Many people have favored swimming as their workout of choice. Not only does it provide cardio, but it also gives you an intense full body workout. Swimming allows you to target muscles you may not have otherwise engaged through the wide range of motions from your legs all the way to your neck. Your body also works vigorously in the water as there is much more resistance in water compared to air in land-based activities.
Like all other workouts though, there are techniques to follow if you want your it to be effective. Here are some tips to ensure your muscles get the most out of your swim workout:
1. Warm Up
Don’t swim as fast and as hard as you can, as soon as you get into the water. Make sure your first few laps are at an easy pace to warm up. This will help prevent shocking your muscles or causing them to stiffen up. Treading water for 5-10 minutes is another great option to help warm up.
2. Switch Up Your Routines
Make sure not to repeat the same routine over and over again. Switch it up to make sure your muscles don’t get used to the workout, as this could hinder your muscle growth in the long run. Learning different strokes can add a good variety to your workout and help you focus on different muscles.
3. Make Use of Swimming Equipment
Using swimming equipment, such as kickboards and pull buoys can help target different muscle groups. For example, using a kickboard for portion of your workout can help you target your leg muscles for an intense “leg day”. A pull buoy can do the same for your arms.
4. Opt for Protein as Your Post Workout Meal
Go for protein rather than carbs after your swimming session. This will feed your muscles with the needed amino acids— essential for building, maintaining and even repairing muscles.
Sample Workout
Now that you know what to keep in mind, here’s a sample swim workout! Give it a try and let us know how it went. We promise it’s gonna be a great workout!
Full Body Freestyle Workout (Total Distance: 1,000m)
Warm-up: 200m swim (any stroke)
4x50 freestyle kick - use a kickboard
4x50 freestyle swim
4x50 freestyle pull - use a pullbuoy
4x50 freestyle swim
Cool Down: 100m relaxed swim (any stroke)
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