I used to be a swimmer and swam competitively for 8 years. I never liked how my body looked as a swimmer, and so eventually I stopped and started running and rowing. As a swimmer, I felt that I couldn't lose body mass and my shoulders/arms/back just got bigger. As a female, these are not exactly the most attractive traits and made buying clothes v. difficult. I once heard that when you swim your body holds onto fat for buoyancy, whereas with running, your body wants to shed as much mass as possible. Anyone else know anything about this? Also, why is it that male swimmers often look more cut and defined than female swimmers...?

Mind my language but I've never heard anything so ridiculous. Is that an old wives tale or what?

[QUOTE=fitgirl19;247223]I used to be a swimmer and swam competitively for 8 years. I never liked how my body looked as a swimmer, and so eventually I stopped and started running and rowing. As a swimmer, I felt that I couldn't lose body mass and my shoulders/arms/back just got bigger. As a female, these are not exactly the most attractive traits and made buying clothes v. difficult. I once heard that when you swim your body holds onto fat for buoyancy, whereas with running, your body wants to shed as much mass as possible. Anyone else know anything about this? Also, why is it that male swimmers often look more cut and defined than female swimmers...?[/QUOTE]

I once heard that when you swim your body holds onto fat for buoyancy

Aquatic mammals have adaptec the retention of blubber for insulation and for bouyancy but not humans.

Also, why is it that male swimmers often look more cut and defined than female swimmers...?

Male swimmers wear skimpy little speedos and women swimmers wear one-piecers...

Any activity that relies more on one muscle group is going to hypertrophy that muscle group. Cyclists, women and men, have more defined and larger quads, calves and glutes than non-cyclists. Swimmers have enhanced thoraces.

When I was an undergraduate, I had a major crush on Tracy Caulkins, who was also a University of Florida student. Tracy went onto the 1984 Olympics, won a gazilion medals and married an Aussie and now lives down under. I thought she was and still is a major hottie and I think most guys are turned on by women swimmer bodies and their muscular thoraces

sounds like a old wifes tail, but all very interesting....

Haha Haha I agree!

I stopped swimming recently due to the fact that it's too freaking cold out to be swimming... even though it's indoors.

You are working your arms and/or legs during swimming, but it wouldn't build any mass as you described. It's not like you'll swim and then 6 months later look like Arnold. You're probably naturally built like that, and you said you started running and rowing, both of which are very powerful movements and can cost a lot of calories which might have reduced muscle mass in the areas you described (a lot of running and rowing can result in muscle loss as well as fat loss).

As far as fat keep... I'm not quite sure if this is true. I do know that swimming can make you want to eat more especially if it is in cold water which might make you eat over your daily energy requirements. I wouldn't even stress this because it's all "theories" and to be honest, I never once had a craving for anything after swimming although I was tired.

Overall, I say balance your cardio. Perhaps one day do rowing, swimming, and then running. All three are great and fun to do.
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Did you notice a difference in your body's appearance/shape when you stopped swimming and started running?

My buddy was in the Olympics rowing...his shoulders, back, arms and basically all the same swimming muscles are massive...so I'm wondering how rowing didn't affect your muscular build whereas swimming apparently did?

I dunno...I swim regularly and there are several gals who are regulars in the tank, most of them are lean, slender and tone. Perhaps your genetics, like mine, are endomorph/mezomorph and we add muscle easily? But I see & observe plenty of lean/svelt gals in the pool. Plenty of woman's 1-piece bathing suits add to a more slender look, but there is one gal whose always in a 2-piece and she's totally cut!


As already addressed....no, humans don't do that. Although there is a study that shows a coorillation between watching tv and the brain turning to mush. Except while watching LOST, that's okay!


Because you are looking at us But seriously, I believe from what I've heard/read that woman's bodies have a higher degree of body-fat% then mens bodies do and perhaps men's bodies are capable of building more muscle and what-not. Course, there's that gal Chyna from Professional Wrestling, but that's all steroid enhanced....not that I wouldn't wanna hit the mat with her!

I think appearance is all based on body-fat and muscular build underneath...beyond that, it's just your build, frame and genetics at play. Make the most of what you have and enjoy...not all of us can have stunning photo-shoot modeling bods, but we can be healthy and enjoy ourselves.