Any reason swimming would be bad for training?

[wolfshadoww 0]

Someone informed me that swimming is bad for hockey training, but I think they were misinformed. I mean, it's a good cardiovascular workout + resistance training that works most or all of your muscles. Obviously you wouldn't do it on game day or something.

Thoughts?

[ambro 0]

It's great for muscle recovery after games, I know that. After football every game our whole team would have to go in the pool for 30 minutes. My coach said it sped up the recovery process by like 5 times. It is a great workout for any sport training, if you do the motions that you'd use in that sport. Like if you do 'sprints' in the pool it would prolly be bad for hockey, but if you did a striding motion like you would in hockey, it would probably help a lot. I don't know about actual swimming, but I can't imagine it would be bad at all.

[crutesie 0]

the only thing is your legs are like jelly for the next 6 hours :(

[Nick23 0]

Its a great all over exercise the reason it speeds up recovery times is swimming in the water helps remove the lactic acid (not sure how). But unless you know a specific swimming technique that does hockey muscles i dont think it great for hockey, just fitness. I remember the coach of the figure skating team at my old rink would not let the them go swimming before a performance, only after if they had a training session before the next performance.

[biff44 0]

One thing swiming does NOT do is burn off fat. So if you are trying to improve your % body fat, try something else.

[killthepoodle 0]

One thing swiming does NOT do is burn off fat. So if you are trying to improve your % body fat, try something else.

How's that? I spend a lot of time in the ocean, both surfing and swimming, and I shed body fat like mad when I am aout there every day........I can tone up in a week or two and start shedding weight after about two weeks.

[jjtt99 0]

As mentoned, swimming is excellent exercise. It's just very different when compared to hockey so it's not like you're working the muscles in a way that's duplicating what they would do on the ice.

It's great to include swimming as part as your overall fitness routine, but again, not hockey-related so make sure you keep doing those hockey-specific exercises.

[#94 3]

One thing swiming does NOT do is burn off fat. So if you are trying to improve your % body fat, try something else.

There's no way that any type of cardiovascular exercise would not be able to help you lose body fat %...

[Project824 0]

Swimming is great exercise period. It's low impact, great endurance and definitely helps you lose weight if you swim at the right heart rate. You don't burn the most fat at your maximum heart rate, but rather a percentage. Exercise will never hurt you.

What swimming doesn't do for hockey is directly improve your skating power, explosiveness or quickness. Hockey is uses mostly the quick twitch muscle fibers in your legs, mainly the big ones in your quads and glutes. This is pretty hard to directly address while swimming. Hockey only calls for maximum output for anywhere from 30-60 seconds, so it's tough to mimic this except on the ice or by running sprints. I guess if you only swam sprints, you could make it work, but I think most people would get a more efficient workout out of running.

An interesting variation is "running sprints" in a shallow pool, or with a floatation belt. Often used to rehabilitate injured athletes who aren't quite ready for the impact of running or bearing full weight on a limb yet. Basically you're running through the water, using that as resistance for a short period of time instead of running a longer distance on land. As long as it's done at the right intensity, this does have some immediate impact for hockey, and is a great way to cheat shin splints if you have your own pool or don't mind looking like a fool at a public one. Whatever the workout, the intensity of the workout is the most important thing - multiples of high intensity & short period of time, just like a hockey shift.

[sdcopp 1]

Swimming is great exercise period. It's low impact, great endurance and definitely helps you lose weight if you swim at the right heart rate. You don't burn the most fat at your maximum heart rate, but rather a percentage. Exercise will never hurt you.

What swimming doesn't do for hockey is directly improve your skating power, explosiveness or quickness. Hockey is uses mostly the quick twitch muscle fibers in your legs, mainly the big ones in your quads and glutes. This is pretty hard to directly address while swimming. Hockey only calls for maximum output for anywhere from 30-60 seconds, so it's tough to mimic this except on the ice or by running sprints. I guess if you only swam sprints, you could make it work, but I think most people would get a more efficient workout out of running.

An interesting variation is "running sprints" in a shallow pool, or with a floatation belt. Often used to rehabilitate injured athletes who aren't quite ready for the impact of running or bearing full weight on a limb yet. Basically you're running through the water, using that as resistance for a short period of time instead of running a longer distance on land. As long as it's done at the right intensity, this does have some immediate impact for hockey, and is a great way to cheat shin splints if you have your own pool or don't mind looking like a fool at a public one. Whatever the workout, the intensity of the workout is the most important thing - multiples of high intensity & short period of time, just like a hockey shift.

this is a pretty good explanation of it. I remember someone telling me you have two types of muscle fibers, white and red. The red is your explosive fibers, and the white is the endurance fiber to put it in non-medical/technical terms. Swimming will help the lean white fibers and increase your endurance, but won't do a whole lot for the red fibers to make vast improvement. I found when I tried my feet at speedskating was quick burst runs greatly improved things in addition to endurance activities.

[hockeyblood 11]

Someone informed me that swimming is bad for hockey training, but I think they were misinformed. I mean, it's a good cardiovascular workout + resistance training that works most or all of your muscles. Obviously you wouldn't do it on game day or something.

Thoughts?

It's a fallacy. Not doing anything is bad for hockey.

[gavin 0]

I know this is an old thread, but with swimming weather coming I figured I'd add this in: swimming is great areobic excercise and helps your strength, coordination and stamina. And hanging out at the beach, running around in the surf, playing vball or soccer is awesome for keeping your bodyfat down. BUT if you become a swimmer, you could put a lot of "baby fat" on. I dunno why, but it's been proven that high-level swimmers will add a small layer of fat all around. If they do some cross-training, they will sometimes be able to shed it. That's why a lot of swimmers do running and other things to try and keep their body fat % down.

[hip check 0]

If you aren't a good swimmer you could drown. That would be very bad for your hockey future. <_<

I read that fat helps you float. There was a study done that showed women had, in general, more bouyancy than men. This let them spend more energy on propulsion and not just floating. I think the fat on their bodies is spread out more proportinately or something...

[ktang 34]

I've always been too dense to float. Anybody else?

[j8Zt8r 0]

There was a study done that showed women had, in general, more bouyancy than men. This let them spend more energy on propulsion and not just floating. I think the fat on their bodies is spread out more proportinately or something...

}QQ{

I swan competively for years. If you want to work your legs in the water and have access. Use a kickboard, preferrably with the plastic drag piece on the bottom, and the floats that you hold between your thighs and do laps kicking as if you were swimming butterfly. Lose the floats and then do laps simulating breast stroke kick. Your legs will get quite the workout. My high school coach use to make us do those when we were screwing around too much. I don't know if it will affect your red tendons or not.

[sdcopp 1]

If you aren't a good swimmer you could drown. That would be very bad for your hockey future. <_<

I read that fat helps you float. There was a study done that showed women had, in general, more bouyancy than men. This let them spend more energy on propulsion and not just floating. I think the fat on their bodies is spread out more proportinately or something...

women generally do have a higher percentage of body fat as a layer that runs the whole body, where men typically have more muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat, and thus the buoyancy difference. Working all of those kicks j8Zt8r mentioned can help tremendously, as well as the arm portions of the stroke for range of motion work. Using the floats that go between the thighs can help with some of the upper body as well, where a kickboard will allow you to focus on legs.

[killthepoodle 0]

I've always been too dense to float. Anybody else?

Just swinm faster...good technique will get your body up on a plane.

[ktang 34]

I've always been too dense to float. Anybody else?

Just swinm faster...good technique will get your body up on a plane.

I guess I'm too old to learn to swim fast enough to stay above water now. In the water I'm a total beginner.

[bucko 0]

damn i look like a whale, but i am a really bad swimmer... :lol:

[gavin 0]

If you have a problem putting on balanced weight, swimming will put on good pounds for you. Especially if you're young and shouldn't start powerlifting yet.

[ddibrano77 0]

Swimming is great exercise period. It's low impact, great endurance and definitely helps you lose weight if you swim at the right heart rate. You don't burn the most fat at your maximum heart rate, but rather a percentage. Exercise will never hurt you.

What swimming doesn't do for hockey is directly improve your skating power, explosiveness or quickness. Hockey is uses mostly the quick twitch muscle fibers in your legs, mainly the big ones in your quads and glutes. This is pretty hard to directly address while swimming. Hockey only calls for maximum output for anywhere from 30-60 seconds, so it's tough to mimic this except on the ice or by running sprints. I guess if you only swam sprints, you could make it work, but I think most people would get a more efficient workout out of running.

An interesting variation is "running sprints" in a shallow pool, or with a floatation belt. Often used to rehabilitate injured athletes who aren't quite ready for the impact of running or bearing full weight on a limb yet. Basically you're running through the water, using that as resistance for a short period of time instead of running a longer distance on land. As long as it's done at the right intensity, this does have some immediate impact for hockey, and is a great way to cheat shin splints if you have your own pool or don't mind looking like a fool at a public one. Whatever the workout, the intensity of the workout is the most important thing - multiples of high intensity & short period of time, just like a hockey shift.

Project you sound like you have studied this stuff before? If you go to the weighlifting section of general discussions you will see that i indeed list something about fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers also. Slow twicth muscles are for endurance say like a Lance Armstrong or Kenyan marathoner...as for Fast Twitch they are basically for everyone else...hockey player, football, basketball, soccer, etc. Swimming can build both fibers at the same time depending on which technique one performs...say you do sprints or freestyle that would use your fast twicth or type II muscle fibers as you are exploding through the water. OR if you were doing as many laps as possible and did the breast stroke you would be using type I muscle fibers (endurance). I believe swimming should be integrated into ones conditioning as the water adds resistance to the exercise, creates a great VO2 max (how much oxygen is taken in while exercising, for instance Lance Armstrong has an VO2 Max of 80+ which is absolutely outstanding. This is why he wins at the Tour De France and has an larger heart/muscle than the rest. The basic principle of VO2 Max is that you want your heart to beat less but output more meaning you dont get winded as fast and lactic acid isnt a problem. Lance does not build up lactic acid in his legs as the average biker which gives him the overall advantage...ever get that super burning hard as rock feeling in your leg..yep its lactic acid). So as i was saying swimming builds your VO2 Max increases your overall output for optimum potential, it also DOES BURN FAT and trims you down. One question have did you see Micael Phelps in the Olympics...? He is a swimmer and does have a lifting routine and swim all day long so it is apparent that swimming does cut down on overall body fat %, completely toning the whole body, building fast and slow twtich muscles, increasing VO2 Max, there are too many benefits to list, just do it and watch how much better you play and feel.

sorry about the length i tend to go off in tangents.

[ktang 34]

How do you measure VO2max?

[ddibrano77 0]

Have you ever seen the athletes in those really small rooms that have a mask on connected to a hose and are either on a bike or treadmill...that is how.

But you can get a basic VO2 Max the easy way and go to your local gym that has a decent treadmill. Look at the program options i.e. hills, fat burn, random. You should see an option for Fit Test this is what you want to hit and it should be a 5min test. You will have to input your age, body weight and speed...on the speed part to get a good test i would put it on nothing less than 3. I do mine at 4 whenever i want to see what ranking i am at (currently at 50 which is very good). The treadmill will go to a 5% incline and you will walk at a brisk pace for the whole time and the computer will tell you when to hold onto the sensors to read your heart rate. After that a number will pop up and let you know what your overall score is.

Again this is a basic way to get your VO2 Max and not the actual intense test itself that you usually have to go and get a stress test to find this out. Or hit up someone in the athletic department of a University/college. But it should give you an estimated range of how fit you are. Any problems or not sure how to figure it out shoot me an pm or email.

hope this helps....

[ktang 34]

I read somewhere (one of those hockey conditioning manuals) that VO2max is not optimized for hockey players because of the interval nature of the sport, but that it is still important. I have wanted to improve my VO2max for a while now...