Calories Expended?

Now, some of the distance freestylers that have the most weight are open water swimmers like Lynn Cox. But maybe, that extra-fat helped her swim in the south pole. She weights the same as Tom Dolan and she is a foot shorter than him. But I agree with Emmet swimming freestyle alone is not going to make you fat. I read in Mr Phillip Whitten book on general swimming that the other three strokes burn more calories but if you are swimming freestyle at fast rates its going to burn a lot of calories too.

For the most part, open water swimmers tend to ply their trade (competition and training) in much colder water than pool swimmers. Over long periods this tends to increase the amount of fat they carry and how it is distributed. At any given speed the other 3 strokes require more energy predominantly because the positions the swimmer moves through are, on average, less streamlined than the positions a freestyler moves through. On the other hand, the other 3 strokes are, generally, swum at slower paces than freestyle. Plus, if the skills the swimmer has for the other strokes are not as well developed as the skills for freestyle, that too would increase the energy consumption. If the only consideration is to burn as many calories as possible, swim all 4 strokes - but swim them really badly. :)

You're right - a lot of elite distance freestylers do train all strokes. I was referring to the ones that swim predominantly freestyle - of which there are quite a few. My point was that since ALL swimmers use fat for bouyancy, separating out just freestylers and saying they are fat because they swim freestyle doesn't make sense.

At 46, there is no great gap between my time in freestyle and breastroke from the times I seen on the pace clock. When I was younger my best time in freestyle was about 11 second faster in a 100 yard than my breastroke. Most of my life, I have been a poor backstroker, trouble with the wall for instance. This doesn't mean I should not workout a little on it, and I think as a teenger my backstroke would have been better if the coaches didn't have me workout with the other three strokes and almost very little yardage in backstroke. My fly isn't as good as my youth and I have always had a one beat kick. Granted a two beat kick is prefered but should I stop swimming it because I can't swim under 40 seconds like I did when I was 13 years old. In fact, since I swim the breastroke events at masters meets, I usually workout harder on breastroke than freestyle and even sometimes have done faster times in it than freestyle in workouts as an adult. I think that beginning master swimmers should workout on the other three strokes as well as freestyle and as some people here stated, they swim breastroke more correctly than freestyle when they began swimming because some people are able to pick up more on difference strokes better than others.

In regards to bouyancy and which strokes to swim, I believe it was Boomer from Stanford fame that would look at how swimmers position in the water when they floated to determine which strokes and distances they were best suited for. Since bouyancy is a factor in swimming it would seem this would fit in with genetic makeup and what you are best suited for (ie someone with a great leg but a weak arm might make a football kicker not a quarterback). The question in regards to how many calories you burn while swimming is going to vary greatly from individual to individual - basal metobolic rate, weight of the person, how hard they work are the 3 key factors - with no real easy answer except swim and eat if weight goes down and clothes get loose, you could eat more if you don't want to lose weight ; if your weight goes up and clothes get tight you you probably want to eat less/workout more (unless of course you are the incredible hulk or want to gain weight).

A lot of elite distance freesylers also have done the 400 Im. Shirley Babashoff-won the 400 IM at olympic Trials in 1976. Janet Evans won the 400 and 800 meter freestyles and the 400 IM at the 1988 olympics. Some elite distance freestylers are good at other strokes-Mike Bruner the winner of the 200 meter butterfly was also a 1500 freestyler and Katlin Sandeno at this last olympics swam 200 mter butterfly and 800 freestyle and 400 IM. So, their are many distance freestylers that do some yardage in other strokes as well in their practice..

Originally posted by emmett If the only consideration is to burn as many calories as possible, swim all 4 strokes - but swim them really badly. :) Perhaps you could swim them with your fists closed, as suggested on the "You Know You're a Swimmer" thread. (Since I read that, I keep picturing butterfly with closed fists and laughing in the pool while I'm swimming.)

Emmet: On the previous page you said swimming very badly doesn't allow for the calorie consumption that the fit, efficient swimmer can achieve. On this page you say the poor swimmer uses up more calories. ??? Anyway, swimming is great at any level of ability.:cool:

I think he is talking about the fact that many swimmers have poor style and particularly beginning swimmers. I agree that his idea to have swimmers mix freestyle with butterfly is good for many beginngers who struggle. But the only way that beginners are going to get better in something besides freestyle is to do other strokes. With many beginners or lap swimmers that have not learn the other strokes. Most of the workout is still going to be freestyle until endurance is built up. Also, as he stated some 400 meter and 1500 meter freestylers and open swimmers mainly swimmers. But for many of us master swimmers that have learn the 4 strokes, some Im or swimming in the strokes is probably good. It is more likely to reduce injury,besides whether it burns up more calories or not.

Ah, Grasshopper-Shakey, You do not understand the Tao of the butterfly. The key to this stroke is NOT to swim it primarily with your arms. This will tire you quickly and result in butterstruggle even before you have gone a 50. The key is to swim it primarily with a smooth undulation the entire length of your body, and pull EASIER with your arms. For further explanation I refer you to the H2Ouston swim club web site, the Articles section, the two articles "Slip Slid'n' Away" and "Vive le Papillon" by Emmett Hines. (I can give you the web address if you need it.) True story: I was wearing fistgloves, and tried a length of fly just for yuks. I was amazed that this actually felt EASIER than swimming with normal hands, because I COULDN'T pull harder (thus my arms did not use up all the oxygen, and did not go rapidly into lactate acid overload). Matt