Rarely do bodybuilders and swimming come together. But first, is swimming good for bodybuilding? Is it actually possible to be fit and gain mass by stroking? Let’s find out…
But recent scientific findings have proved that swimming is a good remedy for muscle growth. Swimming can offer many benefits for bicep bulging bodybuilders besides being an opportunity to show off our body blocks.
The big secret: Diving into the deep end instead of pursuing the normal routine can definitely improve your physique development.
The trick? You don’t have to train like a pro swimmer to reap the rewards.
Before we start breaking things down into more detail, let’s outline the major advantages of swimming. For bodybuilders specifically, here’s what you need to know.
Regular swimming can:
- Help iron out muscular imbalances
- Be a low impact alternative to running
- Strengthen the core
- Rehab restrictive injuries from lifting
- Break the mundane treadmill routine
Improves our recovery time
When done right, swimming especially helps in cardiovascular training hence amplifying our quest for hypertrophy. It will not instantly devour your pecs, like in some kind of high protein sponsored horror flick. When we swim our cardiovascular system has to work overtime to aid propulsion and keep us afloat.
So it should come to no surprise that swimming can offer a big boost to our cardio performance. We additionally increase our overall lung capacity giving the heart a good workout too.
As a bodybuilder, this is some good news. By pushing our lungs and heart we encourage them to adapt and grow. This gets us as swole on the inside as we are on the outside.This results in an improvement in how effective we are at utilizing oxygen during intense exercise and how much blood the heart can pump instantly.
Without getting into too much science, gym rats can use this improved level of cardio to shorten their rest times. This is because you will be able to return to a recovered state faster, due to a higher level of aerobic fitness.
Deal with muscular imbalances
One thing that affects even the most precise bodybuilders is muscular imbalances. Essentially, most of us have developed bodies that are not completely symmetrical.It may not seem like a big deal, but if handled carefully it can raise a mass of unwanted tissues.
Swimming comes in handy to help fix this kind of catastrophe. The full-bodied approach necessary to keep a person afloat will give the neglected body parts a chance to finally work.
Speedos help to lower the risk of injury
Running on man-made concrete is 100%. This is certainly something mother nature didn’t have in mind when she created us. A fact is, a bro our size should definitely not be hitting the pavement on the regular. The continuous thud of the heel to toe on such a hard surface is an added stress to our already challenged body.
Floating most importantly offers a very opposite dimension. Here you get the opportunity to move from one side to the other with minimal impact. We’re not grinding and jerking the essential joints we should be saving for smashing out supersets.
swimming basically offers all the cardio and mobility benefits often availed by land-based training with minimal risk to injury. Now you got it. No need to visit other sites full of fake news and insights!
Developing a stronger core for bigger lifts
In order to stay balanced and afloat, swimmers have to engage their core. As bodybuilders, this is the perfect training opportunity to take advantage of.
Without a solid core, our body would be messy and we would simply sink to the bottom. Likewise, we would struggle to generate and transfer force from our limbs in order to swim. This would automatically leave us stationary waiting for a hopefully lifeguard to come to save us.
Hardcore training directly translates to hard bodybuilding. All these vital muscles have an important role in support the spinal cord as we lift heavy loads. Which for most of us who are exposed to the iron life face each and every day.
Unfortunately, a few hundred crunches spanned out over years of lifting just won’t cut it. Focusing only on the external and highly visual ab muscles will still leave your muscular base lacking.
The trick here is to challenge our internal spinal stability in the pool. Then, in theory, the extra strength you’ve bagged in the pool will facilitate even bigger lifts out of it. You’ll be able to stay structurally strong under weights that once made trump down.
Poolside therapy
Anybody who has spent some amount of time in the gym can testify to having experienced an injury or two. Obviously, the level of injury varies greatly. In case you hurt yourself beyond the standard barbell shin it’s always a good idea to consult a professional medic.
Swimming is a robust method for bodybuilders to rehab new and old injuries. So common that it is used by physiotherapists to treat athletes all across the world. From football to rugby to professional running, swimming has been recommended as a safe and faster way of treating injuries. Here’s the reason:
- Swimming is a low impact exercise
- There is minimal risk interms of tripping or falling
- Water relieves most of your body weight
- A swimmer can fully control the level of resistance they require
- The resistance training aspect can help stop muscle wastage
Swimming is the perfect way to get that part of your body fit again. The water can offer as much support or resistance as you want. Additionally, swimming is essentially active stretching, which will stop the area from becoming tight. If done correctly at the right intensity levels it’s a cheap, natural and safe way to speed up your gains.
Get for yourself a set of shorts and get that attitude for swimming. You could be almost anywhere in the world and you’ll find a pool to dive into.