Hi guys I'm brand new to the boards. First of all, thank you John you're a constant inspiration to me. :tu:
I'm currently at my "before" stage and i'm determined to get close to my "after" stage by the end of July 2004 when i'll be going on holidays to Spain. What i really want more than anything is to lose the spare tire around my gut and to get my abs visible and also i could do with losing quite a bit of fat from my chest area and thighs and bum. I'm not sure what my BF is but i imagine its in the high teens at least, i weigh around 172 lbs, i'm 5'9.5", i'm 21, a mesomorph and try to eat as healthily as possible, low fat intakes, plenty of water, fuit and salads, no fast food.
Right now, beacuse i'm in college and dont have alot of time to exercise and my workout is: Swimming 800 yards, 3 nights per week; moderate dumb bell lifting 2 times/week, 8 mile cycle 2times/week and 1 hours walking daily. Do you guys think this swimming is going to do much for me, thats my main question? Come June i'l be moving home and joining the gym with a friend (keep it competitive) so wish me the best! :gl:
PS i'l try get a pic posted soon for u guys to help me.

Do you guys think this swimming is going to do much for me, thats my main question?
Can you maintain your heart rate at 150-160 beats per minute for 20-30 minutes? If so, sure. You could also try HIIT (high intensity interval training) swim training which would consist of quick sprints across the pool followed by a very short rest after each length. By short I mean, too short to really catch your breath, like 10-15 seconds.

I swam in high school. If you're training right it's a good way to build upper body strength and cardio endurance while losing body fat. But if you're just doing a leisurely back stroke then forget it. ;)

Also, diet is really important to reducing body fat. There's more to it than just eating low fat foods and salads though. Be sure to include good quality proteins and complex carbohydrates. Stay away from the simple carbs.

Thanks mate. I try to keep the swimming as intense as possible, ~80 yards front crawl or breast stroke then 1 min rest, then continue. I know i have to push myself harder all the time and i'm absolutely not giving up yet! In fact, next time i'll increase from 800 yards to 1200, hopefully!

~80 yards front crawl or breast stroke then 1 min rest, then continue.
Have you ever trained on a swim team before? A typical training session would use a warm-up, intervals, then a cool down. Here's an example:

500 yard warm-up
10 intervals of 50-yard crawl @ 1 minute each (this means you start each interval at the top of the minute -- if you finish in 45 seconds you get a 15 second rest)
10 intervals of 50-yard breast @ 2 minutes each
500 yard cool down

You can also include leg training by using a kick board and flippers, or upper body training with a leg buoy and hand paddles if you want.

You can adjust the times, lengths, or the strokes as you want to meet your level or ability. If you just want to die after the 5th interval then you're doing it right. :D