Swimming – Fat Loss, Muscle Building, Endurance Training and a Survival Tool All in One!
Like many people, I was never really into swimming growing up besides for leisure. Sure, I knew how to swim and took a few courses here and there in different summer camps. But in general, I never had a serious interest in it and by the time I hit high school age I almost completely stopped swimming (which is sort of funny considering I made time to sail).
[One of my dreams is to take a boat out to the ocean and just watch the most graceful and beautiful creatures to be found on the planet. I also think that anyone who ever wants to take a voyage out to the ocean is safer and better off if they're a solid swimmer as well.]
In fact, the only thing that pulled me back into swimming again was when I was injured in training and swimming was literally the only activity I could handle at the time. There was one problem though. The problem being that the only pool available was larger than Olympic size (more than 50 meters) and on top of that, I was really, really bad at swimming. This post is dedicated to showing you both the importance of swimming as well as a few videos that I used to help learn how to swim again. Here goes nothin’:
Muscle Building, Endurance Training, Fat Loss and a Survival Tool All in One
If I could only advise you to do one activity, there is no question that swimming would be that activity. Here’s why:
- It’s great for fat loss
- It’s great for building and toning muscle
- It’s great for endurance training
- It is a skill that can potentially save your life and/or help you save the lives of others
In short, swimming is the best “overall” activity available, since it really hits on all the major exercise factors. Even if you’re in “muscle building” mode, interspersing some short swimming sessions into the week can still help you.
Training for Life
One of the big themes I try to relay here at The Fitness Adviser is that we should be training for real life, and not just for vanity. One of the benefits of that training mentality is that you’re able to objectively look at your training by way of the results you’re seeing, while also naturally just looking good without having to be obsessive about it. When you’re eating healthily and working your body hard, you’ll automatically start looking great without having to worry about it.
Swimming is a great example of that. By practicing swimming, you’re giving yourself a skill that can potentially save your own life or allow you to save the lives of others. At the same time, for guys, swimming helps make you broader and gives you that “wide shoulder” look and for for girls, it helps tone you up and burn off the last pound of fat. It’s an activity that shows that training for real life is not only better for life, but you even end up looking better than had you trained for vanity alone.
The Videos I Used To Learn How to Swim Again
First, I want to say thanks to the creator of these videos, Jimmy Shea. His video on how to swim freestyle alone has gotten over 500,000 views, so I’m sure he’s helped a lot more people swim than just me. When I first started swimming after not swimming for years, I used to watch these videos, go out and swim, come back and go over the videos again for the next day until I would get better. (Like I said…I was really bad in the beginning!)
It also helped that I was swimming at a pool where there were a lot of really high level swimmers, so I could also watch them and learn from their form. Also, just like the people at the gym, people who are into swimming are happy to share their hobby with you, so feel free to ask for some advice as long as you’re not interrupting someone in the middle of a lap. Anyway, here are a few amazing videos on how to swim different strokes by Jimmy Shea:
How to Swim Freestyle:
How to swim breaststroke (doing the proper breaststroke will make you feel like a pro right away):
Once you feel up to it, the butterfly:
There You Have It…
There you have. Now you know why swimming is so important and which videos I used to learn how to swim again. Do you agree with me that swimming is the best activity for a combination of fat loss, muscle building, endurance training and for learning a survival tool? Leave a comment and let me know!
August 25th, 2009 at 7:14 am
I could have used these when I took up swimming a few years ago! I assumed that since I could run, cardio wouldn’t be a problem. Boy was I wrong! I barely managed 25-meters that first day, then I had to rest for 5-minutes. Repeat. That first day I barely managed 100-meters in 30-minutes. It was very humbling…
August 25th, 2009 at 7:20 am
great article, I want to improve my swimming because my technique is very poor and the freestyle video should help. Would you need a different technique for swimming in the sea because you can’t put your head underwater?
August 25th, 2009 at 7:35 am
I wish I could swim, but I never learned how! Last summer, my neighbours tried to teach me to swim in their pool. Before we started, the goal was to get me swimming by the end of the summer. After they watched me try to tread water, the goal changed to getting me to simply tread water by the end of summer! Didn’t accomplish that either.
August 25th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Rafi,
Thanks for posting this. I’m always looking for more ways to increase my fitness, and I never realized just how good swimming is for you. I love to swim. When I was younger and played football, the coaches discouraged us from swimming…they said that swimming would soften us and make it harder for us to train.
You have a good blog and I hope your knees feel better!
Rob
August 25th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Great post! Loved it!
Loved the Jimmy’s explanation too.
I was already thinking of start swimming, but something was keeping this only an idea, not an action. But, this was a post of great help, and that motivates me to start swimming. Thanks!
Indeed, I think is a great exercise to weight loss and fat burn, since it moves (almost) all of our muscles, and increases heart rate in order for you to burn more fat.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Greg – Yeah, when you first start swimming and you think it shouldn’t be too hard since you’re in okay shape to start…you’re definitely in for a very humbling experience!
Henry – Great question. The only real difference I noticed about ocean swimming is that people seem to exclusively use the crawl, but there’s no change in technique and you can put your face in the water like you do normally (just close your eyes or wear good goggles). Here’s a video on ocean swimming for you:
Palidor – Don’t feel discouraged. Swimming is a really important skill to have but it can be hard to get the hang of in the beginning. Even so, if you work at it you’ll get it. It might even be worthwhile to pay for a tutor or sign up for a swimming course on how to swim to help you learn how to do it faster. Also…when you finally do learn to swim I want to hear about it!
Rob – I can actually see where your coaches were coming from, since I’m guessing swimming doesn’t compliment football training too well (they probably didn’t like the idea of training against less gravity!). That being said, for everything else swimming is amazing and I’m glad I helped you find another activity to increase your fitness level.
Also, thanks for the well wishes. My knees are finally coming along after a few prolotherapy and platelet rich plasma shots and I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Justagirl – Yeah, swimming is a really great activity. I’m glad I helped motivate you to start doing it!
Great comments guys (and girls)!
-Rafi
August 25th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Rafi,
Swimming is great, unfortunately I don’t do enough of it. A good post outlining the benefits of an activity other then the standard gym stuff.
Mike
August 25th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Michael – Yeah, swimming is also nice in that it’s an “out of the gym” activity (especially ocean swimming). Good point!
-Rafi
August 26th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Rafi! How did you know I was looking to improve my breaststroke and to learn how to do the free style?! Lol thanks for the great post! I tried the freestyle arm work in office and it really got rid of the stiffness in my arms and shoulders! (I can do it – I have a private room: just finished two sets of squats and kneeling push ups!).
I love swimming but have’nt been to the pool for a good two months now – thanks to the swine flu scare. I am going to go any way, all viruses be dammed! I think swimming gives a mental calm and glow that no other activity gives. Every one should be in the water couple of times a week.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Sangita – Ha, I must have mind reading capabilities that I wasn’t aware of! That’s really awesome that you’re able to do the exercises at work. Also…I had no idea that people weren’t swimming because of the swine flu scare.
Anyway, I totally agree with you that swimming gives a mental calm and relaxes you in a way that no other activity does. It’s actually pretty cool that you can get in a hardcore workout and relax yourself at the same time! Great point Sangita!
-Rafi