Hey all. I've been doing a lot of exercise lately across a wide variety of disciplines. One of the things, in fact the main one, I'm trying to achieve is a swimmer's physique - nothing new there, I suppose :)
I'm fairly close but am really uncertain about one thing. I tend to be smaller than I want rather than heavier- it's a real struggle to build the upper body I'm looking for as opposed to, say, losing fat. I'm just naturally thin.
For my latest regimen to build up chest, back and shoulders, I thought I would do sprinting pyramids in the pool, increasing max every week. So it would go like this:
Monday - *** - sprint 1 lap, rest, sprint 2 laps, rest, sprint 3, etc. up until say 5, then back down
Wed - Same with Back
Fri - Same with IM, except the numbers represent the multiple of 100 I'll be sprinting.
Following week, up the highest number I go.
Anyway, I'm early on in the program, but already I'm doubtful if this will get the results. I based this whole idea on watching college and Olympic swimmers and figured, hey, they're training for sprint swimming, so that's what I'll strengthen. But I also know they dryland quite a bit. For me, that would essentially be weights.
The thing that got me doubting the program above was looking at photos of Olympic swimmers through the ages. The guys in the 70s almost look rail thin compared to the guys today. The only thing separating them, I have to imagine, is what they did outside the pool, as swimming is, well, swimming :).
So if you were in my shoes, what would you do to build up like one of these pro level swimmers - weights, or sprint swimming? I can do both, obviously, but I'd rather not waste precious time in the pool if it won't really advance what I'm after.
Lastly, not to sound like a jerk here, but if you have a really solid opinion on this, please include a pic so I can see how your ideas worked for you. I'm fairly well along in my training and would want to rely on advice from someone who has really clearly and effectively implemented it.
Thanks so much all!
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Former Member
Hah, thanks, I do appreciate it.
I may as well post photos to show what I'm talking about. And while this isn't exactly a bodybuilding forum, I do appreciate your guys' help in this!
So, this is me (from a set of 90 day photos after completing P90X)
i1014.photobucket.com/.../temp.jpg
This would be the goal:
www.rankopedia.com/.../29857.gif
So it's not a huge ways off, I just need to figure out how these guys are bulking without getting the usual meat head look most guys get from lifting too much.
I figured the sprint swimming would help with the back and chest, but again, I'm not sure.
As it stands, I seem to be built a lot more like the Mark Spitz generation of swimmers than this current one. But I have to imagine that somewhere between dryland, sprint swimming, and diet that target is attainable.. (?)
Hah, thanks, I do appreciate it.
I may as well post photos to show what I'm talking about. And while this isn't exactly a bodybuilding forum, I do appreciate your guys' help in this!
So, this is me (from a set of 90 day photos after completing P90X)
i1014.photobucket.com/.../temp.jpg
This would be the goal:
www.rankopedia.com/.../29857.gif
So it's not a huge ways off, I just need to figure out how these guys are bulking without getting the usual meat head look most guys get from lifting too much.
I figured the sprint swimming would help with the back and chest, but again, I'm not sure.
As it stands, I seem to be built a lot more like the Mark Spitz generation of swimmers than this current one. But I have to imagine that somewhere between dryland, sprint swimming, and diet that target is attainable.. (?)
