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Hi.

I was told at the gym the other day that going swimming after lifting weights will waste all the work I have just done. ie. I won't get any bigger becuse the blood has been pumped to different parts of my body when swimming.


Is this true? The guy who told me was just another gym go'er like myself so I don't want to take JUST his word for it.


Any advice appreciated.

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Fitness Boot Camp

If you're trying to "bulk up" then he's right, swimming or any other form of heavy cardio is not beneficial for muscle gain...

The most important thing you can possibly do after weight training is to eat some form of carbohydrates followed by a protein.

You have an effective window of about 30 minutes after training when the carbs and proteins will best be assimilated.

This is because your body typically has a slight decrease in usable blood glucose in your blood stream, so your cells are open and ready to take in any free calories that are introduced!

Eatng some form of carbohydrates temporarily raises your blood sugar, forcing your body to produce more insulin and allowing you to assimilate the protein you're about to eat even better!

This means, no swimming, no walking the dog, don't do a load of laundry, don't go grocery shopping... The first priority is to eat and replinish the glycogen stores that have just been depleted.
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I know that swimming after weights reduces inflammation by pumping blood through the body, buffering lactic acid and reducing soreness the next day - so you might very well be less swollen/inflamed after swimming... but surely it can't erase your work out from your body's memory. It doesn't untear the muscles and put them back to how they were before your weight routine. That's impossible. I think it will assist in your recovery and your body will appreciate it.

You're right it won't "un-tear the muscle tissue" but you do need to take in some high quality calories including carbohydrates and protein immediately after training.

That can be as easy as throwing a canned protein shake in your bag to drink between swimming and weight training.