Swimming is Fattening

My non-primal in-laws (SIL and BIL) were discussing how you often see fat swimmers, but not fat bikers...and that swimming is not an effective tool for staying in shape. I took some offense to this as I LOVE to swim and am in shape---they on the other hand are not. SIL is trying by counting calories and walking. BIL...not so much...but I can see/hear that he is being improperly influenced by CW.

Back to the point...I do love swimming. It is the ONLY exercise I truly look forward to doing. It is "play" for me and always has been. However, I recognize that swimming in chlorine has extreme drawbacks. What would you do? Limit swimming to once/twice per week? Also is this too much "cardio?" I dont usually sprint in swim workouts...but sometimes I, perhaps, do too many laps (70?) ~1 mile and recognize my need for more carbs those days...or else I want to nap later on!

just swim

So long as you're not raising your heart rate above 75% of your maximum, feel free to swim as much as you like. Only caution is that weight bearing (including body weight) exercise is good for you so make sure you get enough of that as well

If you want to get lean swimming all out swim sprints....

there are few sports that work every muscle in your body. Swimming is one of them. So, in the words of Dory, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim, swim."

[QUOTE=solstice;887026]My non-primal in-laws (SIL and BIL) were discussing how you often see fat swimmers, but not fat bikers...and that swimming is not an effective tool for staying in shape. [/QUOTE]

I find this hilarious. I ride 3-4 times a week and am always surprised with how many over weight cyclists I see. It may be just because it doesn't cost that much to go swim at the pool vs the investment into a bike and associated gear.

Learn to butterfly, makes for manly lats (assuming you're a man) and nice quads.

Sorry to say, but what they told you is bull. I was a competitive swimmer for 8 years, and I was in the best shape and health of my life then. I had 8% body fat, and I was swimming anywhere from 2-4 hours a day, every day. Like the others said, swimming is one of the only sports that works every muscle in your body, and because you're in water, its also low impact for your joints, etc. So if you have any issues like that, its perfect.

I may be new to primal, but based on my progress back then, you would definitely do lots of good doing sprints. Not only would it count for your weekly sprint, but the water would add a little bit of resistance for you too. If you aren't comfortable with doing sprints like that, you could always use a board and sprint kick.

i love swimming. i started going open-water this fall (silly of me, I know), but between the thermogenesis and the sprints (that's how I train), yes, it makes you very lean indeed.

do what you love -- don't worry about the amounts so much. before the water got ridiculously cold, I was swiming 1x per week, and I'm hoping to do 2x per week in late spring through early fall. By then, i might have time to put in a swim before roller derby casual practice -- with luck anyway.

You see a lot of overweight swimmers because people who are very overweight are often encouraged to start with swimming or other water classes to keep pressure off their joints. Also, people with chronic illnesses are frequently told to do the same thing.

It has nothing to do with swimming making you fat. It's just a selection bias.