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3 Effective Swimming Workouts for Weight Loss

  • Last Updated: April 4, 2021

Swimming is in the top 10 most effective activities that burn the most calories. Using every muscle in your body while staying afloat in water, swimming builds up every muscle group effectively which in return burns up more fat, even when your not swimming.

Experts believe that there are a lot of physical benefits that sit behind swimming especially to those who want to get in shape and be healthy. Firstly, it is highly aerobic which means it improves circulation while gaining muscle strength and endurance. Next, swimming is a low-impact workout that results in greater carbohydrates, protein, and fat metabolism and turns it into energy. Lastly, it is a whole-body training that with different strokes can target every single muscle in your body.

Like many exercises, swimming is also mentally and emotionally healthy. However, there are a lot of studies that people who swim more often find themselves more at peace and centred. This may be because water is known to be a highly meditative element. On top of that, the exercises in swimming can increase fine motor skills in kids too.

So, if you are looking for swimming workouts to start shredding those unwanted fats, these 3 exercises will help you.

3 Swim Workouts for Losing Weight

Do you know how many calories you can burn by swimming freestyle at a fast pace for only 30 minutes? You will burn approximately 404 calories and it will continue to burn even after that.

The flutter kicks that you do when swimming is the key to this effective weight loss technique. It is a great cardio work that burns a lot of fat. Therefore, if you want to lose more pounds, pile on the kicks. Warm-ups of swimmers, even athletes, involve a lot of kicks to get their heart going.

PRO TIP: Completing alternate drills of swimming and kicking will beat the hell out of you but trust the process. You will find yourself out of breath and exhausted for the first few sessions. Expect your legs and shoulders to be sore for a few days too. But your body is an amazing sponge that can easily adapt to the changes. Slowly, you feel your body adjusting and eventually, you will see your body changing.

Observe that each set includes a warm-up to get your body warm and loose, a pre-set to keep circulation going and fired up, followed by a fat-blasting main workout set and ending it with a soothing gentle cool-down to allow your body to recover.

Workout #1: High-intensity 25s

This Tabata-inspired workout is set out to have short but high-intensity exercises. This set’s ultimate goal is to go all the way during the first rep then sustain the momentum and intensity. You will notice that this exercise does not require doing a long lap but if you can deliver properly and at full intensity, your body will reach a skyrocket metabolic reaction.

PRO TIP: The challenge in this set is that no matter how built you are, this exercise will always be a tough one, even for professional swimmers. You will be in a constant battle with your strength and the more you do it, the more you will be quicker in doing the reps.

Warm-up: 4 × 100 meters swim (close your fists every last 25 counts—this will enable a higher elbow latch thus progressively intensifying your warm-up)

Pre-set: 4 × 25 meters descend effort from 50%-95% 1-4 with 20 seconds rest in between

Main set: Repeat this set 3 times

8 × 25 meters with maximum intensity and speed with 10 seconds rest in between reps

50 backstroke swims between rounds
(Round 1: swim, Round 2: kick, Round 3: swim)

Cooldown: 6 × 50 meters swim using any kind of stroke with flawless technique taking 15 seconds to rest between reps

Workout #2: The Swim-Kick Aerobic Combo

This second workout is ought to be the core foundation of a lot of swimmers. Each set includes a variety of intervals and combinations of different swimming fundamentals that will inevitably increase your aerobic levels. In summary, a full cardio workout!

To give you a glimpse, this set comprises of alternate repetition and combinations of swim and kick. This will ensure that your circulation is flowing, and your heart rate is increasing allowing you to put in the meters without fixating on your shoulder too much.

For beginners, you can start with 50s or 70s (if you can) and eventually hit the goal of 100 over-time. Remember not to take no more than 20 seconds to rest in between sets because you want to keep the momentum going. You want to feel that rush!

Warm-Up: 300 meters swim with any stroke of your choice keeping a great posture

Pre-set: 200 pull breathing every third out of 5 strokes by 50 + 100 kick build

Main set: 30 × 100 meters freestyle as 10 x [2 reps swim – 1 rep kick] while taking 20 seconds to rest in between each repetition.

Cooldown: 4 x [50 meters swim choice + 10 deepwater bobs, shaking out legs and arms + 10 seconds rest]

Workout #3: Vertical kicker’s delight

Just as the title suggests, this last workout incorporates some vertical kicks which are going vertical while kicking as you keep your head out of the water. Also, this is merged with a descending effort ladder swim set.

This technique is known to be a core builder that also targets your backside. If done correctly, you will be able to pull through with symmetrical kicks with equal forces in both directions and work out your midsection as well.

Warm-up:
200 meters swim loose + 8 × 25m choice swim DPS + 15 seconds rest after each lap
(DPS: distance per stroke—the main objective is to swim across the pool with the smallest possible number of strokes)

Pre-set:
6 × 50 meters (25 meters swim and 25 meters kick without a board), descend at 1-3 and 4-6 then take 15 seconds to rest after each rep

Main set:
5 × 100 meters swim with 15 seconds rest (80% effort)

30 vertical dolphin kick (NOTE: Intensify your core while targeting an equal power kicks in both directions)

4 × 100 meters swim with 15 rest (85% effort)

30 vertical dolphin kick

3 × 100 meters swim with 15 rest (90% effort)

30 vertical dolphin kick

2 × 100 meters swim with 15 rest (95% effort)

30 vertical dolphin kick

100 meters swim with MAXIMUM EFFORT

Cooldown:
8 × 25 meters swim DPS (aim to beat your warmup count) then 20 seconds rest after each rep.

Common questions about using swimming for weightloss

How Much Should I Swim to Lose Weight?
To lose weight effectively, you just need to swim at least 4 to 5 days a week. You can do this for as often as you want and achieve the best results. Like with any exercise, consistency is always the key to achieving the sexy silhouette figure that you have always wanted. This is a fantastic exercise regimen for both men and women.
Can You Lose Weight with Swimming?
Yes, you can definitely lose weight with this low-impact exercise that provides a total body workout in a fun way. Swimming is a cardio and strength exercise that effectively strengthens your heart muscles while helping you burn calories.
Can Swimming Help You Lose Belly Fat?
Swimming in itself doesn’t really help you burn that belly fat but it’s the consistency of it that helps you slim down and drop the excess pounds from your belly to other parts of the body. The proper stroke techniques and consistency in your swimming routines can help you trim off that excess fat.
How Much Weight Can You Lose by Swimming for 1 Hour?
Intensive swimming for an hour can help you burn approximately around 800 calories. This however depends on the rigorousness of your workout. So, if you swim for at least 4 times a week, then that means you burn at least 3 to 4 pounds a month which is just the bonus of this relaxing and stimulating activity.
Is Swimming Better than Gym?
There are different workout regimens that suit varied people depending on their comfort levels or what they hope to achieve from the activity. For health purposes though, swimming is a much better choice than going to the gym or even running because this is something that anyone can do even the seniors or those with joint problems because the water effectively cushions your weight so this is very safe for the elderly or even the very young kids.
Does Swimming Tone Arms?
Swimming is a combination of a cardio and strength exercise that is relatively low-impact and great for muscle toning. You actually get more results from swimming than any other exercise regimen or sport because you don’t just reduce that amount of fat that sits on your arms but it also tones your muscles. Swimming combined with a healthy low-fat diet can really do wonders for your health and figure.
What Swimming burns fat best?
All swimming strokes can really benefit your health and also help in achieving a beautiful physique. To burn calories and also for muscle toning like your tummy, doing the backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly can really work tremendously on your core. Doing water crunches can also boost your fat-burning activities that target your abs especially when you swim on a regular basis.
Is Swimming Better Than Walking?
You actually get to burn more fat or calories when swimming compared to when you jog or walk.. In fact, a 154-pound person actually gets to burn a whopping 255 calories for only half an hour of pool strokes. This isn’t an intensive workout but it works as compared to burning just 140 calories when you walk or jog.
Is Swimming Enough Exercise?
Swimming is a very popular recreational and competitive sport in the United States. People of all ages can enjoy swimming without any risks of tissue damage or muscle strain. An hour of swimming can actually burn almost the same or even more calories with running while also providing a safe pad for your bones and joints.

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