what are the benefits of swimming?

**hdacosta** · April 25th, 2005, 03:40 PM

Just throwing this question out there as I don't have any specific clue as to what it does for the body...I know it works out pretty much the entire body: legs, back, abs...but if anyone can go more in depth about swimming's benefits it would be greatly appreciated as I think I am going to begin incorporating it into my workout.

what muscles do they mainly work?

**bbabb22** · April 25th, 2005, 08:20 PM

swimming works everything. I am going to start swimming after track is over to maintain my stamina. im not exactly sure what the exact beinifits are but when i used to swim everyday i felt really strong in the upper body. there was a thread on here with a website. search for it and check it out. im a runner so im not very knowledgable in swimming haha.

stu123pid2000 · April 26th, 2005, 05:50 PM

Swimming is a good cardio workout. It works your lats quite a bit and also your hip flexors. However, swimmers have no ass, no size, and have no thickness in their torso, only width. So if you are looking for the skinny but lean look, then swimming is good for you. If you want to look bigger you have to lift on top of your swimming. All in all, swimming can be a good component in a fitness program, but is not sufficient in itself for overall fitness.

**Thanatos** · April 28th, 2005, 08:08 AM

Swimming is not a cardio exercise or workout.
For good cardio you must get your heart rate very elevated for extended periods of time.
It will help you learn to regulate/control your breathing.
Swimming uses different muscle groups than say..Lifting
as well as it uses the same muscles differently.
Many people can work out daily in the gym,
then start swim training & have alot of muscle soreness.
I consider swimming very good exercise...but as compliment or addition to your "regular" routine.
The good thing about swimming is it is non-impact.
I love to swim & hope you enjoy it.

**engr** · April 28th, 2005, 11:21 AM

With great respect I would have to disagree with our Mod (watch out for lightening bolts

) about swimming not being a cardio workout. It can be a very effective cardio workout when done with that in mind.

For example, if you are a fairly strong swimmer try doing something like 10 x 100 meter reps freestyle/stroke on 1:45 minute intervals, rest, followed by 10 x 100 meter stroke/freestyle pull sets on 2:00 intervals, rest, and 10 x 100 meter stroke/freestyle kicking sets on 2:30 intervals. Cap this off with 10 x 50 meter sprint intervals with 10 seconds rest in between and I can guarantee you will have an accelerated heart rate for the majority of the workout.

And, it it were me in my current shape, I would be puking about 3/4 of the way through (cursed long hours at a desk anyway

)

Now, if you just hop in the pool, swim some laps and stop at the wall when you get tired or out of breath then I would agree that it is not a terribly effective cardio workout

**Thanatos** · April 29th, 2005, 10:22 AM

I agree with yor engr....No Lightening bolts on the way...ha ha
I'm not knocking swimming in any form,
I love to swim & scuba dive.... I do it regularly.
However, I will clarify my statement.
For someone just starting out & asking
what the benefit of swimming would be,
they would probably get tired before
they achieved their target heart rate &
kept it there for an extended period of time.
Because swimming can be exhausting, as you well know.
So they would probably get physically tired before
the cardio goal was reached.

Now consider this:
Is swimming a true cardio work-out...
or does it affect the cardio the way it does because
you're in/under the water & have to regulate your
breathing so much?
Try running or sprinting and holding your breath
or only taking a breath every 2nd or 3rd step.
I can swim for hours & not increase my heart rate,
on the flip side I can walk 5 miles without it being
a cardio exercise either.
But Cardio exercise is not just the increase of the heart rate
or the gasping for air, it is the the heavy, rapid breathing,
filling the lungs with air & increased heart rate for an
extended period of time.... with the end result being that
the lungs & heart operate at peak efficiency.

It all depends on the intensity of the training.

Good thread

**engr** · April 29th, 2005, 02:29 PM

Very good point! Thanks for the clarification! I had never really thought about the holding breath aspect of swimming in relation to it being cardio exercise. Learn something new everyday

BTW, you wouldn't have developed those swimming and scuba skills by learning about good ways to sneak up on bad guys would you

**Thanatos** · April 29th, 2005, 02:39 PM

I am not at liberty to say....

I can neither confirm nor deny your question

LOL

**engr** · April 29th, 2005, 02:44 PM

LOL

Thanks for your service man! We all owe you and your buddies one!

**Old_Fart2** · April 30th, 2005, 09:39 AM

One thing my wife does to negate the effects of her poor swimming ability is use a kickboard to do her laps. I've tried it and it's pretty tiring.

**engr** · May 2nd, 2005, 08:49 AM

When I was swimming for competition I always hated the kickboard workouts! They were a real PITA. For some reason the women on the team always kicked a lot more effectively than the men!

socal15 · August 11th, 2005, 02:38 AM

Swimming is good for counting... You get to count all those tiles going by as you look down at the bottom of the pool.

tri-me · September 12th, 2005, 10:10 PM

Here's a good workout for anyone looking to get a good cardio/muscular workout. If you dont' feel totally pumped and totally spent after this, I'd question how much you put into it.
If you're an intermediate swimmer or better, try this and then tell me how you feel:
- 400 warmup free
- 10 x 100's on 2:00 (meaning no matter how quickly you get to the wall, leave again at 2:00 from when you started the last 100)
- 20 x 50's on 1:00
- 400 kick, every 50 recover for 10 seconds (either with a board, or on your back, arms overhead)
- 400 cooldown free
This is 3200 yards/meters and should be a good challenge.
I stopped lifting weights last year, and since I've been swimming regularly, I am more defined and cut than I ever was before.
You should really benefit from swimming, if you treat it like a challenging workout.

**whatabetty** · September 14th, 2005, 03:22 PM

I have to say, when I'm doing intervals in the pool. My heart's pumpin. There is an endurance level that has to be worked up to just like running and biking