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... SWIMMING for a LIVING??

Source: AskMen




Most men have a tendency to turn to the treadmill or the bike for their cardiovascular workout if they aren't already getting it from sports such as football or basketball. Since these machines are readily available in most gyms, it seems like an easy solution. However, if you take a trip to your local pool, you may find a workout that challenges you in a whole new way.

You've probably heard that swimming is great exercise, but you may have never really taken the time to learn how to use it to your advantage. Here's what you need to know.

Types of Strokes

The main types of swimming strokes are freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke, with the butterfly being considered the most difficult by far.

Freestyle swimming, also known as the front crawl or Australian crawl, is basically what the name implies. There are no specific limitations on how your arms and legs must move; you just have to be sure to keep one body part above the water at all times (except for the first 15 meters at the beginning and after each turn). This is probably the most suitable style to use if you are just beginning and until you feel comfortable in the water. A 150- to 180-pound male swimming freestyle will burn between 500 calories an hour at a moderate intensity to 700 calories an hour at a high intensity.

The breaststroke, on the other hand, has a more defined pattern of movement. Your shoulders should be kept in line with the water, and your arm and leg movements should be coordinated to push together, performing the same actions. Your arms move out from your chest and around the sides of your body, and then back up along the center again to return to the start position (while your legs mimic the same movement). During the first stroke as well as after a turn, you are allowed one arm stroke and leg kick with your head in the water, but the remainder of the time, your head must stay above it. Swimming for an hour using this stroke will burn about 750 calories.

During the butterfly stroke, your arms move together from behind you, up and out of the water, ending above your head before once again entering the water, while your legs do a dolphin kick. This stroke particularly calls your shoulder muscles into play, so it is recommended for those who are quite developed in this area. Since this is probably the most difficult stroke, it demands the most energy output, and you will expend approximately 800 calories an hour performing it.

Finally, for the backstroke, perform the movement with your back facing the water, moving your arms and legs as you would if you were performing the freestyle stroke, and you will burn around 500 calories an hour. Keep in mind that you must have a fairly good awareness of the position of your body in the pool, as you will not be able to clearly see the wall approaching.

Assuming you can perform each stroke for the same amount of time, the butterfly will be your best bet for both fat loss and muscle building. This is because you are burning the greatest number of calories per hour while performing it, making it an efficient way to create the caloric deficit needed for fat loss. It is also the stroke that takes the most muscular power, therefore giving your body the best total strength-training workout.

If building muscle is your primary goal, you may wish to perform this stroke at the highest intensity possible, but for a shorter period of time. That way, you won't expend as many calories (since you need to be in a surplus to build muscle), but you will push yourself hard enough to stimulate muscle growth.

important considerations

Since you are performing this workout in water, there are a few additional considerations. One of the most important aspects of swimming is learning to regulate your breathing; because your head is only above the water at certain moments, you must adapt your breathing to each stroke. Some people will need to practice this before jumping into a workout. If you haven't mastered your breathing rhythm, you will find it difficult to push yourself hard enough to derive benefits, as your muscles need oxygen to perform properly.

It is also critical for you to master the type of stroke you plan on using before trying to swim laps. If you aren't performing it correctly, you will be inefficient and will tire out much more quickly than if you were using the proper technique. If your body is moving in rhythm with a fluid series of actions, you will be able to focus on pushing yourself to get your heart rate up, thus improving your workout.

benefits of swimming

There are many reasons to take your next workout to the pool. First, it is a great cardiovascular exercise. If you push yourself hard enough, swimming can be comparable to -- if not more intense than -- running. Since you use both your upper and lower body to propel yourself through the water, you engage more muscles and burn more calories than with running (during which the upper body doesn't work that much).

In addition, swimming gives you a great strengthening workout. The day after your first serious session in the pool, your upper body will likely be very sore. You will be using muscles in ways you don't normally use them, which will serve to strengthen your whole shoulder girdle as well as your back muscles (particularly your Latissimus Dorsi muscle).

Finally, many people find swimming to be a very good way to relieve stress. It allows you to clear your head so you are not only getting physical benefits, but psychological ones as well.