Swimming as Cardio

[vitor]

Im a former Marine, and have a buddy who is in the navy, semi competivie bodybuilder, 5'7, 230, he has been doing lots of laps as his cardio, and it looks like it is working, any of you guys try this, recomend, for or aginst it?

 

[DOGMA]

Its great if your in good enough shape to do it for distance. Probably the best full body cardio workout you could do. My only concern would be that it would be so strong as a cardio and muscle workout that it would be counter productive to someone tying to build muscle.

 

[xcelbeyond]

My freind/trainer has worked with MANY athletes, as well as bodybuilders (he used to work with/for Bill Pearl). Part of his program was tracking your body composition (BF) via a unique, very accurate method - ultrasound.

He found some interesting "general" facts about the body composition of different atheletes. In "general," competetive swimmers tend to carry a higher BF percentage than any other athlete. He thought that it may be a body's protective measure to shield the body from being exposed to cold water a lot.

He had no reason to make this up and it sounds logical.

 

[BigBoyJ]

Yes, it has been proven that the cold water makes swimmers hold more fat. I don't have the research on it, though. It is the body's protective measure against the constant cold that competitive swimmers encounter. Short, infrequent cardio in very cold water boosts the metabolism though and burns fat. It's just when you start spending a lot of time, day after day in a pool that the body adapts by adding extra insulation.

 

[Coopie]

XCEL & BigBoy - I have read that too, about the cold water, and I believed it until this past winter and now I question that theory.

Here's why: I spent some time in Puerto Rico w/ friends who are seriously into surfing. We made some friends in PR with some local surf-kids who spend hours in the water daily. The water temp was low-to-mid 50's - certainly not ice cold, but not too warm either. It's like where it takes you a few minutes to get comfortable in the water b/c you're freezing until you adapt. These kids were all shredded to the bone! I mean, not an ounce of fat on their bodies.

So, that made me think that perhaps the theory of cold water and retention of fat is bogus...

I'd appreciate other opinions b/c I'd prefer to swim as opposed to torture myself on the Precor!

 

[DOGMA]

Bro I dont know about you but Mid 50's is freaking cold are you sure you got the temp right????You had better have some fat on your ass to stay in 55 degree water for anytime at all or a wet suit.

 

[DIEZEL666]

When I went through BUD/S we were in the freezing cold water virtually all the time. That was the most ripped I have ever been in my life.

 

[xcelbeyond]

Well - I won't EVER have to worry about swimming as an option.

My wife didn't believe me when we were dating: I jumped into the deep-end of a pool and immediately sank to the bottom and "walked" out. I'm not afraid of the water - just float like a rock. It takes ALL the energy I have just to tread in water

 

[DOGMA]

excel, just up the body fat!!!

 

[vitor]

DIezel

Can You tell us about your Bud Training, part of my asking is my friend is looking to enter the navy seal program, and is slowly trying to get me to do this workout with him, it looks like a mass eater though.

 

[Entity]

Ive been swimming for cardio for about a year now and I think its the best option out there. Not only is it the most efficient way of training the cardiovasular system becouse of the full body workout and rythemic breathing but the motions are an excellent way to train the smaller stabilizing muscles surrounding your joints thus prevening injury.

 

[DIEZEL666]

Can You tell us about your Bud Training, part of my asking is my friend is looking to enter the navy seal program, and is slowly trying to get me to do this workout with him, it looks like a mass eater though.

Bro, if you are trying to gain size stay away from this type of training. If you have specific questions, let me know and I'll do what I can.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Everything I have read and been taught suggests that swimming is one of the least effective forms of cardio. This is primarily due to the fact that it is a non weight bearing exercise. This means that gravity has been removed from the equation making it easier for the body to perform and therefore burning less calories. It is also true that long time swimmers carry a higher % of BF because as you may or may not know the skin is the largest organ in the human body and therefore has the greatest potential to lose heat. The body increases subcutaneuos fat levels in order to counteract this.

 

[vitor]

mike Phelps is ripped, most swimmers have six pack, I mean its full body if you do free style, legs, arms, chest, back, shoulders, it is freaking hard too.