freestyle swimming: good upper body exercise ?

You'll get some muscle tone. However, swimming is aerobic so you'll
work and tone the heart muscle more. some muscles will be more
neglected than others. Even if you get toned, the muscles may not show
unless you have low body fat. Swimming is the only upper body exercise
that I do and I am happy with my tone, however, I am conscious that I
would have a lot more tone if I suplemented my swimming with weights.

Andres

Quoted message said:

Hello,
can I expect my upper body to be toned if the only exercise I do is
freestyle swimming ? I recently gave up going to the gym but I do

swim

Quoted message said:

every day for 45 minutes.

My upper body has definitely received "tone" from regular swimming (3
or 4 times a week since last August), predominantly in the chest and
triceps. Biceps and lats have probably received some benefit, but not
as noticeably. My legs are also a bit larger (based on trying on
clothing this past weekend that I hadn't worn in quite some time!).

Rik

"dustpuppy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Hello,
can I expect my upper body to be toned if the only exercise I do is
freestyle swimming ? I recently gave up going to the gym but I do swim
every day for 45 minutes.

--
dustpuppy

The intensity at which you swim makes a lot of difference too.
Your'e going to get a lot more benefit from coached, or at least written
workouts than out of just cranking out laps.

Quoted message said:

"dustpuppy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,
can I expect my upper body to be toned if the only exercise I do is
freestyle swimming ? I recently gave up going to the gym but I do swim
every day for 45 minutes.

It depends on what you call "toned". Look at picts of Phelps and other
top swimmers. Yes, your shoulders, lats, upper back, triceps, abs
(somewhat), and lower back can get a good workout. Your biceps and
forearms will get much less of a workout.

But then there are also some elite (Tom Malchow comes to mind) who never
seem to develop much muscle tone. But yet they win gold medals.

Intensity and duration also count. There are even a few excellent
swimmers who do countless effortless happy laps each week, and yet are
decidedly overweight.

Ross

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 18:24:27 -0500, dustpuppy <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hello,
can I expect my upper body to be toned if the only exercise I do is
freestyle swimming ? I recently gave up going to the gym but I do swim
every day for 45 minutes.

I have always taken some some of sporting exercise, the last several
years from a gym, however last summer at the age of 44 I learnt to
swim and according to my girlfriend there has been an enormous change
in my upper body. I recently had to wear a suit I hadn't worn for a
couple of years and couldn't get anywhere near it though my overall
weight hasn't changed much at all (13st +)

I really do wish I had learnt earlier!

Dave