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:
Former Member
Maybe it’s their natural competitive nature, but athletes are at high risk for developing an eating disorder or distorted body image. I think swimmers may be even more susceptible to this because they are looking for whatever can give them the slightest edge over their opponents. I'm not saying you have an issue at all - I just think its an important issue that swimmers should be aware of.
LOL...it's an important issue but not really here. Most of us have the disorder that we demolish whatever is in sight after training but then feel quite happy to have not gained an ounce.
A purging or starving swimmer won't be much of a swimmer for long...the body needs fuel...
Masters swimmers?!
No thanks, I like food.
LOL...it's an important issue but not really here. Most of us have the disorder that we demolish whatever is in sight after training but then feel quite happy to have not gained an ounce.
A purging or starving swimmer won't be much of a swimmer for long...the body needs fuel...
lol...I completely agree, just putting it out there for those that might need it
Maybe it’s their natural competitive nature, but athletes are at high risk for developing an eating disorder or distorted body image. I think swimmers may be even more susceptible to this because they are looking for whatever can give them the slightest edge over their opponents. I'm not saying you have an issue at all - I just think its an important issue that swimmers should be aware of.
I'd give the edge to dancers and gymnasts (having done those activites/ sports as well.) Talk about pressure to have the right look and body.
I have never ever seen an anorexic swimmer, I don't think it's possible. However, go to a running race and it doesn't take long to see some nastified skinny jokers. Swimmers are universally known by their ability to consume tons of food, and beer.
Aquageek, you are not going to the right running races. Everybody associates running with only marathoners......pet peeve of mine.
images.search.yahoo.com/.../imagesimages.search.yahoo.com/.../images
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;)).
Are we sure that quicker out of the gate means you are going to be ahead after the dive. A swimmer can use extra weight to drive them through the water.
Why do heavy weight lifters carry so much extra weight. Does this extra weight help when lifting heavy weights??? That extra weight certainly is not all muscle so it must be fat.
This was my friend Doug Hepburn images.google.com/images a great heavyweight lifter who was handicapped but beat the best of his day. I know he was big when I went to the 1954 B E & C Games they gave me his team jacket by mistake. I had 46 inch chest and he was 56 inches and I swam in his jacket.
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 disagree with this. I believe that the loss in WEIGHT makes you faster, and that it is better to lose fat than muscle (which, after all, provides propulsion). Buoyancy complicates this a little, but not much in my opinion. Greatly simplified (perhaps oversimplified), it is all about F = ma: a given force will produce more acceleration when acting on a lighter object.
A lighter swimmer:
-- gets more from starts and pushoffs
-- requires less force to attain and maintain a give speed
-- rides higher in the water (IMO, this is true even with a loss of buoyancy)
Don't be mislead by the fact that one can float in water. Even in zero-g, if two people push off the wall of a space station with the same force, the one who has less mass goes faster. Losing fat doesn't compromise on the force you can apply; losing muscle mass might.
Losing muscle mass to swim faster? Well, I don't think funkyfish needs to do so. He is muscular but not obscenely so and he doesn't go to great lengths to maintain this: his lifting regimen is similar to that of many swimmers (in terms of duraction, anyway) and he doesn't take weird supplements.
Resist the urge to look at pictures of swimmer X (usually in his teens or twenties) and draw drastic conclusions about the "proper" body type to "emulate." Losing fat makes good sense from a health perspective and I believe it will make you faster. Losing muscle? Unless you resorted to extreme measures to gain it...nah. Better to work on technique, conditioning, strength, flexibility.
You know, the usual.
I think you guys are looking at this from the wrong angle.
First, if you are fat (which you aren't) you should probably lose weight.
If you want to swim faster, there is no point in trying to lose weight. You should set your goals and tailor your swimming and weight lifting routine to maximize your swim goals. A person as fit as you appear to be will benefit more from a quality training program than by the aribitrary loss of weight.
Elite swimmers are huge these days. I saw some of the UK Olympic team at our club a few weeks back. They looked like a basketball team. They are bigger, faster and stronger than the best swimmers of our youth so the notion that light equals faster is flawed.
you're very strong and probably don't need to lift weights or
perhaps do high rep lifting program ie 2 or 3 sets of 10 - 20 reps
you're stronger than most of the UT swimmers
the key for you is
improving your feel for the water and
speed in the water
you need to learn how to apply your strength to the water and get speed
I wouldn't do any 1 rep testing in weights that's asking for an injury
hows your breastroke
:51 - 53 on the 100yd free
:56 - 58 on the 100yd fly
:23 on 50 yd free
:25 on 50 yd fly
Strength level based on various workouts:
295 on flat bench x 1
215 on seated shoulder press x 1
365 on squat x 1
225 on good morning x 1
145 on barbell curl x 1
255 on close grip bench x 1
bodyweight + 125lbs chin-up x 1
crunches on the swiss ball x 45 in a set
That's about it I guess. :cane:
