Swimming and HST

J

jeemigdepeemig

New Member
I have a question to a HST expert: I love doing HST training and I also love swimming. Both around 3 times a week. Note that I love to sprint so it's no light cardio either. What I understand of HST this suboptimal but I try to combine both. When SD'ing i plan to stop both.

Is HST still preffered (size-wise), or am i better off with a more tradional method in combination with this swimming?
 
I think HST is always preferred when trying to gain size, no matter what type aerobic exercise you do in addition. What can keep you from gaining muscle however is not getting enough calories every day to support both swimming and weight lifting, but it's still possible - though I wouldn't expect to be very competitive in either sport. I have trouble with taking in enough food, so I do no cardio at all. If your main goal is size, I would suggest you cut out swimming altogether at least for a while, but since you love swimming, why not do both? I think you can still gain muscle but you may have to dial back the swimming a bit. Maybe only do it during the 15's, and possibly the first week of the 10's. Unless you plan to compete as one or the other, you should still get decent results.
 
jeemigdepeemig said:
I have a question to a HST expert: I love doing HST training and I also love swimming. Both around 3 times a week. Note that I love to sprint so it's no light cardio either. What I understand of HST this suboptimal but I try to combine both. When SD'ing i plan to stop both.

Is HST still preffered (size-wise), or am i better off with a more tradional method in combination with this swimming?
Click to expand...

What are your goals? If swimming is a major part of your life and you mainly want to get better at swimmng, there are much better ways to train than HST w/swimming.

Toolman covered it best. HST is for growing muscles. You need a lot of calories to grow muscles. Swimming (or running, biking, elliptical, etc.) is going to eat up calories. That is why it is sub-optimal to add a lot of cardio to an HST cycle - it will lead to less growth.

But of course, what is most optimal for you depends on your goals.
 
Thx for the answers.

My goal for HST is indeed not to get better at swimming. Swimming is just a hobby I really love to do, competetition is not important to me anymore. HST i use is naturally for further muscle building. I realise both hinder each other to some extend.

Let me rephrase: the swimming kinda wacks the Progressive Load for my muscles out of sync. I have a neatly progressive load in my weight lifting but a fearly constant load from the swimming. Especially hindering since sprinting is not pure cardio i believe.

So I was wondering (calories aside) I could better get rid of the progressive load altogether, also for the weight training. I know I can still gain either way, but not sure which of the two options is better.
 
Last edited:
I stand by my original recommendation of continuing with your swimming, but possibly cutting back during the heavier weeks of HST. You cannot get any muscle growth without progressive load, no matter what training program you are on. That said, you might also try to incorporate some HST principles in your swimming. Progressive load may not be easy but it's still possible (getting a drag suit, for example), and you can still have progressive intensity by increasing length and/or speed of your sprints.
 
and you can still have progressive intensity by increasing length and/or speed of your sprints.
Click to expand...

Cool. Was thinking about that also. Seems logical and bring some variance in the training, which is never bad.Thx
 
It is often mentioned that swimming is one of the best exercises you can put your body through, using a combination of muscles throughout the entire body that few other exercises can match.
As we know exercise can help in growing taller naturally, this would naturally lead us to the question of whether or not swimming is a good exercise routine for increasing your height.
 
Nope, sorry, it's not going to happen (trust me on this: I'm five feet, two inches tall, and I've tried everything...).

"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" ~ Matthew 6:27
 
kamilpratz said:
It is often mentioned that swimming is one of the best exercises you can put your body through, using a combination of muscles throughout the entire body that few other exercises can match.
As we know exercise can help in growing taller naturally, this would naturally lead us to the question of whether or not swimming is a good exercise routine for increasing your height.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you are talking about in children?
 
Yes, I think children had a great gain height increasing. Well, there isn't any scientific proof of the true of swimming to grow taller however there isn't any evidence of this as false believes either. But I believe exercise like stretching your body can gain height increase. I read some articles that said swimming is the same exercise or stretching your body. I read that swimming like other cardio exercises is great to boost your energy and keep you in top shape. It enlarges the capacity of your lungs and widens your chest and shoulders. It works and activates your hands, legs and whole body thus stretching your spine and the entire muscle groups.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top