There seems to be as many opinions and misinformation floating around about personal weight that I thought we might share and perhaps open our minds a bit. Here are the questions that I feel will provide useful info:
Age
Sex
Height
Present weight range (many people vary 3-4 lbs over a day)
Ideal weight range for optimum health (your opinion)
Ideal weight range for optimum swimming performance
What steps are you taking, or will you be taking, to lose or
gain the weight difference between present & optimum.
I'll start
54
M
6'1"
220-224
190-194
182-188
Drastically cut down drinking & desserts; resume active training
Shorter sprinters who are successful tend to compensate by being great underwater where height can actually be a disadvantage.
Happy to hear this! Why though?
Here's mine:
21
F
5'4"
115-118
110-114
105-109
I just recently started swimming/training everyday (been swimming for 18 years) and I can feel that my muscles are growing back and my abs too! And I am also getting my breastoker shoulders back! Guess if I continue doing this everyday then I'll probably get down to 110 in 1 month.
The underwater dolphin works best at high cycle rates.
I will now think of myself as a submarine. I think I need to focus on the "high" part of the cycle rate a bit more. Been too lazy lately.
Back on topic, I haven't lost any weight whatsoever since starting swimming. I think I've gained weight.
40
F
5'7"
135-140
I just weighed myself this a.m. and saw that I lost 5 pounds since I've started back swimming. I need to keep eating more ice cream, shakes and cookies to keep it on. And start lifting weights again.
Why do so many people want to be their high school size? I don't get it. It sounds more for "looks" that athletics. I guess the Hollywood thin is in thing has affected more people than I realized.
And marathon swimmers are not necessarily thin. Many are chunky. And many lean swimmers aren't fast.
I am sure that Lynne Cox would have a few words to say about this size thing. And her swims weren't all cold water.
I think a person should just be healthy and we can be healthy at different sizes. (sorry, I got irritated). There is nothing wrong with trying to better ourselves but just because "someone" says something, doesn't mean I believe it.
Stay healthy is the key here even if a few more pounds are on your frame.
Donna
Two reasons
1) You may have noticed how submarines are shaped - not especially long, nor sleek. Not very hydrodynamic on the surface but highly so when submerged
2) The underwater dolphin works best at high cycle rates. Tall swimmers with longer body sections to articulate can find it more difficult to match the rates achieved by shorter swimmers - think Misty Hyman vs some of the willowy 6-footers you see so often at Nationals in the LA strokes. Nice observation.
38
F
5'5"
Current weight 120 ish
Ideal for health 115-125
Ideal for swimming 120-125 but for running 105-110 (fortunately I don't do that much anymore)
I may be unusual but I feel like I swim better when I am a little heavier.
I eat whatever I want and don't pay attention to my diet until about a month out of a big meet. If I do feel like I need to "slim down" I do some extra running or weight lifting...
27
M
6'0"
172-177
170-175 (IMO)
170-175
I swam age group & high school but quit before college. Started lifting weights Junior year at college - I was 150 lbs since 10th grade and looked WAY too skinny. The weightlifting eventually got me up into the 165-180 range. Then I tapered off the weights...and didn't do much for a few years, until I started Masters swimming a year ago. I gave up masters during the summer and that was a big mistake. I'm getting back into it again. Swimming 4 days/wk tones up my body *significantly*, even after just 1 month. I don't lose weight when I swim, but it clearly converts fat to muscle and I'm thrilled with the results. I look better, feel more confident in life, and feel great about the progress I make in the water. Got a swim meet (St. Nick's in Marietta GA) coming up next week; my first competition since March.
My current plan is to keep up the swimming and eat & sleep right so that I have the energy to swim! My one health vice is that I love to drink - don't think I can give that up yet but I stick to the lite beers when I can :D
Two reasons
1) You may have noticed how submarines are shaped - not especially long, nor sleek. Not very hydrodynamic on the surface but highly so when submerged
2) The underwater dolphin works best at high cycle rates. Tall swimmers with longer body sections to articulate can find it more difficult to match the rates achieved by shorter swimmers - think Misty Hyman vs some of the willowy 6-footers you see so often at Nationals in the LA strokes.
Is there anything that doesn't work better at high cycle rates, so long as it can be done efficiently???
The biggest reason that the dolphin kick works well for those who can do it right, is that there are TWO acceleration phases in the kick. For lack of better terms, the downbeat AND the upbeat. Most will emphasize only the downbeat for acceleration, while those that do use the underwater dolphin correctly are using both upbeat and downbeat for acceleration... Not to mention an extremely tight streamline.
Shhhh... don't tell anyone though. It's a secret!
47
M
5'10"
155-160
OK as is, I think. Upper body might be a bit too developed/toned for the ideal running/swimming physique. I do eat a lot of salads since my salad days are gone. But essentially, I swim and run so I can eat and drink. Oh, I am addicted to exercise as well. My wife says I'm in perpetual motion.
