Does swimming cause broad shoulders?

Question

I've changed from gym to swimming recently because i like it more. I do about 4 nights a week. Half hour of the front crawl which i'm trying to work up to 1 hour. I'm 28yr old female and quite consious of my shape as i've a large chest and wide(ish) shoulders. Will swimming make that worse??

Answer 1

I started swimming 5 years ago, at 29, and it did make my shoulders a lot more built up and muscular looking. I had spaghetti arms and shoulders before swimming, but now they are toned, my shoulders are squared and straight, and yes, a bit broader (but not much on the broader side.) But I was very petite to begin with. I'd say considering you already have a wide chest and shoulders, you likely won't see much of an increase of upper body mass, but you WILL look a LOT more toned! I have never experienced an exercise as completely toning as swimming. Give it a shot!

Answer 2

Swimming in general might build up some muscles on your shoulders but the people who really develop broad shoulders are the butterfliers. Since it's such a vital part of the stroke that their arms come a full 90 degrees around they naturally build muscle during both practice and competition. For them it just comes naturally even for people who were not-so broad shouldered at the beginning of the season. But the other strokes in competitive swimming won't do as much for your shoulders. They will make your shoulders slightly broader though, but it may be hard to tell or even unnoticable in some cases. I'd say backstrokers are the next to benefit from swimming in terms of broad shoulders since sprinting for backstroke is more like a windmill effect rather than the normal bend the elbows kind of thing that they always teach you (I'm a compeitive free/back swimmer myself and I can guarentee you I don't care about what they taught me in a single swimming lesson or most of my coach's recommedations, I just swim so that I get the best time while not drowning).

Answer 3

Swimming makes people this shape because it's a more effective shape for swimming. If you're already the shape it makes you, then there's no 'adaptive motivation'.

It might actually make you a shape you like better, but have never considered being. There are very few gym exercises that can match the range-of-movement used in swimming. Weights and Machines use the musculature 'intensively'.

(in this context, the word has nothing to do with 'intensity')

Swimming is an 'extensive' activity. Where resistance training will brace one bodypart firmly against another, so that a muscle can contract on a stable fulcrum, swimming strokes improve by 'dissociation' (loosening) of the joints, as a result of communication with the water. For example, the 'gliding' position in any stroke will not be effective if your body is rigid. Both the agonist and antagonist muscles need to relax more in order for your 'inactive' body to adapt to the changing microcurrents in the pool, and 'slip' through them with the least resistance.

This concept of 'dissociation' is completely foreign to the orthodox framework of weight training. However, it is responsible for the kind of muscular development available to swimmers, where very firm and powerful muscles, visible because of low bodyfat, can also be smooth and curvy, rather than angular and lumpy as they tend to become with gymwork.

The continuous reach-and-pull involved in swimming strokes is a much more versatile and varying exercise than 'pumping cable', and you will probably get a much more lithe and slinky figure by doing it regularly.

Answer 4

Could possibly broaden your shoulders, but more than anything it'll tone the muscles - I'd recommend varying your swimming styles so you get a good mix of front crawl, back stroke and breast stroke - each works a different set of muscles, so you'll still get the same amount of exercise, but in different places, so it should stop you putting all your definition in just one place. the legs for breast stroke are really good for your bum!

Could you perhaps switch one of your swimming nights back to the gym so that you get a balance? I can't go to the gym without my MP3 player - when I've got good music, I can pass several hours in there and it's less of a chore!

Answer 5

Unless you swim four hours a day every day of the week, or however much professional swimmers swim, or unless you have really good genes for building muscle in the shoulders, no. Now, I want broader shoulders and I swim, but they stubbornly refuse to get broader.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

to tell you the truth, i've been swimming for years and i'm broad myself.
straight truth: swimming WILL make your shoulder's a little broader no matter what.
if you are a competitive swimmer, or you swim on a daily basis, i advise you to stay away from swimming BUTTERFLY or FREESTYLE.

Breastroke will fix your posture, and backstroke will straighten out your back as a bonus; both of these strokes will NOT effect your shoulders.

goodluck ! :)

Answer 8

It will increase the muscle mass in your shoulders.

If you look at Olympic women swimmers they do all seem to have broad, muscled shoulders. That doesn't mean it's ugly by the way, it's not like you're body building!

I'd say go for it, if it keeps you fit

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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