David Lock

I had a call from my daughter who is a 20 year old uni student. She likes to keep reasonably fit but is not a fanatic. She told me she had found a nice swimming pool near to her flat and decided to give it a go. 33 metre pool and she tells me that she does a quick 40 odd lengths when she visits with a short rest every 10 lengths. This strikes me as pretty unusual? I struggled at my school 50 metre race every sports day!!
But what can she do to make it more interesting and is she going to end up with muscles like Serena Williams? Any tips appreciated. DL

The Zohan

What strokes does she swim?

Has she had any swimming instruction before, not just learning to swim, but, with a coach on technique, etc. Get her to alternate he strokes, work on technique & breathing patterns.

Or she could find out when the club meets or when there are lessons and join in then.

I used to swim from 7-16 at international level sometimes. when i go (which is rarely these days) i work on technique and breathing, swiming training was never exciting unless competing - for me anyway

Even as a bloke training 6 times a week for 2 hours a day i never developed big muscles just wsell toned and defined. It is the weight training swimmers do that develops the muscles size really. Women do seem to develop shoulders quite quickly, avoid butterfly if she does not want shoulders like a real chap not some slope-shouldered nancy boy

AudiLover

Woman have always been much better swimmers than me. I sink like a stone. Swimming wont make her muscular at all just really toned like a model.

BexTait

As Pal says, try getting her to vary stroke, or do lengths that are legs or arms only.

An alternative is to try and do more lengths each time before stopping, or if there's a clock within sight, try and do each block of 10 lengths faster than the last lot/previous session.

XRS

Paul's advice is good, but she should know that she is not likely to build up muscles like Serena Williams just through swimming.

I am an old git (got my certificate for 27yards of the Gloucester pool in 1962 )and I now swim 2,000 metres twice a week - 80 lengths of a 25m pool, so the distance is not so surprising so long as you are reasonably fit and your stroke is good enough not to tire you out too quickly.

David Lock

Interesting - thanks.

1) She doesn't want muscles like Serena

2) Breast stroke only

3) Never had a serious lesson

She is slightly asthmatic so I assume this can only be good for her. I think some basic lessons in technique would be a great idea as long as they aren't too expensive (student!). I'll suggest that. There is probably a uni swimming club but I don't expect she wants to get too involved. David

The Zohan

Hi David.
Uni swimming club - great idea
Breast stroke was my worse stroke, i hated it. However, even so it is difficult to vary this much, she could get a float and work on either legs or arms.
I suggest she learns another stroke like crawl, easy to do and but takes a while to perfect the stroke and hone it. breathing can be varied once she gets used to it to alternate sides or every 4 strokes as she gets better and fitter, it really is a stroke that you can always improve technique on.

Suggest she takes a lesson or two and learns the strokes.

David Lock

Thanks Paul. Agree with your comments. I expect she does breast 'cos she can see where she is going!!! Will certainly get her to ask about lessons. David

OllyK

Yes swimming is excellent for asthma!

Bartop

One of my most enduring memories was seeing Sharon Davies running on the treadmill of the Gym I was a member of at the time..

It certainly didn't seem to have done her any harm

Shaolin

"BREAST STROKE"...............*SNIGGER*..........

Richard_P

More fun than 'back stroke'

Scumbag

Be almost impossible for her to 'get fit' just by swimming without instruction. You see plenty of bloaters swimming at a length every 10 minutes acting like mini-islands in most swimming pools. As these mini lard-pots tend to float, they probably expend less energy swimming a length than walking one! Unlike a lot of activities, it is easy to think you have done loads of work, when you actually havent done that much.

Now, I'm NOT saying that it isnt an excellent exercise - it is (but infinitely better if done properly). If anyone can swim, and be as out of breath as when running/cycling etc, then they are doing OK, with none of the down sides of weight bearing activity...but it is often hard work to get the technique right if you arent a 'natural' in the first place.

I used to use swimming as a second session in a day, or when injured (I was a 400m runner)...but a few lessons took me from struggling to complete 50m, to competing up to 300 (not very well, admittedly!)

As above get her to join the uni swimming club - they will have sessions where they lane everything off, and put different speed swimmers in different lanes (overtaking in a 2-way line is piggin' hard work when you're already knackered, so same-speed lanes is a necessity). I'd advise front crawl for fitness, breast stroke can easily bugger the knees (even if you can see perfectly where you are going, and not get your face wet!), and backstroke is pants as you havent a clue where you're going. They will definitely do sessions where you split arms and legs (using different floats)...great work-out. The action of turning up to a regular club will also massively help on the motivation front, rather than just wandering down to the pool when she feels like it

There is no way on this planet that she will develop big muscles - if anything she would just tone up (unless, of course, she starts taking it seriously, and doing too much dry land training). There are very few heavily muscled swimmers...flexibility is too important, and swimmers dont tend to be 'powerful' in the same way as athletes would be (the number of miles that even a sprint swimmer swims in a week is ridiculous...far, far further than a dry-land sprinter would do in the same period....the rests are much shorter too)

Swimming is excellent for asthmatics as the layer of air above the water is pretty much saturated with water vapour, which helps the breathing

stevem2k

If she wants to keep fit , and not get bored, suggest she looks for the uni ladies water polo team .


Steve

Richard_P

Big muscles ain't easy to get. I see a lot of posts from people saying "I just want to tone up" Don't worry you won't turn into hulk hogan tomorrow by picking up a dumbell

I did a bit of swimming recently, found that 30+ lengths got me breathing heavily, must be quite good for you. You see some people taking it VERY easy in a pool though, doubt they are doing much in terms of upping their heart rate.

The thing I found with swimming is as suggested in post #1 it's not very interesting. I had some races with kids which were fun !

To make it more interesting, set targets, get friends down and race them etc. Competition is fun, doesn't have to be serious. Last placed buys the round

Bartop

I tried that when I was at uni but for an entirely different reason..


...is it me or is the sap rising due to this hot weather

wrx03ppp

You can get excellent 'beginners' coaching from some of the Triathlon clubs - for maybe less than the cost of a public swim session. Coached swims will develop technique very quickly and keep the interest up.

David Lock

Thanks a lot everyone. Some very useful comments. I have already spoken to my gal and she is going to ask about a couple of lessons. I would have mailed this whole thread to her except for some ******* making 10-year-old comments about "Breasts"

I don't think she can devote any more time at the moment as the poor kid has 10 exams in the next 6 weeks!! But thanks. Happy paddling. David

Scumbag

Trust me...at 20 years old, and at uni...it's not going to shock her

BexTait

It's something breaststrokers have to put up with. I was at the junior nationals I think it was when my lil bro was swimming in them, they had a nice sticker for sale at teh swim shop: "breast stroking is fun". Was probably lost on the younger swimmers tho...

AudiLover

lol it cracks me up when people say stuff like that. "Oh dont do too much weight training as you will get too muscular like arnie" LOL i wish it was that easy.