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possible effect of swimming on body.

anne

Veteran

Yesterday I went on my first clothes shopping trip of about 6 months. I noticed some tops that otherwise fit were tight around end of the sleeves ( they were short puffed sleeves) and just under my arms above my bust.

I was wondering if a few weeks of fairly intense swimming could have changed my body to bulk my arms up in that time, or if they would have been like that anyway (I have never had skinny arms). I realise that is an empirically impossible question to answer, but just wondered if other swimmers had noticed any changes in their bodies in that short a time period.

Body Type

14 replies

Latest reply was from anne

mumtojessandluke

Mine got slightly larger. Mostly swam breast stroke 3 times a week for an hour and half in my before bubs days. Also, it toned my arms a bit. I now struggle with some tops to fit me in the arms.

peanutbutter

Yes, swimming did bulk up my upper body just a bit --same effect as weight training. I could imagine since you're using those muscles constantly while swimming that toning could happen that fast.

Anonymous

yes, it is possible. I was "forced" to pick a sport during my freshman and sophomore years @ college. I picked swimming. I experienced some bulking that was temporary, very shortly after. I switched sports - I was not a fan of the look.

Kyle

Veteran

You bet. Same thing happened to me through weightlifting. But revel in your wonderful newly toned arms!

Alecia

Veteran

I have to disagree a bit with the ladies. I cringe when women talk about bulking up. It's really hard for most women to "bulk" up without steroids. I did powerlifting (bench pressing 140 lbs. for example) and didn't look anything like the women you see in bodybuilding magazines. Now I think you probably did have some tightening of your clothes, which is related to the fact that your muscles are less squishy. Less toned = squishy = easier to mold to clothes. Toned = muscles that demand clothes that fit to them. The reason I think it's important to make the distinction is that too many women will avoid becoming strong because of the myth of bulk. It's really a shame that that factors into the equation at all. Instead, I wish we would all maximize our ability and celebrate it. And that celebration would, of course, include buying new outfits to fit our super strong selves.

I'm getting off my soapbox now. And I should also note that it was a journey for me to get to this place myself.

Finally, good fro you, Anne. I am trying to figure out how to make the time to get myself back in the gym post-kiddo. You are an inspiration.

Alecia

Veteran

p.s. I'm a former swimmer, too. I think the dynamics described apply to it.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I think building your muscles probably makes you smaller, in terms of measurements because everything tightens up.

At least, that is my experience from lifting weights and also from talking with trainers.

Lena

Hehee, I think I'm one of those people who retains fat while gaining muscle.

Alecia, I also cringe a little bit when ladies are fearful of bulking up. It's not going to happen without "extra" help or some very rigorous training regimens. I know women who are much stronger and more fit than I am, and their arms are thinner than mine.

When I do any kind of upper body training, my arm muscles are the first (and only) places to develop definition and get firm, and I like it.

As an aside: I'm not a fan of bulging muscles, even on men (bleh).

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I am with Alecia, Jenava and Lena. I do weights too and it really diminished the size of my upper arms as some fat was replaced with the muscle.

Refugee

Veteran

Not a current swimmer but I have some experience that may be helpful. I started doing specific physical training to help my long term recovery from a recurrent shoulder injury. Lots of strength training. I certainly have not bulked up, but my body shape has changed a lot and I have some new fit challenges. And, in case you're wondering, no my weight has not changed. Here are some of the things I have learned over the last year applied to your situation:
First you say you have not been clothes shopping in 6 months. You really have no idea how the sleeves on those tops would have fit before you started swimming. The important question with the fit is have you noticed a difference in the fit of the sleeves of things you already own. This is more indicative of body change.
Second, in the short term, new exercise can have affects on body/muscle shape (minor swelling and water retention) that change over long term exercise. Wait a bit before purchasing clothes if you plan to continue your new exercise regimen.
Third, exercise and or weight loss of any kind can change the shape of your body just as much if not more than the size.
Hope this is of some help to you.

Lyrebirdgully

Hi Anne!
I took up rowing when I was nineteen (having never done any sport intensively whatsoever beforehand) and found I went up a bra size-- not the cup size, it was the circumference of the rib band that increased. The same thing happened to some of the other women. We all concluded that it might be due to an increase in muscle thickness around the pectorals, ribs and shoulderblade area (not that we could really see any bulking!), but more likely it was due to our ribcages actually expanding because we were starting to routinely breathe much more deeply - resulting in a widening across the upper back. More accurately, what we were experiencing was an unexpected postural improvement. I didn‘t mind appearing to be a bit wider across the shoulders because I felt it helped to balance out my wide hips (after all, Marilyn Monroe did upper body weights to maintain her famous bustline!) and I well remember the satisfaction of being able to fling open great heavy doors that previously I had had to struggle with. I never noticed any thickening of my arms.
After I stopped rowing and doing upper body exercise, my bra size reverted to my pre-training measurement.
As for whether muscles can change their shape in “a few weeks”, well my guess is VERY LIKELY -- judging by how rapidly my fitness levels return to normal after extended layoff periods. I’ve learnt from experience that the effects of unplanned interruptions to my exercise routine can be set right again after a fortnight of resuming my programme. As time goes on, you’ll be able to predict pretty accurately how your body responds to training - and training fluctuations. As you can gather, my body does not readily “bulk up” as such, but I do get nice subtle “toning” improvements – things that others probably wouldn’t notice - which I can detect as changes in the fit of my pants and shirts.

Anonymous

I am far from an expert, so the ladies who disagree might be right. I can only give the OP my opinion based on my own experience. I was swimming for an hour and a half, Monday to Friday. I saw changes in about 3 or 4 months. I'm also one to see changes very rapidly.

Lena

Lyrebird, I'm nodding along to your post. Also, I've always wanted to do rowing -I've tried it a bit and really liked it. I used to fence at one point, btw.

anne

Veteran

Thanks to all those who contributed to this thread.

I did want to say that I completely agree with refugees point "you have not been clothes shopping in 6 months. You really have no idea how the sleeves on those tops would have fit before you started swimming." That is right (I was trying to make the same point in my initial post but I don't think I did) I don't think I have any equivalent types of tops that I already own to try on.

Alecia, thanks for the helpful corrective about the issue of "bulking up" and it being a disincentive for women to exercise. When I used that expression it was not my intention to indicate that the bulking up - if it happened - was a bad thing. I am not overweight, and if I have to go up a size or (as I chose) not get those styles, it is no big deal.

Previous to this I was of a similar mind to you about it most women not getting big with weight training, let alone just with swimming. But I do wonder if some women are more likely to build muscle. I have a friend who is an amazing athlete. She has competed in long distance triathalons and is so fit that after a break of many months (to have kids) she can go out there and run 12km straight up. And she says that if she does weight training she gets very big very quickly. I am not like that, but wonder if I am a bit further towards her on the continuum than some others - in that I am naturally a bit more on the muscly side.

Quite a number of you have noticed changes from swimming, so I think it likely I am not imagining things myself. (I was very interested in lyrebirdgully's point about ribcages - I think that could be happening) The race I am training for takes place in a few weeks, so this level of training will be over and I will probably not swim much til next summer, so it will be interesting to see what happens afterwards.

I will be showing my shopping pics to you guys in a few days so feel free to point out then if I suddenly look different!

Thanks again everyone!