Getting back into swimming

[CoolC]

I'm after a bit of advise.

I need to loose a few (read quite a few) pounds. I used to a keen swimmer in my younger days, so thought this is probably the best way to get back some fittness and loose the belly.

My local pool does the early morning/late evening lane swimming sessions that I plan on using.

The question is:

What is the best way to acheive my goals? just dive in and swim away, slowly doing more and more each session? or follow a set "routine" of lenghts per type of stroke etc?

Anything else I should consider?

TIA

[missdiane]

I would make a slow start, speed it up a bit then increase the lengths.
I usually do a fast 15 lengths then slow down for another 15, speed determined by how out of breath I get and I try to be breathless most of the half hour I do

[Tiggsy]

Very hard to work out by swimming.....90% of casual swimmers waste their time. Your body is horizontal in the water so it's easy on the heart....try swimming with a polar monitor on and compare it to a steady jog.

bottom line...you need to swim HARD or long (or both)

Tiggs (club swimmer for years)

[Flanders.]

Tiggsy said:

Very hard to work out by swimming.....90% of casual swimmers waste their time. Your body is horizontal in the water so it's easy on the heart....try swimming with a polar monitor on and compare it to a steady jog.

bottom line...you need to swim HARD or long (or both)

Tiggs (club swimmer for years)

Bugger me, I thought it was one of the best forms of exercise.

[_DeeJay_]

Flanders. said:

Tiggsy said:

Very hard to work out by swimming.....90% of casual swimmers waste their time. Your body is horizontal in the water so it's easy on the heart....try swimming with a polar monitor on and compare it to a steady jog.

bottom line...you need to swim HARD or long (or both)

Tiggs (club swimmer for years)

Bugger me, I thought it was one of the best forms of exercise.

I think that's because:

1) It's non-impact
2) It provides a full body workout

So, it _IS_ a good workout, there are just quicker ways of losing weight/toning up.

From a cardiovascular point of view, it's good, but not half as good as other exercises such as jogging, rowing etc.

[grumbledoak]

Getting in the pool at all is a lot better than doing nothing. It won't turn you into Arnold Shwarzenegger, but you should be able to lose your spare tyre easily enough, even with relatively 'casual' swimming. Vary your strokes, and do five lengths more each time until you are swimming 1km, then try to do it faster. Aim for 20 minutes.

Must get back in the pool, myself. Just wish the convenient one was either longer or cheaper...

[Tiggsy]

they call swimming the best exercise because the avergae joe is fat waster and telling them to jog will result in instant death. the notion that its a "full" body workout is useless...so what if it works all the body? Rowing doesnt do much for the triceps and chest but 30 mins on an erg will get you fitter than plodding up and down a pool.

if you use swimming to get fit you need a polor monitor and a LOT of effort. Good example...how many people do you see with a water bottle at the pool? If you swim and dont need to drink you arent working out - who'd do 30 mins in the gym without a drink?

[Silver993tt]

Tiggsy said:

...how many people do you see with a water bottle at the pool?

1000's of gallons all around you, maybe that's why

[ShadownINja]

I suppose the thing is that the OPer enjoys/ed swimming so why not do that?

[CoolC]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not trying to become the next cover model for Mens Fitness magazine, just loose the spare tyre whilst doing something I enjoy (and am actually quite good at)

I would like to get upto a level of being able to do a mile in 30 minutes (as a target) as I've sort of ended up volunteering to be the swimming part of a team entry in a triathlon.

So the replies so far suggest:

Swim hard and work at getting a sweat up (metephorically speaking)?

A few strong lenghts, then a few easy, a few strong etc.

[Tiggsy]

CoolC said:

Swim hard and work at getting a sweat up (metephorically speaking)?

No, literally. Your in a warm pool (most pools in the UK are far too hot for proper swimming) - you should be sweating like pig after a hard swim...hence the need for water. (i assume the guy above was joking that you dont need to drink because you're in water??? Unless he drinks litres of chlorine to keep feeling fresh!)

[grumbledoak]

A mile in thirty minutes is a good target. Do this three times a week and you should see some serious improvement quite quickly. There is a lot of technique to swimming, so if you genuinely get good at it it becomes a lot less effort and you will find a 'plateau'. But, by then you'll be thinner and fitter already.

Also, given your aims, don't forget diet- it has a big effect. You don't need to eat rabbit food, but if you've any weakness for cakes/biscuits/crisps/beer/coke/<other> don't keep them in the house- make yourself walk to the shop for each one, and buy only one. Half of the time you'll decide it isn't worth it!

[Pickled Piper]

Tiggsy said:

Very hard to work out by swimming.....90% of casual swimmers waste their time. Your body is horizontal in the water so it's easy on the heart....try swimming with a polar monitor on and compare it to a steady jog.

bottom line...you need to swim HARD or long (or both)

Tiggs (club swimmer for years)

Good point. However, as a fatbloke I've found it useful for general toning and for mobility whilst recovering from a tendon injury.

pp