and clenbuterol make you warmer), and it is a sign of fat burning. However, swimming cools the body and acts against this, so while you are burning calories, you are not burning nearly as many as you would by running with the same exertion.

I think it's important to point out though that a raised body temp is a side effect of calorie burning and NOT a cause of calorie burning, because I know some people have the misperception that exercising in warm clothes will somehow make you sweat off fat No--- that's water you sweat!!!

poobum

Easygainer wrote:

I wouldn't recommend swimming as the best cardio by a long shot. It has its benefits, certainly for those with joint problems and the severely obese, but if you're anyway normal sized it's not good cardio. For cardio to be effective for burning fat, the body temp needs to rise. This is why you're warm when exercising (also why metabolic drugs like t3 and clenbuterol make you warmer), and it is a sign of fat burning. However, swimming cools the body and acts against this, so while you are burning calories, you are not burning nearly as many as you would by running with the same exertion.

I think it's important to point out though that a raised body temp is a side effect of calorie burning and NOT a cause of calorie burning, because I know some people have the misperception that exercising in warm clothes will somehow make you sweat off fat No--- that's water you sweat!!!

this is true but i dont reccomend this as your only cardio workout i reccomend this for doing on a rest day(if you are doing heavy training)! an active rest day i find can be more effective then doing loads of nothing! for obese it is great for injured it is brilliant! for medium sized people it is great for toning! and things like aqua aerobics etc...are better for losing weight if you are obese or whatever and is also good to burn calories! also once you become good at it you will start to engoy it greatly! its peacefulness etc...and it can be great for refreshing yourself in the morning!

poobum

peckerhead wrote:

Most of our back garden is a feckin' shallow end in its own right, after the rain last night...

Er, poobum - given your username, do you mind me asking where you swim, just so I can avoid it? (only messin'...)

i swim in both carlisle and templeogue swimming pool(where i also work as lifegaurd and teach swimming class')

atgate

poobum

i've started swimming again after a break of 15 or so years (since school). I'm fine at breaststroke (can do 1km without freaking). What I seem to have forgotten is a good front crawl. my legs don't seem to push me forward and my breathing is all over the place. Do you think it would be worth taking lessons? I'm not at all interested in racing just haing better form for cardio / fitness / toning.

annR

Mad M

That's a serious amount of swimming - I just wouldn't have the time to do that much in the morning. I do 500m front crawl and then just a few laps of some other stroke - 4 mornings a week. Not much of a training regime I know. I just find it so relaxing. I love being underwater and often do a few lengths of breaststroke mostly gliding u/w and just coming up for air.

atgate
>>What I seem to have forgotten is a good front crawl. my legs don't seem to push me forward and my breathing is all over the place. Do you think it would be worth taking lessons?<<

One good tip is to try and press your front half lower down in the water (obviously while still allowing you to turn your head and breathe), this automatically causes your bottom half i.e. legs to float higher in the water, at the surface where they should be. Your kicking will be more effective this way as you won't be kicking to try and keep your legs up; your kicking willl be propelling you forward. If that makes sense.

atgate

thanks annR, i'll give that a go

rubadub

Easygainer wrote:

For cardio to be effective for burning fat, the body temp needs to rise. This is why you're warm when exercising (also why metabolic drugs like t3 and clenbuterol make you warmer), and it is a sign of fat burning.

So are you better cycling with a jacket on than a t-shirt. Since the wind is cooling your otherwise warm body?
The warmer the gym you are in, the more fat you burn?

you go on to say

I know some people have the misperception that exercising in warm clothes will somehow make you sweat off fat No--- that's water you sweat!!!

but from the swimming logic, they will burn more fat while excersising in warm clothes.
Is there a high body temp where these fat burning effects stop?

poobum

atgate wrote:

poobum

i've started swimming again after a break of 15 or so years (since school). I'm fine at breaststroke (can do 1km without freaking). What I seem to have forgotten is a good front crawl. my legs don't seem to push me forward and my breathing is all over the place. Do you think it would be worth taking lessons? I'm not at all interested in racing just haing better form for cardio / fitness / toning.

ok firstly it is possible you arent kicking from your hips alot of people junt kick from there knees and this isnt going to work! but they make up for it by putting twice the load into their arms this is bad! to practice kicking id advise using a board holding it out in front of yourself and kicking across the pool and when you need to breath either lift up your head or take a stroke with 1 arm!
you might also be kicking with your legs wide apart this wont work well and unless you are very strong you will just sink if using your legs only! your legs should be as close beside each other as they can be without hindering each other!
rememberr your body must be perfectly straight in frontcrawl if you are in pike position(bent at hips) then it wont work well!
if you can describe how your legs and body is positioned during swim or post a recording or somthing and ill help you best i can but its hard to do unless you are with the person!

atgate

poobum wrote:

ok firstly it is possible you arent kicking from your hips alot of people junt kick from there knees and this isnt going to work! but they make up for it by putting twice the load into their arms this is bad!

I deffo don't kick from my hips and my lower body also drops in the water. I'll hit the pool in the morning and try out working with just my legs. I'll be the stupid looking guy in carlisle!

Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how I get on.

mad m

@atgate

Yeah good advice from poobum,or maybe get someone to camcord you and then you will see where you are going wrong with the front crawl when you play it back.Swimming is mostly technical,I sometimes have to think what im doing then sometimes it come naturally.Im like yourself,I was away from swimming for years and only got back into it two years ago.I wish now I had of kept it up but im getting there as they say.I found it very hard to get back into the breathing aspect.Im trying to get back into bi-lateral breathing but its hard.

Wouldnt mind a couple of lessons,Poobum so you give lessons up in templeogue.I could probably do with some.

poobum

mad m wrote:

@atgate

Yeah good advice from poobum,or maybe get someone to camcord you and then you will see where you are going wrong with the front crawl when you play it back.Swimming is mostly technical,I sometimes have to think what im doing then sometimes it come naturally.Im like yourself,I was away from swimming for years and only got back into it two years ago.I wish now I had of kept it up but im getting there as they say.I found it very hard to get back into the breathing aspect.Im trying to get back into bi-lateral breathing but its hard.

Wouldnt mind a couple of lessons,Poobum so you give lessons up in templeogue.I could probably do with some.

id be willing to give you private lessons! but if you want the cheaper option(i dont charge much but i amnt on this board to sell my skills) you could enroll in some of the adult classes. classes tarted only this week! there might be some paces left i cannot be suredo(i never take bookings i hate doing them! group classes work out to be about E5 a class and are on once a wek but you can book into multiple classes! out of all our tachers im the newest! so regardless of who you get you will get someone good! but some of the lads can be quite expensive if you want them but they all charge different rates! some even refuse to do private! we(like most pools) have different levels so if you are as you said an ex-swimmer and just need to get the technique again you would probably be advised to enter the improvers 1 or 2 class as oppose to and of the beginners classes! if any 1 has inquirys pm me! but i dont want to sell im jus providing information! all pools have similar things! they all have different levels etc...and im sure all have people who will be willing to do private lessons!(these can be expensive as the teacher themselves decides the price) if you want information you should ring up the pools! or go up to the pool and talk to the teachers themselves(advisable)! any1 wants info pm me!

poobum

just realised something today have you ever been in the pool and seen the whitish substace on the side of pool(kinda like a white skum) now that disgustingly enough is compliled of many things including body fat! as disgusting as this is it proves that you lose weight in the water!

mad m

poobum wrote:

just realised something today have you ever been in the pool and seen the whitish substace on the side of pool(kinda like a white skum) now that disgustingly enough is compliled of many things including body fat! as disgusting as this is it proves that you lose weight in the water!

Jesus you dont want to turn people off getting into pool now do you....Obviously its spit also and,no no I'm not going there.That mental thought is now in my head and ill have to get rid of it...

poobum

ha ha i no! but still its true and im just using it as an example to show that you do lose alot of weight when you are swimming! and the body fat on the sids is proof!

RonanC

poobum wrote:

just realised something today have you ever been in the pool and seen the whitish substace on the side of pool(kinda like a white skum) now that disgustingly enough is compliled of many things including body fat! as disgusting as this is it proves that you lose weight in the water!

This is quite possibly the dumbest, most ill-informed piece of nonsense I have ever read.

Unless of course if liposuction is being performed on a regular basis in your pool, in which case I retract the above comment.

Downtime

Poobum - what time does Templeogue Pool open and close ? Pretty general question I know but was looking at going for a swim in mornings or evenings and live near the place.

poobum

RonanC wrote:

This is quite possibly the dumbest, most ill-informed piece of nonsense I have ever read.

Unless of course if liposuction is being performed on a regular basis in your pool, in which case I retract the above comment.

dude you are blatantly a fool! i am telling you what i no to be true! it is a mixture of bodyflakes and scum! dont say im wrong before you check if you are auctually right!

and downtime the pool closes at 10:30 on wekdays and the first public swim in the morning is at 7:20(except wednesday) in the morning i think?(i never work mornings)
the swim times vary daily! the best can say is to ring up the pool itself for information on the day

RonanC

poobum wrote:

dude you are blatantly a fool! i am telling you what i no to be true! it is a mixture of bodyflakes and scum! dont say im wrong before you check if you are auctually right!

Ahh, so bodyfat = bodyflakes (and scum)?

I'd love for you to go into greater detail on how bodyfat is somehow systemically leaked while swimming. Here I was thinking fat could only either be stored as triglyceride or oxidised for energy.....

DAEDULUS

shut up ronanc,your only here for a flamewar

poobum

DAEDULUS wrote:

shut up ronanc,your only here for a flamewar

your right he just wants a fight!
stop being a smart ass ronanc i work in a pool and have done for ages im telling you what it is! accept it or shut up!

Downtime

poobum wrote:

and downtime the pool closes at 10:30 on wekdays and the first public swim in the morning is at 7:20(except wednesday) in the morning i think?(i never work mornings)
the swim times vary daily! the best can say is to ring up the pool itself for information on the day

Cheers poobum

Easygainer

Hey I just read a new study today that kind of backs up what I originally said. First off, swimming is not as good as cycling, running etc as an exercise for weight loss, but scientists wondered why. They came up with two likely results in the study. First off, as I said, the body temp doesn;t rise as much.

However, the second point was very interesting. Swimming in COLD water is doubly bad because it increases the appetite thus increasing the likelihood of overeating. Basically, you lose body heat 20 times faster in water than in air, so this heat loss causes a reaction in the body to want to produce and store more energy ie eat more....

Interesting, the study is in this month's (August) edition of Muscular Development...

RonanC

poobum wrote:

stop being a smart ass ronanc i work in a pool and have done for ages im telling you what it is! accept it or shut up!

Read this article (primarily the section headed "Fatty Acid Catabolism") to see how we oxidise ("burn") fat.

Should suffice to illustrate the absurdity of your post

poobum

Easygainer wrote:

Hey I just read a new study today that kind of backs up what I originally said. First off, swimming is not as good as cycling, running etc as an exercise for weight loss, but scientists wondered why. They came up with two likely results in the study. First off, as I said, the body temp doesn;t rise as much.

However, the second point was very interesting. Swimming in COLD water is doubly bad because it increases the appetite thus increasing the likelihood of overeating. Basically, you lose body heat 20 times faster in water than in air, so this heat loss causes a reaction in the body to want to produce and store more energy ie eat more....

Interesting, the study is in this month's (August) edition of Muscular Development...

probably is true...but its grat for obese people! as it allows them to do exercis and use muscle groups they otherwis wouldnt of used at all!
and ronanc whats your deal dude? i already admitted it was body flakes(and a hell of alot of them) so why persist? i know its not literally fat! as is quite obious but i jus call it body fat! because iv always called it that(was told it was that in work and never stopped calling it that ) but i hardly see how its any less disgusting!and so irrelevant!