I need help with swimming for cardio.

[KelJu]

I changed gyms so that I could have access to a pool. For those that don't know, I am on the injured list and can't workout legs or anything involving my right elbow.


I am starting to turn into a very unhappy fat bastard. I went swimming yesterday and man I fell better. I swam for a while and I had no pain. I figure I can swim for cardio until I can hit the free weights again.

However, I don't know shit about swimming as a form of cardio. It feels different than running. For instance, my legs give out before my heart does. I use to be a good swimmer, but now I just seem to splash a lot of water around, but I don't seem to go very far.

I pulled up some information from the web about school swim team training, but they had it laid out where you swim 5 days in a row then take the weekends off. that seems off to me.

 

[PainandGain]

It's so low impact, I wouldn't see why you couldnt do it 5 days on 2 off.
I think you would get in shape very fast and I doubt you could overtrain as long as you didnt spend more than 30-45mins in the pool everyday.

 

[WorkForIt]

Swimming is low impact but it does burn calories. I think you would be fine to swim 5 days in a row. Are you trying to lose weight while all of this is going on?

 

[KelJu]

Swimming is low impact but it does burn calories. I think you would be fine to swim 5 days in a row. Are you trying to lose weight while all of this is going on?

I'm trying to stay somewhat fit and get my endorphin fix. The weight think is more of an indication of a symptom. I don't really care about my weight so much.

 

[Minhkey]

Back when I was on swim team two years ago, we swam 5 days a week for 2 hours everyday. Tues/Thurs we would have morning weight training. I don't think its over training at all, but not everyone can swim 2 hours, you should just work into it slowly. On the other hand, we were swimming to gain speed, if you're just in it for health, maybe three days is good enough.

I got this link, that could be pretty helpful to you regarding technique, I read it through and its all pretty legit. You can ignore the intro though. Good luck.

Men's Health Lists - Swim Your Way to a 6-Pack - Swim Tall

 

[PreMier]

go back through this journal, maybe pm jodi http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/online-journals/73056-what-hell-29.html

ian might be able to help as well

 

[Gazhole]

I've done interval training (HIIT/Tabata) in the pool and it fucking slaughtered me.

When im off for long periods i do a bit of swimming, and alternate between that more intense style of training, and just going for the maximum amount of lengths in a certain time.

Sometimes ill just swim untill im too knackered to swim anymore.

 

[tucker01]

Hmm looking back at some of the swim stuff we did.

typically it would be a 400m warm-up of a variety of stokes.

Then
125m on 2:45
125m on 2:45
125m on 2:45
1 min rest
100m on 2:45
100m on 2:45
100m on 2:45
1 min rest
75m on 2:45
75m on 2:45
75m on 2:45

Yes you will finish quicker then the time. Each step you are to go faster in each circuit.

Or you could do a bunch of 25m on 30 seconds say 16 lengths. then do 100m sprint, then 1min rest. and repeat

Just a couple of things I see in my previous Journals.

 

[tucker01]

or

Warm up
300m free
300m Kick
300m free

10 x 100m Freestyle 75% with 30 sec rest at each 100m

Cool down
200m

 

[KelJu]

Awesome information Iain, that is exactly what I was looking for.