Interesting comment about the swimmers from 50 years ago. Back then, lifting weights was thought to 'slow' the athletes down. Tom Osborn, a coach at Nebraska shredded that idea. He was pretty much the one who changed that school of thought. He started his football players on lifting weights, and they started moving all the other teams around. This was also back in an era when they didn't hydrate during games and work outs, again, thinking that it harmed/slowed the athletes down. My, how times have changed, and for the better. Yup, you have to cross train!
Not sure who FIBB body builder is. I did see some big bulked up guy doing weight lifting programs for swimmers, and he could get from one end of the pool to the other, but had very crude form....
Excess mass, including muscle mass, can slow a person down. It isn't mass that swimmers are trying to gain in the gym. It is strength. The same for, say, football or basketball players. They want strength to take it to the next level. There is some muscle mass associated with gaining strength, but that is not the primary goal...like with bodybuilders. Bodybuilders strive for (defined) mass. Strength is secondary.
Yup, stronger, but not mass. I am still waiting to see some channel put up a weight training program that covers how often and how much you should be lifting, and how to progress. Most just show a few exercises and that is it.
This is actually true. I unexpectedly joined squad training and initially wasn't too worried because I had a decent physique and looked much stronger than the others. But, oh boy, was I humbled.. The other members who you would think are either overweight or obese were FLYING in the butterfly, members as senior as 80 years were backflipping and freestyling like freaking Olympians! And the whole time, I was just trying not to die lmao. So yeah, your physique doesn't really matter. You can go just as hard and strong in whatever body shape you are.
first of all, this is impressive and keep it up! in short, how ever long you can keep it up without having issues. Swimming is a low impact Sport with hardly any sudden, jerky movements, so the wear and tear on your body is minimals. as we age out ability to regenerate slows down and at a certain stage you may feel sore, tired etc, so basically get into the teritory of overtraining. if this happens take a few days, maybe evwn a week or two of test and then simpy swimm a little less. TLDR: listen to your body as there is no set time. make sure you keep up nutrition along all of the sports you do and you are idelly set up live a long and healthy live
That is very impressive. 400 laps (25m) is already an elite weekly accomplishment but at 74 years young that makes it even more impressive. Keep it up.
At age 20 I decided that I want to learn to swim properly and I got a private trainer. I got obsessed with swimming and went twice a day (before and after work) for almost 2 years. My body changed dramatically and I got almost the perfect swimmer's body (didn't do any weight training but I'm 1,77 tall and having a long torso) Now I'm 48 after many decades of break I decided to start 3-4 times a week and see what it does to my body at this age. I want to learn the flip turn perfectly, so I can speed up my kilometers.
As for body form: I've been always thinking about how those sweet tubby penguins can swim so well that even a shark have to manoeuvre perfectly to catch them. They're more like rounded, not as flexible as seals, not capable of dolphin or fish style of move, they're practically make fly moves in the water. However, they're fast as lightning and able to change direction in a flash. 😊💙
Fascinating observations!! I wonder which are faster-- deals or penguins? I think penguins are on the food chain for seals? From nature documentaries, it looks like both penguins & seals hang out in packs...or 'villages' as I've seen 100's hanging out on land (in the docs only-- would be amazing to see live!!)
Penguins have special skills up their sleeves 😅. But yes, swimming is a great sport, especially when you look like a walrus, cause you can train cardio without ruining your joints, and with the right technique you can look quite elegant, no matter your physique. It's always funny to see the looks on the faces, when they see an obese person entering the pool and moving faster and more elegant than them. 😅
Your comment makes me so happy because I would be considered overweight, but I have been swimming for as long as can I remember and am extremely fast in the pool. I never understood why I didn't have the 'swimmer's bod' and as a result I always thought I wasn't fit enough to compete. I have started training for competitions recently and I now identify as a penguin🐧😁
@@diyorito That's so lovely.💜 To take it seriously, strenght training in the gym is an absolute must. Believe me, it carves fat quite fast and you gonna be as lean as your body type makes it possible. Go get them, little penguin!🌊🦈
Thank you for this reminder. I lost weight from swimming daily. Now my aim is to just do it because I enjoy it. I try not to push when I feel tired or push when I feel good. I just did my first time in a 25m pool with lane line :). I was amazed how I wasn’t tired swimming a longer distance. I actually spent 2 hours doing laps because I just loved it. As for swimmer’s body, it doesn’t matter to me. I will push myself to do weights for lessening muscle loss in old age.
Wow 🤩 so much respect for the pros! I’m 54 and only 6 years in to USMS. I practice 4 days a week but I’m no speedster. I just enjoy it and rarely miss practice. If I do, I really regret it! I feel best when I practice consistently and regularly. My doctor whole heartedly approves. ❤
So I'm not gonna beat around the bush; I absolutely love EVERYTHING about this video! This guy definitely did his homework in every single ASPECT of swimming. People have to understand that these athletes put themselves through rigorous amounts of training, but also making sure that they eat correctly in order to take in the good, necessary fuel to be able to push themselves as far as they can as long as they're able to go. Imo there needs to be more videos about athletes in other sports. Thank you for making this video so that others can fully understand AND appreciate what these athletes go through on a very regular basis!
Agreed .... I don't think people understand how difficult the sport is. My 12 year old is up at 3:45 am to swim before school each day. It's kind of insane. I will say she's absolutely shredded and doesn't do anything with weights (beyond body weight).
I´m 5,2, im 40 years old but i learned to swim when i was 5, i did it for like 4 years, i quit after i became an adolescent but in my late 30´s i try it again it didn´t take long for me to remember, i never forgot how to do it but my technique was a fiasco, i´m going to keep swimming regularly to stay healthy and also i enjoy it a lot.
Same for me! I am the same height as you and I swam for a few years too. My times aren't too shabby for someone that doesn't swim regularly and is significantly shorter than the average swimmer, the shortest one I know is 5'4" and the average is like 5'8 in women
I used to work with a rude sorority chick, and when she found out that I've been a swimmer for 40+ years, she informed that swimming isn't real exercise. That was the first red flag about her social skills and intelligence followed by many more.
It’s evident that she has never swim before and if she does, it’s recreational and that often enough I don’t think she knows what real exercises at all
I believe this is the most beatiful and motivating post you guys have ever done! Seriously, I personally feel relived for not getting to the "perfect" body just cuz I swim for a decade now. I thank you guys so much for that! From now on, every time i get into the pool I'll remember these words, Fares.
There is no perfect body, lol ,your body just adapts to the function u perform, look at a Olympic lifter and a Swimmer, neither body is perfect, they are just shaped to perform their function efficiently
My swim routine is every other day. ....because I work on an urban farm doing landscape and field work, it is too much to swim everyday. I have been swimming regularly for more than a year now, and i work on my form from videos like these. I swim 1500 meters in 32/33 minutes, my goal is to swim 1500 meters in 30 minutes-when i started i swam this distance in about 40 minutes or more. which I think 30 minutes is about 1/2 the speed of the world class swimmers. I'm 72 years old. ......and I think I will be able to do a decent spin turn one day.
i work as an outdoor wholesale gardener and I cant skip swimming on the way home. It gets you cooled off and I feel the chlorine kills all the spider mites off me. This isnt to snub I just was excited to see someone else in agriculture.
i think that's what the video answers, it is the first one. They didn't start off with the physique they have achieved now, they eventually gained it because they wanted to be pro's.
That's pretty easy: They were able to START AND CONTINUE as enough prosperous competitors BECAUSE OF their genetics, which in turn shaped their bodies even much more.
Nah swimming won't really build you a physique lifting weights will swimmer lift weights to improve performance so that's were they would get a lot of that muscle
Fail to plan, plan to fail. As a 52-year old who smoked for 30 years, in a month I've got to half a mile per day (admittedly, it takes me 40 mins). I'm probably going to be forced to the gym next week, particularly, the rowing machine, as the chlorine is messing with my sensitive nose. But I'll be back in the pool at least every other week, aiming to go further, probably by 20 - 25%. You'll get over it what you what put in, ultimately.
Exactly one year ago I started swimming at the age of 29. It completely changed my life. Starting to swim is the best thing I have done for myself ever. It keeps me busy, lost weight, made me more relaxed and calm. Now that I am in my 30's I will try to keep it as my hobby and my fitness go-to routine for the rest of my life. The benefits from it are just too many to pass. The only negative thing about it, is it seems that I have developed some kind of allergy from the chlorine. Every time I exit the pool and on the next morning, I am constantly sneezing for hours to come. Even when I wake up on the next day the first thing to do is to sneeze at least 20-30 times in the span of an hour and my nose doesn't stop running until the afternoon. That won't stop me of course but I don't see anyone else having such troubles so it brings questions to my head.
I used to have all kinds of weird ailments from chlorine back when I was a more serious trainee. Try to leave on a humidifier while you sleep, your nose mucous membrane is probably burnt and dry from too much chlorine. Gotta rehydrate it. Also consider trying out a different pool, the one I changed to has slightly less chlorine in the water and it made all the difference to me.
I swam competitively most of my youth and raced triathlons throughout my 20s. I ain't that tall, 5 foot 9 but I have the long torso and muscle mass explained in the beginning of the video. Even when I became ill and gained a ton of weight, my musclature underneath remained and came back upon rehabilitation. Key to looking like a swimmer is to just swim a lot. 10 x 100 m are a great way for some HIITs.
Like every athlete, swimmers do not train for hypertrophy. This is what gives them a nice body: avoiding posing in the mirror and a balanced approach to body image.
I absolutely love what you’re doing with your entire channel. You’ve made such meaningful and inviting videos to everyone who wants to swim. Your mindset towards swimming being something that feels good and is good is just infectious, and is exactly where I started with my swimming journey. Thank you so much!
I'm 54 and have done triathlons for almost 30 years and have lifted since I was about 12. If you do strength training along with swimming and throw in some other cardio like cycling, you'll get an aesthetic physique.
IMHO, avid swimmers almost will never have the leanness of avid distance runners. Routine running + swimming usually gets you an ideal body, especially for women who wants to have a lean body.
@@lingxiaowang783 Nobody wants to look like distance runners though. Sprinters and lifters are where its at. Gymnasts are fuckin crazy. (men) Woman? Figure skaters.
@@lingxiaowang783 I agree without a weight bearing activity even fast swimmers become puffy. As single sport athletes age they either get injured(running) or their physique suffers(swimming, cycling).
@@thedog5k nobody is sprint training in their 30s and beyond so it is not a lifetime activity. My friend who was a college half miler transitioned into marathoning and Ironman. Most of the lifters I see have big guts even if they could toss me around easily. Gymnasts are amazing and they retain some skills as they age, but usually transition to other sports like crossfit. My wife is an adult figure skater. Very few of the adult skaters look good as especially for females their peak is around 15 years old. Males gain muscle into adulthood, women gain breasts which is the opposite of muscle.
I'm 54 and I'm not a fast swimmer, but I can swimm 10Km in 2 hours and 20 minutes without stops. I started swimming at 40 and now it's to me life and mental peace.
Thank you so much. I'm a swimmer. Not a pro. And I am really skinny and am considering the gym (which I will be getting at). But everytime I walk into the pool I am super conscious of my body, even tho I know I swim pretty well and smoothly but when I see other guys with nice physiques, it just knocks my confidence down so much. But this video comforted me so thank you very much. Although I will still hit the gym, but i needed that reassurance that not everything is about my looks.
I Olympic lift/ hill sprint and Swim consistently. The Oly lift keeps you exsplosive, flexible (especially through the thoracic spine which is great for posture) and is great due to the full body hormonal responses if you do higher rep sets and complexes. Hill sprints are the #1 thibg you can do to change your body. 10-20sec all out long rest periods x 5-10 sets 2-3 x a week. Then swimming 4-5 miles a week total volume. The swimming is therapeutic in so many ways and great as zone 2 lactate training and sprints. i love the swimming more then the other modalities but I am 41 years old and ripped 8 pack due to the combination
I love swimming. Just being in it is therapeutic to me. Absolutely adore the water. Always relaxes me, and i sleep superbly. I dont have a pool, but yes, i want one, and I'd be in it every day.
It has a lot to do with genetics. For example, I have pretty much always had the swimmers sort of physique, with the exception that I have been underweight for the most of my life. I used to train soccer, and later basketball, never been an active swimmer. So after I got married and got kid, I stopped training completely, so in a span of 4 years I gained 20 kilos. So six months ago, I started swimming and strenght training, lost a few excesive kilos of fat, and there it was, the body I have always wanted. Sure, I am not as muscular as lets say Dresssel or Phelps, but first 2 rows of abs are clearly visible, so I am satisfied. And it's just rhe begining, I will keep swimming for the rest of my life.
What I find interesting about swimmers is that you can not tell how well someone swims by looking at their body. Technique plays a major role. Amateur triathletes is a classic example. Good overall fitness but they never take the time to learn proper technique. When I was in my twenties I swam at a community pool on my lunch hour. There was a guy in his mid thirties with a quite unremarkable body that crossed the 25m pool in 13 strokes. Turned out he was a team mate of Mark Spitz.
i know what you mean. I'm a decent non-club level swimmer but oh boy, every now and then on a public lane-swim afternoon one of the kids from the club pops in for a few laps, and you get this tiny 10yr old girl steaming up and down putting us all to shame, but also not looking like they were putting any effort into it.
I'm a lifelong female swimmer, with size 11 feet. They're great for swimming, like having fins attached to my legs, but such a pain in every other aspect of my life! I can go to a factory shoe store and not find a single shoe in my size. Same with the broad shoulders, so hard to shop for shirts! Regarding the exercise, I've found that it's almost impossible to maintain a normal body weight on swimming alone, even swimming almost every day, as I've gotten older. Your body just gets used to that level of calorie burn. You have to spend time in the weight room too.
What do you mean? You start to be underweight or overweight by swimming alone? I have a size 10 feet, and I found some online shops that also cater to size 11 feet recently! 😊😊 I'm buying my first leather boots with heels in years!
One overlooked fact is that water conduct heat much more faster than air so the metabolism is much increased to keep the body temperature. They need a superb cardio
Swimming can’t lengthen your torso or shorten your legs, but if you are a swimmer from 6-18, it will shape your body into the broad shoulder/narrow waist triangle, as much as your genetics will allow. And in my experience, you’ll always have that shape. If you get fat, it may not be visible, but it will still be there. My lung capacity is still incredible, 30 years after my competitive days. I can still hold my breath for a couple minutes. It’s great conditioning, and a fun sport.
great swimmers don't swim to have a swimmers body,... people with a swimmers body do great at swimming... If you're short, have narrow clavicles, short arms, wide waist you're not gonna be the best at swimming. Likewise if you're a bulky bodybuilder full of muscle, you're not gonna do well either. Phelps didn't develop most of his body structure, he was born with it. All that being said, you can always improve yourself from where you are now. And if you're not gonna train in the gym with resistance (which is the easiest way to increase muscle mass) then you're gonna have to swim fast and hard not just long distance cruising. I mean you have to regularly perform 25-50m sprints at 90%+ effort, for multiple reps a few times a week to induce muscular hypertrophy.
For most people, technique matters more. I’m a fairly serious amateur cyclist and just took up swimming. Fitness really isn’t an issue but I’m about the slowest thing in the pool
As a former competitive swimmer its quite interesting to look at how my body developed, and still looks, even though its been 14 years since I stopped swimming at a high level. My lats are wider than most, I have quite wide shoulders and a wide neck. But I also always had a hard time gaining bulky arms. Swimmer arms are generally toned but not very thick. So even though I have tried to even out my physique in the gym the traces from the swimming days are still clearly there.
I have been swimmimg for fifteen years and I recommend it for better health, weight loss and just for the joy of it. Not for building muscle. While I have broad shoulders and a lean physique, getting the "swimmer body" like the athletes is just unrealistic if you are not devoting the majority of your waking hours working on it. So just swim because it is enjoyable and fun.
I played water polo for six years, from age 10 to 16, and at 37, I still maintain some of that. I used to be in great shape. Despite how many years have passed, and with some daily exercise, I still maintain a lean body and athleticism. Swimming is such a wonderful form of exercise, one that will change you forever!
Never thought about "swimmers body" before. Age 11 to 22, I lived in an apartment building with a big pool. I love swimming, I went every day. Some days I did laps. Other days I dived. Sometimes I just enjoyed swimming around the bottom of the pool. I'm tall but have an hourglass shape. I never became a fast swimmer but I have stamina. I learned to swim in the ocean. I love swimming out to islands and back to shore. So, yeah I was never ripped despite being a strong swimmer or even swimming for hours a day every day. Interesting to learn that.
It's similar to how many people believe that playing basketball would get you taller. Infact it's just that taller players have advantage so dominate at being professional players.
I decided to learn to swim at 26 and when I finally learned to swim quite properly my body started looking so much better and proportional, and I only do that once a week 😅
I replaced swimming 1km a day as my primary cardio in addition to gym a year ago and my body has been great eversince, A quick job to the beach and pace out my laps in the ocean pool its been amazing for my overall body shape and maintaining an athletic but jacked physique, paired with 3x gym sessions per week it works well.
I've got a swimmer's body (but not skill or endurance) and tbh, the long torso is a hinderance to bodybuilding/aesthetics imo. The most built looking guys have medium length limbs and short torsos and relatively broad shoulders, and tiny heads. I've got an xl head, long torso, and very long arms. Basically a chimp.
Good facts stated! Swimming does not sculpt the body the way running, lifting, or calisthenics on dry land does. Look forward to more videos explaining the common misperceptions about swimming. Thanks.
Caeleb dressel probably has the best physique amongst men all time And Katinka hossou for women Absolute legends in the pool and yet the most humble outside the pool
Man been swimming for awhile and i bust my shoulder not doing properly stretches and mobility work. I would swim 30-40lb overweight. I hope get back at it soon!!!!!
Im muscular, 6ft lots of swimming lessons, but i sink, i cant float so i have to work extra hard in swimming, i envy the swimmers who effortlessly do laps. Still swimming is the best exercise and nothing beats lakes or rivers over pools. Much more fun😀
There is a sweet spot in how much body fat you should get to perform at best. The fat layer can help with buoyancy and speed. If there is very little body fat, the heavier muscle tissue will pull the swimmer down, not allowing the athlete to effectively glide on the surface of the water.
That's awesome! Keep up the great work! If you'd like to have more structure and help staying motivated in your training, give the MySwimPro app a download :) bit.ly/47SyQky
Been swimmer at 12-16 age. Developed my body forever. I didnt do any sports until now at 40 and my muscle gains are hudge only because muscles has memory. By the way properly freestyle swim pump up my lats in 5 minutes more than 30min weight training on my back. Thats how it's . And you do not need weights to look like Phelps or other most dudes. Of course nowdays they all do weight training to stay competetive,but its not neceseraly for swimmer body. With so many hours of swimming i dont think that gym training helps gaining a lot.Because muscles need time to rest to grow. They just cook it.Most young swimming dudes in my days all looked like swimmers without any gym training.Hormones exploding in young age. For me swimmer is not about muscles its about wide chest,back,lean long core P.S. You will not have swimmer body if you start swim at 30 or later :) Just similar maybe...
@@MrCmon113 didnt said a word about hands and feet. About shoulders, tell me why all men,even girls swimmers have wide shoulders? feets hands are average for some. in young age you still grow ,lots of hormones its easier for the body to transform at this age. You can get wider at any age from bodybuilding i believe but more in muscle not in skelet
Thanks so much for this video! I do a mix of swimming, walking, and "dryland" training, and love how I feel. Do I have a swimmer's body like an Olympian (or an Olympian of old?) Nope. Not even close. And that's totally okay! My body's great FOR ME.
it is quite easy to form a shredded body in the gym now instead of relaying on swimming to do so. However those are just show off muscles, not very useful when it comes to functional challenge. That is why I prefer combining swimming with another functional training like calisthenics - that way one can achieve good looking and functional body and perform well in the water and on dry land.
Weird how some cultures like longer torsos. In Portugal people almost don't have legs and even "hide" them with the clothes they wear (they don't hide their legs on purpose but the clothes they like to wear makes their legs look smaller, like shorts below knee level, long t-shirts etc) while (in my experience) germans tend to favor longer legs and shorter torsos (I also prefer that, it looks more elegant imo)
I think you missed the point. Anyone can swim, anyone can swim regularly, but not everyone who swims regularly will end up looking like a 'God'. Genetic advantages / disadvantages aside, you want to supplement regular swimming with gym work and a great diet the more you seek that perfect body. Water is like SMALL gym weights and small weights only really improve the bodies of wimps. If that's all you're looking for, fantastic. If you want more, it might be wise to do some gym work.
The key is genetics, Nutrition( Protein and calorie intake) , and their work out. Swimmers train almost 3 hours per day, most high performance athletes with perfect have the perfect shredded physics that most people wants. Football , NBA athletes, Swimmers almost have the same body looks. Not too big and muscly but they are shredded because they burn a ton of calories almost everyday. For most people it would be the hardest thing to do to get this kind of body , but for athletes this body almost comes naturally.
Im not swimming anymore but I same club since I was around 6 and what I saw is that some people had different parts of the “swimmer body” for me I had big lats and I still have them to this day cause once I quit swim I started lifting
Combine cardio and strength training (different days). If you do 2-3 times a week 2 hours strength training and another 2 times a week cardio ( like swimming, running or rowing), than this will make your body look nice (athletic and not bodybuilder style) and will help you to live healthy. Every professional in sports is doing 2 or 3 times a week extra strength training. No matter what sport he does... Strenght training is as healthy as cardio and should be combined. Just like he stated in the video...
I have swam regularly for 47- years and I still do at 71. But still I had to go on blood pressure medication. It does not mean you can live any longer for it. You can get anything 60- years -up. Roland Matthes the great backstroker died at 69.You might enjoy your quality of life while you still do it..
Don Sholander was only 5'10" and Mark Spitz only 6'0". Torri Huske is 5'8", and David Popovici is 6'2" but with 6'8" wingspan. Wingspans that are greater than height are an advantage as are narrow hips, broad shoulders, and narrow hips as they cause less drag. A higher strength-weight ratio is also crucial.
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise that offers numerous benefits for the body and mind. It is a low-impact activity that can help improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and increase flexibility, while also being gentle on joints. Swimming also provides an excellent full-body workout, engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously, and can be modified to suit individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Additionally, swimming has been shown to improve mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety, and can even help alleviate symptoms of depression. Furthermore, swimming can also improve sleep quality and boost overall physical fitness, making it an excellent addition to any fitness routine.
I'm a swimmer, i know many swimmers, i've never seen a swimmer with prominent glute muscles for example (unless they're triathletes !). So no, swimming doesn't involve every single muscle. Furthermore look at Summer McIntosh at the last world championship : do you really think she looks like Hulk ? Swimming is not only about muscles for sure !
GENETICS!! Olimpic swimmers have "swimmers bodies" because of genetics. All of the rest of us would be just fit. In terms of loosing fat and building muscles, swimming is not time efficient way. Diet, fasting, resistance training and low intensity cardio is. Swimming is a great exercise, but all exercises have their purpose. I lost a lot of fat and never recommend swimming for someone who wants to change their body composition. I recommend swimming as a hobby, which is a different thing.
When I was 6, I already had abs and muscles, and my classmates always ask me how I get it. They have called me up stage for awarding, but they didn't realize. 😂😂
Swimmers are so jacked because they do it litterally hours a day, literally. For the average person that is not accomplishable. So for the average person lifting in the gym is just more time efficient to work on your physique. Its as simple as that
Precisely. Construction workers, smiths, farmers etc also get jacked eventually. But they're spending an absurd amount of time "exercising" every week. The gym is for getting there efficiently.
The problem with only swimming is the lack of functional strength outside of the pool. I swim 100 min per week but if that’s all I do I maintain my muscle but my lifting strength plummets.
Worked in fitness at various times in my life and I may have heard one or two people ever say they wanted a swimmers body. Most want strength, and muscle and most complain that swimmers lack muscle and are to "soft looking." Just telling you what I've observed. Nothing against swimming.
In my opinion, you don't need to swim excessively to be a good swimmer. As a lifeguard who competes, I only go to the pool twice a week for about 2km swims. However, I focus more on building body strength through calisthenics and weightlifting, which I do four times a week.
> no mention of doping > "cardio=less body fat" body fat percentage is determined by, among others, testosterone levels, energy expense vs caloric intake, and cortisol levels. olympic athletes are mostly doped (high testosterone), genetic freaks, do lots of strength training without getting into the unsustainable high cortisol zone (high testosterone). Cardio doesnt really help beyond a certain point, and is far from the main reason they are shredded. If anything, pure cardio increases cortisol and by extension fat levels. See how Ross Edgley's body transformed, or how marathonians and endurance swimmers look.
I have the body of a pro swimmer and I suck at swimming even after 3 years of training. I'm mid pack in a triathlon and competitive female 10 year olds can beat me easily by a lot. Also a lot of round women like at 3:30 are some of the best long distance swim racers. Obviously swimming is one of the few endurance sports that develop the pectoral muscles so it helps in getting that shape, but look at olympic triathletes and they're all skinny and crazy fast. So you've got a lot of variations, but men at who are the best in the world at 50-100m races will have to have this shape.
From an aesthetic point of view i definitely prefare the body shape of a natural Bodybuilder, weighlifter or maybe a wrestler or even 10 fighter. Swimmers have (for my taste) to little chests and triceps and weird proportions (upper body=2/3 of complete height, disproportionally long arms)
One key aspect to the male swimmer's physique that I hardly ever hear referenced is the developed lower-pecs. I still don't know why the lower pecs are hit more than upper - potentially has to do with the way swimmers are horizontal to the water, which biomechanically preferences the lower pec, especially at the end of the stroke. If you want to achieve the swimmer's physique, the main muscle groups for training would be 1) lats 2) side-delts 3) lower/inner chest. I would also say avoid upper pec and front delt work, as these seem relatively under-developed in swimmers. I guess there is an emphasis on the PULL muscles rather than push, as you are predominantly pulling yourself through the water. Posturally if you do more pulling movements than push, you will pull your shoulders back, whilst adding width. Many people doing conventional weight training have very bulky shoulders/traps and rounded shoulders as a consequence - as these muscle groups make you look big in clothes - but this doesn't really help with the V taper aesthetic of swimmers.
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Only swimmers call gym workouts 'dryland' workouts.
Wet land 🤣
Hockey players too
Skiers too ;)
Figure skaters too
and rowers lol
Interesting comment about the swimmers from 50 years ago. Back then, lifting weights was thought to 'slow' the athletes down. Tom Osborn, a coach at Nebraska shredded that idea. He was pretty much the one who changed that school of thought. He started his football players on lifting weights, and they started moving all the other teams around. This was also back in an era when they didn't hydrate during games and work outs, again, thinking that it harmed/slowed the athletes down. My, how times have changed, and for the better. Yup, you have to cross train!
It's how you lift weights though. FIBB bodybuilder is an awful swimmer.
Not sure who FIBB body builder is. I did see some big bulked up guy doing weight lifting programs for swimmers, and he could get from one end of the pool to the other, but had very crude form....
Excess mass, including muscle mass, can slow a person down. It isn't mass that swimmers are trying to gain in the gym. It is strength.
The same for, say, football or basketball players. They want strength to take it to the next level. There is some muscle mass associated with gaining strength, but that is not the primary goal...like with bodybuilders. Bodybuilders strive for (defined) mass. Strength is secondary.
Yup, stronger, but not mass. I am still waiting to see some channel put up a weight training program that covers how often and how much you should be lifting, and how to progress. Most just show a few exercises and that is it.
Same with tennis players.
This is actually true. I unexpectedly joined squad training and initially wasn't too worried because I had a decent physique and looked much stronger than the others. But, oh boy, was I humbled.. The other members who you would think are either overweight or obese were FLYING in the butterfly, members as senior as 80 years were backflipping and freestyling like freaking Olympians! And the whole time, I was just trying not to die lmao. So yeah, your physique doesn't really matter. You can go just as hard and strong in whatever body shape you are.
I'm 74 and swim 10,000 meters a week. How long can I keep it up, we'll see. So far so good.
I'm 43, and I barely get 1000 m in a week.
but I was a sprinter when younger, and I do 100% or 80% effort 50's and 25's . I rarely do a 100m.
first of all, this is impressive and keep it up!
in short, how ever long you can keep it up without having issues. Swimming is a low impact Sport with hardly any sudden, jerky movements, so the wear and tear on your body is minimals. as we age out ability to regenerate slows down and at a certain stage you may feel sore, tired etc, so basically get into the teritory of overtraining. if this happens take a few days, maybe evwn a week or two of test and then simpy swimm a little less.
TLDR: listen to your body as there is no set time. make sure you keep up nutrition along all of the sports you do and you are idelly set up live a long and healthy live
That's SUPER IMPRESSIVE at ANY age!! Even for a teenager!!
You ROCK!!!
you are awesome uncle !!! Keep it up
That is very impressive. 400 laps (25m) is already an elite weekly accomplishment but at 74 years young that makes it even more impressive. Keep it up.
At age 20 I decided that I want to learn to swim properly and I got a private trainer. I got obsessed with swimming and went twice a day (before and after work) for almost 2 years. My body changed dramatically and I got almost the perfect swimmer's body (didn't do any weight training but I'm 1,77 tall and having a long torso)
Now I'm 48 after many decades of break I decided to start 3-4 times a week and see what it does to my body at this age. I want to learn the flip turn perfectly, so I can speed up my kilometers.
Updates? :P
What changes have you seen?
@@Kayla-ql8tnnothimg he is fat
Hey dont leave us hanging bro we're so invested in your story 😂😂😅
were u already 177cm when u started swimming?
As for body form: I've been always thinking about how those sweet tubby penguins can swim so well that even a shark have to manoeuvre perfectly to catch them. They're more like rounded, not as flexible as seals, not capable of dolphin or fish style of move, they're practically make fly moves in the water. However, they're fast as lightning and able to change direction in a flash. 😊💙
fat is lighter than muscle tissue
Fascinating observations!!
I wonder which are faster-- deals or penguins?
I think penguins are on the food chain for seals?
From nature documentaries, it looks like both penguins & seals hang out in packs...or 'villages' as I've seen 100's hanging out on land (in the docs only-- would be amazing to see live!!)
Penguins have special skills up their sleeves 😅. But yes, swimming is a great sport, especially when you look like a walrus, cause you can train cardio without ruining your joints, and with the right technique you can look quite elegant, no matter your physique. It's always funny to see the looks on the faces, when they see an obese person entering the pool and moving faster and more elegant than them. 😅
Your comment makes me so happy because I would be considered overweight, but I have been swimming for as long as can I remember and am extremely fast in the pool. I never understood why I didn't have the 'swimmer's bod' and as a result I always thought I wasn't fit enough to compete. I have started training for competitions recently and I now identify as a penguin🐧😁
@@diyorito That's so lovely.💜 To take it seriously, strenght training in the gym is an absolute must. Believe me, it carves fat quite fast and you gonna be as lean as your body type makes it possible. Go get them, little penguin!🌊🦈
Thank you for this reminder. I lost weight from swimming daily. Now my aim is to just do it because I enjoy it. I try not to push when I feel tired or push when I feel good. I just did my first time in a 25m pool with lane line :). I was amazed how I wasn’t tired swimming a longer distance. I actually spent 2 hours doing laps because I just loved it.
As for swimmer’s body, it doesn’t matter to me. I will push myself to do weights for lessening muscle loss in old age.
Wow 🤩 so much respect for the pros!
I’m 54 and only 6 years in to USMS. I practice 4 days a week but I’m no speedster. I just enjoy it and rarely miss practice. If I do, I really regret it! I feel best when I practice consistently and regularly. My doctor whole heartedly approves. ❤
Dude! 4 days a week! Hell yeah! How many other people are regular in your USMS group?
@@kawh8719 some days are lighter than others but when everyone shows up we have 14 team members. Some days there may only be half of that.
@@kawh8719 56 here and I go twice/week ; lift twice a week, then some. running and dryland aerobics 2-3 days/week.
So I'm not gonna beat around the bush; I absolutely love EVERYTHING about this video! This guy definitely did his homework in every single ASPECT of swimming. People have to understand that these athletes put themselves through rigorous amounts of training, but also making sure that they eat correctly in order to take in the good, necessary fuel to be able to push themselves as far as they can as long as they're able to go. Imo there needs to be more videos about athletes in other sports. Thank you for making this video so that others can fully understand AND appreciate what these athletes go through on a very regular basis!
Agreed .... I don't think people understand how difficult the sport is. My 12 year old is up at 3:45 am to swim before school each day. It's kind of insane. I will say she's absolutely shredded and doesn't do anything with weights (beyond body weight).
I´m 5,2, im 40 years old but i learned to swim when i was 5, i did it for like 4 years, i quit after i became an adolescent but in my late 30´s i try it again it didn´t take long for me to remember, i never forgot how to do it but my technique was a fiasco, i´m going to keep swimming regularly to stay healthy and also i enjoy it a lot.
Same for me! I am the same height as you and I swam for a few years too. My times aren't too shabby for someone that doesn't swim regularly and is significantly shorter than the average swimmer, the shortest one I know is 5'4" and the average is like 5'8 in women
I used to work with a rude sorority chick, and when she found out that I've been a swimmer for 40+ years, she informed that swimming isn't real exercise. That was the first red flag about her social skills and intelligence followed by many more.
It’s evident that she has never swim before and if she does, it’s recreational and that often enough I don’t think she knows what real exercises at all
Sounds like projection. That’s cool that you know how to swim. Swimming is beautiful.
Get her to do 200m butterfly
She sounds highly intelligent pmsl
I believe this is the most beatiful and motivating post you guys have ever done! Seriously, I personally feel relived for not getting to the "perfect" body just cuz I swim for a decade now. I thank you guys so much for that! From now on, every time i get into the pool I'll remember these words, Fares.
There is no perfect body, lol ,your body just adapts to the function u perform, look at a Olympic lifter and a Swimmer, neither body is perfect, they are just shaped to perform their function efficiently
My swim routine is every other day. ....because I work on an urban farm doing landscape and field work, it is too much to swim everyday. I have been swimming regularly for more than a year now, and i work on my form from videos like these. I swim 1500 meters in 32/33 minutes, my goal is to swim 1500 meters in 30 minutes-when i started i swam this distance in about 40 minutes or more. which I think 30 minutes is about 1/2 the speed of the world class swimmers. I'm 72 years old. ......and I think I will be able to do a decent spin turn one day.
i work as an outdoor wholesale gardener and I cant skip swimming on the way home. It gets you cooled off and I feel the chlorine kills all the spider mites off me. This isnt to snub I just was excited to see someone else in agriculture.
So the question therefore is... Are they fit because they are swimmers? Or are they swimmers because they are fit?
Both haha
Not the jjk reference here !! 😭
@@Rei.kuroii Always
i think that's what the video answers, it is the first one. They didn't start off with the physique they have achieved now, they eventually gained it because they wanted to be pro's.
That's pretty easy: They were able to START AND CONTINUE as enough prosperous competitors BECAUSE OF their genetics, which in turn shaped their bodies even much more.
My toxic trait is that I think I'll be able to achieve this physique with the calories I consume and only swimming as a beginner.
Better than not swimming at all
You will get there as long as you keep going and dry land
Nah swimming won't really build you a physique lifting weights will swimmer lift weights to improve performance so that's were they would get a lot of that muscle
Fail to plan, plan to fail.
As a 52-year old who smoked for 30 years, in a month I've got to half a mile per day (admittedly, it takes me 40 mins). I'm probably going to be forced to the gym next week, particularly, the rowing machine, as the chlorine is messing with my sensitive nose. But I'll be back in the pool at least every other week, aiming to go further, probably by 20 - 25%. You'll get over it what you what put in, ultimately.
Exactly one year ago I started swimming at the age of 29. It completely changed my life. Starting to swim is the best thing I have done for myself ever. It keeps me busy, lost weight, made me more relaxed and calm. Now that I am in my 30's I will try to keep it as my hobby and my fitness go-to routine for the rest of my life. The benefits from it are just too many to pass. The only negative thing about it, is it seems that I have developed some kind of allergy from the chlorine. Every time I exit the pool and on the next morning, I am constantly sneezing for hours to come. Even when I wake up on the next day the first thing to do is to sneeze at least 20-30 times in the span of an hour and my nose doesn't stop running until the afternoon. That won't stop me of course but I don't see anyone else having such troubles so it brings questions to my head.
I used to have all kinds of weird ailments from chlorine back when I was a more serious trainee. Try to leave on a humidifier while you sleep, your nose mucous membrane is probably burnt and dry from too much chlorine. Gotta rehydrate it. Also consider trying out a different pool, the one I changed to has slightly less chlorine in the water and it made all the difference to me.
I swam competitively most of my youth and raced triathlons throughout my 20s. I ain't that tall, 5 foot 9 but I have the long torso and muscle mass explained in the beginning of the video. Even when I became ill and gained a ton of weight, my musclature underneath remained and came back upon rehabilitation. Key to looking like a swimmer is to just swim a lot. 10 x 100 m are a great way for some HIITs.
Like every athlete, swimmers do not train for hypertrophy. This is what gives them a nice body: avoiding posing in the mirror and a balanced approach to body image.
I absolutely love what you’re doing with your entire channel. You’ve made such meaningful and inviting videos to everyone who wants to swim. Your mindset towards swimming being something that feels good and is good is just infectious, and is exactly where I started with my swimming journey. Thank you so much!
This the video we need, fairly give realistic expectation through swimming
I'm 54 and have done triathlons for almost 30 years and have lifted since I was about 12. If you do strength training along with swimming and throw in some other cardio like cycling, you'll get an aesthetic physique.
IMHO, avid swimmers almost will never have the leanness of avid distance runners. Routine running + swimming usually gets you an ideal body, especially for women who wants to have a lean body.
@@lingxiaowang783 Nobody wants to look like distance runners though. Sprinters and lifters are where its at. Gymnasts are fuckin crazy. (men)
Woman? Figure skaters.
@@lingxiaowang783 I agree without a weight bearing activity even fast swimmers become puffy.
As single sport athletes age they either get injured(running) or their physique suffers(swimming, cycling).
@@thedog5k nobody is sprint training in their 30s and beyond so it is not a lifetime activity. My friend who was a college half miler transitioned into marathoning and Ironman.
Most of the lifters I see have big guts even if they could toss me around easily.
Gymnasts are amazing and they retain some skills as they age, but usually transition to other sports like crossfit.
My wife is an adult figure skater. Very few of the adult skaters look good as especially for females their peak is around 15 years old. Males gain muscle into adulthood, women gain breasts which is the opposite of muscle.
I'm 54 and I'm not a fast swimmer, but I can swimm 10Km in 2 hours and 20 minutes without stops. I started swimming at 40 and now it's to me life and mental peace.
Regular swimming has improved my physique and brain ❤
Thank you so much. I'm a swimmer. Not a pro. And I am really skinny and am considering the gym (which I will be getting at). But everytime I walk into the pool I am super conscious of my body, even tho I know I swim pretty well and smoothly but when I see other guys with nice physiques, it just knocks my confidence down so much. But this video comforted me so thank you very much. Although I will still hit the gym, but i needed that reassurance that not everything is about my looks.
I Olympic lift/ hill sprint and Swim consistently. The Oly lift keeps you exsplosive, flexible (especially through the thoracic spine which is great for posture) and is great due to the full body hormonal responses if you do higher rep sets and complexes. Hill sprints are the #1 thibg you can do to change your body. 10-20sec all out long rest periods x 5-10 sets 2-3 x a week. Then swimming 4-5 miles a week total volume. The swimming is therapeutic in so many ways and great as zone 2 lactate training and sprints. i love the swimming more then the other modalities but I am 41 years old and ripped 8 pack due to the combination
Got it. I need arm, leg and spine lengthing surgeries to get a swimmer's body. Turkey or India here I come
I love swimming. Just being in it is therapeutic to me. Absolutely adore the water. Always relaxes me, and i sleep superbly. I dont have a pool, but yes, i want one, and I'd be in it every day.
It has a lot to do with genetics. For example, I have pretty much always had the swimmers sort of physique, with the exception that I have been underweight for the most of my life. I used to train soccer, and later basketball, never been an active swimmer. So after I got married and got kid, I stopped training completely, so in a span of 4 years I gained 20 kilos. So six months ago, I started swimming and strenght training, lost a few excesive kilos of fat, and there it was, the body I have always wanted. Sure, I am not as muscular as lets say Dresssel or Phelps, but first 2 rows of abs are clearly visible, so I am satisfied. And it's just rhe begining, I will keep swimming for the rest of my life.
What I find interesting about swimmers is that you can not tell how well someone swims by looking at their body. Technique plays a major role. Amateur triathletes is a classic example. Good overall fitness but they never take the time to learn proper technique. When I was in my twenties I swam at a community pool on my lunch hour. There was a guy in his mid thirties with a quite unremarkable body that crossed the 25m pool in 13 strokes. Turned out he was a team mate of Mark Spitz.
i know what you mean. I'm a decent non-club level swimmer but oh boy, every now and then on a public lane-swim afternoon one of the kids from the club pops in for a few laps, and you get this tiny 10yr old girl steaming up and down putting us all to shame, but also not looking like they were putting any effort into it.
I'm a lifelong female swimmer, with size 11 feet. They're great for swimming, like having fins attached to my legs, but such a pain in every other aspect of my life! I can go to a factory shoe store and not find a single shoe in my size. Same with the broad shoulders, so hard to shop for shirts!
Regarding the exercise, I've found that it's almost impossible to maintain a normal body weight on swimming alone, even swimming almost every day, as I've gotten older. Your body just gets used to that level of calorie burn. You have to spend time in the weight room too.
What do you mean? You start to be underweight or overweight by swimming alone? I have a size 10 feet, and I found some online shops that also cater to size 11 feet recently! 😊😊 I'm buying my first leather boots with heels in years!
One overlooked fact is that water conduct heat much more faster than air so the metabolism is much increased to keep the body temperature. They need a superb cardio
Swimming can’t lengthen your torso or shorten your legs, but if you are a swimmer from 6-18, it will shape your body into the broad shoulder/narrow waist triangle, as much as your genetics will allow. And in my experience, you’ll always have that shape. If you get fat, it may not be visible, but it will still be there.
My lung capacity is still incredible, 30 years after my competitive days. I can still hold my breath for a couple minutes. It’s great conditioning, and a fun sport.
How many days a week were you training, and how many of those days were very hard workouts??
Swimming WILL, exactly like basketball, lengthen one's body, if practiced long- and early enough.
@@vickvickson4273 Best way to lengthen one's body is bungee-jumping, surely? :)
great swimmers don't swim to have a swimmers body,... people with a swimmers body do great at swimming...
If you're short, have narrow clavicles, short arms, wide waist you're not gonna be the best at swimming. Likewise if you're a bulky bodybuilder full of muscle, you're not gonna do well either. Phelps didn't develop most of his body structure, he was born with it.
All that being said, you can always improve yourself from where you are now. And if you're not gonna train in the gym with resistance (which is the easiest way to increase muscle mass) then you're gonna have to swim fast and hard not just long distance cruising. I mean you have to regularly perform 25-50m sprints at 90%+ effort, for multiple reps a few times a week to induce muscular hypertrophy.
Yes, it is not how you look but how you go that counts.
Amazingly well scripted video, nice and smooth change of subject, well adressed positive message. You earn another sub
Thanks for the kind words and welcome aboard! :)
NICE objective discussion about the reality of swim athletics. Bravo!
Very motivational, but also very grounding video. Thank you Fares 😊
Absolutely perfect explain in best possible ways.
So no one feels negative about themselves.
Impressed 👍
Thanks coach fares kesabati
For most people, technique matters more. I’m a fairly serious amateur cyclist and just took up swimming. Fitness really isn’t an issue but I’m about the slowest thing in the pool
As a former competitive swimmer its quite interesting to look at how my body developed, and still looks, even though its been 14 years since I stopped swimming at a high level. My lats are wider than most, I have quite wide shoulders and a wide neck. But I also always had a hard time gaining bulky arms. Swimmer arms are generally toned but not very thick. So even though I have tried to even out my physique in the gym the traces from the swimming days are still clearly there.
I have been swimmimg for fifteen years and I recommend it for better health, weight loss and just for the joy of it. Not for building muscle. While I have broad shoulders and a lean physique, getting the "swimmer body" like the athletes is just unrealistic if you are not devoting the majority of your waking hours working on it. So just swim because it is enjoyable and fun.
Bingo! Totally agree!
I played water polo for six years, from age 10 to 16, and at 37, I still maintain some of that. I used to be in great shape. Despite how many years have passed, and with some daily exercise, I still maintain a lean body and athleticism. Swimming is such a wonderful form of exercise, one that will change you forever!
Never thought about "swimmers body" before. Age 11 to 22, I lived in an apartment building with a big pool. I love swimming, I went every day. Some days I did laps. Other days I dived. Sometimes I just enjoyed swimming around the bottom of the pool. I'm tall but have an hourglass shape. I never became a fast swimmer but I have stamina. I learned to swim in the ocean. I love swimming out to islands and back to shore. So, yeah I was never ripped despite being a strong swimmer or even swimming for hours a day every day.
Interesting to learn that.
Had the swimmers body 45 years ago. Starting to swim again to bring a little of it back.
My favorite sentiment: Swimmers don't have that body because they swim, they swim because they have that body.
The body shape is largely natural, developed by training. There are no short stocky people in Olympic swimming
the Japanese
It's similar to how many people believe that playing basketball would get you taller. Infact it's just that taller players have advantage so dominate at being professional players.
Short and stocky go into gymnastics
You can’t change your proportions through training. 🙄
@@gabbar51nghAnyone who thinks basketball would make sou taller should definetly not be allowed to vote or even drive a car.
The Penguin Body is the perfect swimmers body.
I decided to learn to swim at 26 and when I finally learned to swim quite properly my body started looking so much better and proportional, and I only do that once a week 😅
There is a proper way to do it?
I trained under Reese at UF. When we did weights, it was often a lighter weight with a massive amount of reps.
I replaced swimming 1km a day as my primary cardio in addition to gym a year ago and my body has been great eversince, A quick job to the beach and pace out my laps in the ocean pool its been amazing for my overall body shape and maintaining an athletic but jacked physique, paired with 3x gym sessions per week it works well.
I've got a swimmer's body (but not skill or endurance) and tbh, the long torso is a hinderance to bodybuilding/aesthetics imo. The most built looking guys have medium length limbs and short torsos and relatively broad shoulders, and tiny heads. I've got an xl head, long torso, and very long arms. Basically a chimp.
Life without Swimming is Waste!
Forever Swimmer! ❤
Good facts stated! Swimming does not sculpt the body the way running, lifting, or calisthenics on dry land does. Look forward to more videos explaining the common misperceptions about swimming. Thanks.
I love how he noticed he made a mistake and just sat on the floor
professionally
Caeleb dressel probably has the best physique amongst men all time
And Katinka hossou for women
Absolute legends in the pool and yet the most humble outside the pool
Man been swimming for awhile and i bust my shoulder not doing properly stretches and mobility work. I would swim 30-40lb overweight. I hope get back at it soon!!!!!
Try the breaststroke, it’s the easiest on the shoulders. Everyone says swimming is easy on the joints- knees and back yes, but not shoulders.
If i can avoid social events i am definitely learning to swim
Im muscular, 6ft lots of swimming lessons, but i sink, i cant float so i have to work extra hard in swimming, i envy the swimmers who effortlessly do laps. Still swimming is the best exercise and nothing beats lakes or rivers over pools. Much more fun😀
There is a sweet spot in how much body fat you should get to perform at best. The fat layer can help with buoyancy and speed. If there is very little body fat, the heavier muscle tissue will pull the swimmer down, not allowing the athlete to effectively glide on the surface of the water.
Great Content! ❤🔥🔥
I just turned 65 and started a weekly swim routine. I am over 30 days in and feel amazing!!!!!!!
That's awesome! Keep up the great work! If you'd like to have more structure and help staying motivated in your training, give the MySwimPro app a download :) bit.ly/47SyQky
2:05 "There's a reason Katinka Hosszu is called the EYE-ER-IN LADY." 😂
This video is so great and positive, love it!
Been swimmer at 12-16 age. Developed my body forever. I didnt do any sports until now at 40 and my muscle gains are hudge only because muscles has memory.
By the way properly freestyle swim pump up my lats in 5 minutes more than 30min weight training on my back. Thats how it's .
And you do not need weights to look like Phelps or other most dudes. Of course nowdays they all do weight training to stay competetive,but its not neceseraly for swimmer body.
With so many hours of swimming i dont think that gym training helps gaining a lot.Because muscles need time to rest to grow. They just cook it.Most young swimming dudes in my days all looked like swimmers without any gym training.Hormones exploding in young age.
For me swimmer is not about muscles its about wide chest,back,lean long core
P.S. You will not have swimmer body if you start swim at 30 or later :) Just similar maybe...
I doubt that swimming at ANY age will make your feet and hands bigger and your shoulders wider.
@@MrCmon113 didnt said a word about hands and feet. About shoulders, tell me why all men,even girls swimmers have wide shoulders? feets hands are average for some. in young age you still grow ,lots of hormones its easier for the body to transform at this age. You can get wider at any age from bodybuilding i believe but more in muscle not in skelet
Thanks so much for this video! I do a mix of swimming, walking, and "dryland" training, and love how I feel. Do I have a swimmer's body like an Olympian (or an Olympian of old?) Nope. Not even close. And that's totally okay! My body's great FOR ME.
I’m 15 and Im been swimming since I was 4. I get insanely toned in season but off season it’s rough. Im starting year round now so it’s gonna be good
Good luck and have fun! :)
Although pro swimmers tend to be tall, they usually have disproportionate longer torsos compared to their legs .
Childhood swim is key, my mother send me from 6 years old to 11. 37 now and the wide shoulders and long torso are part of my anatomy.
it is quite easy to form a shredded body in the gym now instead of relaying on swimming to do so. However those are just show off muscles, not very useful when it comes to functional challenge.
That is why I prefer combining swimming with another functional training like calisthenics - that way one can achieve good looking and functional body and perform well in the water and on dry land.
Weird how some cultures like longer torsos. In Portugal people almost don't have legs and even "hide" them with the clothes they wear (they don't hide their legs on purpose but the clothes they like to wear makes their legs look smaller, like shorts below knee level, long t-shirts etc) while (in my experience) germans tend to favor longer legs and shorter torsos (I also prefer that, it looks more elegant imo)
TLDR: just enough resistance and lots of good reps over years. water basically acts like gym weights so yeah, you develop that lean body naturally.
I think you missed the point. Anyone can swim, anyone can swim regularly, but not everyone who swims regularly will end up looking like a 'God'. Genetic advantages / disadvantages aside, you want to supplement regular swimming with gym work and a great diet the more you seek that perfect body. Water is like SMALL gym weights and small weights only really improve the bodies of wimps. If that's all you're looking for, fantastic. If you want more, it might be wise to do some gym work.
@@NeilMalthusthis is more accurate of a TLDR
Thank you I needed to hear this 🤟
*_Cries in 5'4"_*
I am 5'8, looks like I can stop watching after hearing the height part
Only if sou wanna be the best. Swimming is still awesome if you dont.
The key is genetics, Nutrition( Protein and calorie intake) , and their work out. Swimmers train almost 3 hours per day, most high performance athletes with perfect have the perfect shredded physics that most people wants. Football , NBA athletes, Swimmers almost have the same body looks. Not too big and muscly but they are shredded because they burn a ton of calories almost everyday. For most people it would be the hardest thing to do to get this kind of body , but for athletes this body almost comes naturally.
Im not swimming anymore but I same club since I was around 6 and what I saw is that some people had different parts of the “swimmer body” for me I had big lats and I still have them to this day cause once I quit swim I started lifting
Combine cardio and strength training (different days). If you do 2-3 times a week 2 hours strength training and another 2 times a week cardio ( like swimming, running or rowing), than this will make your body look nice (athletic and not bodybuilder style) and will help you to live healthy. Every professional in sports is doing 2 or 3 times a week extra strength training. No matter what sport he does... Strenght training is as healthy as cardio and should be combined. Just like he stated in the video...
I have swam regularly for 47- years and I still do at 71. But still I had to go on blood pressure medication. It does not mean you can live any longer for it. You can get anything 60- years -up. Roland Matthes the great backstroker died at 69.You might enjoy your quality of life while you still do it..
Don Sholander was only 5'10" and Mark Spitz only 6'0". Torri Huske is 5'8", and David Popovici is 6'2" but with 6'8" wingspan. Wingspans that are greater than height are an advantage as are narrow hips, broad shoulders, and narrow hips as they cause less drag. A higher strength-weight ratio is also crucial.
"The eye-run [iron] lady" - LOL love the pronunciation
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise that offers numerous benefits for the body and mind. It is a low-impact activity that can help improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and increase flexibility, while also being gentle on joints. Swimming also provides an excellent full-body workout, engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously, and can be modified to suit individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Additionally, swimming has been shown to improve mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety, and can even help alleviate symptoms of depression. Furthermore, swimming can also improve sleep quality and boost overall physical fitness, making it an excellent addition to any fitness routine.
I'm a swimmer, i know many swimmers, i've never seen a swimmer with prominent glute muscles for example (unless they're triathletes !). So no, swimming doesn't involve every single muscle.
Furthermore look at Summer McIntosh at the last world championship : do you really think she looks like Hulk ? Swimming is not only about muscles for sure !
Ehhhhh swimming definitely uses your glutes especially in breastroke and backstroke if your kicking correctly
GENETICS!!
Olimpic swimmers have "swimmers bodies" because of genetics. All of the rest of us would be just fit.
In terms of loosing fat and building muscles, swimming is not time efficient way. Diet, fasting, resistance training and low intensity cardio is.
Swimming is a great exercise, but all exercises have their purpose. I lost a lot of fat and never recommend swimming for someone who wants to change their body composition. I recommend swimming as a hobby, which is a different thing.
The sport selects the body, not vice versa. They're at this level because they're already built like this.
When I was 6, I already had abs and muscles, and my classmates always ask me how I get it. They have called me up stage for awarding, but they didn't realize. 😂😂
You put in the work everyday, that's how you get a swimmer's body, just like any other athletic-type of body in this world!
Swimmers are so jacked because they do it litterally hours a day, literally. For the average person that is not accomplishable. So for the average person lifting in the gym is just more time efficient to work on your physique. Its as simple as that
Precisely.
Construction workers, smiths, farmers etc also get jacked eventually. But they're spending an absurd amount of time "exercising" every week. The gym is for getting there efficiently.
They don't have the body because they're elite swimmers. They're elite swimmers because they have the body.
Beast titan build
You'll have to add Leon Marchand in your physics list ;)
The problem with only swimming is the lack of functional strength outside of the pool. I swim 100 min per week but if that’s all I do I maintain my muscle but my lifting strength plummets.
Wow, great video, thanks a lot 🎉
Worked in fitness at various times in my life and I may have heard one or two people ever say they wanted a swimmers body. Most want strength, and muscle and most complain that swimmers lack muscle and are to "soft looking."
Just telling you what I've observed. Nothing against swimming.
My mood after a swim is usually that I wouldn't mind dropping dead, I'm a Triathlete though so there's that xD
In my opinion, you don't need to swim excessively to be a good swimmer. As a lifeguard who competes, I only go to the pool twice a week for about 2km swims. However, I focus more on building body strength through calisthenics and weightlifting, which I do four times a week.
> no mention of doping
> "cardio=less body fat"
body fat percentage is determined by, among others, testosterone levels, energy expense vs caloric intake, and cortisol levels.
olympic athletes are mostly doped (high testosterone), genetic freaks, do lots of strength training without getting into the unsustainable high cortisol zone (high testosterone).
Cardio doesnt really help beyond a certain point, and is far from the main reason they are shredded. If anything, pure cardio increases cortisol and by extension fat levels. See how Ross Edgley's body transformed, or how marathonians and endurance swimmers look.
You are so right, I'm a swimmer myself
I have the body of a pro swimmer and I suck at swimming even after 3 years of training. I'm mid pack in a triathlon and competitive female 10 year olds can beat me easily by a lot. Also a lot of round women like at 3:30 are some of the best long distance swim racers. Obviously swimming is one of the few endurance sports that develop the pectoral muscles so it helps in getting that shape, but look at olympic triathletes and they're all skinny and crazy fast. So you've got a lot of variations, but men at who are the best in the world at 50-100m races will have to have this shape.
From an aesthetic point of view i definitely prefare the body shape of a natural Bodybuilder, weighlifter or maybe a wrestler or even 10 fighter. Swimmers have (for my taste) to little chests and triceps and weird proportions (upper body=2/3 of complete height, disproportionally long arms)
I have the swimmer body EXCEPT for the height (5'2). But ofc I do, I've been a swimmer for 7 years lmao
One key aspect to the male swimmer's physique that I hardly ever hear referenced is the developed lower-pecs. I still don't know why the lower pecs are hit more than upper - potentially has to do with the way swimmers are horizontal to the water, which biomechanically preferences the lower pec, especially at the end of the stroke. If you want to achieve the swimmer's physique, the main muscle groups for training would be 1) lats 2) side-delts 3) lower/inner chest. I would also say avoid upper pec and front delt work, as these seem relatively under-developed in swimmers. I guess there is an emphasis on the PULL muscles rather than push, as you are predominantly pulling yourself through the water. Posturally if you do more pulling movements than push, you will pull your shoulders back, whilst adding width. Many people doing conventional weight training have very bulky shoulders/traps and rounded shoulders as a consequence - as these muscle groups make you look big in clothes - but this doesn't really help with the V taper aesthetic of swimmers.