Weight gain from swimming???

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:25:18 GMT

I hope you feel better soon. How are you going to proceed as to your swimming meet? Your slowing down in the pool was probably a precursor to your crash. Your body was trying to tell you to back off. Yes your're right. Plan now is to back right off the mileage and go for speed, speed, speed!! seriously I need to worry less about the perfect plan and more about the event i.e swimming 50/100/200 fast. We are never too old or proud to learn from our mistakes!!! :bitching:

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:44:27 GMT

My biggest enemy is junk food I think this might be more important than working out.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:37:30 GMT

What distance is a 10-minute swim? Midas... are you messing with me? The competition is to see who can get the furthest in an hour. I don't know the details, but maybe there is a multiplier for the swim and the run to make those legs as valuable as the bike.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:35:46 GMT

Slacking off again mate ? Actually crashed and burned today and need two days emergency rest - that'll teach me!! :bed:

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:28:11 GMT

A progressive weight lifting program CrossFit Personal Trainer Classes (Core, Yoga, Spin, etc) Training for an event. My gym has an indoor 1 hour tri at the end of the month, 10 minute swim, 20 minute run, 30 minute bike. This got more people in the pool than New Years did. I like the idea of a 1hour tri-i'll suggest it to my Y. The weight lifting-not so much-the last thing I need is bigger shoulders and more testosterone! My biggest enemy is junk food and getting bored with my workout, so I'm really trying to watch my intake and mixing up my workout.I've added more biking,and some weights.My goal is to do 2 days each of swimming,biking and walking/running by spring. If I don't loose any weight that way I'm out of ideas.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

joshua — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:36:16 GMT

Joshua - some interesting observations... I think that as swimmers often our desire for low BF is often nothing to do with going quickly but eveything to do with our vanity and ego's. OK, but remember that weight control is at least 50%, and more likely closer to 70%, diet. In running there is most definately a benefit in having low BF but as you say some of my fastest swimming buddies are - shall we say carrying an inch or two around the middle!! Being a metric guy myself, I wouldn't know about those extra inches...lol But of course I look great in my Speedo's! :blush: I use jammers - problem solved!

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

joshua — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:07:05 GMT

Actually crashed and burned today and need two days emergency rest - that'll teach me!! :bed: I hope you feel better soon. How are you going to proceed as to your swimming meet? Your slowing down in the pool was probably a precursor to your crash. Your body was trying to tell you to back off.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

joshua — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:01:08 GMT

I think this might be more important than working out. For weight loss the most important exercise is pushing yourself away from the table.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

joshua — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:49:46 GMT

True-I do find though that the more frequently and longer I swim the harder it is to get away from the table.And I don't think swimming burns enough calories to justify the increase in appetite. From my own experience, swimming and weight lifting tend to increase my appetite post w/o while jogging tends to depress hunger and increase thirst. The only problem is that I love to swim and lift and not to jog. So my solution is to try to eat healthy, low carb food after my swim. As long as I don't eat alot of carbs (including sweets of course) I seem to be ok no matter how much I eat.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

joshua — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:37:52 GMT

Well over the last month I have been training twice a day most days with one swim and one other activity. Swim mileage from 6 sessions is 18KM so 3KM on average a session and then on top of that I have rowed on a Concept 2 30-35km in two sessions and run once or twice around 16 km in total. The rest of the workouts are in the gym either lifting, circuit or core work. In hours this adds up to 12-14 hours in total. Slacking off again mate ?

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:38:08 GMT

For weight loss the most important exercise is pushing yourself away from the table. True-I do find though that the more frequently and longer I swim the harder it is to get away from the table.And I don't think swimming burns enough calories to justify the increase in appetite.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:07:07 GMT

OK, but remember that weight control is at least 50%, and more likely closer to 70%, diet. Being a metric guy myself, I wouldn't know about those extra inches...lol I use jammers - problem solved! As a child of the 1950's I am ambidextrous - metres, miles, inches, CM, pints, litres - need I go on? :chug: Yes humans are greedy - 70% diaet is about right Love my jammers!!!

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:04:28 GMT

I reckon over the last month I have lost 1-2% of BF through hard twice a day training - but I am not swimming any quicker - in fact I am probably slower!! But of course I look great in my Speedo's! :blush: I am in the military and although I get perverse enjoyment from looking fat and swimming fast, I need to lose some BF and build an endurance base. It looks like I will have six months to focus on not much else besides work and swimming (I'm deploying to Kuwait). How many yards are you putting in each day? How many hours? How many rest days do you take each week? I'm trying to figure out a reasonable goal for myself. I'm 50 years old and right now I'm swimming 5-6 days a week, up to 3,500 meters/day. Hi Swimrocket - I'll tell you what - you tell me how to swim like a rocket and I'll tell you how to shed a few LBS! :D As rightly pointed out shedding BF is mostly about the kitchen and not the sports hall - however you asked specifically how much exercise I have done to drop the two % (also 2KG). Well over the last month I have been training twice a day most days with one swim and one other activity. Swim mileage from 6 sessions is 18KM so 3KM on average a session and then on top of that I have rowed on a Concept 2 30-35km in two sessions and run once or twice around 16 km in total. The rest of the workouts are in the gym either lifting, circuit or core work. In hours this adds up to 12-14 hours in total. On the diet front I eat plenty of calories but restrict my carb intake as I believe that we eat far too many carbs. So apart from my post workout high GI bread I have low carb/low GI until the evening when I will have a portion with my evening meal. I beleive strongly in plenty of health fat - so oily fish, avocados, seeds are a staple with loads of vegetables, salad, fruit (moderation) I also think that taking flaxseed oil helps to stoke the metabolic machine and so take a tablespoon of Udo's Oil every day. I eat plenty of protein including the fish, chicken, eggs and also up to three 25g shakes a day. All in all my goal is to increase endurance and speed while building muscle, shedding fat and probably weight. But as I said previously I need a bit of a re-think because the volume of training is making me slower in the pool :confused: and that is not good. I have a swim meet in two and a half weeks time and so the focus from tomorrow is to build speed for swimming and drop the longer low intensity endurance rowing.... Phew - need a rest after all that! Nick Twitter: uknick Facebook: Nick Ballard Facebook Group: Competitive @ 50

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:59:46 GMT

Don't underestimate the importance the military attaches to looking good in your speedos.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:56:42 GMT

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

orca1946 — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:24:20 GMT

How about the ladies in good looking clothes that also look at you ?

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:13:16 GMT

Nick, Yes I also have read about the higher level of bf in swimmers as opposed to runners or cyclists. You bring up some interesting points. I would like to propose a few more. First is the matter that swimmers must propel themselves through, namely water, as opposed to runners propelling themselves through air. The viscosity of water is much higher than air. Therefore swimming would naturally encourage greater muscle development than running since you are using more force. The 4-to-1 rule seems to apply. Therefore there is a great similarity in times between, say, the 400m. run and the 100m. swim. Also since you are much lighter when in water, bw is less of a factor. I swim early in the morning, before work, with other regular swimmers. Some are very fast and efficient. None are what you would call thin and some are heavy (one of the best swimmers is, in fact,quite overweight). Almost all are well muscled (most do not lift weights and only swim). At my pool there is also a gym with many treadmills. I see the regular runners as I enter. They are all thin, some verging on anorexic. No muscular development to speak of. I realize that all this is anecdotal but I do feel that it is indicative. Finally, the skill factor must be considered. Swimming is a very technical activity. Much more so than running. Technique is a greater factor in forward progression in swimming than in running. Therefore, the nature of swimming w/o's are different, with more time dedicated to technique. This improves swimming but does not facilitate weight loss. So the bottom line is that if one's goal is strictly weight loss, swimming would not be the optimal method. Joshua - some interesting observations... I think that as swimmers often our desire for low BF is often nothing to do with going quickly but eveything to do with our vanity and ego's. In running there is most definately a benefit in having low BF but as you say some of my fastest swimming buddies are - shall we say carrying an inch or two around the middle!! If this is the case then the question it begs - is will we be actually faster if we hold onto the spare tyre? I reckon over the last month I have lost 1-2% of BF through hard twice a day training - but I am not swimming any quicker - in fact I am probably slower!! But of course I look great in my Speedo's! :blush:

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Midas — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:54:19 GMT

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

joshua — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:00:20 GMT

Another interesting question around this point is – what is the ideal BF for swimming? I understand that many elite swimmers have BF in the region of 11-12% vs elite runners that would be well under 10%. In weight bearing sport like running your VO2 Max goes up as you lose weight as it is measured in litres per KG per minute. So by default if all other factors remain stable as you get lighter your VO2 increases. Is this the case with swimming where weight is not such a crucial factor in moving quickly (I don’t think). If it was you would have a load of skinny distance swimmers as they would be quickest! There is obviously a trade off between power and weight but I guess this might be different for every swimmer?? So for me as a 73kg swimmer with stable body fat of around 14% would I get quicker if I developed more power through greater muscle mass but also in so doing increased my weight? In the end my objective is to swim quickly but it seems to maximise potential we need to understand the biomechanics and physiology of the ideal swimmer?? Nick, Yes I also have read about the higher level of bf in swimmers as opposed to runners or cyclists. You bring up some interesting points. I would like to propose a few more. First is the matter that swimmers must propel themselves through, namely water, as opposed to runners propelling themselves through air. The viscosity of water is much higher than air. Therefore swimming would naturally encourage greater muscle development than running since you are using more force. The 4-to-1 rule seems to apply. Therefore there is a great similarity in times between, say, the 400m. run and the 100m. swim. Also since you are much lighter when in water, bw is less of a factor. I swim early in the morning, before work, with other regular swimmers. Some are very fast and efficient. None are what you would call thin and some are heavy (one of the best swimmers is, in fact,quite overweight). Almost all are well muscled (most do not lift weights and only swim). At my pool there is also a gym with many treadmills. I see the regular runners as I enter. They are all thin, some verging on anorexic. No muscular development to speak of. I realize that all this is anecdotal but I do feel that it is indicative. Finally, the skill factor must be considered. Swimming is a very technical activity. Much more so than running. Technique is a greater factor in forward progression in swimming than in running. Therefore, the nature of swimming w/o's are different, with more time dedicated to technique. This improves swimming but does not facilitate weight loss. So the bottom line is that if one's goal is strictly weight loss, swimming would not be the optimal method.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

chowmi — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:57:35 GMT

Here's a joke I heard, so I won't take credit for it! Q: What's your body fat ratio? A: For most people, 1.0 - One body, and fat = 1.00. If you have 2 bodies, then it's 2.0 and so on.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:31:33 GMT

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:19:31 GMT

The bf measurements on the Tanita scale are extremely inaccurate and should not be relied upon. I looked into this after my wife got me a Tanita for my birthday last year and the reading were ridiculously high. See here for example: healthread.net/tanita.htm or just Google "are Tanita scales accurate" Bottom line: save your money. Yes you are right they are inaccurate - if you don’t use them correctly. As I said above it is critical to weigh yourself at the same time of day and also this model has an "athlete" mode which makes it far more accurate than those without. In the end you need something you can compare day to day, week to week even if they tend to overestimate BF which they do for many - it is still a measure to track.... As it happens I do have a set of callipers and have calibrated the scales against skin fold measurement and they are very close. Bear in mind that even using callipers the results vary considerably particularly if you use different protocols. I am actually going to have my VO2 max tested at the university of Bath soon and have asked that they also test BF so that I can compare their findings against the Tanita scales as well. In the round I would prefer to have the scales and the measures they give me than not to have them! Thanks Nick

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

aztimm — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:57:37 GMT

The bf measurements on the Tanita scale are extremely inaccurate and should not be relied upon. I looked into this after my wife got me a Tanita for my birthday last year and the reading were ridiculously high. See here for example: healthread.net/tanita.htm or just Google "are Tanita scales accurate" Bottom line: save your money. If you read the book, "Racing Weight," (you can find it on Amazon), they note that yes the Tanita (and other bf-measuring scales) are not 100% accurate. But they are one of the most affordable and convenient options out there for most of us. In that book, they say not to take the reading as gospel, but to note variances, week-to-week preferred. I myself have a Tanita scale, I think it cost around $40 at Linens & Things about 4 years ago. I've seen my body fat go through several shifts as my training (and diet) changed. I just posted a bit about this over in my blog here. Leslie (the Fortress) also has some info on that book in her blog.

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:53:46 GMT

in case anyone is interested.... Tanita BC545 Glass Electronic Bathroom Scale with Body Fat Analyser: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Beauty

RE: Weight gain from swimming???

Former Member — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:50:49 GMT

What an interesting thread... I recently purchased some new scales from Amazon – they are by a company called Tanita and measured all aspects of body composition most importantly % body fat, muscle mass and also water! They cost a small fortune, but I figured that it was a good investment as like all other athletes, I obsess about my weight and body fat and would ideally like an accurate measure rather than some kind of guesstimate! And before you all start wading, in I know there is a lot of debate about the accuracy of these kinds of scales – but if you Google Tanita and read around the subject you will find that the empirical evidence is that they are actually pretty accurate! This particular model also has an “athlete” mode which caters for people who exercise beyond the norm and as such have different body dynamics. The most important thing is to hold as many things constant as possible and so measure yourself at the same time of day – ideally naked! These scales have handles which you grasp and then a current passes harmlessly through your body and measures resistance which in turn leads to all the measures (and more) listed above. I have been using them for about a month and in that time have increased my swim training to around 18k with 20k of indoor rowing a small amount of running and 2-3 gym sessions. In that time my weight has dropped around 1.5kg and my BF by 1% to 14%. More importantly my muscle mass has also increased. I like others above do watch my diet and eat plenty of food but follow a lowish carb diet with additional protein and fat. As a past runner I have hit 7% BF but this was achieved with high mileage and frankly is not good for you! My target is to get down to 11-12% while maintaining my weight at around 73kg – so load with additional muscle. There are cheaper models from Tanita but my guess is that the majority of older competitive athletes are motivated by body shape and so make these a good long term investment… BTW the water measurement is also VERY useful – I fluctuate by up to 2 litres a day and this can make a huge difference to weight – I actually use the scales to check on my hydration and adjust my fluid intake accordingly! Cheers Nick Twitter: uknick Facebook: Nick Ballard (look for the ugly one!) FB Group: competitive @ 50 (a group for the serious older athlete)