Fitness + Swimming Goals in 2021

[Thom]

I totally agree. My high school and college years were a waste in terms of fitness. Things got better in grad school when I took private tennis lessons at an indoor, private club. The teaching pro did things like visualization and other techniques. It was a revelation; I actually became competent. Later, several resources I found taught me to swim better for fitness, if not for competition. I've managed to keep my weight the same as it was in college, about 66kg/145lb.

Good for you Thom! And I agree, everyone learns differently. It’s hard for a school P.E. teacher to teach 40 kids at one time and expect everyone to excel.

Although I failed miserably in my teenage/college years, I finally seek help and slowly improve my fitness.

My current weight is the same as it was, if not lighter, when I graduated university, which was 11 years ago. I hope I can keep saying this in the next 40 years, just like you, Thom!

Awesome! Keep at it!!! Canada seems to have more pools available than we do down here.

[jca155]

Hello! I haven't updated my progress for months.

It looks like my weight is going down at a very slow pace right now. Hovering at 195 lbs. Still 10 lbs away from my ultimate goal.

However, my fat percentage is going down at a slow and steady pace though. It's sitting at 14%-ish. Hopefully I can get to my 12% goal soon.

For my swimming goals, I can consistently swim at 2:10-ish/100m in a 25m pool, still need to do a bit more work to get it down to 2:00 or below. I started swimming at a 50m pool near my office in downtown. Oh man! a 50m pool feels 10 times longer than a 25m one. I was tired af. I gotta keep practicing to make it less miserable.

Here is a picture of me after a lunchtime swim this Tuesday. Love these new speedos!

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[52dno98]

Hello! I haven't updated my progress for months.

Wow! Amazing work to get here from where your first photo was!!! Good job.

[jca155]

Wow! Amazing work to get here from where your first photo was!!! Good job.

Thank you very much mate!

If anyone has any fitness tips, please send them along. The last bit of the weight loss journey is always the hardest.

[...:::sam:::...]

You’re going really well, not far until your goal now.

Don’t sweat the swim times, it will sort itself out. In swimming a lot is technique but really just keep doing what you’re doing so well.

[Thom]

Hello! I haven't updated my progress for months.

It looks like my weight is going down...

.......

Well done!

[10decguy]

Hello! I haven't updated my progress for months.

It looks like my weight is going down at a very slow pace right now. Hovering at 195 lbs. Still 10 lbs away from my ultimate goal.

wow, super nice progress. You're really looking good man.

[swimmy]

Is there a masters team at your pool you can join? To do so would be a big boost for you. Having a coach to give you pointers and push you is huge.
Swimming is extremely technique dependant! Doing any part of any stroke the slightest bit incorrectly becomes a bad habit. Coaches use drills to refine technique.
I can't express enough how critical it is to have a coach. Even just a swim buddy in the next lane to give you pointers is good. I do a lot of that these days, my team disbanded with covid shenanigans and probably never will come back. I still swim every evening though.

[jca155]

You’re going really well, not far until your goal now.

Thank you Sam!

Well done!

Thank you Thom!

wow, super nice progress. You're really looking good man.

Thank you 10decguy!

I can't express enough how critical it is to have a coach. Even just a swim buddy in the next lane to give you pointers is good.

You bet! I am taking a class this season. 3 classes down, 9 more weeks to go.

My coach has a masters group but he has a strict prerequisite of being able to hold 1:50/100m, a speed I don't have yet. Instead, I am taking this class which equips us to get into the masters later.

So far, we have worked on our kick, catch and body rotation. There are still a lot to cover. In the latest benchmark test, I swam 10:34/500m. Not a bad time to start with, I guess?

My coach also offered a flip turn clinic and a butterfly clinic, which I enjoyed a lot.

Hopefully when my technique and flip turn get better, I can bring my 500m time down to 10:00 or even lower.

I will report back!

[Thom]

I will report back!

Looking forward to it!

[oldspeedo]

Great progress! Congratulations!

[Bulgerunner]

Well done jca155; very impressive results!

I am also fortunate in having lost significant weight (nearly 15kg) since I started my collection of speedos, mostly through a low-carb diet and triathlon training. But I can't bear to part with the ones that are now loose and which slip down the backside after pushing off at the start of each lap in the pool.

Fortunately, I have found a solution. Flash tape! It's a waterproof double-sided adhesive strip which (I now realise) has been used by women for years to prevent "wardrobe malfunctions". I apply two strips on the butt cheeks and make sure the speedo is firmly pressed into it. This takes practice, and can't easily be done in the changing room, so do it at home and arrive ready-changed. The tape is transparent, but visible after you take off the speedos and hence dictates some discretion in the changing room.

I am beginning to like the look: instead of being overweight and squeezing into a tight speedo, wearing a slightly too big one sends the message that I'm fit and looking after myself, while giving exciting opportunities to make adjustments during the swim!

Here's a link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Braza-Womens-C ... B01N2GODEE

Keep it up!

[jca155]

Well done jca155; very impressive results!

I am also fortunate in having lost significant weight (nearly 15kg) since I started my collection of speedos, mostly through a low-carb diet and triathlon training. But I can't bear to part with the ones that are now loose and which slip down the backside after pushing off at the start of each lap in the pool.

Fortunately, I have found a solution. Flash tape! It's a waterproof double-sided adhesive strip which (I now realise) has been used by women for years to prevent "wardrobe malfunctions". I apply two strips on the butt cheeks and make sure the speedo is firmly pressed into it. This takes practice, and can't easily be done in the changing room, so do it at home and arrive ready-changed. The tape is transparent, but visible after you take off the speedos and hence dictates some discretion in the changing room.

I am beginning to like the look: instead of being overweight and squeezing into a tight speedo, wearing a slightly too big one sends the message that I'm fit and looking after myself, while giving exciting opportunities to make adjustments during the swim!

Here's a link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Braza-Womens-C ... B01N2GODEE

Keep it up!

Hey Bulgerunner, thanks for the advice. It seems tricky for me as I always put on my speedo in change room and take it off right after the swim.

I think I prefer selling my old, loose pair online and use the proceeds to cover the cost of buying a new pair. Haha

Cheers!

[rmf]

Good work.
I second the Master Swim class comment. I am really surprised with the 1:50/100m minimum requirement. The whole idea of Master Swim Classes are to help people improve their swim skills and have fun. I am currently doing a Fall Master's class at the YMCA and the coach is great. We have a wide skill level of swimmers and the first day we were asked our skill level and then assigned lanes. Adjustments are made as needed. The coach also had two workouts or sometimes 3 which you can pick. While they are all generally the same, the speed or distance is slightly adjusted so we all can finish at the same time in the 1.5 hrs of swimming.

Look around, there are probably Master swim classes at the local pools & gyms. Some will be expensive but places at the YMCA, it's really affordable - especially if you are already a member of the Y.

[jca155]

Good work.
I second the Master Swim class comment. I am really surprised with the 1:50/100m minimum requirement. The whole idea of Master Swim Classes are to help people improve their swim skills and have fun. I am currently doing a Fall Master's class at the YMCA and the coach is great. We have a wide skill level of swimmers and the first day we were asked our skill level and then assigned lanes. Adjustments are made as needed. The coach also had two workouts or sometimes 3 which you can pick. While they are all generally the same, the speed or distance is slightly adjusted so we all can finish at the same time in the 1.5 hrs of swimming.

Look around, there are probably Master swim classes at the local pools & gyms. Some will be expensive but places at the YMCA, it's really affordable - especially if you are already a member of the Y.

I guess my coach sets the 1:50/100m prerequisite simply because of the limited space at the pool. He can accommodate 12-14 swimmers each session and he is already running multiple masters sessions, plus a dozen of “lessons” for swimmers like me.

So instead of having a big session, and putting swimmers at different skills level in different lanes, my coach offers more sessions and put swimmers in various classes according to their levels.

I do enjoy the small group learning opportunities.

Speaking of YMCA, there’s one in Downtown Vancouver just two blocks away from my office but their pool is having a major mechanical issue. It won’t be reopened until January at the earliest. By the time, I might have already changed job and work elsewhere in the city.

But there’s a new YMCA being built near my house though. It’s expected to be completed by the end of 2022. It’s gonna take less than 10 minutes to walk there. I am really looking forward to swimming there.

[jca155]

Hello guys,

It's almost 3 months since my last update. I have a few positive news to share.

After a 12-week front crawl course with my coach, I have made enough progress to join his masters group in January.

My 5 x 100m front crawl benchmark test improved significantly from 10:34 in late-September, to 10:10 in mid-October, to 9:40 in early-December.

I can't express how happy I am with the progress. Hope I can further improve my skills and break 9:00/500m soon.

My weight loss is going slowly but surely. I am now hovering between 190-195 lbs, with 12.8% body fat, according to the latest body scan. I am getting very very close to my 12% goal. I will keep working on it, after all the holiday eating.

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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[Scottiebum]

Hello guys,

It's almost 3 months since my last update. I have a few positive news to share.

After a 12-week front crawl course with my coach, I have made enough progress to join his masters group in January.

My 5 x 100m front crawl benchmark test improved significantly from 10:34 in late-September, to 10:10 in mid-October, to 9:40 in early-December.

I can't express how happy I am with the progress. Hope I can further improve my skills and break 9:00/500m soon.

My weight loss is going slowly but surely. I am now hovering between 190-195 lbs, with 12.8% body fat, according to the latest body scan. I am getting very very close to my 12% goal. I will keep working on it, after all the holiday eating.

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!



IMG_3583 copy.jpg

That sounds very positive, well done!

[wetman1961]

Well done on both maintaining and building on the weight loss, and on improving your swimming time!

I am still maintaining my weight loss, I am now on my way to a different "swimming goal" - swimming in the sea through the winter. My target is to swim at least once a week, and to swim between two pairs of steps and back as a minimum each swim. Up to now I have been exceeding both those comfortably, so I should be able to keep it going into next Spring. And I only wear a speedo! I invested in a Dryrobe this Autumn and it is proving its worth, it's great at helping me keep warm after the swim.

A Merry Christmas to you too, and here's to us both keeping up with our progress in the New Year.

[Speedoaddict]

I have lost some weight this year by cutting outa lit of rubbish from my diet. I was 20st 8lb (288lbs), as of today I am 18st 1lb (253lbs). Just got to keep going and try my best. I can’t exercise at the moment due to a few health problems which is a bitch, but I am focused on losing another 3st (42lbs). To everyone keep up the great work. Proud of you all.


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[Scottiebum]

I have lost some weight this year by cutting outa lit of rubbish from my diet. I was 20st 8lb (288lbs), as of today I am 18st 1lb (253lbs). Just got to keep going and try my best. I can’t exercise at the moment due to a few health problems which is a bitch, but I am focused on losing another 3st (42lbs). To everyone keep up the great work. Proud of you all.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That's very impressive, well done!