Swimming after a work out?

[njdevilsfan87]

So there's an indoor pool right next to the gym area. Since it is too cold outside to do any cardio, I was thinking about trying swimming instead. Has anyone tried this? Seems like it could pretty beneficial to me as well... since I enjoy surfing. If it's actually effective maybe I'll just replace jogging completely... because I honestly... it's just too boring!

 

[brikis98]

What are your goals?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Swimming in a pool is less boring than jogging?

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Swimming in a pool is less boring than jogging?

Also a valid point. At least when you run, you can watch tv, take in the scenery (if outside) or listen to your mp3 player (I often listen to audiobooks).

 

[MotF Bane]

Personal tastes, he might find swimming to be less boring than jogging.

 

[eddiebravo]

im guessing you arent a professional athlete and therefore dont have a specific training routine that you must follow....so, there are about a thousand things you could do to stay in shape...why the hell would anyone choose do something that they find boring??

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: eddiebravo
im guessing you arent a professional athlete and therefore dont have a specific training routine that you must follow....so, there are about a thousand things you could do to stay in shape...why the hell would anyone choose do something that they find boring??

Always around to spread your words of wisdom. Kudos for stating the obvious, friend - and in the most condescending manner tolerable even. Awesome.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

Originally posted by: eddiebravo
im guessing you arent a professional athlete and therefore dont have a specific training routine that you must follow....so, there are about a thousand things you could do to stay in shape...why the hell would anyone choose do something that they find boring??

I am asking if anyone has done swimming after workout... as if is it even possible mainly, especially after doing an upper body workout. I don't want to start swimming and find myself having trouble staying afloat in the middle of the pool after one.

Personal tastes, he might find swimming to be less boring than jogging.

Precisely. It's also 30 degrees out, and I also don't like jogging on treadmills inside of a gym (I prefer the fresh air when jogging).

Swimming... could also prove to beneficial other than just keeping myself in shape, like I said I enjoy surfing, a lot. Whatever, I'll probably just give it a shot tomorrow since no one wants to answer the question.

What are your goals?

To gain body mass. I'm 187-188lbs at 6'2'', and at about 12-13% body fat as by calipers. I'm going to attempt to gain a few more lbs, and start cutting it all off (as in stop lifting the weights entirely and drop to 10% body fat doing mostly cardio, and some resistance training, while in calorie deficit). My original post doesn't really relate to this. I'd be better off probably just sticking to weights entirely... but that just doesn't feel right to me.

 

[irishScott]

If you feel up to it, go for it. All depends on how hard you hit it before-hand. Obviously the harder you work out, the longer your recovery period will be. Make sure you stay hydrated too. Just because you can't feel the sweat doesn't mean it's not coming out.

 

[Turkish]

http://www.finisinc.com/products-swimp3.shtml

Best. Thing. Ever. For. Swimmers.

I have been using it for 6 months and love it. It doesn't have a huge capacity but I use my Zen during the day and Swimp3 in the pool.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: njdevilsfan87
To gain body mass. I'm 187-188lbs at 6'2'', and at about 12-13% body fat as by calipers. I'm going to attempt to gain a few more lbs, and start cutting it all off (as in stop lifting the weights entirely and drop to 10% body fat doing mostly cardio, and some resistance training, while in calorie deficit). My original post doesn't really relate to this. I'd be better off probably just sticking to weights entirely... but that just doesn't feel right to me.

I've got roughly the same goals... but I got confused by, "as in stop lifting the weights entirely and drop to 10% body fat doing mostly cardio, and some resistance training, while in calorie deficit."

Isn't lifting considered resistance training? What did you mean by resistance training?

I hate cardio too, but I'm doing it for my cutting phase, alternating outdoor running with elliptical machines. An ipod helps immensely.

 

[Czar]

Try the rowing machine... its the BEST cardio you can possibly get

 

[Megatomic]

Swimming for cardio after a strength workout is a great idea. So is running and biking.

/broken record

 

[Creig]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Swimming in a pool is less boring than jogging?

Of course it is. When was the last time you saw a girl jogging in her bathing suit?

 

[njdevilsfan87]

Isn't lifting considered resistance training? What did you mean by resistance training?

Instead of going 4-5 times a week, I'll go once or twice a week at most. I'm also going to drop to the weight a lot to do higher rep workouts. It's to help prevent any 'muscle loss' while in calorie deficit. I remember reading that 3-4 lbs every two weeks is a safe amount to drop. Any more and you may start removing muscle mass. While in calorie deficit I've lost that amount in a week. Because I don't want to take any chances, I will be working resistance training into my cutting phase.

 

[conorvansmack]

I'm like you, I think jogging is really boring, but I come from a swimming background, so it's my preferred form of cardio. Since you surf, you probably have decent technique. You'll notice that technique is the first thing to go when you're worn out, especially after an upper body workout.

Following the black line on the bottom can get boring, so try to mix up the strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breastroke) and work with some different distances (50, 100, 200). If you're doing backstroke, make sure you use the flags or at least have a good idea of where the wall is. I watched some lady smack the back of her head on the wall last night. She wasn't going fast enough to cause any damage, but it probably scared the hell out of her.

Start with something attainable, like 8 x 50 and choose a time interval that you can achieve. e.g. 5 x 100 @ 2:00 - 5 sets of 4 laps (100 yards) with 2 minutes to complete each set. You start a new 100 every 2 minutes. The leftover time is used to rest.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: njdevilsfan87
To gain body mass. I'm 187-188lbs at 6'2'', and at about 12-13% body fat as by calipers. I'm going to attempt to gain a few more lbs, and start cutting it all off (as in stop lifting the weights entirely and drop to 10% body fat doing mostly cardio, and some resistance training, while in calorie deficit). My original post doesn't really relate to this. I'd be better off probably just sticking to weights entirely... but that just doesn't feel right to me.

* If you're trying to gain body mass, cardio of any kind (including swimming) will be somewhat counterproductive.

* On the other hand, if the goal of your cardio is actually to eventually help you cut weight, then it doesn't matter too much which type you do - the only real effect of cardio on weight loss is as an efficient means of increasing how many calories you burn. Cardio certainly has other benefits (e.g. increased stamina & endurance), but none of them matter much for weight loss. Therefore, just do whatever kind of cardio you enjoy and can do consistently.

* Incidentally, while swimming certainly burns a ton of calories, swimmers do seem to retain some extra fat over other endurance athletes. Not sure if this is because the water is cold or fat helps buoyancy, and I don't know if it would have any effect on a recreational (as opposed to competitive) swimmer, but it's worth considering that from a pure fat loss perspective, swimming might not be the ideal choice.

* It is a bad idea to reduce your resistance training and do "high reps" while in a caloric deficit. You need to give your body as much incentive as possible to maintain your metabolically expensive muscle mass. This is best accomplished by (1) keeping protein intake very high, (2) doing plenty of resistance training and (3) ensuring that the resistance training you do is heavy, which by definition means low rep. Reducing the intensity/volume of your current weight training (ie, 3 days per week to 2), will just signal to your body that your muscles aren't that important and it'll be happy to digest them to make up the calorie deficit. And I don't know who spread the "high rep for weight loss" myth, but it does NOT help you burn any more fat and it will NOT be as efficient at maintaining muscle.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: brikis98

* If you're trying to gain body mass, cardio of any kind (including swimming) will be somewhat counterproductive.

If you eat enough to balance out the calories, its fine. You've got to do a LOT of cardio for it to actually "burn off" muscle. That's something I see tossed around a lot here, and I don't really know why.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: brikis98

* If you're trying to gain body mass, cardio of any kind (including swimming) will be somewhat counterproductive.

If you eat enough to balance out the calories, its fine. You've got to do a LOT of cardio for it to actually "burn off" muscle. That's something I see tossed around a lot here, and I don't really know why.

Some people have a lot of trouble eating enough calories (especially if they are trying to eat "clean") to gain mass, so if you're burning a ton of extra calories by doing lots of cardio, you're just making your job harder. That's why I said swimming was counterproductive and did not just say it would automatically "burn off muscle".

 

[njdevilsfan87]

If you eat enough to balance out the calories, its fine. You've got to do a LOT of cardio for it to actually "burn off" muscle. That's something I see tossed around a lot here, and I don't really know why.

Right, but I've never really experimented with calorie deficit intentionally though. All I know, when going into calorie, I start dropping weight, and fast. It's the cardio I am worried out, just the overall calorie deficit, but I'm sure I'll find some kind of amount of intake close enough equilibrium.

Some people have a lot of trouble eating enough calories (especially if they are trying to eat "clean") to gain mass, so if you're burning a ton of extra calories by doing lots of cardio, you're just making your job harder

I'm not looking to do "a ton" of extra cardio. I have been steadily increasing weight since September (was about 178lbs coming into the school year, and now almost 10lbs heavier). I'm just looking to do a light cardio workout after (like a mile jog - that would be light to me) just for endurance/stamina purposes. I'm also under the impression that getting your blood flowing to your muscles should be a good thing (I drink a protein shake immediately after workout), do you know anything of this? (in general, not related specifically to swimming or jogging)

Thanks for all the useful information so far, everyone.

 

[StageLeft]

I have to lawl if you think swimming is better than running from a boredom perspective. To me, running is like an orgy compared to swimming. At least with running you have something to look at (talent in the next lane notwithstanding) and can more easily listen to tunes or tv. Swimming is as much a mind game as anything else.

It is, however, a great exercise. I do it quite reguarly, but it's tedious as hell.

Oh, in regard to your actual question, don't bother trying to swim after doing back. I tried it once. Terrible. Bis and tris are ok and chest is ok. Shoulders, hard, but back just forget it it will be terrible.

Turkish I have dreamed about that for a long time. It almost seems like it would be so utopia-like that I don't deserve it, so I have yet to buy it. If I could listen to music while swimming my life would truly be better. It is pricey, though. I've considered even waterproof earphones, but ultimately among my research the swimp3 is really the only device that lives up to expectations.

Try the rowing machine... its the BEST cardio you can possibly get

I do that a little to and it is damn good exercise, but barely more interesting than lap swimming.

EDIT: I see Swimp3 is on V2 now. I've called out MrsSkoorb on facebook telling her the only way to prove her love is by buying me one. We'll see if that works.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: njdevilsfan87
To gain body mass. I'm 187-188lbs at 6'2'', and at about 12-13% body fat as by calipers. I'm going to attempt to gain a few more lbs, and start cutting it all off (as in stop lifting the weights entirely and drop to 10% body fat doing mostly cardio, and some resistance training, while in calorie deficit). My original post doesn't really relate to this. I'd be better off probably just sticking to weights entirely... but that just doesn't feel right to me.

* If you're trying to gain body mass, cardio of any kind (including swimming) will be somewhat counterproductive.

* On the other hand, if the goal of your cardio is actually to eventually help you cut weight, then it doesn't matter too much which type you do - the only real effect of cardio on weight loss is as an efficient means of increasing how many calories you burn. Cardio certainly has other benefits (e.g. increased stamina & endurance), but none of them matter much for weight loss. Therefore, just do whatever kind of cardio you enjoy and can do consistently.

* Incidentally, while swimming certainly burns a ton of calories, swimmers do seem to retain some extra fat over other endurance athletes. Not sure if this is because the water is cold or fat helps buoyancy, and I don't know if it would have any effect on a recreational (as opposed to competitive) swimmer, but it's worth considering that from a pure fat loss perspective, swimming might not be the ideal choice.

* It is a bad idea to reduce your resistance training and do "high reps" while in a caloric deficit. You need to give your body as much incentive as possible to maintain your metabolically expensive muscle mass. This is best accomplished by (1) keeping protein intake very high, (2) doing plenty of resistance training and (3) ensuring that the resistance training you do is heavy, which by definition means low rep. Reducing the intensity/volume of your current weight training (ie, 3 days per week to 2), will just signal to your body that your muscles aren't that important and it'll be happy to digest them to make up the calorie deficit. And I don't know who spread the "high rep for weight loss" myth, but it does NOT help you burn any more fat and it will NOT be as efficient at maintaining muscle.

Diet?

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Jahee

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: njdevilsfan87
To gain body mass. I'm 187-188lbs at 6'2'', and at about 12-13% body fat as by calipers. I'm going to attempt to gain a few more lbs, and start cutting it all off (as in stop lifting the weights entirely and drop to 10% body fat doing mostly cardio, and some resistance training, while in calorie deficit). My original post doesn't really relate to this. I'd be better off probably just sticking to weights entirely... but that just doesn't feel right to me.

* If you're trying to gain body mass, cardio of any kind (including swimming) will be somewhat counterproductive.

* On the other hand, if the goal of your cardio is actually to eventually help you cut weight, then it doesn't matter too much which type you do - the only real effect of cardio on weight loss is as an efficient means of increasing how many calories you burn. Cardio certainly has other benefits (e.g. increased stamina & endurance), but none of them matter much for weight loss. Therefore, just do whatever kind of cardio you enjoy and can do consistently.

* Incidentally, while swimming certainly burns a ton of calories, swimmers do seem to retain some extra fat over other endurance athletes. Not sure if this is because the water is cold or fat helps buoyancy, and I don't know if it would have any effect on a recreational (as opposed to competitive) swimmer, but it's worth considering that from a pure fat loss perspective, swimming might not be the ideal choice.

* It is a bad idea to reduce your resistance training and do "high reps" while in a caloric deficit. You need to give your body as much incentive as possible to maintain your metabolically expensive muscle mass. This is best accomplished by (1) keeping protein intake very high, (2) doing plenty of resistance training and (3) ensuring that the resistance training you do is heavy, which by definition means low rep. Reducing the intensity/volume of your current weight training (ie, 3 days per week to 2), will just signal to your body that your muscles aren't that important and it'll be happy to digest them to make up the calorie deficit. And I don't know who spread the "high rep for weight loss" myth, but it does NOT help you burn any more fat and it will NOT be as efficient at maintaining muscle.

Diet?

I googled around, and it looks like the studies are inconclusive as to why but for the most part, they do tend to agree that swimming is not an optimal way to lose weight. Here are a few relevant reviews:

http://www.thefactsaboutfitnes.../research/swimming.htm

* References a study that compared subjects that used walking, biking and swimming for exercise. The walkers and bikers lost weight, while the swimmers gained weight.
* References some studies that show swimming - perhaps because of the cold water - stimulates the appetite far more than other forms of exercise
* Mentions the idea that swimming may have less of an "afterburn" effect than other forms of exercise.

http://www.sportsci.org/news/compeat/fat.html

* Mentions a few studies indicating swimmers have higher body fat percentages than other athletes
* Again brings up the "cold water" stimulates appetite theory
* Concludes that no definitive explanation is really known

 

[njdevilsfan87]

Oh, in regard to your actual question, don't bother trying to swim after doing back. I tried it once. Terrible. Bis and tris are ok and chest is ok. Shoulders, hard, but back just forget it it will be terrible.

Wish I had seen this earlier. My first attempt was upper a shoulder and upper back workout. The crawl stroke I tried, was absolutely pathetic. I could not get my arms to fully rotate... literally had to twist my body to do so... ended up just treading water at one point.

So I wasn't in there long enough to experience the boredom, but it was a nice change to say the least.

 

[MetalMat]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: Deeko

Originally posted by: brikis98

* If you're trying to gain body mass, cardio of any kind (including swimming) will be somewhat counterproductive.

If you eat enough to balance out the calories, its fine. You've got to do a LOT of cardio for it to actually "burn off" muscle. That's something I see tossed around a lot here, and I don't really know why.

Some people have a lot of trouble eating enough calories (especially if they are trying to eat "clean") to gain mass, so if you're burning a ton of extra calories by doing lots of cardio, you're just making your job harder. That's why I said swimming was counterproductive and did not just say it would automatically "burn off muscle".

Man I hear ya. Up until 2 or 3 months ago when I made a change I was hitting up the weights for the better part of a year but not really getting a whole lot stronger.

I cut back on my cardio big time and starting eating more. Now I am seeing big gains, I tend to only do 20 minutes of cardio after working out just to stay in decent shape in the area. The funny thing is it feels like I am eating all the time lol, but its been working.