This has been something I've wondered the last few years. I used to be a college swimmer, fit and trim, but the 10 years since then I've drank my fair share of beer and ate plenty of cheeseburgers. Just curious what peoples' take is on how much the extra baggage really effects swim races.
I don't really fit the swimmer mold anymore. I'm 31, 6'2", and 270lbs with a huge beer gut. I got some strange looks since the meet i was in recently was a USAS meet and I outweighed my competition by 100lbs in many cases. My first race in about 5 years i went 23.4 in the 50y free. I didn't expect to be that fast at this weight but at the same time I almost wonder if the added intertia is helping me more on the start and turns. Followed it up with a low 52 in the 100y free but I had a horrible reaction on the start and incorrect pacing. I think if i raced again today that'd be deep in the 51 range. For reference, typical non-taper times for me in college were in the low-mid 22 range at just a tick over 200lbs but I was obviously a lot stronger, younger, and doing a TON more yards at the time, that's why it makes me wonder just how much the weight is actually holding me back.
How much time do you think I stand to drop if i were 50lbs lighter? Could it be a measurable difference or something just slight? I guess I ask that to see if it'd be worth my while to drop that much weight quickly by dieting in addition to the swimming i'm doing. I don't really like dieting, and i generally eat what I want, when i want. Not gorging myself at every meal doesn't really seem to fit into my lifestyle :blush: Anyone have a similar story? "I dropped XX lbs and went XX seconds faster because of it."
Maybe it's an immeasurable, but I thought I'd ask for opinion anyway. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a "to diet or not to diet" discussion though.
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Former Member
23.4 is really good for someone of your size.
How fast were you and what were your proportions at your peak?
I believe the ideal swimming weight for someone your height is in the range of 175 to 205.
You will probably drop half a second or more in your 50 for every 25 lbs you lose. (a full second in your 100)
You'll be way way way faster if you lug less lard.
Work on it, find out and let us know.
ande
You may drop half a second by losing your first 25lbs, but if you do you probably won't for your second and certainly not your 3rd. If you are capable of losing 100lbs, by doing nothing else different (i.e. just diet and don't train more) I don't think yu'll drop 2 full seconds over 50 yards, especially from 23 point.
However, some of the things that you do to help you lose weight may help, i.e. training harder, with weights etc.
It's a funny old game, though. I was about 40lbs over my current weight at one point and with training and diet managed to drop over a second over 50m ***. But this meant doing a lifetime best. I have friends who are overwights who are not even in the ballpark now. For me being out of shape never meant swimming much slower (over 50s) - it just hurt more!
23.4 is really good for someone of your size.
How fast were you and what were your proportions at your peak?
I believe the ideal swimming weight for someone your height is in the range of 175 to 205.
You will probably drop half a second or more in your 50 for every 25 lbs you lose. (a full second in your 100)
You'll be way way way faster if you lug less lard.
Work on it, find out and let us know.
ande
You may drop half a second by losing your first 25lbs, but if you do you probably won't for your second and certainly not your 3rd. If you are capable of losing 100lbs, by doing nothing else different (i.e. just diet and don't train more) I don't think yu'll drop 2 full seconds over 50 yards, especially from 23 point.
However, some of the things that you do to help you lose weight may help, i.e. training harder, with weights etc.
It's a funny old game, though. I was about 40lbs over my current weight at one point and with training and diet managed to drop over a second over 50m ***. But this meant doing a lifetime best. I have friends who are overwights who are not even in the ballpark now. For me being out of shape never meant swimming much slower (over 50s) - it just hurt more!
