Swimmers

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CallieM15
CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
So... Today I decided to start swimming for my cardio. I broke my ankle back in march, and it hurts with running too long. And I am a horrid biker.. I can barely bike straight. I LOVE to swim, was on the swim team 2nd grade -6th. and then did waterpolo 2 years of highschool. I havent swam for about... 4 years now. I know I havent forgotten how to swim, but I dont really know whats best for conditioning?...

My goals:
1. Lose 50-60 pounds.
2. Gain a lot more physical endurance.

3. Lose 10 pounds by June 10th.

What should I be doing?
1 hr of free style at a moderate pace?
__ mins of sprints?
Swim with waist weights?


Opinions? Experience?
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Replies

  • English1Mac
    English1Mac Posts: 30 Member
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    I'd like to get into swimming, but don't know where to start, so bump for later :)
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 919 Member
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    I swam in college so I have lots of thoughts for you :). I'll send you a message with some questions first!
  • kerrymh
    kerrymh Posts: 912 Member
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    I'm interested in the response..I used to swim on swim team too long ago..but now that I've lost the wt..I want to do some triathlons , I'll have to start training at some point. I'm curious about the advice people give.
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 973 Member
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    I'd like to get into swimming, but don't know where to start, so bump for later :)

    Me too.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
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    I would think you should do mostly some sort of interval work in addition to long endurance. I'm sure there are plenty of workouts available if you Google it.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    I probably don't have the advice you are looking for, but just my own experience. I had a bad ankle sprain just as I had started getting into a groove working out so I turned to swimming. I got a leg buoy so I wouldn't have any ankle pain and built up from there. I was never a swimmer like you, but I had to teach myself proper technique and ended up loving it. I felt like I was really able to do a lot for upper body by using the leg buoy and I got faster, even though I was tugging along with only my arms. I felt my endurance grew a great deal. I don't know about weight, I didn't gain any, and I felt "leaner", but I can't say I lost weight since I wasn't watching my diet at the time.
  • joannezuk
    joannezuk Posts: 153 Member
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    You can do HIIT workouts in any format, including swimming. Warm up in the pool for 5 minutes, then repeat intervals of 1 minute hard : 2 minutes easy. Start with 15-20 minutes of intervals, eventually working up to a max of 30 minutes. And if you wish to add more cardio, add some steady-state endurance swimming at the end of your intervals.

    I recently broke my foot, so I've been doing this on my bike (on a trainer in my livingroom). It's a tough workout, and you can add as much endurance at the end as you'd like. Some days, I stop with the intervals, others, I add an extra 30 minutes.
  • Kayleighpaul1985
    Kayleighpaul1985 Posts: 98 Member
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    I have had 3 lots of knee surgery in the last 3 years so any high impact cardio is out of the question for me

    Swimming and walking have been my only exercises since I started MFP and I have lost 42lb since Jan

    I do 40 mins of freestyle laps twice a week and aqua aerobics once a week

    xx
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
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    I swam in college so I have lots of thoughts for you :). I'll send you a message with some questions first!

    Thanks Ill keep my eye out!
  • strongandhealthy78
    strongandhealthy78 Posts: 90 Member
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    I can't wait to read all of the tips! I love to swim. I mostly swim breaststroke though. Does anyone have a good sense of what that stroke burns? I know it depends on how fast I do it, but I'm just curious about a general range. Thanks for the scoop! Happy swimming y'all!
    :happy:
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
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    Thanks guys! I am definetly going to try the HIIT thing. Thats like a few mins hihg sprint swimming, then a few slower... That makes total sense.


    Wooo! Im excited :)
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
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    I can't wait to read all of the tips! I love to swim. I mostly swim breaststroke though. Does anyone have a good sense of what that stroke burns? I know it depends on how fast I do it, but I'm just curious about a general range. Thanks for the scoop! Happy swimming y'all!
    :happy:

    I dont know about actual burns, but breast stroke seems to make me a hell of a lot more tired then freestyle does.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I find backstroke gets me most out of breath so I would say probably that.
  • hpsaucette
    hpsaucette Posts: 100 Member
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    Hey,

    I was a swimming coach before university. So I don't mind routing out some workouts for people who want to improve their technique, won't be able to help with the calories burnt side of it I'm afraid.

    Message me if you want technique based workouts and I'll get back to you on them

    Cheers,
  • shbretired
    shbretired Posts: 320 Member
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    I started doing laps after Aquatic class.
    Started out doing 10 laps, breast stroke at my own pace, then built up to 20 laps.

    I had to do the breast stroke as one shoulder cuff is torn. I'd go one direction with breast stroke, and the other direction on my back floating/kicking, using arms with what motion I can.

    But now I'm doing Zumba, I don't regularly swim laps anymore.


    There are sites that give info on calorie burning, depending on how hard you swim.
  • BatWoman2012
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    I was a swimmer all through school in competitions etc. I stopped when I left High School. Im starting to get back into it again. I broke my leg xmas day 2010 (broke tibia in knee joint) and still get a lot of pain with it so swimming is the best excercise that will not cause further injury. Freestyle is easy on the joints but really works your muscles and lungs. When I go I start off doing a couple of laps moderate effort then next couple increase it to fast then slow back down. If your not overly fit (like me, plus Im a smoker) you dont want to burn yourself out too quickly. You're better to do a moderate pace for as long as you can while still swimming accurately as breathing is very important. (you dont want to start sinking halfway and not being able to breath! lol ) Start with a goal of 30 mins doing laps. (30 mins moderate pace burns 349 calories!!). Have a 10-15second break between laps if you need to. It doesnt take long to be able to increase your speed and the amount of time in the pool :)
  • tori_grr
    tori_grr Posts: 29 Member
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    Surprisingly breast stroke can burn a lot ! If you are actually swimming it as if you are racing. Of coarse the best stroke is butterfly and the hardest most tiresome. I suggest doing this 25 fly, 25 free, 25 back, 25 free, 25 breast, 25 free, 50 free. On that note try to limit resting when doing this if you are an intermediate swimmer you should be able to do this set without stopping. You will also benefit better if you can actually get technique down practice doing drills! The more you mix up your strokes you will most likely burn more :)
  • mab33
    mab33 Posts: 242 Member
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    Intervals! Former swimmer here. Age 2 through 27. Competitive 10-18.

    I know it's hard without that coach to push you through, but make sure you warm up first. When I had my gym membership I'd do a half hour of cardio (elliptical, treadmill, etc.), then lifting/weight machines for forty minutes, then an hour or two of swimming every day.

    Here's a nice short workout I like to do when I can get in a pool:

    Warmup with freestyle
    5 Short sprints (1 to 3 laps) with short breaks in between for water/breath
    8 lap recovery
    3 Longer sprints (4 to 8 laps) with short breaks in between for water/breath
    Warm down (at least 8 laps)
    (Easily repeated)

    I always like to mix up my strokes. I was a butterflyer and long distance swimmer (freestyle). Fly and Breast work your shoulders a lot. Breast really works your leg muscles. Back can be treacherous in a public pool or one you don't know well, but can be great for recovery.

    Love how swimming tones! But I noticed swimming alone left me with a layer of fat that the lifting and land-based cardio helped me get rid of. Not sure why that is.
  • geezer99
    geezer99 Posts: 92
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    Let me aim some comments at those who are not yet ready for "full scale" training. First of all, swimming gives you cardio along with very low impact resistance training, this means that you can get started pretty much regardless of your current physical condition. Swim the stroke that you are most comfortable with (or trade off strokes if you like that better.) First, aim to build your stamina so that you can swim continuously for 20 minutes or so. Don't worry about the pace just now.

    At this point you can go in a number of directions: Lengthen your swimming time --it is time that burns the calories, in fact, good swimmers burn fewer calories per minute than beginners. Do some laps working only arms and only legs – there is a tendency not to work your kick enough, so for this, legs should be your first choice. Add some intervals where you pick up your pace and then drop back.

    At many pools there is a clock with a sweep second hand that is easily seen by swimmers – you can use it to monitor your pace but, unless you are training for short distance events, you don't want to get so burned out that you repeatedly stop and rest. You can also use the clock to monitor your pulse rate – look up how to take your pulse from the carotid artery in your neck, it is not very hard to do.
  • holly1283
    holly1283 Posts: 741 Member
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    You girls are awesome. Obviously you are not talking about a 60+ year old like me. I've always loved swimming but never competed. Don't ever stop.:wink: