When is the best time to eat before working out?
I heard this one ninja totally flipped out and uppercutted some climber just because he glued down a hold before it broke.
I agree with sita. If you work your body hard, you need to give it what it wants. When you are hungry, eat. Zemkat here used to eat half a kid's meal, but these days she scarfs down stuff that would give me pause, and still has room for dessert. I mean it's just a function of how hard she's been pushing lately. She's also pretty stoked at the 30lbs lost on this new "eat what you want, there'll be neosporin for your cuts later" diet.
My diet uh, has been less successful. I was hoping my grandparents would see me thin, frail figure and try to fatten me up at Christmas, but alas all I got was "Super-nutritional gummy bears".
I agree with sita. If you work your body hard, you need to give it what it wants. When you are hungry, eat. Zemkat here used to eat half a kid's meal, but these days she scarfs down stuff that would give me pause, and still has room for dessert. I mean it's just a function of how hard she's been pushing lately. She's also pretty stoked at the 30lbs lost on this new "eat what you want, there'll be neosporin for your cuts later" diet.
My diet uh, has been less successful. I was hoping my grandparents would see me thin, frail figure and try to fatten me up at Christmas, but alas all I got was "Super-nutritional gummy bears".
Eating 1 hour prior to a workout is fine, but not optimal for fat burning. By not giving your stomach enough time to do it's job (break down the food) you are robbing your muscles of what they desire most, blood, which is still diverted to the stomach. Something small (some bar I keep hearing people say they ate) doesn't really harm much, because it's so small the body makes short work on it in the stomach. Personally, I won't eat 2 hours before I workout, whether it's running, swimming, weightlifting, cycling, whatever, because I figure "hell, as long as I'm working for a cardio-vascular benefit, why not maximize fat burning while I'm at it. That and I didn't DARE eat anything for hours before swim practice that I didn'twant to see on the side of the pool 8,000 yards later, but that was just hell. Keep in mind, too, that swimming, while an incredible workout, is one of the worst fat-burning excersizes one can do, because the body tries to preserve it's fatty tissue as insulation against the cold environment it's in. And who doesn't want to be a lean, mean all-purpose athletic machine? That being said, I really wish I had a pool near me NOT charging $40/month so I could get back in the water and train. 
Speaking of swimming. I need a good routine to ensure that I can swim 17 laps in 12 minutes. Each lap is 25 yards. I know nothing about swimming so I don't know if that is hard or not. I am taking an intermediate swim course at the Y to get guidance on form and breathing. 17 laps in 12 is the minimum standard. I'd like to exceed that. I have until end of summer to work on it. Any suggestions?
-
Guest
Jack - very funny. And good for Zemkat!
Corey - I'm not swimming to burn fat. I really want to optimize the timing of breakfast for max energy while I'm swimming. So is 90 minutes prior better? Or immediately? Somewhere in between? Does anyone know?
Sita - 17 laps or 17 lengths?? 1 lap is 2 lengths. The length of the pool is typically 25 yards (some are 25 meters). If it's 17 lengths in 12 minutues, it'll be cake! If it's 17 laps, you definitely need to practice. Swimming isn't something most people can just jump in and do for long distances, but anyone can do it with practice. Learning an efficient flip turn as well as working on a good stroke technique will definitely help. Both will shave time off your laps. Other than that, practice, practice, practice.
If they don't teach flip turns in the class, go to the pool during evening swim and get in a lane with a good swimmer. When you are both resting at the end of the lane, ask him/her to show you how it's done. Ask other people to critique you later when you practice. Most mature swimmers are very cool about that stuff. I've had people critique my stroke when I didn't feel "on" to help me ID the problem.
Right now I'm just trying to focus on keeping moving for 25 minutes without stopping so I haven't been counting laps yet. I've been out of the pool for a while and my memory may be off, but I think a very relaxed freestyle pace is 45 seconds per lap, FYI. Time yourself next time you're in the pool. 17 laps in 12 minutes sounds reasonable, but I don't think it's possible off the couch.
Corey - I'm not swimming to burn fat. I really want to optimize the timing of breakfast for max energy while I'm swimming. So is 90 minutes prior better? Or immediately? Somewhere in between? Does anyone know?
Sita - 17 laps or 17 lengths?? 1 lap is 2 lengths. The length of the pool is typically 25 yards (some are 25 meters). If it's 17 lengths in 12 minutues, it'll be cake! If it's 17 laps, you definitely need to practice. Swimming isn't something most people can just jump in and do for long distances, but anyone can do it with practice. Learning an efficient flip turn as well as working on a good stroke technique will definitely help. Both will shave time off your laps. Other than that, practice, practice, practice.
If they don't teach flip turns in the class, go to the pool during evening swim and get in a lane with a good swimmer. When you are both resting at the end of the lane, ask him/her to show you how it's done. Ask other people to critique you later when you practice. Most mature swimmers are very cool about that stuff. I've had people critique my stroke when I didn't feel "on" to help me ID the problem.
Right now I'm just trying to focus on keeping moving for 25 minutes without stopping so I haven't been counting laps yet. I've been out of the pool for a while and my memory may be off, but I think a very relaxed freestyle pace is 45 seconds per lap, FYI. Time yourself next time you're in the pool. 17 laps in 12 minutes sounds reasonable, but I don't think it's possible off the couch.
Sita....17 laps in 12 minutes? That's an odd number...17 lengths, or laps? A lap is a complete revolution (i.e. down and back)...are you swimming 425 yards (17 lengths) or 850 yards (17 laps)? It almost sounds like your taking a military PT test, but that's usually a 500 yard (20 length) test in 12 minutes. regardless, 12 minutes is a more than resonable time to complete either distance (with 17 being much quicker than 20 for obvious reasons) but requires training nonetheless. The most rudimentary advice I can give you is start within your reasonable ability/endurance. What I'd suggest off the bat is sets of 50's and 100's (2 and 4 lengths). do the 50's on a 1:15 cycle, and the 100's on a 2:30. I give those numbers for the untrained person, not knowing your speed/endurance. If you find you are completing the 50's with more than 20-25 seconds left, decrease the interval to 1:00...ok, this is going to get too long...I'll send you a PM when I have more time. I've spend enough hours in a pool and learned enough about how the body responds/performs to give you a good direction on training.
-
Guest
Corey, I personally find that doing intervals helps me with speed, but not endurance. It's been 20 years since I trained competitively and I've forgotten all the formal training (in other words, I'm about to talk out of my ass). I have continued to swim for all but the last year, though, and I have found that swimming long distances increases my endurance, and swimming intervals increases my speed. When I do both as part of my training, I improve my distance times (I like 2 mile swims). So my question after all that is, do you really think just swimming intervals is going to help Sita with her test? 500 yards in 12 minutes is easily attainable, but the truth is that it's much much easier to swim 50 or 100 yard intervals at a fast pace than it is to swim even 200 yards at a slow pace, much less 400 or more without stopping. That's my experience anyway.
Sita, I would recomend starting out with just swimming long distance at whatever pace you can manage. Set a distance goal or a time goal, not both initially, and just swim. Slowly at first. Don't stop no matter how tired you get. Change strokes or grab a kickboard and keep moving. It will be hell at first but that will be short lived. Once you build up some endurance (just a couple of weeks of this), add some interval training to increase your speed, but keep with the distance swims. Of course this is just what has worked for me all these years and I have no idea what pros recommend. YMMV. You won't have any problem doing 425 yards in 12 minutes with even a minimal effort. I wish I could train with you. Swimming is great!
Sita, I would recomend starting out with just swimming long distance at whatever pace you can manage. Set a distance goal or a time goal, not both initially, and just swim. Slowly at first. Don't stop no matter how tired you get. Change strokes or grab a kickboard and keep moving. It will be hell at first but that will be short lived. Once you build up some endurance (just a couple of weeks of this), add some interval training to increase your speed, but keep with the distance swims. Of course this is just what has worked for me all these years and I have no idea what pros recommend. YMMV. You won't have any problem doing 425 yards in 12 minutes with even a minimal effort. I wish I could train with you. Swimming is great!
Agree, lynne. If swimming is like running, the usual advise is: get your distance; speed will come. Unfortunately, I am an inately slow runner.
What I love about running is you can meditate while running. It's a peaceful place.
Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd, Runs marathons to raise money and awareness about children orphaned by AIDS
Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd, Runs marathons to raise money and awareness about children orphaned by AIDS
Ah, and herein lies the critical mistake people make regarding training. High-intensity interval training improves the body's VO2 max, as well as low-intensity endurance much more than continuous, medium-paced training. When I run, I focus on high-intensity intervals (this part is done on a treadmill) of 1:30 at a 6:00/mile or faster pace at a 5-6 deg incline, followed by 30 sec walking, then back to the running. I do this for 10 intervals, or so, usually running just over 2 miles. By doing just this 2 days/week (sometimes less, unfortunately), I can hop out and run 6+ miles on a whim at a 6:30 or so pace. When I was just running distance, my endurance was limited by how far I had run, because I wasn't loading my body enough. The principle is very similar to weith training. By over-loading the body it is forced to become more efficient, so when the pace is slowed to a moderate level the load feels light by comparison. The type of swimming intervals I would have her do for this is not the kind I did while training (and what you were thinking of). At first, yes, I would say she should swim a 50, or 100 and stop during for the rest of the interval, only to check her conditioning and see how long she can continue. Once she had a good baseline, I'd reccomend simming in the same manner....continuous high-speed for time "X", the slow down to "rest" for 1/3-1/4 "X", then back up to speed. Technically, she's never stopping, and her recovery will actually be better if she keeps moving and gradually letting her body relax, vs. an immediate stoppage. My goal is a 5:00 mile (5:30 so far), but my limiting factor in my training so far has been the equipment. The treadmills at my gym only run a 6:00 mile, so I am forced to crank up the incline to 6 or 8 deg to increase my load. Keep in mind, I'm 6'2" and weigh about 225lbs, so while a 5:00 mile is not FLYING, for my size I'll be happy with it (until I reach it, then I'll probably try to push for a 4:45). My point is through high-intensity training (weight as well as cardio) I've discovered I can achieve the same goals is much less actual training time. And isn't that the point, efficiency of training? It is for me. To test the benefits,from time to time DO your distance after your training. After lifting one day I hopped on the treadmill for my 10 cycles, then, after the cycles, just out of curiosity I decreased the incline to 2 degrees (to simulate wind resistance) and was able to run a 6:00 mile. I was very pleased with my results after this and was even more convinced of the benefits of high-intensity training.
Your form will the the single biggest limiting factor to your speed. Nowhere is form more important than in swimming. A weak, or inefficient pull will kill you quicker than anything else in the water, matched only by poor body position/lack of streamlined form. Take it from a sprinter who hated anything over a 200, when the form goes, your world comes crashing down and you feel like you're carrying a brick on your back. Is this test done doing Free (front crawl), side-stroke or Breast-stroke? If you can do front crawl, you'll be in much better shape speedwise (well, most people, at least, unless your crawl is REALLY bad). I took a PT test requiring a 500 yard swim that had to be done breast or side (I did it breast because side caused a painful twist in my knee. With being out of training for some time I managed a 1:30 pace/100 (7:30 time), but a REAL collegate breast-stroker could pull it off in 6:30 or better (1:18 or quicker pace). No matter what, train like you mean it (which, if it's for a PT test, I'm sure you do) and you should be fine.
Oh, and yes, 90 minutes should be plenty of time todigest a small meal before a workout in the morning.
Your form will the the single biggest limiting factor to your speed. Nowhere is form more important than in swimming. A weak, or inefficient pull will kill you quicker than anything else in the water, matched only by poor body position/lack of streamlined form. Take it from a sprinter who hated anything over a 200, when the form goes, your world comes crashing down and you feel like you're carrying a brick on your back. Is this test done doing Free (front crawl), side-stroke or Breast-stroke? If you can do front crawl, you'll be in much better shape speedwise (well, most people, at least, unless your crawl is REALLY bad). I took a PT test requiring a 500 yard swim that had to be done breast or side (I did it breast because side caused a painful twist in my knee. With being out of training for some time I managed a 1:30 pace/100 (7:30 time), but a REAL collegate breast-stroker could pull it off in 6:30 or better (1:18 or quicker pace). No matter what, train like you mean it (which, if it's for a PT test, I'm sure you do) and you should be fine.
Oh, and yes, 90 minutes should be plenty of time todigest a small meal before a workout in the morning.