Swimming, Steroids, and Bulking

[trenlover]

I used to have no muscle mass. Then one day I started swimming. Not competitively, but I trained with a swim team for about 1-2 hours a day. I think I was about 21 when I stared, and I saw tremendous gains in muscle mass. I mean, I had nothing, and then all of a sudden, three months in, I had a chest, a bit of arms, quads, etc. Not huge, but definitely a large amount of muscle mass. I also am a bottomless pit when it comes to eating so I can easily consume 8000 kcals a day. I think my leptin levels are messed up, but that's another story. I stopped by the time I was 23. Didn't even know what steroids were back then.

I'm 26 now, and currently on a bulking phase with Dbol, Sust and Tren Ace (started it yesterday). I'm lifting 5 times a week. But my past experience with swimming really got me thinking: If I put on a nice amount of muscle when swimming, sans steroids, then perhaps if I start swimming again with the AAS I will see some serious gains. Does anyone have any experience on using swimming for bulking? I'm not talking long, endurance swims, but tough, timed speed training: 100m, sprint laps, etc.

If so, how do you recommend I integrate this with my weight-lifting so that I don't overtrain?

Any opinions are welcome and appreciated!

 

[jasthace]

I don't think you could run tren and swim any great distance.
I have been thinking about doing swimming for the fitness and hopefully gain some more muscle suppleness.

 

[trenlover]

Thank for your reply jasthace. I don't mean to swim great distances, but do sprints instead (that's how I gained the most mass when swimming). What are you thinking of doing swim-wise?

 

[mac111]

swimming will not get you big, look at the current Olympic line ups for a perfect example.

i suspect you hit an age related growth spurt and are coincidently linking it to the swimming. i fail to see how swimming produces big quads and chest? the science of movement doesnt support swimming to drastically increase muscle mas, think about the range of movements......

 

[trenlover]

Olympic sprinters are usually larger and more muscular than olympic endurance competitors. This is true of runners, swimmers, etc. Faster swimmers (Phelps, Lochte) have a higher muscle development than 400m swimmers. They also don't WANT to get big, as that would be a detriment to their speed.

Let me clarify a few things: 1) I do not want to get "huge" -- I'm not a bodybuilder. My ideal body is Chris Evans in Captain America 2) when I swim, I get huge pumps and my chest is incredibly sore. I've actually had my chest cramp while swimming and it is horrible. 3) I see what you're saying about the growth spurt, but I'm pretty sure I haven't hit a growth spurt since I was 15.

I'm trying to get the opinion of other swimmers that have experience (maybe swimming with AAS?) or some doctors/trainers

 

[leoclaw79]

think u may wanna leave the tren out if youre trying to swim because i personally got winded way too easy when on tren... you'll be able to see if the tren makes too big of a difference if you use tren ace rather than a longer ester

 

[mac111]

Olympic sprinters are usually larger and more muscular than olympic endurance competitors. This is true of runners, swimmers, etc. Faster swimmers (Phelps, Lochte) have a higher muscle development than 400m swimmers. They also don't WANT to get big, as that would be a detriment to their speed.

Let me clarify a few things: 1) I do not want to get "huge" -- I'm not a bodybuilder. My ideal body is Chris Evans in Captain America 2) when I swim, I get huge pumps and my chest is incredibly sore. I've actually had my chest cramp while swimming and it is horrible. 3) I see what you're saying about the growth spurt, but I'm pretty sure I haven't hit a growth spurt since I was 15.

I'm trying to get the opinion of other swimmers that have experience (maybe swimming with AAS?) or some doctors/trainers

eh yes, but not swimmers. im not ragging on you but you have a skewed perception of this. sprint swimmers are tall and lithe with good back and shoulder development not what one would term as muscular, in a relevant context. explain to me how swimming builds quads?

if you dont want to push yourself then dont take AAS, its akin to putting a restrictor kit on a super bike, all go and no show.

you'll easily attain what you are looking for, without the risk of cause irreversible damage to your endocrine system.

im not spewing broscience at you, ive 20+ years training experience, 7yrs PT with professional quals and degree level sport science and coincidentally did a paper on Olympic sports as expressed by the science of movement

(ps, tell Little_Evil about the last paragraph [)])

 

[leoclaw79]

if youre lifting heavy and all i dont see why there couldnt be a benefit to swimming as it would add in some volume in whatever muscles swimming works... maybe you saw such gains because at the time your body wasnt really adapted much to anything.

 

[mac111]

if youre lifting heavy and all i dont see why there couldnt be a benefit to swimming as it would add in some volume in whatever muscles swimming works... maybe you saw such gains because at the time your body wasnt really adapted much to anything.

yes, but he reckons he's going to spurt growth BY swimming which is a waste of gear and time unless he's specifically training for a swim meet.

 

[jasthace]

You can definately get a great pump from swimming just a short distance. Its a great cardio exercise too. I have been thinking of doing swimming just for fitness and tone and there might be some nice girls down there too.
I don't know what "swim wise" is.
A couple of months ago,I was on vacation and was swimming around in a pool... I thought I'd have a quick blast of butterfly stroke, lol , I just about pulled a muscle in my chest, I certainly broke a few fibers in there, just the sudden stretch and blast off..
Still thinking of doing it , its just a case of getting my swimming trunks on and heading down to the local pools..

 

[MANWHORE]

Swimming is real good for exercise..
That's all I got on this ..

No but really, if you ate 8,000cal/day and swam
I can see you gaining some muscle mass.

Especially, the way you describe your swimming routine.
HIIT type ... sounds like to me

Depends how much muscle you want...
AAS, food, and intense swimming.. I would do it
if I knew how to swim

 

[mac111]

i give up..............

 

[Sworder]

If you want muscle mass hit the weights. If you want a good cardio exercise swim. On cycle hit the weights because that is the best way of increasing muscle mass. If you want to swim, swim. It is not the optimal training for muscular hypertrophy.

You will look foolish if you are swimming to bulk. Just like you will look foolish if you are hitting the weights for cardio. It is not the best way to do it. I find repeating myself the best way to get my point across

Understand that I am not saying that you can not gain any muscle mass from swimming. There are better ways on getting what you want. Focus on one thing at a time, bulk then swim for a great exercise! I would drown on Tren.....

 

[mac111]

Just another head strong kid who won't listen to those who know.....

 

[Sworder]

Pretty funny how everybody is saying that it is a good exercise and good cardio but NOT the best for gaining muscle and there is still rebuttal

Oh yeah, the olympic sprinters got those muscles from doing short intense sprints only? No weight training?

Edit: If you do swim during cycle I would be drinking a lot of carbs before and during so you aren't burning any precious muscle.

 

[foreveryoung]

Pretty funny how everybody is saying that it is a good exercise and good cardio but NOT the best for gaining muscle and there is still rebuttal

Oh yeah, the olympic sprinters got those muscles from doing short intense sprints only? No weight training?

Edit: If you do swim during cycle I would be drinking a lot of carbs before and during so you aren't burning any precious muscle.

genetics

 

[Sworder]

I know some sprinters do not use any weight training, but a majority does and that could lead to an increase in muscle.. Explosive energy from weight training is good for sprinters as Kevin Levrone demonstrated years ago. Don't even feel like making this a sprinting discussion as I don't know shit about track & field, my only point was that some of the muscles sprinters have may come from weight training. Agreed?

 

[MANWHORE]

Olympic sprinters are built for the sport.
They also train with squats.
Power lifters are also usually good at sprinting

I knew a kid who was the fastest sprinter at his high-school.
He worked for me.. The kid was fast but had small legs.
Now if he ate more, I don't doubt his legs would have grown
as long as he wasn't overdoing the sprint workouts.

My point? I don't know. Just want to get back in the conversation

 

[MANWHORE]

Just another head strong kid who won't listen to those who know.....

Just go with it

I believe Arnold used to be a swimmer before he came to
the USA, which is really what got him the size.
He then transferred his training to alot of speed walking
to get more defined.

I mean really Mac, the kid already mentioned that he doesn't
want to get huge, and we all know what a pain in the ass
it is to keep that from happening.

I can't believe Phelps is on the cover of a magazine
that says: How To Get An Olympic Body

If that's what they consider an Olympic body, then
you can count me out.
He does have a little more muscle than my 8yr old son
I will give him that

 

[mac111]

Just go with it

I believe Arnold used to be a swimmer before he came to
the USA, which is really what got him the size.
He then transferred his training to alot of speed walking
to get more defined.

I mean really Mac, the kid already mentioned that he doesn't
want to get huge, and we all know what a pain in the ass
it is to keep that from happening.

I can't believe Phelps is on the cover of a magazine
that says: How To Get An Olympic Body

If that's what they consider an Olympic body, then
you can count me out.
He does have a little more muscle than my 8yr old son
I will give him that

lol i know he doesnt want to get huge, and he def wont if swimming is all he does, he'll be lucky to gain anything at all........

i mean, if he actually hit the weights and found out how difficult it is to actually build muscle the specific way then he'd catch onto what we mean!!