Drop Pounds at the Pool

In this heat, our easy swimming plan is the workout from heaven. What are you waiting for?

By Bill Stieg, Men's Health

A swimming pool—the kind with lanes, not a swim-up bar—triggers a negative twinge in many men. Too cold, too inconvenient, too... wet. And that's too bad. Swimming gives you a great cardiovascular workout with none of the joint-jarring of running. You'll burn roughly the same number of calories per minute as you would biking, without the traffic risks. You'll get a restorative workout that helps you come back strong in your other sports. And you'll develop that lean-and-powerful look that draws so many women to the TV when the Olympics are on.

Swimming builds functional strength, starting with your core muscles—back, chest, abdominals. "People think it's about making your arms and legs strong, but those are simply extensions of what the core does when you swim properly," says Terry Laughlin, a veteran swimming coach and author of Triathlon Swimming Made Easy. Problem is, many men can't swim properly—they thrash, struggle, sink, and give up. Not you. Your swimming lesson, adult version, begins here.

You've seen those old guys at the YMCA who swim lap after lap after lap, never tiring. They're efficient. If you're out of breath after one lap, it's not that you lack "some sort of elusive or special swimming fitness," says Laughlin. You're just inefficient.

Try Laughlin's tips for a longer, better workout, and check his Web site, totalimmersion.net.

LEAD with the top of your head, not your forehead, for better head-spine alignment. Look at the bottom of the pool, not ahead.

PUSH DOWN with your chest until your hips and legs feel light. That "sinking feeling" you may notice is just your legs and hips naturally riding lower in the water than your upper body. Pressing your chest down gives you better balance. With each stroke, press each armpit into the water.

SLIP your arm into the water with each stroke as if you were sliding it into a sleeve. A longer body line reduces drag. Extend your arm until your shoulder touches your jaw.

BE QUIET with your body. Waves indicate wasted effort. Imagine you're piercing the water and slipping through a small hole.

The Starter Swimming Workout

If you get winded, just hang on to the side; it's better than struggling with poor form, says coach Terry Laughlin. This 30-minute workout allows for lots of rest.

SET 1: Swim 8 x 25 yards focusing on head and chest position, resting for five deep breaths after each length. Then swim 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards. (Take a five-breath rest after each distance.) Note how many strokes you take on the 25. Swim the remaining laps at a consistent effort, counting strokes. A tired swimmer uses more strokes.

SET 2: Swim 8 x 25 with a focus on a longer body line. Then swim 100, 75, 50, and 25 yards. (Take the same rests as above.) Swim the 100 very easily. Count your strokes and divide by 4. That number serves as your benchmark for the rest of the set.

SET 3: Swim 8 x 25 with a focus on "quiet" form. Then swim 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards. (Take the same rests as above.) Note the number of strokes you take on the 25. See if swimming quietly improves your efficiency.

Provided by Men's Health