Swimming is underrated?

[BonesWinckleJones]

I noticed Jon Jones often swim in ufc embedded videos,why more fighters dont go this route? zero pressure on joints this way,maybe thats why he is injury free for that long?

 

[ASUThermo]

Yeah. I think it is just easier to throw on some shoes and run or something like that. Pools can be tough to come by for some people, I would expect.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Cormier swims. Mighty Mouse swims a ton. I think gaethje and Alvarez swim too.

Pools might be hard to access if you aren’t actively looking for them.
I agree swimming is super underrated though.

I think a lot of fighters use bikes or aerodynes instead of the pool

 

[Oblivian]

I think it has to do with a lot of people being weak swimmers. Swimming is a skill just like anything else. I'd assume those who can't swim well believe their lack of skill would make them stop swimming before their cardio/endurance would really get taxed and tested.

 

[j-boxing]

The Klitschkos swam, I think. Or one of them did.

 

[DoomPatrol]

I think it has to do with a lot of people being weak swimmers. Swimming is a skill just like anything else. I'd assume those who can't swim well believe their lack of skill would make them stop swimming before their cardio/endurance would really get taxed and tested.

If you're an inefficient swimmer, wouldn't that just tax your cardio/endurance quicker than being an efficient swimmer?

 

[JimRussel]

If you're an inefficient swimmer, wouldn't that just tax your cardio/endurance quicker than being an efficient swimmer?

Floundering in a pool barely being able to stop yourself from drowning sounds pretty taxing. Is that great way to train cardio?

 

[DoomPatrol]

Floundering in a pool barely being able to stop yourself from drowning sounds pretty taxing. Is that great way to train cardio?

I'm guessing that struggling and trashing in the water for 10 minutes will tax your cardio/endurance systems more than gracefully gliding for 10 minutes.

 

[JimRussel]

I'm guessing that struggling and trashing in the water for 10 minutes will tax your cardio/endurance systems more than gracefully gliding for 10 minutes.

Then it must be an amazing training method. We've broken new ground here.

 

[monkeyrhythm]

I'm guessing that struggling and trashing in the water for 10 minutes will tax your cardio/endurance systems more than gracefully gliding for 10 minutes.

Doing it under the water for the whole 10 minutes would tax it the most.

 

[JimRussel]

Doing it under the water for the whole 10 minutes would tax it the most.

Drown --> resuscitate --> Drown, repeat.

You'd get insane cardio training in like 5 mins.

 

[Arashikage4Life]

I messed my shoulder up swimming but it was something that I loved doing on off-days from running because of the aforementioned lessened impact on your knees.

 

[monkeyrhythm]

Drown --> resuscitate --> Drown, repeat.

You'd get insane cardio training in like 5 mins.

H-Die-I-T...

 

[gspieler]

In addition to being low-impact, and requiring less recovery than most forms of conditioning, it also probably helps athletes regulate their breathing better.

 

[Oblivian]

If you're an inefficient swimmer, wouldn't that just tax your cardio/endurance quicker than being an efficient swimmer?

If anyone is a great swimmer or has experience coaching swimming they can chime in, but I'd assume it's not necessarily cardio/muscle endurance that would make someone just stop swimming. When my eight year old stops swimming or puts his feet down, I think it's a lack of skill far more than a cardio/muscle endurance issue. Put it this way - if I really improve my cardio and muscle endurance through other methods (running, complexes, circuits, rower, etc.), I don't necessarily think I'll be able to swim that much better than before. Swimming is definitely a skill first and foremost IMO.

 

[Wikinger]

If anyone is a great swimmer or has experience coaching swimming they can chime in, but I'd assume it's not necessarily cardio/muscle endurance that would make someone just stop swimming. When my eight year old stops swimming or puts his feet down, I think it's a lack of skill far more than a cardio/muscle endurance issue. Put it this way - if I really improve my cardio and muscle endurance through other methods (running, complexes, circuits, rower, etc.), I don't necessarily think I'll be able to swim that much better than before. Swimming is definitely a skill first and foremost IMO.

totally this!!

and the other thing about swimming is that if one is proficient, they can control the intensity (what, how much, etc) in a way that just thrashing around won't give. with a level of skill, the training can be adjusted (e.g.,16x100 1:20 or 4x400 6:00) versus simple 10 min of splash and thrash

but as one "improves" from thrashing, there can be an increase in the risk of injury -- we swimmers enjoy bad shoulders, and poor form can really increase this risk. it's easy to imagine the non-proficient swimmer with enough CV gas to go around but with poor mechanics and positioning that there is over-reach in the pull and catch (over the midline!!!), for example.

As an adjunct to CV conditioning, maybe the skill matters less, but i'd still worry about the risks as fitness improves at the "thrashing" level of skill.

but totally -- it's a skill first, like all the other sports we talk about here

 

[Cid]

I think it has to do with a lot of people being weak swimmers. Swimming is a skill just like anything else. I'd assume those who can't swim well believe their lack of skill would make them stop swimming before their cardio/endurance would really get taxed and tested.

If anyone is a great swimmer or has experience coaching swimming they can chime in, but I'd assume it's not necessarily cardio/muscle endurance that would make someone just stop swimming. When my eight year old stops swimming or puts his feet down, I think it's a lack of skill far more than a cardio/muscle endurance issue. Put it this way - if I really improve my cardio and muscle endurance through other methods (running, complexes, circuits, rower, etc.), I don't necessarily think I'll be able to swim that much better than before. Swimming is definitely a skill first and foremost IMO.

Used to swim teach, exhausting for people who can't swim.

Your 8 year old probably touches the ground for a bunch of reasons, from being tired due to poor technique in particular the breathing, to thinking it's faster/easier to touch the bottom or because he's an 8 year old.