<p>This kind of goes along with that shoulder thread. One thing I've noticed is that female swimmers (male too, but I'm talking specifically about female) get big shoulders really quickly. I understand swimming is a strenuous shoulder/arm workout, but there's something odd about it. People go to a gym, lift weights, etc. and work out those very same muscles all the time and it never gets to that stage. I, for example, worked out mainly my shoulders and arms every day for two hours (and I mean EVERY day) for 5 months and absolutely NOTHING happened. My friend, on the other hand, starting swimming for PE (PE, not even training and not even daily, just like a couple of laps and then floating around for the rest of the period) and after a week her shoulders were big and her arms muscular. Is there some magical property of chlorinated water that induces muscles to develop? I don't want swimmer's shoulders, but just a little taste of that muscle would be nice, especially when I've been killing myself for nearly half a year for that specific purpose. I guess I'm just frustrated, because I don't get it.</p>
<p>Then, why not just go swimming?</p>
<p>One word:</p>
<p>Genetics.</p>
<p>It's the same reason why some people get six packs and others cannot.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I, for example, worked out mainly my shoulders and arms every day for two hours (and I mean EVERY day) for 5 months and absolutely NOTHING happened.
[/quote]
Sorry mate, you need to rest those muscles. You break your muscles by weight lifting so when they regenerate, they are stronger. Do not work out any body part for more than twice or thrice a week, and definitely not on consecutive days. Oh, and eat more proteins.</p>
<p>^OMG, you said thrice! You're officially cool, man.</p>
<p>I can't swim. I must have muscle somewhere invisible, because I sink like a bowling ball. A steel one.</p>
<p>its all right- i cant swim either</p>
<p>the whole six pack thing is based on how much body fat you have (if little = six pack shows, if alot = six pack doesnt show), which i guess is determined by genetics, so i will now shut up.</p>
<p>I'd have to second what running said; just go swimming. The stroke that I find emphasizes the shoulders/arms most is butterfly, which, go figure, is also the most strenuous one.</p>
<p>When you go swimming, don't just kind of swim...do it all out, as if there's a coach at the front of the pool yelling at you to do 5 more laps. If you can, get one of the white floaters and put them between your legs and just do the arm strokes. When I was in team swim, we'd do something like 15 laps [laps = there and back] lengthwise on an olympic sized pool, just arms, as a warmup.</p>
<p>yeah use paddles and buoys (spelling) but those white or purple things u put between ur legs and protein before and after is crucial ALSO get sleep. Sleep and protein are what is going to alow your muscle mass to grow. Swimmers tend to have broad shoulders because of the way you have to displace the water sort of going away from your body i dunno my coach tried to explain it once.</p>
<p>Yeah--what Kevin said is right on the dot. For people who swim w/o a coach and try to gain muscle but can't seem to do it, oftentimes it's because their stroke is wrong. There's a certain way to pull the water that isn't just straight through. For example, in butterfly, you typically scoop your hands out to the sides slightly under the water, and then push through in a straight way before pulling them out.</p>
<p>Protein + Sleep = cruuuuuuuucial. Esp. if you're swimming hardcore, because that's really, really tiring. And you'll just get hurt if you don't take care of yourself afterward.</p>
<p>Quote: And you'll just get hurt if you don't take care of yourself afterward.</p>
<p>Yeah major chest infection (breathing in water) and shoulder problems right here</p>