Swimming And Calisthenics – The Perfect Match?
Would you ever think swimming could help calisthenics? Well, from two individuals experienced in both realms, we recommend participating in one if you exercise the other. Not only does it elevate your techniques, but juggling both workouts accelerates the rate you progress.
So, is swimming a calisthenics activity? No, swimming is not a form of calisthenics – if you look at it from the surface. However, the more you dig into its movements, health benefits, and exercise demands, the more similarities are revealed. Let’s begin with the differences.
What Are The Differences Between Swimming And Calisthenics
Apart from the differences which meet the eye, such as one being a land exercise and the other being in water, there are key elements preventing swimming from being a calisthenics exercise; these include:
- Swimming And Calisthenics Improve Different Components Of Fitness.
- Swimming Is A Full-Body Workout, Whereas Calisthenics Only Uses Compound Exercises.
- Calisthenics And Swimming Use Different Breathing Techniques
Swimming And Calisthenics Improve Different Components Of Fitness
This is significant for those with tunnel vision who are unfazed about bettering anything else but a specific target component of fitness:
| Activity | C.O.F (Differences) | C.O.F (Similarities) |
|---|---|---|
| Calisthenics | Power and Strength (relative strength) | Endurance (muscular), Flexibility |
| Swimming | Endurance (cardiovascular) | Endurance (muscular), Flexibility |
We discuss more on the similarities below
Swimming Is A Full-Body Workout, Whereas Calisthenics Only Uses Compound Exercises
Virtually every swimming stroke requires contractions from your whole body. As each muscle group is used, you grow proportionally. Thus, it’s unnecessary to do extra exercises to condition other muscles.
However, calisthenics benefits from compound exercises – using multiple muscle groups but not all. As a result, you must perform various movements to maintain a symmetrical body. Otherwise, you’ll look like a chicken!
Note: As both demand you to work multiple (or all) muscle groups at a time, they both strengthen your mind-muscle connection.
Calisthenics And Swimming Use Different Breathing Techniques
You should perform calisthenics with a prolonged, slow intake and a reserved, controlled exhale (making a long “tss” sound). This ensures your red blood cells are oxygen-rich to delay the build of lactic acid – enabling you to hold statics for longer and be more explosive in your movements.
On the other hand, swimmers must perfect fast gasps of air so they can keep their heads in the water as long as possible. This keeps them streamlined and fast. (Not to mention the need to hold their breath underwater!)
What Are The Similarities Between Swimming And Calisthenics
Don’t think there are any similarities? Think again – calisthenics and swimming complement one another, regardless of the one you find more dominant. They work the same muscle groups, build similar body types, and use bodyweight exercises. The main ones include:
- Swimming And Calisthenics Both Build A Strong Core.
- Swimming And Calisthenics Are Both Bodyweight Activities.
- Calisthenics And Swimming Improves Muscular Endurance and Flexibility.
Swimming And Calisthenics Both Build A Strong Core
In both workouts, your core is needed to stabilize your bodyweight as you raise your legs against gravity. For example, a human flag tightens your core as you go horizontal, and brethstroke requires you to contract your core to keep your hips as high as possible.
This is why swimmers and calisthenic athletes have similar body structures – they share the core being the most dominant muscle group used. So, they both have abs like gods!
While it knackers you performing both, it is a productive way to take a break from one workout but ensure you condition your core.
Swimming And Calisthenics Are Both Bodyweight Activities
No dumbells, no plates, and no cables – just you and your body… well, kind of.
Both calisthenics and swimming use bodyweight movements and focus on relative strength rather than absolute. This means no added weights are used for hypertrophy; instead, athletes in both realms maximize their strength but minimize their bodyweight.
We say “kind of” as swimmers must still face the resistance of the water, and many calisthenics use weighted vests or resistance bands. So, while there is a degree of extra weight added to the exercise, the fundamentals still revolve around bodyweight.
Calisthenics And Swimming Improves Muscular Endurance and Flexibility
We mentioned above, calisthenics and swimming have different fitness focuses. While they differ in power versus endurance, there are shared components each improves: muscular endurance and flexibility.
Calisthenics improves muscular endurance during statics (such as the plank), and it’s enhanced in the pool during long-distance swims. This enables each athlete to repeatedly contract their muscles without feeling fatigued over a long period.
Both exercises also improve flexibility and mobility. Thorough form requires you to stretch and reach. For example, in swimming, you want your stroke to go as far as possible, and in calisthenics, you want to spread your mass over a large area to make lifting yourself easier.
Is Calisthenics Good For Swimming
The core strength, explosiveness, and elasticity derived from calisthenics give a significant advantage to swimmers, so it’s definitely worth considering if you should incorporate it into your training routine.
- Crunches, planks, and the ab-roller target the exact core muscles shared in both activities. An authentic calisthenic workout strengthens your core to power through the strokes. The only limitation is it won’t train your endurance to an adequate level for a professional swimmer. Thus, it’s advisable to use calisthenics secondary to endurance programs for swimming.
- Deandhangs decompress your spine and help reverse lousy posture. While it may seem like a simple calisthenics stretch to some, this is a major advantage to swimmers. The better your posture, the taller you are, which increases your surface area. In the pool, this allows you to reach further in your stroke, spread your mass over a bigger area and make it easier to propel further. All making you faster.
- Lastly, certain calisthenics techniques go hand-in-hand with swimming strokes. For example, a front lever betters your backstroke (improves core strength and hip mobility), or a muscle-up advances your breaststroke (makes you more explosive).
So, if you fancy a break from the water, try calisthenics. While it doesn’t copy techniques directly, it will still develop your swimming ability.
Is Swimming Good For Calisthenics
Yes, swimming introduces numerous benefits of strength, mobility, and flexibility that assist calisthenics athletes.
- Firstly, all strokes use your joint’s full range of motion; for example, the front stroke needs you to rotate your shoulder the full 360 degrees. Being able to do this comfortably helps to lubricate the joints and increase the flexibility of the surrounding muscles. This provides huge benefits for calisthenics athletes who need significant mobility for moves like the back lever.
- Tired after a calisthenics workout? Try swimming. A light swim helps muscle recovery by gradually lowering your heart rate, stretching out your ligaments, and supporting any torn muscles. Plus, a cold swimming pool helps gradually lower your body temperature – great for eliminating fatigue!
- Swimming builds power in the quadricep and hamstring. All calisthenics athletes benefit from this because it enables them to generate more momentum when kipping – the stronger their legs are, the better they can thrust their hips forward and legs back. In addition, this is done without putting loads of mass on, ensuring a high strength-to-weight ratio.
Do You Get Stronger From Calisthenics Or Swimming
A common question we get asked is, which activity do you get stronger from? And, the honest truth is it depends. Swimming and calisthenics make you ‘stronger’ in different areas of your body and offer different types of ‘strength.’
- Calisthenics relies on fast-twitch, and swimming relies on slow-twitch muscles. So, when considering which activity makes you stronger, establish your definition of strength. If you believe strength is fast, intense muscle contractions, calisthenics gets you stronger. Else, swimming is your best bet if you believe strength is the ability to contract muscles for a long time without running out of power.
- Both strengthen the core; however, calisthenics works the upper body more (back, shoulders, and triceps), and swimming utilizes the lower body (hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves). Once again, whichever you associate most with strength will alter the ‘right‘ answer.
The rule of thumb: calisthenics makes you stronger than swimming as many associate strength with upper-body fast-twitch muscle fibers
Because you constantly lift your bodyweight, your muscles undergo more hypertrophy. Therefore, athletes have that pump feeling after a workout, but in the case of swimming, they just feel exhausted.
Is Swimming Or Calisthenics Better For Health
Why do you workout? If it’s for your body’s health, swimming is the best activity for you. Here’s why:
- Swimming improves lung capacity, making you less prone to cardiovascular disease.
- Swimming burns through long-term fat stores, which reduces your bad cholesterol levels.
- Swimming supports your body’s joints and promotes recovery in stiff areas.
However, some swimming pools are unhygienic – the changing rooms or the pool itself – which can make you ill. Consider this when you go for a swim but are already feeling a little run down.
This isn’t to say calisthenics has no health benefits. They just aren’t as varied as those associated with swimming. For example, calisthenics burns through short-term fat stores – assisting in maintaining a calorie deficit.
The bottom line: swimming has more health benefits, whereas calisthenics has more muscle benefits.
Conclusion
Despite the differences between calisthenics and swimming, using them together generates a better overall athlete. Each activity compliments one another, so using them alongside each other balances their weakness and enhances their strengths.
To judge whether or not it’s right for you, consider your personal fitness goals and targets, as it may be your time is better spent perfecting one activity and not even trying the other.
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