was thinking of cross training this winter and thought of swimming in the weekdays . How long should you swim for to get a good enough work out ? and would I gain from it ? make me faster on the bike ? cheers
Richie
Bike Forum
question about swimming
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Posted 5 months ago #
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I do 1000m in about 30 minutes every week. Don't know if it helps cycling but I always feel pretty knackered afterwards.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I see I ment help cycling in a fitness way
Posted 5 months ago # -
Good thing to do but don't suppose it will make you faster on a bike. I swim every week after needing it as part of physio after a big accident. I swim between 1500 and 2500m per session. takes between 35 and an hour. (I am sure all the swimmers will turn up and tell you it will only take 10 mins) I am a rubbish swimmer and find it very boring but I can tell it is really good for me and my wife now goes and I do it to support her as much as anything.
Despite the fact that i don't really enjoy it I think I will continue and I can't really explain whyPosted 5 months ago # -
Depends what you do really.
HIIT or slow and steady...
I aim for 30 mins to an hour every weekday,
Posted 5 months ago # -
I will try for an hour 2 to 3 times a week giving it my best
Posted 5 months ago # -
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise you can do and IMO is the perfect form of exercise to compliment MTB'ing. You exercise almost all your body muscles when you do the different strokes and you build up your stamina and staying power.
Every 30mins swimming is the equivalent of doing an hours work out in a gym.
I have swam for an hour every week for about 5 years and swim on average 2500m. But it's not just about swimming up and down. I have some routines written out by a trainer (who gave me copies before they made her redundant-barstewards) and they include sprints and float work so you are doing legs only and arms only etc as well as the four traditional strokes. It's hard work to get 2500m in but well worth it.
The difference on the bike is remarkable. The increased stamina and strength in arms and legs means you can go twice as far, the climbs become easier, and you recover quicker. I found I can pace myself better and my times have drastically reduced. I also find a very rarely have to stop for a rest, even on the 60k killers.
Swimming really paid off this year when I managed Snowdon twice (up-Llanberis down-up-Rangers down-Maesgwyn down) in just under 5hrs !!!
If anyone wants a copy of the routines let me know and I'll scan copies in and e-mail them.
Posted 5 months ago # -
As others say 2-3 times a week for about an hour can be great for your fitness. I used to race a lot while i was younger and am looking to get back into the pool for the winter to increase my fitness. as you have to control your breathing a lot more while in the pool rather than going for a run or cycle it is much better to increase your lung capacity and improve your the strength of your heart while exercising.
Just make sure that as you get fitter that you are trying to increase your work load, by either increasing the distance that you are swimming (most recommended) or decreasing the time that it is taking you to do the distance. As everyone has a different pace that they swim at it is difficult to say how far to swim. I would say go and have a few sessions and see how far you are swimming comfortably. Then try and increase it slightly, and carry that out for a couple of weeks before increasing further.Posted 5 months ago # -
It's awesome, the harder you swim the more the benefits. Go to a swim fit session or something to get sets. Otherwise you'll plod along and get bored and get out.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Another tip... rather than swimming a length or two and then stopping for a rest or chat, swim continuously but change from sprints, to relaxed to legs only to arms only.
You cover a bigger distance and the changes in pace really pushing your heart rate up and down is the best for of exercise for your heart and is exactly what happens on the bike.
Brucy bonus... sporty ladies in swim wear... need I say more
!
Posted 5 months ago # -
Yep, when I swam it did make a big difference to my fitness. Upper body strength too.
Trouble is, I found it terribly boring. There are distractions like trying to cut down the number of strokes per length and you can have a good think about stuff once you get into the rythmn but as above, if you can alternate exercises that helps a lot. I would sprint every 500m for 4 lengths...caused a bit of mayhem if there were other people in the lane mind.
Swimming the crawl....I would only use my arms. Legs are for sprinting as far as I'm concerned.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I'd be interested in the programs please excitable1.
Posted 5 months ago # -
48 now but been swimming all my life I aim for 3 times a week minimum 1500m usually approx 35 mins to 50 mins depending how i feel always do front crawl as find breaststroke knackers me knees. but vary pace and breathing technique. never stop to chat until ive finished. I find it boring but addictive. Im a lot slower now as I had a car smack good few years ago smashed ribs and sternum swimming helped get my fitness back over a 2 year period when couldnt use the bike so do it its brilliant. you wont regret it.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Every 30mins swimming is the equivalent of doing an hours work out in a gym.
Even if you swim slowly up and down for half an hour with your head out (so as not to ruin your hairdo), yet do 5000m rowing, 5km running and a variety of weights during your hour in the gym?
Posted 5 months ago # -
also look on the triathlon sites that will give you a good few exercise plans to follow (thats addictive to as well i bought a road bike as well and did a sprint triathlon damn good fun but much annoyance to the misus)
Posted 5 months ago # -
Even if you swim slowly up and down for half an hour with your head out (so as not to ruin your hairdo), yet do 5000m rowing, 5km running and a variety of weights during your hour in the gym?
FFS
There's always one !
Posted 5 months ago # -
I'd be interested in the programs please excitable1.
Ivan, sent some scanned copies to your e-mail listed on your profile.
Posted 5 months ago # -
excitable1 - Would it be possible to send me a copy of your swimming program as well. sampsondrj@aol.com
Posted 5 months ago # -
Dan... done.
Posted 5 months ago # -
this is the way forward
http://www.totalimmersion.net/
effortless swimming the TI way, makes everyone else look like they are drowning IMO
Posted 5 months ago # -
FFS There's always one !
Well it is the obvious comment when somebody comes out with the classic "10 minutes of my favoured form of exercise is the equivalent of 5 hours of some other form of exercise I'm not a fan of". The thing is, I'm actually a pretty decent swimmer, and don't pootle when I go to swimming, but I still reckon I achieve more (apart from improving my swimming, obviously) from the equivalent amount of time in the gym, where I'd typically spend significant amounts of time on the rowing machine and treadmill.Posted 5 months ago # -
Every 30mins swimming is the equivalent of doing an hours work out in a gym
...IMO. There you go Arracer, that ought to cover it !
Posted 5 months ago # -
Excitable,
Would you mind sending a copy of the swim prorgram to tcomc1000@yahoo.com also?
Cheers
MPosted 5 months ago # -
If you want to go faster on a bike you need to ride more.
When I quit swimming I lost weight and faster on a bike.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Personally for me, swimming makes very little difference to biking fitness. YMMV
Posted 5 months ago # -
Duplicate post
Posted 5 months ago # -
i swim about 1k everynow and then. it takes me about 40minutes. i know this is incredibly slow, but i'm going as fast as i can!
i don't know about fitness, i'm not very good at the breathing thing, so it's basically a lesson in breath-holding...
(i have to rest every 100m)
it leaves me knackered, very hungry, and calm - the main reason i do it.
Posted 5 months ago # -
if swimming made bikers faster bikers, then pro bikers would be first in the pool
it's a totally different activity
it may help if you swim enough to lose some weight, but the same time spend on a bike would improve your cycling more
and as for jumping in an swimming continually for an hour three times a week.....
Posted 5 months ago # -
If you get bored swimming up and down a pool then why do it? There are other water based activities (eg. water polo, underwater hockey) that could well make you work for more intensely than just plodding up and down and which you might actually enjoy.
They're probably just as good for biking as iDave says swimming is though.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I am a better swimmer than a cyclist, but that's not saying much ,
I am also a level one triathlon coach but that is the entry level ,We use this website as our example swimmer it also has many tips and training schedules Mr smooth. The animation of their ideal swimmer is very good as is the bit about what style of swimmer you are it,s faults and drills to correct them,
Just to join in with everyone else I swim every morning for about 45 mins distance depends on what training I am doing , 4 k in an hour in open water 400 m in 5.45 pool So doggy paddle is the way forward
Posted 5 months ago # -
if swimming made bikers faster bikers, then pro bikers would be first in the pool
it's a totally different activity
Yes to get faster on the bike, ride the bike, but if it is a choice between swimming or sitting on the sofa, then it does make a difference. We are not pro bikers.
You need to do structured training, plodding up and down is useless. Its intervals at different intensity that make the difference.
1-2 hours for an experienced swimmer, 30-60 mins for not so experienced.
IMO Swimming is not good for loosing weight - it makes you really hungry!
Posted 5 months ago # -
You need to do structured training, plodding up and down is useless. Its intervals at different intensity that make the difference.
Make a difference to what? What is the purpose of this swimming training you're doing?
1-2 hours for an experienced swimmer, 30-60 mins for not so experienced.
Is once a day enough, or do I need to do 1-2 hours twice a day?
Posted 5 months ago # -
Excitable1 please could you email to me too? tobiasgibbons@hotmail.com cheers!
Posted 5 months ago # -
Make a difference to what? What is the purpose of this swimming training you're doing?
A structured and varied plan is better than doing the same thing wouldn't you agree? Unless you have some specefic goal other than generally 'get fitter'? no? Well that is what I think anyway.
Is once a day enough, or do I need to do 1-2 hours twice a day?
now now don't be silly :0
Posted 5 months ago # -
A structured and varied plan is better than doing the same thing wouldn't you agree? Unless you have some specefic goal other than generally 'get fitter'?
You're ignoring the question. Getting fitter for what? As pointed out, it's not going to make you faster at riding a bike. Meanwhile if you want to get faster at swimming, working on your technique is far more important than doing intervals.
now now don't be silly :0
Yeah, but the thing is, when I was triathlon training I did almost all my swim training in my lunch hour, 30-40 minute sessions. Yet I got faster at swimming than most on here (certainly not the fastest - swimming was always my weakest discipline, 6 minutes dead for 400 at my best).
Posted 5 months ago #
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