Hi all - I have an odd post for you to ponder :)
Recently I've decided enough is enough and it's time to shift some unwanted poundage. Over the past few months through exercise and eating much better I've dropped about 15% of my original body weight, going from 207lbs to 175lbs. At the same time I've been swimming a bit and making an effort to keep on some muscle too.
I know it's a very very hard question to answer but am looking for people's estimates on what this sort of weight loss would do to your swimming time over longer distances if I was able to keep everything else static (stroke, flexibility, strengtht etc). The only difference if possible would be there would be less body weight, and hopefully a better shape for moving through the water.
I know that due to water being denser it's not as easy to say as it would be in relation to running etc, but say over a 5km open water swim, what would people guess the % improvement would be as a result of this?
Cheers
GC
Hi all - I have an odd post for you to ponder :)
Recently I've decided enough is enough and it's time to shift some unwanted poundage. Over the past few months through exercise and eating much better I've dropped about 15% of my original body weight, going from 207lbs to 175lbs. At the same time I've been swimming a bit and making an effort to keep on some muscle too.
I know it's a very very hard question to answer but am looking for people's estimates on what this sort of weight loss would do to your swimming time over longer distances if I was able to keep everything else static (stroke, flexibility, strengtht etc). The only difference if possible would be there would be less body weight, and hopefully a better shape for moving through the water.
I know that due to water being denser it's not as easy to say as it would be in relation to running etc, but say over a 5km open water swim, what would people guess the % improvement would be as a result of this?
Cheers
GC
I dumped ten pounds last summer (202 to 192= ~5%) and saw about a 1.5-2% improvement in speed for the majority of the events I swam after the weight loss.
I also lost a bit of weight last year, but I didn't do any formal swim meets for several years before, and haven't done any since, so there's no true way to measure. But I do notice that I'm able to hold faster intervals in practice. Holding 1:15 per 100 used to be something I was capable of only on a good day, now I can do that on nearly any day (and below 1:10 on a good day). My faster swims in practice have also dropped somewhere around 5-7 sec per 100.
Some of those drops I'd place on improvements in technique and overall fitness levels too. One reason I dropped weight was increase in running, which probably helped my overall aerobic capacity. I also got more serious with weights, which also helps swimming. I've incorporated dolphin kicking into my freestyle, and my coach has also worked with me on many other corrections.
If I had to put a percentage to my improvements since weight loss, I'd estimate 5%. But those other factors also play into it.
If I'd thought that losing 3 times more weight would have equated to three times the time improvement, I would have kept at it but it was just too tough to maintain the discipline.
I lost almost exactly 15% and I can't say with any certainly the weight loss resulted in increased speed. I can say that the weight loss coupled with a better fitness routine resulted in much faster swimming.
I dumped ten pounds last summer (202 to 192= ~5%) and saw about a 1.5-2% improvement in speed for the majority of the events I swam after the weight loss.
Weight or B70 there, Jim? lol That's very interesting actually. I would think a 10 pound drop would make some difference.
I find it very hard to pinpoint causation when assessing time drops ...
Weight or B70 there, Jim? lol That's very interesting actually. I would think a 10 pound drop would make some difference.
I find it very hard to pinpoint causation when assessing time drops ...
The weight loss did it. The B70 added no value. Technology's overrated anyway.
(At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.Think it'll help folks decide to allow continued usage of the suit? :agree:)
I know that due to water being denser it's not as easy to say as it would be in relation to running etc, but say over a 5km open water swim, what would people guess the % improvement would be as a result of this?
I lost 22% of my weight over 12 months and started my weight lose program just 4 weeks before a 3km race and ended my weight lose with the same 3km race.
I went from 45:15 to 38:02. over 7 minutes faster, but it's really hard to say that all of that was weigh lose. I also started swimming 3 times a week instead of just two, about 3 months before the race I started biking to work (~8km each way). but I can say that the weight lose made it possible to train harder.
I've been at 184lbs for the past 8 months now and only plan in getting down to 180-182 before next summer (2010). but I have a big meet in 7 days, so we'll see how much the weight lose events my 800m as well.
Well, I guess I can provide some empirical data in the next several months.
for 50y I was at 23.10 at approx 254 at the end of Jan.
Goal is to be near 240 by April.
Well, I guess I can provide some empirical data in the next several months.
for 50y I was at 23.10 at approx 254 at the end of Jan.
Goal is to be near 240 by April.
Nope. Increased weight lifting is a confounding factor in the analysis. You've been lifting like a fiend. That could have more impact on your 50 free than weight loss. Causation is difficult.
Methinks, Mel may have nailed Jim on the "weight loss among fit people is overrated & B70s are fast" points. But I'm sure Jim looks much more handsome and there is a nice placebo effect. :)
So lets see...in my case losing 15% would equal one Geek. Not quit sure but am guessing even with 70lbs less mass would make a big differance...but I also have to think that simply not having a Geek would provide some pretty substanial increases in ones speed from a mental standpoint.
