Swimming for fitness

CPTM

Hey all, I'm a hard gainer, I find it hard to eat enough every day but have gotten into a good routine with about 3000-3500 calories a day. I combine that with a gym plan that helped me get from a natural weight of 10.5 stone up to about 13 stone ~12 % body fat. I'm six foot.

To get there took years, and although I still enjoy weights I want to take up the swimming for fitness because I think it would be good for flexibility too (which tends to suffer with the weight training).

Bit nervous that the swimming will burn all the calories I'm struggling to eat and I'll disappear to nothing again. Anyone out there like me and can let me know their experience?

Does swimming build muscle at amateur level?

Is it just the bodybuilder mind set that needs to change (SayNoToCardio!)?

Mellor

You won't burn many too calories unless you are good at swimming and can get a lot of volume in a session.
As with running for example, I'd imagine there's a difference between the muscle building potential of swimming short sprints vrs long distance swimming.
As for flexibility, swimming will keep your existing ROM mobile, but I'm not sure how much it will do to significantly improve flexibility.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Swimming Forum

OP you might be best off checking the swimming forum for information.

I swim most days, I try to get 45 minutes mix of free style and breast stroke and the only thing which really taxes my local muscular endurance is heavy, intense weight training.

I've no idea of cals burnt, but when I'm finished I'm absolutely famished & exhausted tired.. I've read that a bad swimmer burns more calories than a good swimmer due to the bad swimmers inefficency in the water.

Mellor

Yahir Black Ballpoint wrote: »

I've read that a bad swimmer burns more calories than a good swimmer due to the bad swimmers inefficency in the water.

Its true. But it's more per metre, not per hour. I used to swim 4 times a week as a kid. We weren't really interesting in the calories then, but I'd be curious now

ford2600

Mellor wrote: »

Its true. But it's more per metre, not per hour. I used to swim 4 times a week as a kid. We weren't really interesting in the calories then, but I'd be curious now

I generally have no interest but I'm now doing predawn open swims at 13C at the moment.
The energy expended regulating body temperature, during swim a for an hour or so after must be considerable.

Its strange it feels cool in 10C air and just swimming trunks before i go in, but I generally feel warm coming out 20/40 minutes later and usually in no hurry to dry off or get dressed.

Feeling cold usually comes about 30 mins later.

The appetite is very strong typically after compared to any other activity.

Brown fat, which has a protein to uncouple ATP process and instead generate heat is a fascinating process. It's going at it maximum just before you start shivering!

ted1

Depends on what you do.
If I do 2km I feel grand after it. But if I do intervals., sprint up, slow back and repeat I really feel it particularly in the abs.

Mellor

ford2600 wrote: »

I generally have no interest but I'm now doing predawn open swims at 13C at the moment.
The energy expended regulating body temperature, during swim a for an hour or so after must be considerable.

13C!! :eek: no thanks

The beach is down the road from me is 20C now. I'd consider that if it got the brown fat firing

ford2600

Mellor wrote: »

13C!! :eek: no thanks

The beach is down the road from me is 20C now. I'd consider that if it got the brown fat firing

The plan is to keep it up until March and the joys if 9C!

There huge numbers swimming there, most north of 50 with lots hitting 70. A few of them struggle to walk but swim way better than me.

One lady swimming coach, has done a 2 mile ice swim; some lake in Wicklow with 4C water.

I'm the only one with an interest in brown fat etc, for the rest it seems a better alternative to yoga/meditation etc

Zillah

ford2600 wrote: »

The plan is to keep it up until March and the joys if 9C!

Madness. I am convinced there are genetic factors here. I can put up with all manner of hardship, but cold water feels like knives stabbing me and I cannot fathom how someone can paddle happily beside me in the same water.

ford2600

Zillah wrote: »

Madness. I am convinced there are genetic factors here. I can put up with all manner of hardship, but cold water feels like knives stabbing me and I cannot fathom how someone can paddle happily beside me in the same water.

More environment I would think.

We can adapt to lots of things, it just involves discomfort(be in doms, hiit etc for "fitness") in small incremental doses.

Stephan Gueynet has an article or two on brown fat and how our body regulates temperature , primarily the hypothalamus and sensors on the skin. Our bodies main interest is protecting a very narrow range of core temperature necessary for organ function.

There is some study out there on mice/cold exposure/gut mircribiota and it's effect on lepton resistance.

There is only one better way to start the day ime

Zillah

ford2600 wrote: »

Stephan Gueynet has an article or two on brown fat and how our body regulates temperature , primarily the hypothalamus and sensors on the skin.

Fascinating! I had never heard of brown fat before.

yosser hughes

ford2600 wrote: »

The plan is to keep it up until March and the joys if 9C!

There huge numbers swimming there, most north of 50 with lots hitting 70. A few of them struggle to walk but swim way better than me.

One lady swimming coach, has done a 2 mile ice swim; some lake in Wicklow with 4C water.

I'm the only one with an interest in brown fat etc, for the rest it seems a better alternative to yoga/meditation etc

Where do you go swimming?

ford2600

yosser hughes wrote: »

Where do you go swimming?

Myrtleville, a beach just west of mouth of Cork harbour.

If Dublin based 40ft seems to have a very active swimming group

Check locally before swimming anywhere; non locals who can swim make up significant number of drowning victims

Alf Veedersane

Lad I work with goes swimming at Seapoint or 40 Foot most days before work and at lunch. All year round and in weather most people would balk at.

Swears by it.

ford2600

yosser hughes wrote: »

Where do you go swimming?

Great username.

I can just remember Aberdeen playing in Cup Winners Cup Final in 84 (I think). They had a striker called Eric Black.

Banner on a terrace read "Eric Black head better than Yosser Hughes".

ford2600

Zillah wrote: »

Madness. I am convinced there are genetic factors here. I can put up with all manner of hardship, but cold water feels like knives stabbing me and I cannot fathom how someone can paddle happily beside me in the same water.

https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/ireland/cork.htm

About 30 people in water today, only one or two jessies in wetsuits .

After 15mins in water, I'm comfortable standing around in trunks and don't get really cold.

9C in March should be doable, I was pretty doubtful in September.

What's seldom is wonderful, 3 mugs of mulled wine and chocolate bombs was my breakfast after swim:pac:

arybvtcw0eolkf

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Lad I work with goes swimming at Seapoint or 40 Foot most days before work and at lunch. All year round and in weather most people would balk at.

Swears by it.

Ain't the 40 foot, but I'll be doing the Christmas Day swim on Portmarnock Beach in aid of St Francis Hospice tomorrow ~ should be a nippy one