Are high yardage/slow aerobic swims a good method? Even the best method?
Sorry, I'm sure this topic has been covered numerous times. I've been away from the forums and the pool for a while. And I've packed on some pounds.
I just got back in the pool the other day after a 6-9 month layoff and have no immediate ambition to compete again. I'm thinking a realistic goal is to complete a 5k this summer and just focus on getting back in shape and not worry so much about the clock and sets and such. Figure I will get too frustrated and just want to swim just to swim for now.
When I was training and competing for a few years in Masters I never got too far above 2000 yards but would do hard sets (for me) of 15x100, etc.. Would I actually lose more weight if I instead swam 3-4k yards of just lap swimming?
....Also, I just read in my swimmer that Leslie Livingston has given up weights and dryland. Isn't that a complete 180?
if it's truly just for weight loss, do whatever gets you the most yards. Add intervals when you want to. Intervals burn more calories per minute, but if it's 1000 yds of intervals vs 3000 yds of LSD you'll burn more total calories in the second. Additinoally. the more intense the workout the higher the % of CHO burned.
Herb, have you considered replacing your beverage of choice with wine? For me it seems to fit right in with a balanced diet
Lol, I am drinking a glass of red wine right now. :wine:
Unfortunately for me glasses turn into bottles. But it might still be the best bet calorie wise - a whole bottle has I think about 600 calories?
I am definitely no expert, but I've gone from 228 to 203 since I started swimming. I usually do a 500 moderate tempo warm-up, and end with an easy 200 cool down. In between I do 5x100, 5x60, 5x40, and then about a dozen or so all out 20 sprints (the pool is 20 yards), with short rest. I try to do 12 laps of breaststroke kicking also. All this is done at anywhere from 80 to 100 % of maximum effort.
While I have not "dieted," I definitely try to control my eating. However, I'm no fanatic. While I still love my bagel and cream cheese or my egg sandwich in the morning (I skip the cheese now, except for Fridays, when I will also occasionally add bacon), I eat a lot more fruit, and I avoid sweets, except for rare occasions. I drink seltzer with lemon instead of cola or ginger ale. Most importantly, I try to eat a big lunch at about 2-2:30, and then for dinner, I don't have full meal, but something lite and healthy (last night, I had a Starbucks fruitbox....a few small pieces of cheese, apple wedges, cranberry raisins, and 4 or 5 multigrain crackers...before I taught my night class).
While I can't recommend this as medically sound, I also drink 4-6 strong cups of coffee per day, and I find it helps suppress my appetite to some extent.
Finally, when I am hit with hunger pangs at any point in the day, I try to reach for something like a handful of blackberries, rather than a bag of potato chips.
