Swimming

[Green Kool Aid]

Background

I had knee surgery in late July, and since then I've just started running again over the last couple weeks. Because of how inactive I had been during the time before this, my legs have been unbelievably sore from a 10 minute run or a 20 minute elliptical session this past week. These also leave me unbelievably winded, which is really bad.

I was really hoping to use swimming to help my cardiovascular system without beating up my legs as they get re-acclimated to being used.

My questions are as follows for swimming:

1. How far should I go? Keep in mind I haven't done laps in a couple years.
2. Should I try to change strokes? (Currently I'm only semi-proficient in the crawl, and can't do the others)
3. Would going hard and taking breaks be the best plan (kind of interval training?), or should I just try to do a steady rate?
4. If I do this in the morning, would I be able to lift upper body in the evening?

Hopefully I'll try it tomorrow and report back.

[cbloom]

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1. How far should I go? Keep in mind I haven't done laps in a couple years.


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As far as you can. Then rest a while and go again, as far as you can. Remember how many laps you did and do at least 1 more the next time.

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2. Should I try to change strokes? (Currently I'm only semi-proficient in the crawl, and can't do the others)


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Not really significant at this point. You need to work on your crawl though, that should be your primary stroke. You might consider taking a private lesson to work on that.

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3. Would going hard and taking breaks be the best plan (kind of interval training?), or should I just try to do a steady rate?


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You should go as fast as you can while breathing well. Don't go so fast that you can't take enough breaths to sustain the work. At this point you don't really need to worry about intervals or anything like that, just some steady speed swimming will be great.

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4. If I do this in the morning, would I be able to lift upper body in the evening?


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Sure.

[ac10]

1. How far should I go? Keep in mind I haven't done laps in a couple years.

It seems like if you are just getting into swimming you should try to go for time rather than distance. Just keep your heart rate up for 30 minutes to an hour. Doesn't really matter how far you go.

2. Should I try to change strokes? (Currently I'm only semi-proficient in the crawl, and can't do the others)

Once you get comfortable doing a good ammount of crawl stroke you should learn to do back stroke. It will work a lot of different muscles. Don't do breaststroke nobody swims it fast enough to be a good workout. As far as I can tell people who aren't in shape swim breast because it's way easier than the other strokes. If you want an awesome workout you can try butterfly. However fly won't be easy until you are a fairly advanced swimmer.

3. Would going hard and taking breaks be the best plan (kind of interval training?), or should I just try to do a steady rate?

I would suggest for the first few work outs you swim until you need a break than rest for a while than swim more. Swimming is very demanding and it's hard to go very far unless you are conditioned for it. Once you get in better shape and can go for a while than it is better to do interval training. An example of this would be swimming a 200 warm up than rest. Then go 10*100 crawl on a set ammount of time (this can be 1min. 20 sec-3 min depending on your 100 time). Ideally you would be getting 10-25 sec between each 100. Then cool down. As you get better/faster you can add more sets in between the warm up and cool down.

4. If I do this in the morning, would I be able to lift upper body in the evening?

Yep

[Green Kool Aid]

Thx for responses guys.

Going to bed....will report back in ~11 hours or so hopefully.

[Green Kool Aid]

did 6 laps and had to take a break after 4.

will try to keep adding at least one lap every time i go.

my first lap was way too fast, so i think that hurt me a lot, as my form went to [censored] quickly.

[Colt McCoy]

GKA, No advice on the swimming but if you want to keep running, try a run-walk-run program where you alternate running 3-4 minutes and walking a minute. It should help a ton with the post-run soreness.

[CharlieDontSurf]

[ QUOTE ]
1. How far should I go? Keep in mind I haven't done laps in a couple years.

It seems like if you are just getting into swimming you should try to go for time rather than distance. Just keep your heart rate up for 30 minutes to an hour. Doesn't really matter how far you go.

2. Should I try to change strokes? (Currently I'm only semi-proficient in the crawl, and can't do the others)

Once you get comfortable doing a good ammount of crawl stroke you should learn to do back stroke. It will work a lot of different muscles. Don't do breaststroke nobody swims it fast enough to be a good workout. As far as I can tell people who aren't in shape swim breast because it's way easier than the other strokes. If you want an awesome workout you can try butterfly. However fly won't be easy until you are a fairly advanced swimmer.

3. Would going hard and taking breaks be the best plan (kind of interval training?), or should I just try to do a steady rate?

I would suggest for the first few work outs you swim until you need a break than rest for a while than swim more. Swimming is very demanding and it's hard to go very far unless you are conditioned for it. Once you get in better shape and can go for a while than it is better to do interval training. An example of this would be swimming a 200 warm up than rest. Then go 10*100 crawl on a set ammount of time (this can be 1min. 20 sec-3 min depending on your 100 time). Ideally you would be getting 10-25 sec between each 100. Then cool down. As you get better/faster you can add more sets in between the warm up and cool down.

4. If I do this in the morning, would I be able to lift upper body in the evening?

Yep

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I swam the breaststroke in high school and if you push yourself you can get a hell of a workout...but i can't think it would be great for someone with a wacked out knee

[dms]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. How far should I go? Keep in mind I haven't done laps in a couple years.

It seems like if you are just getting into swimming you should try to go for time rather than distance. Just keep your heart rate up for 30 minutes to an hour. Doesn't really matter how far you go.

2. Should I try to change strokes? (Currently I'm only semi-proficient in the crawl, and can't do the others)

Once you get comfortable doing a good ammount of crawl stroke you should learn to do back stroke. It will work a lot of different muscles. Don't do breaststroke nobody swims it fast enough to be a good workout. As far as I can tell people who aren't in shape swim breast because it's way easier than the other strokes. If you want an awesome workout you can try butterfly. However fly won't be easy until you are a fairly advanced swimmer.

3. Would going hard and taking breaks be the best plan (kind of interval training?), or should I just try to do a steady rate?

I would suggest for the first few work outs you swim until you need a break than rest for a while than swim more. Swimming is very demanding and it's hard to go very far unless you are conditioned for it. Once you get in better shape and can go for a while than it is better to do interval training. An example of this would be swimming a 200 warm up than rest. Then go 10*100 crawl on a set ammount of time (this can be 1min. 20 sec-3 min depending on your 100 time). Ideally you would be getting 10-25 sec between each 100. Then cool down. As you get better/faster you can add more sets in between the warm up and cool down.

4. If I do this in the morning, would I be able to lift upper body in the evening?

Yep

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I swam the breaststroke in high school and if you push yourself you can get a hell of a workout...but i can't think it would be great for someone with a wacked out knee

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Nope.

[ac10]

Breaststroke can definitely be a good workout but most people choose to swim it because it is easier than the other strokes if they don't push themselves. Also youre right about breastroke being hard on the knees.

[Green Kool Aid]

Charlie is right.

I am recovering from torn meniscus. I can only do straight back and forth things like elliptical, running, flutterkick in swimming.

Basketball, tennis, or the snapping motion of the breaststroke on my knee are no-no's right now.