Is Swimming is best for weight lose,..

[shawn5]

Hi guys,..
Swimming is awesome exercise to lose weight as well as cleaning your body and gets abs as well,...
what you think about it,..

thanks,.

[thomas_seay]

Well, I have never liked swimming, but I was intrigued by what Tim Ferris says about spending time in the cold (like cold water) in his book "4 Hour Body".  So I might start swimming in the morning.  The pool I am thinking about is outside and is only partially heated.  Since I am having problems getting motivated for cold showers, it might be the best solution.  I would have a much easier time just jumping in and not having the option to turn the water on "hot". 

How long have you been swimming and what do you think are the benefits of it?

[dee]

Abs are 80% from your diet.

Swimming doesn't make people thin and lean; thin and lean people are best at swimming, and thus become more representative for the sport. Check this video by Doug McGuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PdJFbjWHEU

Also, burning calories only matters when your diet is good. In 4HB, the examples he used worked because either the daily caloric intake was controlled, or they were on a low-carb diet (slow-carb is still low-carb).

[thomas_seay]

Abs are 80% from your diet.

Swimming doesn't make people thin and lean; thin and lean people are best at swimming, and thus become more representative for the sport. Check this video by Doug McGuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PdJFbjWHEU

I agree that swimming alone can't make you lean.  I see too many regular lap-swimmers at the pool who are skinny-fat at best.  That said, I think that Ferris makes an interesting case that cold-like cold water- can be helpful towards getting lean.

[dee]

I totally know what you mean, but diet has to come first. I think the argument is the same as that of Gary Taubes' about exercise. Cold water therapy will make you burn calories, but burning calories will make you eat more, so if you eat the food that your normally eat, you'd be going in circles. There are probably benefits on insulin sensitivity, but I wouldn't count on major improvements.

Those skinny-fat people might be trying to swim in order to stop being skinny-fat. That's like saying medicine can't make people well because you see too many sick people at the hospital (not exactly like that, but I'm sure you get the cause and effect point).

[aelephant]

The best way to "weight lose" is to eat fewer calories than you expend in a day. No exercise necessary.

[SkiPK]

Swimming is a great exercise and can help you lose weight as long as you aren't eating too much.  As far as the "best" probably not.  Like has been said before, eating well and less than you need to maintain your weight is how you lose weight.  To drop fat and get in great shape, I would personally lift weights, eat healthy, stay as active as possible (whether that means swimming, running, cycling, playing sports)  and you'll be in great shape.  There really is no "best" exercise.  It's whatever you can and will stick with combined with what and how much you are eating.

[Jertive]

There is no doubt that swimming is good exercise, and you can burn about 500 calories per hour when you swim.It is an healthy exercise so everyone should do it.