The Official Hype Fitness Thread 6.0 - Part 6

[Golgo-13]

Went swimming 3 times in the last week; really great cardio workout for me considering i'm still healing from a torn ACL.

I usually swim about an hour, but my cardio in the pool sucks because my breathing timing is always off. I usually do front crawl/stroke but when ever i turn my head to catch a breath (especially when i'm getting tired) i end up taking in massive gulps of water.

It's been years since i've swam but i'm glad this knee injury has forced me to see how rusty i am in the water; this will be my new fitness goal for 2014;to perfect my breathing technique in the pool, and make myself a better more energy efficient swimmer...

 

[Dark Raven]

Went swimming 3 times in the last week; really great cardio workout for me considering i'm still healing from a torn ACL.

I usually swim about an hour, but my cardio in the pool sucks because my breathing timing is always off. I usually do front crawl/stroke but when ever i turn my head to catch a breath (especially when i'm getting tired) i end up taking in massive gulps of water.

It's been years since i've swam but i'm glad this knee injury has forced me to see how rusty i am in the water; this will be my new fitness goal for 2014;to perfect my breathing technique in the pool, and make myself a better more energy efficient swimmer...

Good for you. It really is a great cardio and probably the quickest way to burn body fat.

There are some great videos on YouTube on breathing for Freestyle which you can search for, but here are some you might find helpful to get you started:

[YT]5UGSLcMxqSA[/YT]

[YT]OCDRmpS8N5s[/YT]

[YT]LFmrgGTUZX8[/YT]


It's all about technique. Are you swimming too flat in the water? You need a little bit of rotation when you breathe, but not so much that you're rolling onto your back. You also don't necessarily have to breathe out of your nose - you can exhale through your mouth if you find it easier.

I've been doing a lot of swimming myself, so if you want any help, just feel free to ask.

 

[RetrogradeOrbit]

Seen a couple of posts about getting and using body fat measuring callipers.

It's a great idea, but, and you knew there was a but coming...
You have to know how to use them and take consistent measurements from the correct places and the exact same places every time to be able to judge on what progress you are making.
I'd honestly recommend getting someone who knows how to use them to do the measurements for you. I believe any good personal trainer at your gym should know how to use them properly.

Or just learn how to use them on yourself I suppose.

 

[Dark Raven]

There are some YouTube videos on how to use those calipers.

Only get a personal trainer to take those measurements if she's hot. That will produce better results.

 

[gohei_]

I agree. I really try to have proper gym etiquette for the most part (return weights, wipe the sweat, not hog a bench, etc). I think that some folks think that dropping weights makes them tough....I would argue that LIFTING them is the part that impresses, not dropping. LOL.

Also, with my cursing and yelling the other day, keep in mind, this is in a gym in the basement of the building where I work. There MIGHT be a total of 6 people who EVER use it and me and my 2 training partners (who were there when I went Captain Insano) make up half of that number.
I actually brought in (donated?) a bench, dumbbells from 20-85, and other equipment (ab wheel, etc) in order to "beef up" this little gym.

Yeah I think that could be one factor.
Cursing and yelling/grunting is something different though in my mind (I do it too sometimes), at least you are not throwing gym equipment around.
Of course, yelling and screaming could get annoying too of course if it happens to often t:
That's cool of you to bring equipment to the gym

 

[Golgo-13]

Good for you. It really is a great cardio and probably the quickest way to burn body fat.

There are some great videos on YouTube on breathing for Freestyle which you can search for, but here are some you might find helpful to get you started:

[YT]5UGSLcMxqSA[/YT]

[YT]OCDRmpS8N5s[/YT]

[YT]LFmrgGTUZX8[/YT]


It's all about technique. Are you swimming too flat in the water? You need a little bit of rotation when you breathe, but not so much that you're rolling onto your back. You also don't necessarily have to breathe out of your nose - you can exhale through your mouth if you find it easier.

I've been doing a lot of swimming myself, so if you want any help, just feel free to ask.

Thanks. Those vids are really helpful; i'm going to try them out Monday when i'm back at the pool.

Also, any advice on treading water? For the life of me, i've never been able to master this.

 

[scifiwolf]

Seen a couple of posts about getting and using body fat measuring callipers.

It's a great idea, but, and you knew there was a but coming...
You have to know how to use them and take consistent measurements from the correct places and the exact same places every time to be able to judge on what progress you are making.
I'd honestly recommend getting someone who knows how to use them to do the measurements for you. I believe any good personal trainer at your gym should know how to use them properly.

Or just learn how to use them on yourself I suppose.

Oh I'm not worried about the technique. It's been a good 12 years or so since I last used them in high school, but I think it'll come back to me.

 

[Dark Raven]

Thanks. Those vids are really helpful; i'm going to try them out Monday when i'm back at the pool.

Also, any advice on treading water? For the life of me, i've never been able to master this.

You're welcome.

Treading water is a bit like a combination of sculling (moving water back and forth with your hands) and either the flutter kick (freestyle kick), breaststroke/whip kick or the eggbeater/rotary kick (water polo kick). You're best to just start with the flutter kick.

Here are some videos on treading water:

[YT]kFmOtf_Ew1w[/YT]

[YT]ebm2vLAjoEI[/YT]

[YT]GvAd3s5869Y[/YT]

If you can swim backstroke, then when you're on your back, you might want to try a bit of sculling when you're in the deep end and that will give you the feel of treading water a bit, and then you can gradually make yourself more vertical.

BTW, when you're swimming freestyle, are you lifting your elbow high enough and bringing your arm out of the water for the recovery? If not, and if you're just moving your hand through the water the whole time, you're adding more resistance, making you less efficient and more tired.

Here are some common mistakes in freestyle swimming:

[YT]W5yvhDCBj7I[/YT]

 

[RetrogradeOrbit]

There are some YouTube videos on how to use those calipers.

Only get a personal trainer to take those measurements if she's hot. That will produce better results.

QFT!!!!
t:t:t:

 

[Golgo-13]

You're welcome.

Treading water is a bit like a combination of sculling (moving water back and forth with your hands) and either the flutter kick (freestyle kick), breaststroke/whip kick or the eggbeater/rotary kick (water polo kick). You're best to just start with the flutter kick.

Here are some videos on treading water:

[YT]kFmOtf_Ew1w[/YT]

[YT]ebm2vLAjoEI[/YT]

[YT]GvAd3s5869Y[/YT]

If you can swim backstroke, then when you're on your back, you might want to try a bit of sculling when you're in the deep end and that will give you the feel of treading water a bit, and then you can gradually make yourself more vertical.

BTW, when you're swimming freestyle, are you lifting your elbow high enough and bringing your arm out of the water for the recovery? If not, and if you're just moving your hand through the water the whole time, you're adding more resistance, making you less efficient and more tired.

Here are some common mistakes in freestyle swimming:

[YT]W5yvhDCBj7I[/YT]

Not sure..i think i am but i'll pay close attention to that next week when i return to the pool. Thanks for the vids.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

went for a 20 mile bike ride this week... still feeling it

 

[mrvlknight21]

Yeah I think that could be one factor.
Cursing and yelling/grunting is something different though in my mind (I do it too sometimes), at least you are not throwing gym equipment around.
Of course, yelling and screaming could get annoying too of course if it happens to often t:
That's cool of you to bring equipment to the gym

Yeah, sometimes someone feels the need to grunt on a hard rep, no problem. Couldnt quite get that last rep and you say "DAMN!", no problem.
I have a friend that makes sounds like he is dying on every rep of pushups though....and that is 100% annoying.
Again, I probably would not have done all the yelling and such in other locations, but the 3 of us are the ONLY ones down there during lunch hour and they were the only ones who could hear me. They also have known me a few years, so it's not like some weird dynamic (they have seen me in worse positions).

As far as building up the gym, I have been in positions in previous jobs where I was able to do things like that. I was the "Health and Wellness coordinator" (not my official title, just something given to me as a volunteer) at a previous job and was able to make some equipment changes and do a few "wellness challenges" where people who lost weight, ran regularly, etc got gift cards and stuff.
Also got several gyms to donate 1-3 month memberships for employees in an effort to get them to try it out and join. It is something that I have always kind of been involved with on my own anyway. I am not a certified trainer or anything, but I used to lead some friends in group exercise 2 days a week at my house, at public parks, etc. I even put up $100 to challenge them to improve (we did a contest between 4 people based on US Army PT type standards-1 mile run, pushups, situps).

Again, its always been something that I enjoy.

 

[Dark Raven]

So the summer is almost here. How beach ready is everyone with their bodies after all the hard work during the winter?

 

[Golgo-13]

I'm ready. Sad thing about it is that most people wait until spring to start getting into shape, and by the time they actually start seeing results it's fall again, then they stop, repeat the cycle all over again, and can't figure out why they can't get a beach body for the summer….

…generally people don't seem to understand that they need to work out throughout the winter to be ready for summer...

 

[gohei_]

I'm not. I really haven't had that in mind. Last year I was a bit slimmer but I was having trouble gaining strength so I started eating a lot more which made me put on a few extra kilos.
I have started to dial down on the calories now though, just a little bit, but even if I don't end up with a nice beach look it's not that big a deal.

Yeah, sometimes someone feels the need to grunt on a hard rep, no problem. Couldnt quite get that last rep and you say "DAMN!", no problem.
I have a friend that makes sounds like he is dying on every rep of pushups though....and that is 100% annoying.
Again, I probably would not have done all the yelling and such in other locations, but the 3 of us are the ONLY ones down there during lunch hour and they were the only ones who could hear me. They also have known me a few years, so it's not like some weird dynamic (they have seen me in worse positions).

As far as building up the gym, I have been in positions in previous jobs where I was able to do things like that. I was the "Health and Wellness coordinator" (not my official title, just something given to me as a volunteer) at a previous job and was able to make some equipment changes and do a few "wellness challenges" where people who lost weight, ran regularly, etc got gift cards and stuff.
Also got several gyms to donate 1-3 month memberships for employees in an effort to get them to try it out and join. It is something that I have always kind of been involved with on my own anyway. I am not a certified trainer or anything, but I used to lead some friends in group exercise 2 days a week at my house, at public parks, etc. I even put up $100 to challenge them to improve (we did a contest between 4 people based on US Army PT type standards-1 mile run, pushups, situps).

Again, its always been something that I enjoy.

Haha lol t:

That sounds pretty cool, it's nice to get to help other people.

 

[Dark Raven]

I'm ready. Sad thing about it is that most people wait until spring to start getting into shape, and by the time they actually start seeing results it's fall again, then they stop, repeat the cycle all over again, and can't figure out why they can't get a beach body for the summer….

…generally people don't seem to understand that they need to work out throughout the winter to be ready for summer...

I might even go as far as saying that if you are starting now to try to get a beach body for summer, it will probably be ready for summer 2015.

And I'm ready too. I could be a bit more muscular, but I'll still look fine as I am.

 

[scifiwolf]

After getting really into it last year, I was flabbergasted how hard I got hit by the instinct to put on fat in the cold months. I started to get back into the gym after Christmas, but had a few false starts thanks to a thrown back in January and a bad neck strain in March. Now that I'm cranking at 100%, I'm seeing daily results almost. Subtle, but they're noticeable to me. It's very exciting, and making it easy to let the progress snowball.

 

[ComicChick]

i'm starting my night job tonight, i'm kinda excited, kinda trepidatious too

i'll be the only female on the crew and it's a very active job, a lot of lifting pallets, that kinda junk. after having a pretty sedentary job the last year and a half, i hope i'm up to the task. i look forward to the calories i will burn

 

[Golgo-13]

I might even go as far as saying that if you are starting now to try to get a beach body for summer, it will probably be ready for summer 2015.

And I'm ready too. I could be a bit more muscular, but I'll still look fine as I am.

Thanks for the swim tips. Did 10 laps today (which is a lot for me); paid especially attention to form.

The technique of looking back over my shoulder instead of sideways when i come up for air really helped. I only took in a mouthful of water once, but that's when i was starting to get tired and was beginning to loose form. I worked out out my legs HARD right before swimming, so they were pre-fried!

 

[Dark Raven]

Thanks for the swim tips. Did 10 laps today (which is a lot for me); paid especially attention to form.

The technique of looking back over my shoulder instead of sideways when i come up for air really helped. I only took in a mouthful of water once, but that's when i was starting to get tired and was beginning to loose form. I worked out out my legs HARD right before swimming, so they were pre-fried!

You're welcome, and that's good to hear that your swimming is improving. 10 laps sounds a lot for someone just coming back to it after a long break. I lose form too when I start to get tired.

Now for you to put in the flip turn at each end to save time and make it more fun.

Also, you can work your abs quite a bit with various swimming strokes. I think all of them actually work that area a bit.

 

[Golgo-13]

You're welcome, and that's good to hear that your swimming is improving. 10 laps sounds a lot for someone just coming back to it after a long break. I lose form too when I start to get tired.

Now for you to put in the flip turn at each end to save time and make it more fun.

Also, you can work your abs quite a bit with various swimming strokes. I think all of them actually work that area a bit.

I actually tried the flip turn last week and kept getting disoriented under the water. Seems like keeping my eyes open (with the goggles) made it worse, as when i attempted to do it with with my eyes closed, it turned out a little better.

Oh, and i didn't do 10 lapse straight..i did them in sets; 2 lapse 5 times; taking a one minute break after each of the two lapse.

 

[Dark Raven]

I actually tried the flip turn last week and kept getting disoriented under the water. Seems like keeping my eyes open (with the goggles) made it worse, as when i attempted to do it with with my eyes closed, it turned out a little better.

Oh, and i didn't do 10 lapse straight..i did them in sets; 2 lapse 5 times; taking a one minute break after each of the two lapse.

You've got to kind of throw your hands backwards behind you and scull to execute the somersault part of it, and you need to keep your legs tucked tight to your body so your legs go over properly. Also, you have to keep your eyes open so you can see where your feet land on the wall to push off. Plus you have to keep breathing out through both your mouth and nose during the flip.

Here are some videos on the flip turn:

[YT]U07o9vi0RoY[/YT]

[YT]8yjfsaWj7G4[/YT]

[YT]Ez5uEh7YyIM[/YT]

I thought you did 10 laps straight, which would've been a lot. Some people can do that. I have to take breaks in between as well but always try to cut down my rest time and increase my swim time.

 

[gohei_]

i'm starting my night job tonight, i'm kinda excited, kinda trepidatious too

i'll be the only female on the crew and it's a very active job, a lot of lifting pallets, that kinda junk. after having a pretty sedentary job the last year and a half, i hope i'm up to the task. i look forward to the calories i will burn

Good luck!

 

[Holiday]

i'm starting my night job tonight, i'm kinda excited, kinda trepidatious too

i'll be the only female on the crew and it's a very active job, a lot of lifting pallets, that kinda junk. after having a pretty sedentary job the last year and a half, i hope i'm up to the task. i look forward to the calories i will burn

I work a similar job. Someone mentioned a backbrace before, that's worked for a coworker of mine who has back trouble on occasion. Try to get a good stretch before you start and drink plenty of water, my biggest advice. :thumbsup:

 

[Golgo-13]

You've got to kind of throw your hands backwards behind you and scull to execute the somersault part of it, and you need to keep your legs tucked tight to your body so your legs go over properly. Also, you have to keep your eyes open so you can see where your feet land on the wall to push off. Plus you have to keep breathing out through both your mouth and nose during the flip.

Here are some videos on the flip turn:

[YT]U07o9vi0RoY[/YT]

[YT]8yjfsaWj7G4[/YT]

[YT]Ez5uEh7YyIM[/YT]

I thought you did 10 laps straight, which would've been a lot. Some people can do that. I have to take breaks in between as well but always try to cut down my rest time and increase my swim time.

I'll give it a shot this week.