Swimming!

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maz504
maz504 Posts: 450
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone on here swim for exercise? My gym has a great pool that is usually pretty empty and I want to try it out. I know how to swim and I did swim team growing up, so I know the strokes (at least on an elementary level), but it has been YEARS since I've done anything in a pool other than tan and drink margaritas :)

Does anyone have any advice on what a good beginner swimming workout looks like? I was thinking 4 sets of 100m, but I honestly haven't swam in so long that I don't really remember if that is a lot or not! And is there any swimming etiquette I should be aware of? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • erinbeth85
    erinbeth85 Posts: 34
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    I'm in for the responses to this one... my gym has a great pool as well, but I haven't really tried it out yet, so I'd love to see the answers here.
  • hilly510
    hilly510 Posts: 46 Member
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    I swam competitively through high school then took about 5 years off before getting in a pool again. Let me tell you - I felt like crap. But I was generally athletic and I was being too hard on myself.

    I used to love doing about 500m to warm up. Taking it at a nice brisk pace. I couldn't do that after a 5 year hiatus.

    My advice is to try to do 200m as a brisk warm up. Then you can do 5x50m fast (but not sprints), and/or do 10x25m sprints with PLENTY of rest. I'm talking 1 minute rest. Try to get your heart rate up. They will have a clock in the pool so it will be easy to make sure you're at a good heart rate. Try to mix things up for a bit. Do sets of 25m, 50m, 75m, or 100m of different strokes. But start out slowly. You can also do things like treading water in the deep end for 2 minutes straight. FEEL THE BURN. For a cool down do a nice and slow 50-100m just to stretch it out and move your muscles in a different way. Some gyms have kickboards so you can isolate kicks, or they have a floaty (pull-buoy is the technical term) you put in between your legs to isolate arms. Use these to mix it up! Once you get back in the swimming shape you can find sets online to follow.

    Happy swimming!
  • Rivers2k
    Rivers2k Posts: 380 Member
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    I started swimming for exercise back this fall but stopped cause the pool got really crowded mid fall. It is a really good work out but you have to constantly push your self. For me it was easy to take it easy and relax in the pool and forget I was there for a calorie burn
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I swim 3-4 times a week for an hour. Just jump in and start and see what you remember. People who love it keep going while the others quit. I go by the clock because I don't like to count laps--20min freestyle, 10min breaststroke, etc, etc. The people that swim alot have great bodies so it's good exercise.
  • SoreTodayStrongTomorrow222
    SoreTodayStrongTomorrow222 Posts: 252 Member
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    Swimming is the best exercise - SO TIRING. I just go it for 45 minute and swim as much as I can at one time without breaks... When I need a break - I take one....
  • maz504
    maz504 Posts: 450
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    I used to love doing about 500m to warm up.

    Hehe wow!! That's awesome! And here I am thinking 400m would be a good full workout :tongue: That's all great advice though, thank you!
  • hilly510
    hilly510 Posts: 46 Member
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    I used to love doing about 500m to warm up.

    Hehe wow!! That's awesome! And here I am thinking 400m would be a good full workout :tongue: That's all great advice though, thank you!

    haha like I said - I swam competitively in high school. Practices would be about 3500m in total, sometimes 2-a-day practices.
  • Keep_The_Laughter
    Keep_The_Laughter Posts: 183 Member
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    You will find a wide variety here:

    http://www.100swimmingworkouts.com/

    Everything from beginner to masters :flowerforyou:
  • maz504
    maz504 Posts: 450
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    You will find a wide variety here:

    http://www.100swimmingworkouts.com/

    Everything from beginner to masters :flowerforyou:

    YES! That's an awesome website!! Thank you :happy: :flowerforyou:
  • Keep_The_Laughter
    Keep_The_Laughter Posts: 183 Member
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    You will find a wide variety here:

    http://www.100swimmingworkouts.com/

    Everything from beginner to masters :flowerforyou:

    YES! That's an awesome website!! Thank you :happy: :flowerforyou:

    You are more than welcome. Enjoy your workouts!
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    I swim 5 days a week after my circuit training. I just go at a pace I can keep up without stopping and always get at least 1/2 mile in (about 900 yards). I watch the clock so I can constantly improve my pace. I don't worry too much about my HR because I watch that during the HIIT parts of my circuit.
  • fayefayee5
    fayefayee5 Posts: 87 Member
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    My gyms pool is only open from may till october, but when its open Im there everyday.

    I dont clculate distance but I set myself timed sets. For example I'll do breaststroke for 15 mins, then freestyle 15 mins, then do 15 mins backstroke or 15 mins with my kickboard.

    Then I normally sit out in the sun for a bit, and hope back in the water later for round 2 of some more laps.

    I am such a water baby, I freaking love it. I wish we had an all year round pool in my city.
  • spg71
    spg71 Posts: 179 Member
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    http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html

    It all started for me with this, took me a extra week at week 4, then got knocked of my bike, which took me about a month to recover then xmas hit and it all got put on hold, So started from week 2 and now i am banging out the freestyle mile in about 30-35mins. This is from someone who is self taught so, its so annoying when you see people who can actually swim there so slippery in the water its amazing.

    I really just switch off while swimming, cant keep a thought in my tiny brain for more than 20 seconds its lovely. I also found it doesn't actually make me tired, i know i have done some exercise but don't feel tired from it, so i swim before work most mornings now.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    There is a resource online called swimfit http://www.swimming.org/swimfit/ which helps build a swimming habit, with progressive swimming session plans, and help you build towards varying goals.

    I swim twice a week (i'm allowed 30 minutes in hte pool i have avvess to and target just over a km each session). I'm not brilliantly fit, but I swim to manage back pain and stay active.

    It is easy to get bored, I have now been using a waterproof mp3 player for a little over a yearand it's great (though I didn't splash out on an expensive one though it was a present I know mine cost £15)
  • catti41
    catti41 Posts: 24 Member
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    I started back in the pool at the start of the year. To begin with I just tried to swim for 2 laps without stopping and then increased each session, or during the session until I could swim 10 laps without stopping.
    Now I swim 4 sets of 10 laps with rests in between so I can try to keep my heart rate up while I smashing out some laps.
    I'm up to swimming 1km in 30min, with (when time permits) a few laps after with the kickboard.
    I do need to mix it up a bit but I'm a water baby so as long as I am in the pool I'm happy.
    If you're concerned about boredom an MP3 is great. mine is from Sony and is awesome.
    Good luck
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
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    I love swimming, I started (after not getting in a pool since i was about 7years) old back in july of this year at 210lbs. I am no 169 I have lost 40lbs without any other form of exercise. I learned everything on the fly, trial and error and watching you tube videos. Bought a underwater watch and IPOD and I am good to go. Typically I swim 3x a week for 40-60 min. I couldnt swim freestyle for a good two weeks it was two hard I could only do back stroke, now I can do it all haha. Try it, if you love it youll get there!
  • victal
    victal Posts: 1,375 Member
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    Yep love to swim. My pool is an olympic pool so the lengths are great. I only go once a week but I have to do 50 olympic lengths before I'll get out!

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