Swimming and Building muscle

[Ghost]

i would like to know whether swimming can build muscle.
i hate to go to gym and instead, i will try swimming about 4 times a week to build muscle..just not sure whether it's possible to have a nice body through swimming

 

[VainJane]

I swam competitively for ten years....I think the amount of muscle developement (and placement) depends on the type of swimming you do. I did hard-core, fast-paced swimming (my team has sent people to the Olympics) so I developed the stereotypical 'swimmer's body' which is huge, football-player shoulders (major muscles in the back and shoulders) and big thighs. Of course, that's intense fast-paced swimming and that was multiple times a week (sometimes six days a week).

If you're doing it at an easier pace then you probably will develope muscle but it won't be as hugely noticeable, like you'll have firmer thighs and arm muscles.
I totally recommend swimming, it's great exercise. It makes you leaner so you can definitely get a nice body from it.

 

[renata75]

^ agree swimming is the safest for your joints too! You can get lean body. Only sucks that you can't listen any music , they should come up with underwater ipod or something It gets little boring at least for me when you swim back and fore

 

[renata75]

I rather swim than run too

 

[VainJane]

^ agree swimming is the safest for your joints too! You can get lean body. Only sucks that you can't listen any music , they should come up with underwater ipod or something It gets little boring at least for me when you swim back and fore

Actually, I think they do make water-proof radios, etc. that you can clip onto your swimsuit.

Good point about the joints.

 

[renata75]

Actually, I think they do make water-proof radios, etc. that you can clip onto your swimsuit.

Good point about the joints.

oh really I never heard about those radios well thanks for the tip

 

[TopofNewYork]

they should come up with underwater ipod or something It gets little boring at least for me when you swim back and fore

I would sooooooo buy one if they did!

 

[dsq]

swimming is great for toning your muscles. i love to swim when i'm angry, stressed, or unhappy; the water washes everything away.

 

[SiennaInLondon]

Swimming is so boring though. When I run I get exilherated, I compete with myself, I push myself. With swimming I just get wet and I don't feel like I have done anything particularly special.

 

[Ghost]

what's good about swimming for me is after swimming 30 laps, you feel totally energised instead of feeling sucked up. and you feel very alert.
errr..but i hate when i see mucus floating around the water

 

[kellyisazebra]

YEAH! Of course swimming builds muscle, it's actually known for that. & that's why they always have swimming pools in the big work out places.

 

[TheKiwi]

Slightly off topic, but can someone post a link to buy these underwater music players? I didn't think it was possible!

 

[Alliecat]

Just found this for you. Not sure if its what you're after...
http://www.waterproofmusic.com/

AND...
waterproof i-pod cases!!!
http://www.sailgb.com/c/waterproof_ipod_cases/

 

[Ghost]

i swim 4 times a week. each time 30 laps. Is it enough?????????

or should i swim more?

 

[renata75]

i swim 4 times a week. each time 30 laps. Is it enough?????????

or should i swim more?

IMO I would say its enough unless you want to have those footbal shoulders like vain said before. What is exactly your goal???

 

[Ghost]

my goal is to get a very well defined body with lean muscles. i want to enlarge my chopstick legs. but i don't want to become very bulky

so the goal is "gain muscle"....really i don't have any muslce.

 

[renata75]

my goal is to get a very well defined body with lean muscles. i want to enlarge my chopstick legs. but i don't want to become very bulky

so the goal is "gain muscle"....really i don't have any muslce.

o.k. then definetly swim swim swim I do 3 times a week but with gym I need to loose some faty

 

[misssakura]

I don't find swimming boring but then again I only swim with friends and we play volleyball and underwater sports. I don't do it anymore because the idea of swimming in other peoples piss (yes people pee in pools) saliva, hair and sometimes (gasp) faeces makes me feel so unwell. Not to mention that chlorine is just terrible for hair and skin. But when I used to swim a lot I never had any aches or pains in my joints and my arms were quite strong.

 

[VainJane]

Not to mention that chlorine is just terrible for hair and skin.

You're right. I have normal/combo skin but when I was swimming my skin was sooooo dry, I had to slather on the thickest face cream I could find. Horrible!

And it is damaging for your hair as well....but one thing that helped me when I swam was to use swimming caps. They're unattractive but they protect your hair from some of the water/chlorine. Plus they decrease the amount of drag so you can move through the water faster.

 

[kare2711]

I love swimming. It's easier to lug myself to the pool than to the gym. But how effective is swimming vs time on the elliptical machine, for losing weight?

I enjoy swimming so much that I feel I'm not exercising enough. I love to sweat it off by running but I've injured my knee and the (subtle) pain is still there, even after me taking good care of it. I don't want to injure it more so swimming is what I have to do. Either that or the elliptical which I'm getting rather bored of.

I usually swim 50 x 40m laps within an hour. Enough?

And no, it's not boring because I have a waterproof case for my ipod. Heaven!!! Listening to music while swimming in good weather is the best exercise ever!