A doctor already said that I'm way out of shape at 6'2 and 138 pounds, and I've figured that I just need to play a sport to get into shape and that a weight gain isn't necessary. Well, after observing a bunch of athletes, swimmers appear to be muscular (maybe because of the fact that they have no body fat? I don't know) with six packs. How effective is swimming for building six packs and muscle? I have a puny blank chest, and I would die to change it since skinny packs are almost as unattractive as the fat packs. Could I gain weight from swimming?
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Results 1 to 10 of 10
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06-06-2013, 05:30 AM #1Registered User
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How effective is swimming for building muscle and gaining six pack abs?
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06-06-2013, 05:33 AM #2Registered User
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A weight gain isn't necessary? Weight gain pertaining to what... fat or muscle? Because you need both anyway.
Swimming is a great cardiovascular-based thing to get into, but for muscle mass? Don't count on it.
Get under a barbell."We are only living in the memory of our future self." ~ Reggie Watts
"Micros Matter Dont Eat Like A Dumba**" (hydrogenated oils, shortening, mono and di-glycerides don't fit in my macros)
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06-06-2013, 05:33 AM #33 months lifting
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Swimming would help you get abs if you're at a low bf % considering that you need alot of core strength to be able to swim well. To gain weight, you'd just need to eat more calories than your maintence level.
Starting Stats (May 2013):
188 lb
14% bf%
Goal Stats(May 2015):
200 lb
8% bf
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06-06-2013, 05:35 AM #4Registered User
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I'm just curious, do people refer to a 'weight gain' as a fat gain on here or something? Generally when I say 'weight gain', I'm referring to a 'muscle gain'.Originally Posted by irdolan
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06-06-2013, 05:38 AM #5Registered User
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Coming from a ex swimmer, I used to train from the ages of 6 through too 16, I always stayed ripped when swimming.
But when I started weight training I noticed my abs got more of a 3D look too them (even though I am still a novice in the gym).
Here is my honest opinion, if your eating the calories you burn from swimming, I think it would be one of the best cardio excercises too compliment your gym, it works your whole body but I would not count on it too get amazing gains on its own.
hope this helps.
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06-06-2013, 05:41 AM #6Registered User
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Sqts + Deadlifts + Bench + military press + Dips + chinups + Rows + Swimming would go hand in hand together imo.
Just buy a powerrack and do swimming along with it and you will get into killer shape in no time if you stick with it.
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06-06-2013, 05:44 AM #7Registered User
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Can't have muscle gain without fat gains (even if they're minimal amounts), so both. Obviously the objective is muscle gain though.Originally Posted by Titansfan33
"We are only living in the memory of our future self." ~ Reggie Watts
"Micros Matter Dont Eat Like A Dumba**" (hydrogenated oils, shortening, mono and di-glycerides don't fit in my macros)
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06-06-2013, 05:48 AM #8Registered User
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What this guy said, its that sad truth, 95% or more of every person will have to gain some fat to gain muscle, there are certain exeptions like noob gains / being overweight / and people using enhancement drugs can gain muscle and lose fat too a certain degree.Originally Posted by irdolan
When I first learnt this I was shattered xD
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06-06-2013, 05:49 AM #9Registered User
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Swimming can build muscle depending on the way you go around it... If you do high intensity followed by a small rest so like 2 lengths as fast as you can and 1 length slower to recover that will help. Swimmers appear more muscular because like you said their body fat is low but they do train for muscle too not just swimming all the time so hit the gym too and do resistance stuff
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06-06-2013, 06:07 AM #10Aspiring Superhero
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I swam for 14 years and swam competitively for about 11 - gave up and hit the weights
I was a good swimmer but truly believe if I went back now after almost a year of no swimming I would be just as fast in the short distance swims because I am much more powerful.
check out the attached picture: the left side (before) is when I was still swimming competitively, I had low body fat and great abs but no muscle mass. the right side (few weeks ago) is after 7 months or so of weightlifting and gaining lean mass.
swimmers have great physiques but they do train in the gym as well as in the pool to gain strength in order to give them power.
If you want mass I recommend weightlifting and once you've got the mass swim to uncover them abs. I did it the opposite way round and swam swam swam which gave me the low body fat and shredded abs and then I've built on top of them by lean bulking
Hope this helpslean bulking
ultimate goal; 200lbs 9% body fat
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