who does it?

i've heard it is really good for you, so i'm gonna start a regimine. i don't know anything about techniques so if anybody has any advice for a beginner, please share. from other threads, i've found

http://courses.ncsu.edu/pe226/lec/005/videos_swimming_skills.html
http://www.goswim.tv/videolist.php

1/29/2006 10:07:58 PM

its no better then any other popular form of cardio.

1/29/2006 10:09:57 PM

from what i was told on the matter, its actually not as good as doing other cardio

something about the water cooling the body off and not generating heat or some shit

1/29/2006 10:12:14 PM

what are other popular forms of cardio? swimming seems appealing b/c you can make it goal-oriented (timed laps, try to beat your time, etc) so it's not so boring

1/29/2006 10:15:45 PM

generating heat has nothing to do with anything. its like a computer, the better cooled you are the better you perform. i like swimming because its not as painful as running can be, but it takes a while to build endurance.

1/29/2006 10:17:42 PM

^good anology

i'm gonna kick whoever told me that in the balls

1/29/2006 10:22:34 PM

It depends on what you're trying to do.

If you're just trying to lose weight...I'd stick with running or other forms of cardio that are a little bit easier to perform, and you don't start off behind the 8-ball as far as learning how to do it correctly.

If you really want to do swimming...and you're a beginner, then I would might think about lessons. If you're thinking about getting serious and doing a lot of laps and keeping up with your times, then you need to make sure you have good technique, or it could be a real pain in the ass.

I personally love swimming and hate that I don't have Carmichael at my disposal anymore. It's probably the best cardio exercise for working EVERY muscle in your body. I was in the best shape of my life the one semester where I was swimming a couple miles a week. Arms, legs, abs...you name it, you work it when you're swimming.

1/29/2006 10:26:23 PM

how good are you now?

if you have bad technique you will be working twice as hard to go half as far. I really recommend taking a class or lessons to learn. Once you know what you're doing, the only way to get faster is to just swim a lot.

1/29/2006 10:30:04 PM

def not trying to lose weight. trying to gain muscle if anything (though that's not the real point or else i'd do something else). just trying to be healthier

^ i have no idea how good i am. i can swim, but have never been trained how to swim correctly

[Edited on January 29, 2006 at 10:31 PM. Reason : .]

1/29/2006 10:30:23 PM

yea i like to swim, swam in high school. I was never a big fan of running just to run so I'm more inclined to hop in the pool and do some laps.

It's also less stressful on your joints than running, which probably only matters if you're thinking long term or you are old.

^ If you have a friend that knows technique, see if you can get out there with him/her, otherwise I think some lessons wouldn't be that bad of an idea

[Edited on January 29, 2006 at 10:37 PM. Reason : a]

1/29/2006 10:32:26 PM

Then I'd say lessons are the way to go. You could try taking intermediate swimming for PE, they'll teach you proper technique. Also, get some goggles!

1/29/2006 10:37:15 PM

already graduated so no PE

we just signed up at the Y though, maybe they have lessons, or i can find somebody who knows what they're doing

1/29/2006 10:38:34 PM

Quote :

"its no better then any other popular form of cardio."

i took swim conditioning and the teacher told us it is actually better because like someone said it works like EVERY muscle. and imho it does work better, i was in the best shape ive prolly been in in a long whiel after that class. id def say it works much better than running or other shit.

1/29/2006 10:49:21 PM

God People, do a fucking search. This topic has been covered a thousand times.

1/29/2006 10:56:26 PM

Quote :

"from other threads, i've found"

durrr. ass.

1/29/2006 10:57:51 PM

Quote :

"def not trying to lose weight. trying to gain muscle if anything (though that's not the real point or else i'd do something else). just trying to be healthier"

Then swimming sounds great. Sounds like you've got a few options.

Only thing else I would say is that it should take a while to build up your endurance (unless you already run a lot). The key to swimming (as with other cardio exercises) is pace. It took me a while to find a good pace...but when I found, I could swim forever.

1/29/2006 11:01:41 PM

I, too, enjoy swimming. It is a great exercise, as mentioned all throughout this thread. And as everyone has mentioned, it will not show quick weight loss results, but rather over time it will tone your body and muscles to a more lean look (unlike that of weight training where you're building a lot of muscle mass). In order to actually gain something from swimming you will have to dedicate a considerable amount of time. Swimming a mile takes far longer than running a mile, but the benefits are far greater (in my opinion). Swimming isn't for everyone, but if you're determined you'll definitely get something out of it. Good luck with your endeavor.

1/29/2006 11:03:30 PM

Muscle Tone

1/29/2006 11:06:22 PM

i go for swimming over running, mostly because the navy was too cheap to take the bone spurs out of my knees and that hairline fracture they never caught tends to give way to patellar tendonitis when I run

1/29/2006 11:38:23 PM

Quote :

"It's also less stressful on your joints than running"

ha, tell that to my shoulders

1/29/2006 11:40:40 PM

if you injure your shoulder, you were not snapping/rotating your hips or rotating your shoulder when you were in the pull phase

1/29/2006 11:44:45 PM

Or you could have just swam competitively.

I don't care how perfect your form is...if you're swimming over 7,000 meters a day for 15 years...there's a good chance your shoulders are going to be fucked up.

1/30/2006 12:01:36 AM

that's why you work on your form and stretch

1/30/2006 12:03:52 AM

Quote :

" personally love swimming and hate that I don't have Carmichael at my disposal anymore."

that and the basketball courts

i might have to sign up for a class just for the hell of it (and for the tickets)

1/30/2006 12:07:57 AM

Quote :

"f you have bad technique you will be working twice as hard to go half as far. "

On point. It will be good to have one-on-one sessions with somebody who is an experienced swimmer and can point out little odds and ends on how to correct your form. You'll want to do it in increments (once a month sounds good) so as you practice and improve, you can ask questions.

Google for "exercise calories" to find various counters out there (http://www.caloriecontrol.org/exercalc.html). You will also lose a good % of your body fat if you keep up with swimming. I think I was down to 155lbs and 10% body fat after taking PE104 my second semester.

From personal experience, swimming can be a pain in the ass to do if you have a full-time job. The gym I'm at doesn't open their pool early enough in the morning, so I have to go during lunch. 45 minutes in the pool/stretching/cooling down, 20 minutes to/from gym, 25 minutes to dress/undress/actually eat lunch. Pointing out I need an hour and a half to really get done what I need to get done.

1/30/2006 5:53:09 AM

Phhhfftttt... All this talk about good form, I made it through all of swim conditioning swimming with my head out of the water and I was one of the faster people in there. Of course the summer of lifegaurding right before that could have helped.

And yes good form is a much better way to go. I just didn't want to wear those goggles and put my head in the water.

1/30/2006 7:30:45 AM

swimmers have the best bodies. good luck w/ the new regimen!

1/30/2006 8:16:40 AM

uh yea swimming is one of the best excercising things you could do. it pretty much incorporates all of your body at some point. the water does have a cooling effect, allowing you perform longer (read work muscles harder therefore seeing better results). you're not going to get a body builders body, but you'll get in shape.

1/30/2006 11:37:35 AM

theres no argueing that swimming is a great exercise, however, there have been studies done (google them yourself, im too lazy) that show that swimming isnt the "best" exercise for losing weight.

if you look at that calorie calculator that Perlith linked, you'll see that jogging alone burns more calories.

while swimming does give your body a complete workout, on the down-side (and what the studies have confirmed) is that you become more hungry after swimming, so people tend to eat more then they do with other types of exercise. i know from personal experience (and im sure the other swimmers will agree with this) that I am starving after I have a good swim workout....but I'm not as hungry after a comperable running workout.

so while swimming is certainly a great form of exercise, running has been shown to help you lose weight more effectively.

1/30/2006 11:45:05 AM

I do swimming for exercising. I'm not very good at making myself go to the pool and swim laps so i'm taking swim conditioning (also cause i need the one credit hour) but it makes me go to the pool at least twice a week and now i have a new swim partner to help make me go on fridays as well. I have really bad joints (my knees mostly) and i have a bad back (scoliosis) so swimming is the ideal exercise for me.

1/30/2006 11:47:29 AM

oh yeah, is it cool to wear board shorts? i don't want to get all G-ed up with my cap and goggles and speedo and then get in the pool and do the doggy paddle but all i have are board shorts

1/30/2006 9:24:34 PM

When I took swim conditioning most all the guys had board shorts.

1/30/2006 9:27:48 PM

GYES!

1/30/2006 9:29:24 PM

^^^
If you go with the speedo, you must post pics

sober made a good point about wanting to eat either before or afterwards ... have something prepared. Won't get into nutrition much in this thread ... there's a million of them out there. Tuna is a cheap ($0.50/can) source of protein (~33g/can) but isn't the greatest tasting in the world. Pay the extra $texas ($1.00/can) for white albacore if you want something a bit better. I usually eat a tuna fish sandwich to help satisfy that hunger craving.

1/31/2006 5:24:59 AM

When I took swim conditioning, it was the best shape I've ever been in my whole life. I had awesome endurance and it increased my core strength and and toned muscles all over. I'd do it again except I don't have anyone like Coach Yout to push me hard enough to make a big difference.

[Edited on January 31, 2006 at 8:47 AM. Reason : ]

1/31/2006 8:47:38 AM

youll burn way more fat and lost weight more quickly running or biking.

build cardiovascular strength and overall body strength swimming though.

1/31/2006 8:59:05 AM