To the Pool!

Summer: it's crazy hot now! On days when it's ultra-hot, sunny and even humid, you'll find me killing it in the pool. If there's a heat advisory or an ozone warning situation going on, I either won't be going as hard or I'll just be indoors, out of the "danger zone" under the sun. Or I'll go swim later in the evening: night swimming! Swimming is an incredible all around, full body workout that combines strength training, cardio and interval training. You can target upper body, back and abs, lower body, or just do it all at once. Plus, you're in the water and you don't have to think about all that sweat pouring off your face. Believe me, it's still there, you just won't notice it due to the rest of the water.

Below you'll find a short swim workout. Although it's short, it's still beneficial and is great to do as a cardio warmup before weight training or whatever else is on you gym-agenda (be sure to grab a towel, though.) 

Maybe you're just getting your feet wet (bad joke, sorry) in the swimming world and need something not too intimidating to begin with? This is perfect. 

Swimming tips: 

• Brand new to lap swimming? Go watch some YouTube videos on proper form and the different strokes that are out there, and start with the most essential and fundamentals: Freestyle and Backstroke. Mostly concentrate on Freestyle! To be completely honest, half the time I just swim Freestyle the whole workout because it's my favorite. 
• You need goggles. As much as you say "I can see underwater just fine," you'll need the goggles to help out with drag and to keep the water from blinding you underwater because you'll be killing it, going fast and working hard! 
• Swimcaps are totally optional. If you're ultra-competitive and are using all of your energy to shave off those seconds, definitely use a cap. If you're swimming for a good workout and are less concerned about seconds and drag and the like, it's up to you: cap or no cap. I tend to skip the cap, I don't mind my hair getting wet. It keeps you cooler anyways. 
• Bring a towel! I don't need to explain this one. If you honestly have a question about bringing a towel to a swimming pool, you might want to reconsider your decision to start swimming.
• Make sure to stretch BEFORE AND AFTER you swim! This is so important with any exercise! Need some stretches? Check out the stretching posts, and check YouTube for some great ones, too. Try searching for "Pilates stretching."
• Bring a water bottle! Hydrate or die! Don't drink the pool water. You should know better, anyways. You should drink an ounce of water for every minute you exert yourself. Not necessarily at the same time, but shortly thereafter.
• Have fun! That's always most important, anyways. 
• Swimming outside? Take a good look at the weather report, especially at the heat index and any heat advisories/ozone warnings for your area. If these are too high, just go ahead and stay inside either doing a dry workout or taking the plunge in the indoor pool. 

 
SHORT SWIM WORKOUT 1: 

Endurance:
Warm-up: 4x25
Main Set:
2x50 Drill
2x25 Pull
4x50 Free
Cool down: 2x25
2-3 Minute break, stretch, hydrate
Form:
Warm-up: 4x25
Main Set:
100 Drill
2x25 Right
2x25 Pull
2x25 Left
2x25 Kick
2x25 Swim
Cool down: 2x25
4-5 Minute break stretch, hydrate
Speed:
Warm-up: 4x25
Main Set:
8x25 Sprints, 30-45 second rest between each 25
Cool down: 4x25 


Have questions about the workout or terminology? No worries, ask away. Or wait for the decoder post, which is coming very soon! Let me know what you think about this swim in the comments below or the Twitter-sphere. 1...2...3...Go! Sweat happy!