Women: will swimming make me too bulky?

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Nkechiye
Nkechiye Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I LOVE to swim as a workout. It burns serious calories and it is so fun. Lately i have been noticing the muscles in my shoulders and triceps are swelling and tight and i may be bulding a little muscle. Will swimming make me look like incredible hulk? I have always wanted broad shoulders with the V shaped torso, but I dont want my arms to look like Hulk Hogan. Will it?
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Replies

  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    You wont "bulk up" if you're eating a caloric deficit. You need a caloric surplus plus progresseive overload on the muscle mix with good sleep to gain muscle. Females have lower testosterone levels compared to guys, so it i harder for a female to gain muscle; most guys have a hard time bulking even when they try, so you wont bulk by accident.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Short answer? No.

    Longer answer? Still no. Unless you're swimming as much as an Olympic athlete, and even then, Michael Phelps doesn't have arms like Hulk Hogan, and he's a guy and he eats like 10,000 calories a day.
  • Amor
    Amor Posts: 61 Member
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    Unless you're swimming through something other than water I'd also have to say no. :tongue:

    If you love it, go for it!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    You're kidding, right?
  • Lady_Bane
    Lady_Bane Posts: 720 Member
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    I genuinely want to know if you are serious
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    <--- If you consider that bulky.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    I hope it's true!!! I am getting a new pool installed, and if I can get bulky by swimming, I will stop killing myself at the gym so much. Hell, I won't even go in the summer at all. I'll just eat a small surplus and do laps...

    /end sarcasm

    No, you will not bulk up by doing cardio on a calorie deficit.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
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    No. Even if you start heavy lifting weights, you won't get bulky... unless you're genetically pre-disposed to it. Women just aren't built that way. You might get stronger and more definition, but that's about it.

    I'd recommend surfing around and looking at pictures of some of the female members who lift heavy weights. Not a "bulky" one in sight! And if they aren't bulky from all the work they do, then I don't think that you'll get big swimming.

    My MiL does a lot of swimming, actually, because she has really bad knees and can barely get through any other type of exercise. It's a great workout! Burns lots of calories, helps make your upper body strong. :)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I suspect what you're seeing is either

    a.) fluid retention for muscle repair, which can temporarily make your muscles appear bigger, or

    b.) your muscles are being uncovered as you lose fat. They aren't getting bigger, they just look bigger because there's not as much fat covering them up

    You're not going to be gaining much (if any) muscle by swimming while eating at a deficit. It's a lot of work to build muscle, and it won't happen accidentally.
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
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    Yep, you'll end up sinking like a stone you'll be so bulky.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    I LOVE to swim as a workout. It burns serious calories and it is so fun. Lately i have been noticing the muscles in my shoulders and triceps are swelling and tight and i may be bulding a little muscle. Will swimming make me look like incredible hulk? I have always wanted broad shoulders with the V shaped torso, but I dont want my arms to look like Hulk Hogan. Will it?

    My daughter in law swims all the time and she has beautiful shoulders and arms. I think swimming helps give you that long, lean look. It will define your shoulders for sure, but not make them bulky.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    No. Swimming will not make your look like Hulk Hogan.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    You're kidding, right?
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
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    lol nm thought you said The Hulk you know the green guy David Banner turns into, oops.
    swimming will make you sexy nice and lean. No worries, only thing it can do damage too is your hair.
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
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    I believe it was Ronnie Coleman who said, "Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder, but don't nobody wanna swim in no heavy assed water!"

    Coleman.jpg
  • melindafritz1976
    melindafritz1976 Posts: 329 Member
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    no
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    Muscles are good!!! You won't get bulky swim to your hearts content.. Also toss some iron around it is good for you and you will benefit when you get older...
  • SASSYnCHICago
    SASSYnCHICago Posts: 98 Member
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    absolutely not!! just the opposite. - I actually was bulky and since I've learn to swim laps (a long with other activities - run, spin, kickbox and wgt training) I am totally getting more lean.

    I attribute it mostly to swimming & eating a healthy diet of' course. Just yesterday I had a BF (body fat) assessment done, and am not considered bulky by any means. I was @ 26-27% now @ 18.5 BF. and my shoulders, bi-ceps, chest and tri-ceps are so much more defined because of swimming!

    Best of luck in your goals. Keep on swimming it's the best now for you and will be for many, many years.
  • Camera_BagintheUK
    Camera_BagintheUK Posts: 707 Member
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    I LOVE to swim as a workout. It burns serious calories and it is so fun. Lately i have been noticing the muscles in my shoulders and triceps are swelling and tight and i may be bulding a little muscle. Will swimming make me look like incredible hulk? I have always wanted broad shoulders with the V shaped torso, but I dont want my arms to look like Hulk Hogan. Will it?

    Well if you train like an olympiad, maybe. I swam for years and all I noticed was a bit more definition in my shoulders and upper arms, but I didn't work hard enough to really change my shape. Also, atheletes have been swimming since childhood so their bodies have been shaping themselves all that time! I had a friend who used to swim at a competitive level as a kid, an her body was that V shape. But she started at a very young age. (ed) but she was never bulky! her arms were toned but not big.
  • zerryz
    zerryz Posts: 168 Member
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    << Nobody told me about the bulky-building side of swimming. Look it! I m now in swim-bulk rehab. The docs tell me i caught in time so there s still hope. Stop it now if you can. Or you might end up looking like those awful looking svelt olympic swimmers. May the Force be with you \V/

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