I'm not a 'real swimmer', and I'm not fat, and I don't like wetsuits. Period. They make me claustrophobic!

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"You're faster than you think!" --Nike

my fat ass continues to say - ban the wet suit

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http://www.clevetriclub.com

rob reddy

i know lots of very fast and very lean swimmers.

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Where would you want to swim ?

It has nothing to do with lean or meat. Real swimmers don't like wetsuits at races because it takes away some of our competitive advantage. It is well documented that the fastest swimmers don't incrementally benefit as much from wetsuits. Yes, all swimmers will swim faster with a fullsuit, but slower swimmers have more to gain.

ive been a swimmer for more than half my life, and while im not built like a runner, i dont really have this meat you speak of.. you stay afloat more with body position.. ive seen meaty guys who cant swim for the life of them cause thier butt is draggin a few feet below the surface..

as far as wetsuits, i love them... i dont have to kick, and as a swimmer, i feel far more relaxed when im racing in one

Then why did my coach agree with my the the normal real swimmer body has some meat on them?

Again, when I say skinny, I am 6'5" and weigh around 175. So, when I say skinny, I mean skinny.

So, I do think body position, as I said, has something to do with it. Seems like the more you can stay level on the water, like the pull bouy does for me, or a wetsuit, the faster I become.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I noticed a guy swimming next to me today that never kicked, but he totally kicked my butt with speed. So technique and strength seem to be real important.

Oh well, I really do love swimming with Masters. Would NEVER work this hard by myself!!! And, will see next year what it does, assuming I dont get hurt. Will never be fast, just want to be at the 75% point, if possible.



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

How about this. Let's say that you are bigger boned or you are meatier. Of the three disciplines of triathlon, having this body type will cause you the biggest disadvantage on the run but it could help you on swimming. Because you are bigger doesn't mean you'll be a good swimmer, but a lot of good swimmers are bigger.

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http://trainingoferic.blogspot.com/

That is about the silliest thing I've heard today.

Meat on a body sinks. Have you ever wondered why someone who's a bit overweight and has good technique seems to hold a steady pace. A heavier person with more fat will float better than a person with a lot of muscle or even a bean pole like yourself.

Take me for instance. I'm 5'11, 170 lbs and it's almost all muscle. I'd say I'm right around 5% body fat, maybe even more. Anyone ever tell you there lower than that....there lying. I'm what a lot of people consider to have way to much muscle.

Point being.....I sink like a rock. Those guys in the water who look like greek gods.....don't float either. It's these two little thing called mechanics and muscular endurance. Those guys drop you after a couple hundred because there muscular endurance is stronger than yours. Those muscles can hold power and pace longer than you.

Ever go to a gym and workout with someone stronger than you. You ever thrown 45lb wheels on the end of a straight bar and done some squats or maybe some bench press. Thats 135 lbs. Technically, most people should be able to press there body weight and I don't know to many people under 135. Lets take you and han'z fran'z for example (just an analogy). You may be able to press 135 or squat 135, oh say 14 times till complete failure. Well, old fran'z get ups and does it 35 times till he reaches exhaustion. Now, who do you think has more power and who do you think can hold that power for a longer duration.

Ok, power and endurance aside.....the only true way to become awesome in the water is a combination of power/endurance and stroke mechanics.

Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that muscle in no way floats. Very dense and very heavy. You want float?....throw a heavier person in the pool. Someone who's 100lb's overweight. You see float real quick.

nope.

there are many exceptions to your observation. of course it helps to have a youth swimming background. but there are many very fast swimmers that do not.

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Where would you want to swim ?

Swimming requires more active use of more muscles, if you are doing it right. So of course swimmers have more "meat" on their bones - upper body muscle mass is critical to propel them through the water. Running/biking requires almost no upper body muscle, so people that excel at these sports don't need any "meat" in this area. How many world class swimmers have you seen with chicken chests like bikers/runners have? None - most all of them have very sculpted upper bodies/backs because that is where the majority of their propulsion comes from.

Wetsuits (and pull bouys) help non-swimmers compensate for flaws in their body position and stroke form. That's why swimmers hate wetsuits, since they don't need them to fix these flaws.

This 6'7" fatty with 6 Oly medals agrees with you.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

yeah that makes sense.. but i disagree that having a bigger body translates into being a faster swimmer like he originally posted.. i have seen bigger guys motor through the water, but its usually cause they know how to keep their body up.. more often than not, i see the bigger guys in the slower lanes..

i agree with the run statement, but i dont think being big necesarrily helps you with swimming.. its that you know what to do with the body type you have..

This is meaty?

I'd say he swims pretty good. Good swimmers swim fast because they have good mechanics and because they have the upper body strength needed to pull themselves through the water.



Sheldon

Another anecdotal note: I've seen some big guys haul ass through the water, but I've never seen a big guy haul ass on a distance run.

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http://trainingoferic.blogspot.com/

agreed

Genetically elite swimmer prototype.

Tall, lean, large hands and feet.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Good points. Will continue to see if I can find one that is fast that I consider skinny.

I know I will NEVER be a great swimmer, biker, or runner. But, the reason I love tris is I am good in 2 of them at the moment. If I can just get good in swimming and stay healthy, next year at 50 will be a lot more fun. (But, I have to admit, it was more fun when I just showed up at a race with no expectations, and got to leave as soon as I finished. More pressure now to perform. :o( )



Hows the healing going?



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Swimmers can come in all shapes and sizes. As someone stated earlier, it is their history of competiting as a kid, and later in college, that makes the most difference. For sure, the people that float better, have an advantage, but you can't judge that by just looks alone. Body fat floats, but can't always be seen. Look at the super models that have 25 to 30% body fat.Swimming fast is a formula of history, floating, strenght, work ethic, and stroke mechanics. Great swimmers can be poor floaters, and can overcome it with superior strenght and stroke. Problem with triathletes that were not swimmers, is that they usually are missing two or three, or even four elements from this formula. Swimming fast takes a long time, and lots of yards to develope . Running and cycling come really fast to most people, and it's just frustrating that swimming is'nt the same.....And it's that frustration that makes most triathletes give up and neglect this one aspect of their overall race..

Competetive swimmers are, generally speaking, pretty big people. It is rare (but not unheard of) for a successful male swimmer to be under 6 feet tall and under 170 pounds. If you are 6'4" and weigh 195 lbs, you are just going to be a normal average size guy on the pool deck at a national meet.

As for what you see at the local pool, the majority of lap swimmers have some competetive background so they are kind of pre selected to be a little bigger than your average runner. Couple that with the fact that swimming is a low stress workout for people who get hurt running (read, bigger folk) and the lap lanes are going to be filled with larger people than you'll find out on the track.

As for wetsuits, many former competetive swimmers who take up triathlon don't wear them because they don't need them. They already have good high body position and don't benefit as much from extra flotation. It's one place where they can save some money when gearing up.

I see him as lean, but far from skinny.

I guess the bottom line is each of us, based on how we were born, go into sports that use the bodies we were given. All the basketball coaches came after me since I was 6"5 or so like in 8th grade. They didnt seem to care that I only weighed 140 lbs. Just wish I would have kept growing.



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

In summary, I hate wet suits and anyone who wears them. Ban wetsuits ! Make IM swims 5 miles !

...OK, hate is too strong of a word ...but despise seems appropriate. If the water is too cold then stick to duathlon. IMHO there should be separate categories/finishing times for wetsuit and non wetsuit participants. The folks running the "Big Shoulders" swim differentiate and maybe the tri world should too.

P.S. - My wife owns two wetsuits and is in Kona. ....Despise her for it ?? Definitely !



-Curacao bound on Jan. !!!!

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Ban Wetsuits !! Wetsuitsareforwimps.org/net/gov