Muscle Mass Effects

Hi, Until recently, rugby was my main sport, but a bad ankle injury means my playing days are over. While rehabing i spent a lot of time in the pool, on the bike and more recently on the treadmill. This type of training has interested me and I am looking at doing a triathlon next year. My cycling and running is not an issue but i find i struggle in the pool. I have spent the past 10 years between the pitch and the weight room and now I weight bout 270lbs at only 10-11% bodyfat so the majority of my bodyweight is muscle. I read somewhere that muscle doesnt float but sinks. Is this much muscle mass a bad thing when it comes to swimming? Thanks, Yak. Very cool! I swam for 17 years (age 7-23) and then player Rugby (Division II Social side) for about 5 years so I know where you are coming from. I went from about 200 lbs. when I started to about 240. I put on a large amount of muscle (and fat from the after parties!). I was a prop. I've just started back swimming and my body is still built for Rugby due to me staying active in the weight room all these years, although I'm not as lean as you. It will be more of a stuggle for you technique wise that anything. Just learning how to breath, turn, catch the water is going to take time. Being 270 and that much muscle will weigh you down but if you stick with it over time/training/eating right you will lean out. The good part is that you should have a solid cardio base. Rugby is great for keeping the heart rate high and learning to breath. Its both an aerobic and anaerobic sport, which swimming can sometimes be as well. I have to say that Rugby is one of the hardest things I ever did (including swimming), not just for the brutality of it, but the cardio and keeping your wind. Just don't expect too much of yourself or get discouraged. I don't see any ex-footballers swimming in the Olympics. BTW, your joints will thank you for picking swimming!:D

Hi, Until recently, rugby was my main sport, but a bad ankle injury means my playing days are over. While rehabing i spent a lot of time in the pool, on the bike and more recently on the treadmill. This type of training has interested me and I am looking at doing a triathlon next year. My cycling and running is not an issue but i find i struggle in the pool. I have spent the past 10 years between the pitch and the weight room and now I weight bout 270lbs at only 10-11% bodyfat so the majority of my bodyweight is muscle. I read somewhere that muscle doesnt float but sinks. Is this much muscle mass a bad thing when it comes to swimming? Thanks, Yak. Very cool! I swam for 17 years (age 7-23) and then player Rugby (Division II Social side) for about 5 years so I know where you are coming from. I went from about 200 lbs. when I started to about 240. I put on a large amount of muscle (and fat from the after parties!). I was a prop. I've just started back swimming and my body is still built for Rugby due to me staying active in the weight room all these years, although I'm not as lean as you. It will be more of a stuggle for you technique wise that anything. Just learning how to breath, turn, catch the water is going to take time. Being 270 and that much muscle will weigh you down but if you stick with it over time/training/eating right you will lean out. The good part is that you should have a solid cardio base. Rugby is great for keeping the heart rate high and learning to breath. Its both an aerobic and anaerobic sport, which swimming can sometimes be as well. I have to say that Rugby is one of the hardest things I ever did (including swimming), not just for the brutality of it, but the cardio and keeping your wind. Just don't expect too much of yourself or get discouraged. I don't see any ex-footballers swimming in the Olympics. BTW, your joints will thank you for picking swimming!:D