Swimming good cardio?

Shrek211

New member
I am not a morning person, and I hear that doing cardio in the morning is the best time due to your burning the fat you already have stored. But I can not image myself on a treadmill for 30mins at 6am in the morning. So I was thinking about swimming. I was wondering will that conflict with my reg workout? Because I am using those same muscle to do laps with, that I am using to lift with? Also how good is swimming for cardio?

6'1
235lbs
18% bf
3yrs lifting exp
 
huskyguy said:
swimming is excellent and it has low impact on your joints.

read studies that said GREAT for cardio but bad for fat loss. . . . . . keep that in mind
 
I feel that swimming is a terrible aerobic workout - Reason, because for most it is not aerobic but anerobic in nature.

Most people could probably swim a couple laps before having to stop - How do you expect someon to keep up a slow but steady (70 MHR - optimal for fat burning) for 30 - 45 min.

Also it has been shown that swimming has a tendency to promote more sub q fat deposits due to low temp environment.
 
DirkMoneyshot said:
I feel that swimming is a terrible aerobic workout - Reason, because for most it is not aerobic but anerobic in nature.

Most people could probably swim a couple laps before having to stop - How do you expect someon to keep up a slow but steady (70 MHR - optimal for fat burning) for 30 - 45 min.

Also it has been shown that swimming has a tendency to promote more sub q fat deposits due to low temp environment.

I must respectfully disagree, however swimming to be a good aerobic workout must be done in sprints, working up to 10 or more laps at top speed.
 
huskyguy said:
I must respectfully disagree, however swimming to be a good aerobic workout must be done in sprints, working up to 10 or more laps at top speed.


If you read your post you'll see the error in your thinking.


Swimming at top speed is not AERBOIC it is Anaerboic -

Just as sprinting is not aerobic - its the same principle here.

Sorry, but the logic does not hold up. More glycogen is used in anaerboic exercise then aerobic. Thus you are not taping into fat stores.

Here is the definition for Anaerboic:

Anaerobic is a technical word which literally means without air, as opposed to aerobic. The presence or absence of air, or more precisely the presence or absence of oxygen in the air, affects various chemical and biological reactions.
 
cardio does burn fat hence the aerobic properties, but its a mandatory 30 min or some shit if you read all them 80's journals... diet is the most effective thing for fat loss
 
I do think so.

Hi there,

Contrary to popular belief, swimming can really work as a good cardio if done strategically.
As of aerobic and anerobic exercises, it is really not the question whether the conditions are such, the main point being if ur cells are getting enough oxygen to burn the calories u have taken in.

If swimming was that bad u wudn't have seen most of the well known swimmers of recent times and also of the past boasting of nice, well-shaped bodies.

Swimming for 15-20 minutes ( not rigorous ) can work as a good warm up.
Or else people for whom hitting the treadmill @ 6am is a real pain-in-da-ass, they can opt for spot jogging too.
Spot jogging is not very rigrous, but its calory-burning and pumps ups ur heartbeat, loosens ur muscles, gets u in line with upcoming training schedule.


So my opinion is :

Take a wheyshake (skimmed milk n whatever) or have something to which boosts energy.

»» Spot jog for 5-10 minutes beside the pool.
»» Plunge into the water play with urself for 5 minutes, then sprint two ends of the pool continuously for 5-10 minutes more.

That will give you enough to stay fit as well as the pectorals, deltoids shoulders, mastoids, lats get a fresh introduction to the day without hitting them hard first-up.

Come out, have a shake (preferably energy regainers like CarboHit kindda product or take Inosine capsules).

» Carbo Hit is a powder consisting of 100% pure complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are critical for sustaining high energy levels during intense workouts and are ideal for loading before high energy demands or as an energy boost following high-intensity training sessions. By loading up on carbohydrates, it is possible to increase glycogen stored within the muscle.

» Inosine contributes to strong heart muscle contraction and blood flow in the coronary arteries. Inosine supports regeneration of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Workouts are fueled in part by ATP; when you deplete your reserve, you run out of energy and strength. Inosine appears to work by making your ATP last longer.

U can also double up by having any creatine product alongwith of atfer the shake.
» Creatine is a compound that is critical to the maintenance of ATP sources. Depletion of ATP during intense exercise is commonly associated with the onset of muscle fatigue. When creatine stores are exhausted, the muscle runs out of energy, resulting in muscle weakness. Fortunately, the amount of creatine available to the muscle can be increased.

So thats how you should have ur swimming n jogging schedule complete.
Then you can get to work and train later on.
Or else you can go n have rest for one-hour straight without gettin into any kind of exercise. Give ur tissues rest, the time to relax and grow, give them rest so that they can makever the ATP loss caused due to the exercise in the morning.

I guess this should work for you if you really know what to do with the suppliments. Sorry about the suppliments-explanation, u know'em all probably, I just thought that might be helpful.


Thanx.

Take care.
God Bless.


Bye.
 
Dont any of you see the correlation of swimmers and where they have their fat depots?

You never see a really veinated swimmer cause the cold water makes you retain bodyfat subq to attemt to stay warm
 
Hardway said:
Dont any of you see the correlation of swimmers and where they have their fat depots?

You never see a really veinated swimmer cause the cold water makes you retain bodyfat subq to attemt to stay warm

I think this has more to do with the way they train and the muscles they use.

take a look at iron men or even water polo players and you will find most of them are fairly vascular
 
what about not doing laps, just swimming around, walking in the water, that always seem to get my heart rate up.
 
I have also read, and posted before, on the bodies adjustment to storing more fat subcutaneously to adjust to the cold water.

Eskimos have thicker skin than other "races", a long term adjustment (what we call evolution).
 
Bimmer said:
what about not doing laps, just swimming around, walking in the water, that always seem to get my heart rate up.

Its a lot faster getting on and off a treadmill, or walking around the neighborhood.
 
doing my lifeguard exam was a bitch... it was 20 laps in the pool either 10 of breast and 10 of crawl... the last time i took it i weighed 170 pounds... at 230 it was not fun... i thought i was going to drown...lol

my heart rate was extrememly elevated... when i stood up from getting out of the pool my vision was dimming and im pretty sure i would have fainted had i not sat down... my body was so exhausted i went home and passed out on the couch for the rest of the night...

it took 20 minutes for me to complete that... so i would MUCH MUCH rather do a 30 minute jog
 
Well I am a big fan of swimming for cardio it is the only physical activity I was able to do for a year after I broke my back back in 95' and its the only thing thats keeps unwanted pressure off my discs so I have better posture and so I can keep training my core strong and lifting heavy. So I'll take the fat deposits over not walking any day :beertoast
 
Bottom line is that swimming is good cardio for people who are good swimmers. Most people are inefficient swimmers and with the lower calorie burn per minute, it tends to be difficult for them to get a significant cardiovascular workout before tiring, or becoming anaerobic. The leaner a person is as well, the better swimming is for them, because they lose heat faster to the external environment, and their density is higher, thus forcing them to be effecient in order to maintain a swimming stroke.
 
painless2 said:
Bottom line is that swimming is good cardio for people who are good swimmers. Most people are inefficient swimmers and with the lower calorie burn per minute, it tends to be difficult for them to get a significant cardiovascular workout before tiring, or becoming anaerobic. The leaner a person is as well, the better swimming is for them, because they lose heat faster to the external environment, and their density is higher, thus forcing them to be effecient in order to maintain a swimming stroke.

Solid Educated reply - To bad we can't have more of these!
 
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