Hey all,
My name is Matt Harris and I'm currently trying to cut weight and get back in shape. I've tried diets, getting into running, biking, hiking, yoga and other aerobic activities, and while they work, I can never keep them up. When I diet, my cheat days end up putting the weight back on. I'm the world's worst runner and after maybe two or three runs, I feel as though I need an ambulance. Biking was something I could do but it didn't burn weight very fast (or I just ate it back on) and other methods just don't produce results fast enough for someone as impatient as I am.
I realized that ever since I was ten I became inherently a swimmer. I didn't know it then, as I still played a few other sports until I was 14, but it was the best way for me to exercise. Not the worst fate in the world, it's a low-impact sport that is kind on the muscles, promotes whole-body fitness. I also loved racing so the competitive aspect was there. It also kept me very slim all the way through high school and most of college. Turning 21 hurt a bit, as it seems to take a toll on many college students, but swimming still kept me in check to where I was able to cut weight back down and was lean and fit.
Post-grad life is tough on any college athlete. Without the team behind you to train with, you suddenly find workouts mundane, they seem to go by longer and things you once were able to accomplish just don't seem to be within reach. This is sometimes true, and I don't pretend that it's still not tough to get through the workouts alone. I am lucky to have my girlfriend along with me to many of them which really takes away the mundane aspect, but workouts on my own can get tedious. I sometimes am tempted to cut corners (after all, it's my workout, I'm allowed to.... right?), but I've found that the best results are when I JUST GET IT DONE. I try to eliminate the possibility of cutting any corners and finishing the yardage I set out to finish. And if time constraints for my job prevent me from getting a workout in, rather than feel like I'm behind and need to double the next day, I just pick up where I left off and keep going.
I stopped dieting. I'm not eating crap every day, but I do indulge once in a while. I exercise where it's enjoyable, like hiking and kayaking. I bike occasionally and try to do one run per week after I weigh in (I'm always most motivated to run when I weigh in... strange how that works). I will weight-lift occasionally but not consistently. For post-grad competitive swimmers, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for in-water work. If anything, get yardage in. If you have time, throw in some specialty stuff. Build up pulling and kicking as well as complexity of motion with IM and stroke work. You will stay flexible, drop weight, and most importantly, you will feel more motivated to go about the rest of your day. It livened my step immediately after the first 4000 yards on day 1, and it hasn't failed me since.
I'm going to try and post five days a week, daily to take you on this gradual weight loss situation and welcome you to try the workouts on your own. There is certainly no guarantee, but putting my thoughts into this blog and on paper has really helped me to put it into perspective and has helped me to more truly enjoy swimming. Looking back, I'm not sure what my life would have come to without swimming, but I'm perfectly fine not knowing, and even happier that I didn't have to find out.
Sincerely,
Matt Harris
Kenyon College '09
My name is Matt Harris and I'm currently trying to cut weight and get back in shape. I've tried diets, getting into running, biking, hiking, yoga and other aerobic activities, and while they work, I can never keep them up. When I diet, my cheat days end up putting the weight back on. I'm the world's worst runner and after maybe two or three runs, I feel as though I need an ambulance. Biking was something I could do but it didn't burn weight very fast (or I just ate it back on) and other methods just don't produce results fast enough for someone as impatient as I am.
I realized that ever since I was ten I became inherently a swimmer. I didn't know it then, as I still played a few other sports until I was 14, but it was the best way for me to exercise. Not the worst fate in the world, it's a low-impact sport that is kind on the muscles, promotes whole-body fitness. I also loved racing so the competitive aspect was there. It also kept me very slim all the way through high school and most of college. Turning 21 hurt a bit, as it seems to take a toll on many college students, but swimming still kept me in check to where I was able to cut weight back down and was lean and fit.
Post-grad life is tough on any college athlete. Without the team behind you to train with, you suddenly find workouts mundane, they seem to go by longer and things you once were able to accomplish just don't seem to be within reach. This is sometimes true, and I don't pretend that it's still not tough to get through the workouts alone. I am lucky to have my girlfriend along with me to many of them which really takes away the mundane aspect, but workouts on my own can get tedious. I sometimes am tempted to cut corners (after all, it's my workout, I'm allowed to.... right?), but I've found that the best results are when I JUST GET IT DONE. I try to eliminate the possibility of cutting any corners and finishing the yardage I set out to finish. And if time constraints for my job prevent me from getting a workout in, rather than feel like I'm behind and need to double the next day, I just pick up where I left off and keep going.
I stopped dieting. I'm not eating crap every day, but I do indulge once in a while. I exercise where it's enjoyable, like hiking and kayaking. I bike occasionally and try to do one run per week after I weigh in (I'm always most motivated to run when I weigh in... strange how that works). I will weight-lift occasionally but not consistently. For post-grad competitive swimmers, THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for in-water work. If anything, get yardage in. If you have time, throw in some specialty stuff. Build up pulling and kicking as well as complexity of motion with IM and stroke work. You will stay flexible, drop weight, and most importantly, you will feel more motivated to go about the rest of your day. It livened my step immediately after the first 4000 yards on day 1, and it hasn't failed me since.
I'm going to try and post five days a week, daily to take you on this gradual weight loss situation and welcome you to try the workouts on your own. There is certainly no guarantee, but putting my thoughts into this blog and on paper has really helped me to put it into perspective and has helped me to more truly enjoy swimming. Looking back, I'm not sure what my life would have come to without swimming, but I'm perfectly fine not knowing, and even happier that I didn't have to find out.
Sincerely,
Matt Harris
Kenyon College '09