Here's my question: Should one intentionally loose muscle mass and weightlifting strength in order to be more streamlined and potentially go faster in the water? How much mass would one have to lose in order to present less resistance in the water?
Maybe on a related note: Let's say a swimmer has a muscular build, and their technique is very good, would they benefit from losing ten lbs. of extra muscle mass and maybe becoming a more streamlined vessel?
Any thoughts? :weightlifter::banana::weightlifter::banana:
How much impact will losing body fat, not muscle, make? (Ande has previously identified shedding excess bodyfat as a contributor to swimming improvement) I'm currently at around 18% body fat (elite athletes are typically less than 10%). If losing body fat makes you go faster, why is this the case? What is the benefit that outweighs (pardon the pun) the loss in buoyancy?
It's not the loss in body fat that makes you faster. More likely, it is an increase in yardage and workout intensity that will make you faster, and as a side effect, will cause you to drop body fat. I don't know Ande personally, but from the workouts he posts, I would be willing to bet that he is reducing his body fat percentage (assuming that he eats somewhat sensibly of course;)).
How much impact will losing body fat, not muscle, make? (Ande has previously identified shedding excess bodyfat as a contributor to swimming improvement) I'm currently at around 18% body fat (elite athletes are typically less than 10%). If losing body fat makes you go faster, why is this the case? What is the benefit that outweighs (pardon the pun) the loss in buoyancy?
It's not the loss in body fat that makes you faster. More likely, it is an increase in yardage and workout intensity that will make you faster, and as a side effect, will cause you to drop body fat. I don't know Ande personally, but from the workouts he posts, I would be willing to bet that he is reducing his body fat percentage (assuming that he eats somewhat sensibly of course;)).
