Swimming
 

I've been swimming a bit lately.

In the past I haven't been very active, but I'm finding doing laps actually enjoyable.

Typically 1 to 2 times per day for 30 to 60 minutes per session. A good session is 100 lengths (or 2 km: short pool, only 20 m or 22 m (full length is 25 m)), a weak session is 50 lengths. Average of 7 to 8 hours per week.

Now, I'm actually wondering how many KCal I'm burning. I've gotten numbers anywhere from 3.5 to 5.0+ KCal times my bodymass (in lbs) per hour.

Is there any decent information that can map (weight, rate of swimming, swim duration, swim type) to KCal burned? I can get this information for walking, running and jogging, but not swimming, damn them!

Thanks.

Oh, and a more general question: will doing aerobic exercise like this up my resting metabolic rate much, or should I only rely on the calories it burns directly? I'm pretty certain I've actually gained strength from doing this (given how much better I'm performing now compared to originally)...

Not sure about the number of calories being burned, but you will lose fat fast if your swimming consistently and put some effort into it. Swimming really works on all of the muscles, especially the smaller ones so they will build. This might be why you feel better, perform better, etc. Of course it also helps with the main muscles too. your gonna be alot more hungry and eating more if your swimming too, really works up an apetitite :P You'll also strengthen up your lungs and oxygen holding abilities alot if you do special drills. If ya got any questions bout things like technique, drills, etc dont be a stranger and PM me.

All I'm doing right now is going in the pool, swimming at just below "burning muscles of pain" for an hour (crossing that threshold periodically), then showering off.

Just crawling as yet: planning on learning some other swims. Should be able to remember how to breast stroke. I doubt I have the physical shape to do a freestyle stroke yet.

I do push myself every few dozen laps with a hard length, to the point that I'm going half as fast in the next length. No idea if this is good for me or not. =)

Strangely, I'm not getting all that hungry from it.

I am thinking of joining a gym and building some extra muscle mass. I figure if I do that 2/3 times a week, and swimming the other 4/5 times, it will probably result in losing fat faster than just swimming.

How good is 2 km every hour? (that's 80 olympic-pool widths or 40 lengths).

What you wanna do is get yourself some sets, and time them. Also known as on the clock. There are websites out there with tons of good workouts, i believe http://forums.usms.org/forumdisplay.php?forumid=95 is an excellent forum which people list workouts they are doin, tryin to accomplish, etc. Sets vary greatly, from all out sprints with lots of rest to long distance, or all out sprints with hardly any rest, etc. Depends on what your tryin to do. Dont just swim unorganized, get yourself somethin to do for that workout day and stick to it, dont forget warm up and flushing out and the beginning / end

Chuckles

I heard swimming is very good for burning calories because you use all the muscles in your body and the water provides for excellent resistance.

Thanks chuckles.

Found this:
Most of the rest of the advice seems aimed at people in better shape. =) I will continue reading it.

Heh, newbie to the terminology here.

I've done some warming up, a 15 minute walk in the park near the pool, before swimming. Seems to help. When I don't do this, I simply swim easy for 3 laps (easy crawl, back legs only, easy crawl) before going to full speed. That qualify?

Don't know what flushing out is at all. Have to do with drinking?

A friend of mine who is into yoga has convinced me to spend 10 minutes stretching after the end of a swimming session.

So is swimming a more efficient fatburner than running on a treadmill?


Also is it possible to lose weight around the gut and still build chest/arm muscle?

Yeah I believe swimming is a more efficent fat burner than running on a treadmill. For a warmup, it depends on what your going to be doing. I believe the best way to warm up for swimming, is to swim :P Try doing 8 laps, building the speed a bit every two. Flushing out means at the end of your workout swim a couple of laps nice and easy to get the toxins out and to relax your muscles. Kind of like running slowly at the end of an intense run. Stretching is also very important, I do it both before abit during and after.