Swimming

[saur]

Questions! Is swimming good to develop a great upper body? If so, how good is it and its effects? Finally, do you have any tips I should follow?

Thanks guys!!!!!
Your comments have been of great help to me!!

[mewletter]

If you want to know if swimming helps, just ask Michael Fred Phelps. As for tips, do morebreast strokes or the butterfly. I had the hard time learning the butterfly, but does wonders to your upper body. It is also a nice alternative to aerobic workout.


Not to mention it gives you a good tan if you swim at outdoors. (Either in the tropical region or summer)

[saur]

Great! Right now I'm trying to get bigger, won't swimming only tone my upper body instead of BOTH toning and increasing muscle size there?

[mewletter]

With weight training, why worry if swimming does only toning? Most of the frequent swimmers I know are quite large. Again, look at Michel Phelps and tell me if it builds up the size.

[Mdlftr]

Swimming can do a lot to bring out a v-taper in the upper torso, since many of the strokes, particularly 'fly, stretch the shoulders and develop the lats. As Mewlettter keeps saying, check out Michael Phelps, 8-time gold medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He's broad and muscled throughout his body.

Now, if you're looking for a "typical" bodybuilder body, i.e., with thick, full pecs, big bulging arms, heavy thighs and a v-taper, and muscles that "pop", body building does that more effectively than swimming. Bodybuilding training focuses on developing individual muscles to make them big, full and defined, so that's what you end up looking like.

Swimming, on the other hand, is focused on the act of swimming: form and function, rather than how it affects the individual muscles. It is excellent for improving cardiovascular function as well.

Both are good exercises for the body.

Why not do both?

Mdlftr (who does) b

[saur]

I think I'll do both. This will help me develop thick, full pecs, big bulging arms, heavy thighs and a v-taper, and muscles that "pop" and at the same time tone them. (If it's actually possible to build muscle and tone it at the same time. Is it?)

Right?

[Mdlftr]

Originally Posted by saur

I think I'll do both. This will help me develop thick, full pecs, big bulging arms, heavy thighs and a v-taper, and muscles that "pop" and at the same time tone them. (If it's actually possible to build muscle and tone it at the same time. Is it?)

Right?

Well, since I agree with everything you said (since I said it first) AND
because on the Internet, no one can "hear" sarcasm, IF it happens to be there, AND
Because I would like this to be true,
I'll say..."Yes!"



P.S. My totally non-snarkoid answer would be, seriously, "I think so, yes." Toning muscle is the result of working it and making it put forth effort. That will certainly make muscle more defined, as well as stronger.

The big question is, does "toned" merely mean that bodyfat gets lowered as a result of heightened metabolism, causing muscle to be more visible, while "bulked" means muscle growth with fat? I'd like to believe that I, personally have experienced both muscle growth (through lifting) without much fat (notice I did not say, "no fat increase") increase, AND my muscles have become more obvious AND more defined.

Another way to say this: your body grows when you put appropriate demands on it through exercise. Changing up exercise from time to time keeps your muscles and body from getting in a rut, and keeps you growing. The important thing is to not overdo it, to the point where your body becomes overtrained, and you get sick or start getting smaller.

Good luck swimming AND lifting!

Mdlftr

[Eager Muscle]

My first boyfriend was a swimmer. He said I was into him because he was "broad and flat like a mattress." And he was! Swimming gave him incredibly broad shoulders, batwing lats and a tiny 27" waist, not an ounce of fat on him. Weightlifting gave his physique depth in addition to his width - full pecs, baseball bis, bulging delts.

Thanks to his example, I now do both, and can't imagine a better dual training regime!

[saur]

Ok, here's my progress so far... I've managed to go swimming once or twice a week for some time. A few times I swam after I worked out. Quite frankly, I'd say it's been of great help. I developed a slightly V-shaped torso and my stamina has increased!

The bad news is that work had not allowed me to either work out or swim for approximately a month and a half. Yeah, that means that I've lost muscle volume.

Fortunately, I won't have such a tight schedule from now on! So I've started working out since last week. Also, now I'll be able to swim virtually every day. But I don't want to overdo it.

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS! How many times a week should I swim? For how long? Is there any style that will boost the upper body? Is there a chance of getting sick if you swim "too much"? (For example, the chlorine in pool water.) Do you think it's a good idea to swim the same day I work out?

I know I ask a lot of questions. But this training has proved to work, and I want to do I the right way.

By the way, thanks for all the advice!

[AS2000]

Can't answer all your questions, I'm afraid, but I do have a quick idea.

Swimming is generally a full-body exercise. But you can tweak it, to emphasize upper or lower body more. If you use a kickboard, then you use your legs more. There's also a sort of thing that goes between your legs (forget the name), and you squeeze your legs around it, so you just pull yourself forward with your arms. You could use both these floating things to vary your swimming workout more, and emphasize different body parts more during your swim time. :)

[AS2000]

The thing for upper body swim workouts is a "pull buoy" (not pool buoy, mind you.)

http://www.swim-shop.com/../indexes/images/ra-pullbuoy.jpg

[JFSandersTX]

Just wanted to second the "do both" idea. I got back into swimming recently and I like doing both -- cardio always bored me if it was just treadmills or the elliptical -- but with swimming I'm totally focused and get into the "flow" and I think that helps with results.

[nj.]

Now I wish I lived in a warm area with a nice lake (or ocean!) near me. Both are untrue, and I don't like swimming pools...

[londonmoon]

Swimming is really a good way for working the chest area, and shoulder. This can be a real benefit in time next to push-ups.

[Brave_Wolfie]

In short: Swimming is a decent way to steadily/sloooooowly build up mass while toning your muscles and burning fat. It's also a very good cardiovascular-exercise shtick. It works a lot of your muscles, even your legs. Do not expect to get huge just by swimming, though, you will most likely gain some sort of muscle mass by swimming a lot. The breaststroke is the easiest to execute properly and it works your a good portion of your upper body as well as your legs a bit.

[Syphon]

I swim after most workouts in the gym, it has done wonders for my shoulders, abs, obliques, and even my calves. I swam pretty intensely for over a month this summer in preparation for lifeguard training, it definitely toned my upper body.

It also helped me with my appetite. I'm usually not very hungry, but a swim everyday makes me starve for thousands of calories that I normally can't stomach.

[drew]

Weight training with heavy weights is the only thing that will really put on measurable muscle mass. However, swimming and biking and other activities that have a lower impact on the body (don't hurt you) yet require repetitive movements for a decent length of time, can not only increase your overall fitness, but also give you greater flexibility, looser and more lubricated joints, and can give you added overall strength (versus just say a max strength) within the muscles used for that exercise.

Swimming, while it won't make you big, does employ a lot of muscles that don't get much use in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. 45 minutes to an hour of swimming everyday (varying strokes) will likely result in more tone and developed glutes (from kicking), lats (from pulling your arms down and back with water resistance), and pecs (from the full-range nature of breast strokes). It will also likely ease any popping and discomfort you may have in your shoulders just because the stretching and pulling motion of many strokes (like say side strokes) will help loosen the shoulder joint and get it used to a nice fluid full-range motion.

I do remember when I was about 15 or 16 and did my first lifeguard certification class that my dad by the end of it came up to me and was like...wow, your back has really grown (and I tend to have a whimpy back).

Either way, no matter what your goals are, swimming is about the best exercise in the world for you (next to sex), so have at it and enjoy.

[FuzzyKB]

Originally Posted by saur

Questions! Is swimming good to develop a great upper body? If so, how good is it and its effects? Finally, do you have any tips I should follow?

Thanks guys!!!!!
Your comments have been of great help to me!!

[COLOR="Wheat"]
Swimming is a "mixed bag" in that it is not a great developer of vast quantities of mass, but, it will benefit you beyond your wildest dreams in other ways and if done well and at the right time.

If you have access to either a swim spa or heated pool it can help you work out the "kinks" substituting for massage and boosting circulation after a workout. If the water is warm (not hot) it also will increase circulation reducing lactic acid buildup and reducing post workout soreness.

It can substitute for other forms of cardio and is a great endurance builder in other areas. The older you are the more benefit you can receive from it as a variable in your workouts or training.

One other thing to remember is that as you build muscle mass and lose body fat you lose the ability to float. Fat floats muscle sinks like a rock.

Regular swimming and adding this as a part of your mass building routines can surprisingly save the life of a bodybuilder who has not been in a deep water situation after substantial muscle gain. Like an aircraft in air, a very muscular bodybuilder requires movement in water using his body and the movement in the water combined to stay on top. This is like the lifting force applied again to the wings of an aircraft.

We have personally experienced this one with our our adopted one. He is 5'5" tall and right now is at about 200lbs. He is on the final leg of a bulking cycle, but the muscle mass is now sufficient to have completely changed his body's characteristics in water.

One of the things we participate in as a family is river rafting and white water rafting. He is not one to quickly admit that he has limitations, but, a spill out of a raft in a rafting trip down the Colorado River in June of this year and the changes in his bouyancy in water over the year scared the heck out of him and with good reason. He is an excellent swimmer, but, now far less bouyant. This resulted in the finding and purchase of a very Heavy Duty life vest set up for him. In his case, one bop on the head and it could be over before anyone got to him.

The addition of swimming and experience with the changes of your bodies characteristics in water with substantial muscle mass change should become part of your training for many reasons. Good cardio, good endurance builder, therapeutic, and under adverse circumstances a possible life saver because as things change your knowledge and abilities change and adapt with it. [/COLOR]

[tReynolds]

Yes, its true. I suggest you to try enrolling into a swim workout training end experience customized swim workouts for triathlon. This will help you improve your technical proficiency, fitness level and ultimately swimming performance.

[nathnielbrooks]

Swimming is very good to get in good shape, it can also be used to intensely develop a certain part of the body like the upperbody.

[Benedict]

Hi,,,
Swimming is good exercise for upper body growth as well as for whole body...
one important thing that necessary to mention that swimming have not side effect for female as well as male...

[lostwingnut]

Swimming is a great all round activity, nothing better than a lap session at the pool after a long day at work, have recently found that a light swim after a workout helps too.

[johnsteinbeck]

Absolutely yes! Swimming is good to strengthen your muscles. Try some workouts or just make it your daily habit after you take your breakfast. I'm sure, you will look good as you want.

[JosephDavis]

Yes. Swimming can really help. Try enrolling into a swimming workouts class and there you will feel it.

[david marks]

If your goal is permanent fat loss, you need to burn enough calories to make a significant impact. Here's why: In order to lose a pound in one week, you need to create a 3,500-calorie deficit.

[Harlane]

Hi saur,
Swimming is effective exercise that will help you to keep in good shape. Some benefits of swimming:
Water has more resistance than air and you need to effort much while swimming and it makes your hips, shoulders, arms and back muscles strong,
As while swimming you are using all of your body parts so it increases your acrobatic capacity,
Swimming helps you to build and strengthen your heart muscle,
Swimming prevents you from heart problems, joint problem and obesity.

[iangil]

To achieve the deficit, you may want to consider two options. One is the use of tongkat ali which is patented for weight loss and muscle growth. A more radical approach is the Serge Kreutz spit-it-don't-shit-it diet. Anyway, the pleasure of food is in the mouth, not the esophagus.