I'm a rookie in the pool, and am surprised that keeping one's weight down appears to be less important than I thought. After decades of running with the knowledge that every pound over my running weight added 20 secs to my p/m pace, am I ok being a little chunky? I do aspire to be competitive in my age class. Thanks, Steve
Added muscle weight can help you in the water but it can definitely slow you down on land. On the other hand, losing weight, including muscle, can make you run longer distances faster, but lost muscle weight will usually result in slower times in the water, especially in sprint events.
I have found over the years that there is a 15 pound difference between my ideal swimming weight and my ideal running weight. This usually correlated to a difference of only 2% in body fat.
Added muscle weight can help you in the water but it can definitely slow you down on land. On the other hand, losing weight, including muscle, can make you run longer distances faster, but lost muscle weight will usually result in slower times in the water, especially in sprint events.
I have found over the years that there is a 15 pound difference between my ideal swimming weight and my ideal running weight. This usually correlated to a difference of only 2% in body fat.
