Swimming Questions

[DaydreamBeliever]

Hi Everyone,

Years ago I remember watching Covert Bailey’s “FIT or FAT” on PBS and he said that you cannot lose body fat by swimming. His reasoning was that the water keeps your core body temperature from rising, so although you burn some calories while you swim you won’t continue to burn calories after swimming the way you would after doing other forms of cardio, like running. He gave the example of a walrus that swims all the time but is still fat. I never really liked Covert Bailey, but do you think this is true?

I know swimming burns a lot of calories and I enjoy it so I am not giving it up. When I go to the Y to swim, I also use the treadmill, stationary bike or elliptical trainer. I usually use the cardio machines and then go for a swim. Do you think that the swimming is dropping my body temperature so that I don’t get the post-workout calorie-burning effects? Do you think it would be more effective to swim first and then do the cardio machines?

I have been wondering about this for a while, but I didn’t know who to ask. The lifeguards at the Y are teenagers and they didn’t know what I was talking about. LOL! Anyway I was just wondering if any of you might have some ideas or theories about this.

Thank You,
Frankie
XOXO

 

[Aquajock]

Far be it from me to disagree with someone who's been on TV, but I think Covert Bailey is kind of, like, WRONG on that score.

Any exercise that is rhythmic and engages many muscle groups, especially larger muscle groups such as the lower body and back and pec muscles, will burn calories; in fact, weight lifting also burns calories, albeit at a much lower rate than cardio work.

Bailey is correct to a limited extent about the fact that core temperature is elevated during the swimming bout but returns to normal more quickly than one would in a land session. The reason for this is the hypothermic, "chilling" effect of water, that conducts heat out of the body at about 12 - 25 times the rate of air. However, this chilling effect does not directly correlate to calories burned; using Bailey's logic we could all extend the calorie burn by sitting in a hot tub, sauna or steam bath to keep our temperature elevated. That's nonsense.

Bailey uses a really bad example when he talks about walruses. Why on earth did he not talk about competitive swimmers? They don't exactly look like sumo wrestlers!

I don't think you're doing anything harmful by taking a swim after your aerobic machine work. However, because you're swimming afterward, you may have already depleted your energy stores to the point where your swimming will not be as robust; you may simply be more tired.

One thing that is true for the most part about swimming: it is primarily an upper body activity, and part of the elevated heart rate and aerobic response is due to factors other than exertion level; any time you cut the legs out of the cardio equation you're reducing the cardio benefit. In order to have a productive swimming bout, I would suggest alternating traditional swimming laps (front crawl, breast stroke, back stroke and butterfly if you've got the mojo for that one) with kickboard work (flutter kicking and dolphin kicking are besst) to recruit only the legs and glutes.

Hope this helps -

A-Jock

 

[Cid]

Believe it or not, I was going to ask a similar question! We go to the Y twice a week for a homeschool group, and although I've wanted to try lap swimming I've been reluctant to do so because I thought I'd get more fat-burning on the treadmill or eliptical machines. This has been very helpful and encouraging...think I'll give it a try! Any suggestions for a lap-swimming workout?
Thanks!
CinDee

 

[Aquajock]

RE: Suggested lap swimming PLUS workout

5 minutes slow, steady laps using front crawl over and breast stroke back to warm up

5 minutes strict front crawl

2 minutes kickboard flutter kick laps

5 minutes front crawl over, breast stroke back, going as fast as you can

2 minutes kickboard flutter kick laps

5 minutes strict backstroke

2 minutes kickboard flutter kick over, frog / whip kick (used in breast stroke) back

5 minutes front crawl over, breast stroke back

2 minutes kickboard flutter kick laps

2 minutes front crawl over, butterfly back (if you can)

2 minutes kickboard flutter kick over, dolphin kick back

5 minutes deep water treading

A-Jock

 

[Cid]

RE: Suggested lap swimming PLUS workout

Yeah, I'm gonna have to pass on the butterfly for now! But I'll give the dolphin kick a go. Fortunatly the swim director is approachable and loves to help you improve. I have to admit I'm a little intimidated because even if I can do all of MIC or IMAX without modifications, new exercises seem more taxing and I feel SO out of shape! Perhaps that's part of the reason why I haven't just gone for it, but I have to start somewhere! I've recently thrown road biking into the fitness mix, so lap swimming will be a good addition. Thanks for the workout!
CinDee