Author Topic: Is swimming effective for cardio? (Read 5964 times)

Quickerblade · « **on:** February 13, 2006, 12:17:20 PM »

I hear its a great cardiovacsular workout but i dont see any bodybuilders talking about actually doing it?

GET_BIGGER · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2006, 12:27:21 PM »

IMO probably one of the best exorcises of all of them. You burn a s**t load of calories, no stress on joints whatsoever, complete body workout. I like it. I just don't like the time it takes to go into a pool, smelling like chlorine and all that stuff.

pumpster · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2006, 12:33:23 PM »

It's probably the best all-round exercise due to the overall effect on all muscles and minimal joint stress.

Good for cardio, if done for an uninterrupted period of time, like anything else.

Why BBs don't do it: less convenient to find a pool. Also, I think the concensus is that it's not the best for reducing fat & cutting. Also, since most don't swim it's not widely promoted, even though it's a viable alternative.

JPM · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2006, 01:38:52 PM »

Might try surfing also, though you do wait a bit off shore for a good set to come in. You skin is stimulated from the salt water and feels very clean unless you surf anywhere around the LA county line. Cleans the skin pores and all the other body cavities. That's one of the reasons sufer girls are so popular.

Water polo athletes are in great shape with outstanding endurance/stamina. There's a theory that swimmers develop a light layer of fat over their entire body as a natural protector agains the cooler/colder water. Most people I know who do water sports tend to be somewhat lean but smooth. Good Luck.

oldtimer1 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2006, 01:55:16 PM »

Fat floats and lean sinks. That's hydrostatic fat weighing in a nut shell. Swimming is also a skill. If your buoyant and have good skills you can swim better than a poor swimmer with superior cardio conditioning. Having said that it's a great cardio work out. Really good swimmers are cardio machines.

The problems with swimming is that even warm water is cooler than body temperture. Your body adapts to cold by increasing appetite and preserving fat. There has been numerous studies comparing fat loss comparing swimming to running,biking, and walking. Swimming always comes in last when losing fat is the yardstick.

I know some will counter there are no fat champion swimmers. Of course I agree. I'm just talking about using it as a tool for bodybuilders wanting to lose fat; it's not the best choice. For increasing cardio health it's top notch.

One of the things subcutaneous fat is used for is to insulate your body against the cold. Almost all pools are colder than body temp. Your body will preserve fat as an insulator against the cold. A simple rule is that your body adapts to the stressor presented.

Swimming also increases your appetite. Really good swimmers who train really hard do have lean bodies but for a bodybuilder to use swimming to get ripped it isn't an optimal way to do it. If you do an internet search on the web I'm sure you can find studies and educated opinions to back up what I wrote. If you enjoy swimming it's a great exercise and you should continue to do it. I have a lot of respect for swimmers whether they are sprinters, middle or long distance athletes. It can be a brutal sport. It's also great for your health. Swimming does use a lot of calories if you push it hard. As I said previously it also makes you as hungry as a bear.

Sculpter · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2006, 08:34:33 PM »

Interesting JPM, what you stated about the body insulating itself against the water's coldness is the first thing I thought of when I read the thread title.I had first read of that in the early 80's & was wondering if there was any updates to support or go against that theory.

onlyme · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2006, 09:10:10 PM »

Quote

Might try surfing also, though you do wait a bit off shore for a good set to come in. You skin is stimulated from the salt water and feels very clean unless you surf anywhere around the LA county line. Cleans the skin pores and all the other body cavities. That's one of the reasons sufer girls are so popular.

I think the salt water actually dries out your skin. It draws moisture out. The salt after getting out of the water is dried by the sun and your skin I think actually feels dirty. It leaves a layer of salt on top of your skin and clogs the pores. Also, swimming in water like in LA is I would think really bad since all the pollution there. Here the water is so clear but you still get that dry skin feeling. The reasomn I think so many beach goers like girls is they are using a sunscreen and/or moisturizer. That is the "hip" thing to do nowadays.

Also, I heard that swimming in colder water helps you burn more calories cause your body goes into a "shivering mode" which takes your body more energy to do.

JPM · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2006, 09:37:26 AM »

A combination of salt water and the sun could dry out the skin for some folks ( Nothern and central Europeans stock) but I've never had that problem ( Polynesian). Salt water is a cleansing agent for the pores but most people will wash themselves off with those pubic showers at the beach before going home. My skin never feels dirty but refreshed. A wet suit will hold body heat in so I'm not sure about the affect of swimming in cold water when wearing one.
Beach girls are the ones who never get their suits wet and actually glow with all the lotions they slap on. Though there's nothing quite like a well oiled rump laying on the beach. Sufer girls are the athletic type with hard bodies. Guy's like sufer girls because those private body parts are extra clean but they can leave a salty taste in ones mouth. Ask any serious sufer.
Hawaii has outstanding water. I try to get to the Pipeline every three years or so. Samoa and the Figi's, OK. Peru has the best power breaks I've been told, Half Moon Bay the most dangerious which I have surfed in my high school days. Lots of kelp and dirty looking. Aloha!

pumpster · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2006, 10:15:16 AM »

Salt water definitely dries out the skin.

There are several reasons that swimming may not be as effective for fat-loss. The most believable IMO is just the nature of the exercise itself-like stationary bike, the body is not supported fully by gravity while swimming, unlike running, which is more effective than either. The difference is just the nature of the exercise.

Water temperature's a less likely possibility, in that even swimmers in very warm water experience the same effects as those in colder water. Any effect from the water temperature on body fat's also arguable, may just as easily be due to increased appetite as any direct effort to store fat. Studies are inconclusive.

G.R.H. · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2006, 03:23:46 PM »

i'm surprised you'd ask such a question! of course it's effective! (common sense!)

pumpster · « **Reply #10 on:** February 14, 2006, 03:47:37 PM »

Of course?

There are these silly 'lil things called details that are worth considering. Damn those pesky detailz..

triple_pickle · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2006, 07:08:43 PM »

swimming is excellent for cardio.

ahnold used to swim a lot. too.

onlyme · « **Reply #12 on:** February 14, 2006, 07:48:37 PM »

Swimmers don't swim to get ripped. They swim to go faster. To much muscle I think would make it harder to swim because of the density which leads to sinking. So having allot of muscle is counter-productive in swimming

rocket · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2006, 05:14:47 PM »

Salt water definitely is good for acne, I know that. A week near the beach and if you're spotty you'll be quite a great deal cleaned up by the end of it.

Unknown8471 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2006, 12:29:08 AM »

Swiming is grate cardio!

pumpster · « **Reply #15 on:** February 18, 2006, 04:52:24 PM »

Swimming is excellent cardio; I think the only proviso is that it's not the best for fat-burning or getting lean, which is something different.

sustabob · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2006, 01:51:34 AM »

Swimming is decent cardio IF you are a good swimmer.

I'm a crap swimmer, but I can swim for a decent time - half hour plus, easy. Problem is because my technique is poor I don't actually get much of a cardio workout. You need to swim fast to get a good workout, and I can't swim fast.

There's little doubt in my mind that being in the pool for long periods of time on a regular basis leads to retaining a thicker layer of fat - sure, top swimmers aren't fat - but you never see much in the way of veins, do you.... ?!

Incidentally, a common way of cheating at swim-meets is to pump some air into your colon with a bike pump. You float higher on the surface, and therefor go quicker... plus I guess you could switch on the turbo for the last 5 yards in a tight finish...

pumpster · « **Reply #17 on:** February 19, 2006, 10:15:44 AM »

Do NOT have to be a good swimmer to get good cardio from swimming. Good cardio comes from any sustained exercise or activity that involves elevating the heart rate for at least 20 continuous minutes (preferably for more than 20 minutes).

Good swimming technique or not, if you're working the muscles in a sustained fashion with some intensity, you're working your heart and getting cardio benefits.

mdhulk · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:16:31 PM »

swimming is great cardio wise, but i remember reading somewhere on the board something bout ur body inadvertantly holding extra bodyfat due to some natural reaction which occurs when immersed in cold or whatever water...could be talking straight out of my ass but im sure im not the only one who read it...ever notice how olympic swimmers usually look soft...not completely ripped?

i dunno...my 2 cents...could be wrong...

-md-

onlyme · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:32:12 PM »

Swim for 20 minutes and then the next day do the treadmill for 20 minutes. Which makes you more tired.

sustabob · « **Reply #20 on:** February 21, 2006, 01:21:35 AM »

Quote from: onlyme on February 20, 2006, 12:32:12 PM

Swim for 20 minutes and then the next day do the treadmill for 20 minutes. Which makes you more tired.

Treadmill - coz I can work it much harder than my poor swimming technique allows.

Farkenell · « **Reply #21 on:** March 04, 2006, 11:10:01 AM »

I used to train with a club and swim for my high school, have some medals too.

Swimming is exhausting. Swimming for half an hour at a reasonable pace with proper form takes it out of ya. I used to do it on mornings for one hour, and I was washed out for the rest of the day.

I swam 2.5 kilometres in an hour, in an out door pool. My willy hurt from the cold, took about 2 hours to recover.

The chlorine fucked my skin, really dries it out and feels nasty.

Stick to the treadmill. At least you can watch the T and A walk past, chat, monitor heart rate, drink water, watch tv, listen to music, read magazine etc

pumpster · « **Reply #22 on:** March 04, 2006, 11:51:52 AM »

You've completely talked me out of any swimming.

The contradiction is bizarre-swimming's exhausting yet isn't the best for getting lean. I understand the theories but usually there's a positive correlation with exercise & fat loss.