Anyone here do swimming sprints for cardio?

[SteelWeaver]

I'm not allowed to speed walk, or run, or do anything that impacts my heels for - well, I dunno how long, and I hate the gym machine things, but I'm getting unfit - nearly killed myself on high rep squats the other day.

What do you think about swimming sprints? I've only ever done LSD swimming.

I'm pretty sure they'd be awesome (and that I'll probably kill myself the first few times) - just wondering why they don't seem to be a particularly common choice around here ....

 

[FitFossil]

I'm sure swimming would be an awesome cardio workout, but as for bodyfat loss, I read somewhere that swimming hampered it for some reason. Something like you're losing body heat to the water, so your body tries to protect itself by holding onto the fat for insulation. I'm not sure if this is true or not though.

 

[slinky]

I'm sure swimming would be an awesome cardio workout, but as for bodyfat loss, I read somewhere that swimming hampered it for some reason. Something like you're losing body heat to the water, so your body tries to protect itself by holding onto the fat for insulation. I'm not sure if this is true or not though.

FF: I've read the exact same thing. And have often wondered if this is true or not. But after watching many a Summer Olympics swim meet on TV, I've noticed that while the swimmers' bodies are in tip top condition, there is not that much in the way of definition.

Ah, to be able to swim. Since I can't. Well, I can't float. But my boyfriend is determined to change that this summer.

 

[bunnymt]

I love swimming and I do it as often as possible.
I used to be a competitive swimmer, for about 10 years, so I have racked up A LOT of pool miles.
50- 100 yd/ meter sprints are, in my opinion, great. I have not heard any information about body-fat-loss inhibition, so I am not going to comment on that particular aspect.
All I am sure of, is a series of about 10 short-distance sprints always gets my heart racing and my body core temperature up.

Also, instead of doing one of the four strokes, I mix it up by incorporating a kickboard or a buoy. 1-armed butterfly or kicking hard on my back are also options.

Swimming is great.

 

[msboss]

I'm sure swimming would be an awesome cardio workout, but as for bodyfat loss, I read somewhere that swimming hampered it for some reason. Something like you're losing body heat to the water, so your body tries to protect itself by holding onto the fat for insulation. I'm not sure if this is true or not though.

I have read the same thing in one of my training books long ago. I don't remember the actuall wording but,"Have you ever seen a skinny seal?"

msboss

 

[Judah Bauer]

its called the "seal effect"...when the water's too cold you tend to not burn body fat...but as HIIT has shown the substrate utilized during cardio doens't necessarily mean anything.

 

[Ulter]

YES!!! I just posted on this last week on AF's training board and the response was luke warm.

I have been using swimming for a couple months and I would put swimming sprints above running sprints for fat loss.
As for the seal effect, the water here is 87deg so there's no chance of that.

 

[Latamier]

I was a competative swimmer from the age of 5 throughout college. I still incorporate swimming into my workouts at least twice a week. You dont need to just do sprints. Try some distance and even mix up what strokes you do. This is a typical swimming workout for me and it takes me about an hour to complete it.

Warm up with 500m freestyle
200m IM (which is 2 laps of butterfly, backstroke, breast stroke, and freestyle) x 4 times
100m butterfly x 4 times
200m freestylex 4 times
50m butterfly sprints x 8 times
50m freestyle sprints x 8 times
500m freestyle cooldown.

Depending on how good of a swimmer you are, I personally think butterfly is the best stroke for your back and shoulders, and personally contribute the size of my shoulders and back to many years of swimming butterfly, which is my favorite stroke to do.

 

[msboss]

YES!!! I just posted on this last week on AF's training board and the response was luke warm.

I have been using swimming for a couple months and I would put swimming sprints above running sprints for fat loss.
As for the seal effect, the water here is 87deg so there's no chance of that.

It's not just water temp. It also has to do with the bouency of the body in the water. I would think that running sprints would be more effective than swimming sprints because of the weight bearing on the body thus utilizing more energy. I used to be on a swim team (many years ago) and ran track and found that I personally got more results from land sprints. Everybody reacts differently I suppose.
msboss

 

[witkowsd]

My sister swam 45 minutes a day - 5 days/week - she said her arms and traps were awesome from swimming. Sometimes I wonder where all these articles and surveys come from.