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Swimming Anonymous
How effective is swimming as cardio? I want to lose weight, but I really dislike running/cycling and find them difficult. Swimming is a lot easier and I actually enjoy it, but how good is it in comparison for burning calories?
>> Anonymous
I think it's about the same, the good thing is swimming is easier on your joints and trains back muscles a lot
>> Anonymous
i agree with the post above.

also, i think if you can do some sort of HIIT version of swimming (like sprints mixed with slower swims) you'll burn calories quite well
>> Anonymous
And a huge bonus of swimming is that you can pust your body further than you could with just regular running/cycling due to the fact that a swimming pool is a huge cooling system. Think of it this way, when you are running you get tired and sweaty and to cool off you wash your face/drink water. In a swimming pool this is constantly being applied and this is a HUGE boost that will help you burn more calories.
>> Anonymous
okay this sounds pretty great, I'm def gonna look into a membership for my local pool.
>> Anonymous
I have to add that swimmers have possibly the best physiques of any atheletes I've seen without looking like lolconan. In terms of overall fitness, it's a great way to work out, and it's fun.
In my own experience, I dated a girl who swam competetively, and she had an amazing body.
>> Anonymous
Swimming is great, one bit of advice though:

Be sure to kick. Sounds stupid, I know, but I used to give swim lessons, and the vast majority of non-swimmers tend to forget they have legs while they swim. Makes them miss out on a whole other part of their body they should be working out.
>> Anonymous
I'm a long time swimmer here, and I hate to say it - don't. All the hype about a "swimmers" body comes from practicing over 3 hours a day, everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. BEST results come from running. Period. Because you swim in cooler water, the water tends to cause the body to retain a slight layer of fat just beneath the skin. Not alot, but just enough. Actually doing HIITT swimming is MUCH MUCH harder than it sounds; you really need a coach for that stuff to be truly effective, also you need to do it for FOREVER. I can usually get the same result from hardcore running for about 25 - 40 min. as it take me a 1.5 - 2 hr long swimming session with a coach. Best physiques for solo work goes to runners. Haven't ever met someone big into running that wasn't sexy as hell. Lastly, the point of cardio is anabolic exercise - less oxygen. By swimmings nature, anabolic sets need to be spaced out over a period of time or you'll drown... leads us back to the swimming sets taking much longer than the running sets. Sorry to say this, but I would stick to running...
>> Anonymous !!mcLHIrWIjqc
Swimming compared to running, and biking have been shown to have negative effects in turns of weight loss. Swimming has repeatedly shown an increase in caloric intake in the participants, meaning, it'll make you hungrier than if you ran or biked. And this is true, from experience after a long, long, run I never feel like eating anything. You just sorta lie there and die for a while until you can muster up the spirit to move. With swimming, jesus christ, I'm hungry like a fucking bear.

So if you're counting on losing weight through excercise, either run, bike, or be careful of what you eat after swimming and control your urges.
>> Anonymous
>>141378

Athletic swimmers generally lift, run, cycle, hike, and do tons of other shit to stay in shape for swimming.

Swimming alone...well. I've heard often that it's not as effective as jogs, skiing or biking (claimed to be the three most effective forms of cardio for fat loss). Still, you're moving your body while swimming, you're encountering resistance from the water, you're generally improving your lungs. It's not like you're burning no calories, but you're also not stressing your muscles as much compared to jogging.
>> Anonymous
you may burn just as many calories as riding or running, but you will not burn as many calories post workout. since you are surrounded by water, your internal body temperature doesn't rise, therefore you do not get the benefits of a hyperthermic state following your swim.
>> anonymous
if you ever want to truly get in good shape you shouldnt stick to solo exercise. I just graduated highschool and placed second in state in Divsion 1 wrestling in the 171 pound weight class. 5 years of wrestling intensly with weightlifting in the off season and running about 3 miles a day with wind sprints will put you in incredible shape, and will give you a body that is about 8% body fat with and FMI of 24.3 The only problem with wrestling is now that i graduated and i dont plan on doing it through college because the SEC doesnt sanction wrestling i know ima end up being a fatty because im not gonna get the intenseness of sparring for 3 hours a day 5 days a week. But so far ive kept up the running and weight lifting and have only gained about 3 pounds in 3 months. The club that i work out in now has a pool and i tried swimming laps and found that swimming for 30-45 mins was not as good of a workout as running 5 miles in around 35 mins.
>> anonymous
and that time on the 5 mile mark really is kinda sucky but its the most effort i feel like putting into my running while im running down in the south with 90 degree weather and 100% humidity.
>> Anonymous
I used to be on a swim team and what
>>141786
is true.

But I still swim and swimming is a good balance of cardio and muscle builder. But of course you need to be doing professional strokes and at least 300 yards of each different stroke.

Also is want to be really hardcore buy a monofin - I swear it is the best abs workout you will ever get with it; just 100 yards with it and your abs will be sore as fuck.
>> Anonymous
Not op but wat does /fit/ think of doing the elliptical for cardio?
>> anonymous
regular running is better, but if you have sustained injuries that make taking the impact on your body from regular running to stressful or damaging for your body and elleptical running machine like a precore is a good alternative.

--- For example, my mom runs on an elleptical because she used to be a marathon runner. But, she had a stress fracture in her c1 vertabre in her neck and broke the cartalidge plate in between the first 2 vertabre. Now she cant run regularly because the impact could cause a refracture and endager her life, so instead she runs on an elleptical because it is non impact. But she tells me that she has to run about 3 miles on the elliptical with around 10-12 resistance to get the same workout as running a mile on pavement.

--- So elliptical running machines are a good alternative, but regular running is far superior.