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I've recently started swimming as an addition to basketball and running for exercise, and have started reading up on it. Turns out that the injury rate in swimming is about 5%--compared to well over 33% in other sports, especially those that involve a lot of running and jumping. Obviously, the horizontal position relieves a lot of weight on the joints while still putting the same muscles to work. Swimming is supposed to burn as much as if not more calories than other sports of the same muscle effort. After just 2 laps on the Olympic-sized pool, it seems to have burned a lot of energy, judging by how I'm panting afterward.
However, I also recently read that swimming can tone your muscles the same way that lifting weights can. Take note: Tone, not build in size like those Goliaths on Muscle Magazine. A sports doctor was quoted as saying that the body doesn't know whether it's an expensive piece of nautilus machine at the end of your arm or just water; all it knows is that the muscles are being strained, and therefore it responds in the same way: by ripping old muscle to build new one. It was never my intention to look like a club bouncer; a lean toned physique is good enough for me. Looking at Michael Phelps' sculpted torso would make me want to believe that doctor's claim, but then I can't be in the water 7 days a week like Phelps does.
So my questions are: Are there any folks in here who swim regularly for fitness? How has the sport affected your physique over the years? What is the best time of the day to swim? Does anyone know exactly how many calories are burned in, say, a 50m lap of freestyle? What about other styles? Also, what is the best pacing during training to tone muscles? Thanks for any help guys!!
However, I also recently read that swimming can tone your muscles the same way that lifting weights can. Take note: Tone, not build in size like those Goliaths on Muscle Magazine. A sports doctor was quoted as saying that the body doesn't know whether it's an expensive piece of nautilus machine at the end of your arm or just water; all it knows is that the muscles are being strained, and therefore it responds in the same way: by ripping old muscle to build new one. It was never my intention to look like a club bouncer; a lean toned physique is good enough for me. Looking at Michael Phelps' sculpted torso would make me want to believe that doctor's claim, but then I can't be in the water 7 days a week like Phelps does.
So my questions are: Are there any folks in here who swim regularly for fitness? How has the sport affected your physique over the years? What is the best time of the day to swim? Does anyone know exactly how many calories are burned in, say, a 50m lap of freestyle? What about other styles? Also, what is the best pacing during training to tone muscles? Thanks for any help guys!!
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