Does anyone else feel swimming is overlooked?

Lochtsa71

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Messages
157
Location
Idaho
As we get older (48), we simply can't turn the clock and things don't recover as quickly as in the past. I see alot of guys asking how do I get in shape for a western hunt when I'm a flatlander?
I've live in Idaho and hunt from 5000 to 9000 feet and I can tell you swimming and running in water will do things for your cardio that hiking with weight can't do and you don't need elevation gain to get the increase in cardio performance.
I still go to the gym thing at least 2 evenings a week and do at least 12 hours a week in the pool.
Does anyone else use swimming and what is your workout program in the water?
 
Between swimming, cycling, and deadlifts , what else does an aging guy need to be a beast?

Swimming is a great workout because it incorporates endurance and strength in a low impact way. The form requirement takes a couple months to learn. But after that, you can get in great shape quick. You can pretty swole doing speed work in the pool. My problem with swimming is that recreational lap pools are always 25 minutes away. Time deterrent for me.

Anybody built a swim lane in the backyard? I’ve thought about that a few times.
 
One of my gym branches has a salt water lap pool, been going 2x per week for a few weeks. Have not swam in a while so taking it e-z and adding laps each time. Still doing strength and rucking and will be adding elliptical machine cardio soon.
 
I was just contemplating joining a local pool for winter. I have some joint issues now that Im older and swimming is an excellent work out
 
1. Pressing
2. Effective range of motion squatting

Most complete swim strokes have pressing motion. Quick glance at an experienced swimmer’s triceps, shoulders, and quads demonstrates the effect.

Squat motion is a whole nother animal. I love it, and hate it. My favorite workouts are squat based. My least favorite injuries are, too. I’m not alone in this one.
 
One of the guys I hunt with swims a half mile most every day. He is going to be 70 this summer. He has all kinds of shoulder/neck/back and arm problems, but he can put a hurt on most people in the mountains as long as he isn't carrying much weight.

He doesn't mind the 25 min drive to the pool every day.
 
Along with squatting and pulling, pressing (or pushing) is a fundamental human movement pattern. You can distill any human movement down to submaximal variations of one of those 3 movements.

Black and white mindset in a gray world


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Mike Prevost: Ruck Training Programs:

There are essentially six basic human movements:
  1. Upper body vertical push
  2. Upper body horizontal push
  3. Upper body pull (vertical or horizontal)
  4. Hip hinge
  5. Squat
  6. Core / carries under movement (This is an integration movement that combines many of the above.)
 
Mike Prevost: Ruck Training Programs:

There are essentially six basic human movements:
  1. Upper body vertical push
  2. Upper body horizontal push
  3. Upper body pull (vertical or horizontal)
  4. Hip hinge
  5. Squat
  6. Core / carries under movement (This is an integration movement that combines many of the above.)

Sure. I think that defines it a little more specifically. For example, a push is a push since it uses the same muscles, though a horizontal push has better leverages than a vertical push. What’s called a hip hinge here is still a pulling motion. Pulling is pulling. Core doesn’t need its own designation since it’s adequately involved in every movement pattern and doesn’t function independently of muscles used in the other movements. I think of what’s called a upper body “horizontal pull” here as being a subordinate pull to pulling from the floor (aka hip hinge) since a hip hinge movement involves more muscles including the muscles used in a horizontal pull.

But, yeah, The idea is still the same for strength training: you train fundamental human movement patterns as opposed to isolating specific muscle groups.
 
I think hip hinge is a unique movement and you can pull from the floor without hinging at the hips but that is more of a squat movement. However, I am not an expert on this subject.
I see many people deadlift with little or no hip hinge.
 
I think hip hinge is a unique movement and you can pull from the floor without hinging at the hips but that is more of a squat movement. However, I am not an expert on this subject.
I see many people deadlift with little or no hip hinge.

You’re likely referring to a trap bar which has more in common with some kind of reverse partial squat than a deadlift since the back is so vertical and the weight is inline with the body. Or, could be a sumo deadlift which is more of a sport specific movement (specific to competitive powerlifting, but also super trendy at the moment thanks to IG) than general strength training.
A conventional deadlift uses the mechanics of “picking something up” since the hips in fact hinge and there is some kind of shearing force on the back. If your grandma drops her fly swatter on the floor, she’s going to use mechanics most similar to a conventional deadlift to bend over and pick it up. She’s not going to “trap bar” it and she’s certainly not going to “sumo” it (because that would be absurd). Both of those movements still involve pulling (they also involve some pushing in the quads), but the thing that makes the hip hinge invaluable for training is the involvement of the glutes and hamstrings for bending over and pulling and the shearing force on the spinal erectors. Since your spine itself is in a constant state of deterioration starting sometime in your early to mid 20s, the stronger the spinal erectors and the more you understand proper pulling mechanics, the longer you can make your spine last.

To be clear, I’m not arguing anything here (though, I’m sure some folks will take issue with the trap bar statement and we can take that from there). If you want to swim, then swim. If you don’t want to press/push, don’t press. If you want to bang your wife in a suspension hammock and make the case for cross training, then by all means do so. I’m going to get up early and go snowboarding tomorrow morning and do lots of highly skilled yet submaximal variations of squatting, lots of hip hinging and be glad I did some pressing when I helicopter 3x and land on my shoulder at 40 mph and am able to get up and and keep going.
 
A hip hinge is it's own movement pattern,
Think good morning, dl, rdl, and kettlebell swing.

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Surfing is one of the things I do to stay fit and enjoy life. Takes an ocean, though, so I would guess swimming could be good too. But I cannot imagine a method of swimming that keeps the heart rate or intensity I achieve for long periods while surfing. Even if there is a way, can't imagine doing it voluntarily, whereas while surfing we tend to be anxious to utterly tax our upper body and cardio.
 
You’re likely referring to a trap bar which has more in common with some kind of reverse partial squat than a deadlift since the back is so vertical and the weight is inline with the body. Or, could be a sumo deadlift which is more of a sport specific movement (specific to competitive powerlifting, but also super trendy at the moment thanks to IG) than general strength training.
A conventional deadlift uses the mechanics of “picking something up” since the hips in fact hinge and there is some kind of shearing force on the back. If your grandma drops her fly swatter on the floor, she’s going to use mechanics most similar to a conventional deadlift to bend over and pick it up. She’s not going to “trap bar” it and she’s certainly not going to “sumo” it (because that would be absurd). Both of those movements still involve pulling (they also involve some pushing in the quads), but the thing that makes the hip hinge invaluable for training is the involvement of the glutes and hamstrings for bending over and pulling and the shearing force on the spinal erectors. Since your spine itself is in a constant state of deterioration starting sometime in your early to mid 20s, the stronger the spinal erectors and the more you understand proper pulling mechanics, the longer you can make your spine last.

To be clear, I’m not arguing anything here (though, I’m sure some folks will take issue with the trap bar statement and we can take that from there). If you want to swim, then swim. If you don’t want to press/push, don’t press. If you want to bang your wife in a suspension hammock and make the case for cross training, then by all means do so. I’m going to get up early and go snowboarding tomorrow morning and do lots of highly skilled yet submaximal variations of squatting, lots of hip hinging and be glad I did some pressing when I helicopter 3x and land on my shoulder at 40 mph and am able to get up and and keep going.
If a child drops that same fly swatter they squat to pick it up, like your supposed to


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