Uncle Morgan's Swim Fu

I just decided pass on some information about my Swim Fu concept, on the off-chance the monkey tribe might know some people who could benefit from it.

Actually, anyone can benefit from it, because the workout is infinitely variable, and the exercise resistance is progressive and proportional to the effort put into it.

Work slow and easy for light resistance--the equivalent of low weights.

Work fast and hard for the equivalent of heavier weights.

It's also low-impact, and thus especially good for seniors, and those with old sports (or other) injuries, arthritis, etc.

Swim Fu is done in a pool (usually).

The water provides resistance to movement, and the resistance can be selectively varied by either moving faster, or by using a larger "resistance amplifier"--starting with an ordinary ping pong paddle.

Paddles are a start, but there are other things to work with, too.

All are better than the "mer-fins" used in Aquacise classes, and are usually less expensive, too.

One of the most important things about Swim Fu is that it prevents the body from overheating--on the inside. Internal heat builds up quickly, especially in the liver. That's partly because because the liver is often over-insulated by internal body fat.

When a person begins to overheat, the liver starts shutting down. It begins to fail to send toxins to the kidneys, and to release glucose into the bloodstream.

That's when people doing ordinary land-based exercises "hit the wall". And it's also why they often feel really bad after exercising, right up to the point of tossing their cookies, or collapsing entirely. Especially runners.

They do feel better--eventually. But that's only after they have cooled off enough for the liver to start functioning normally again.

Sweat can only cool a person so much. It's purely an emergency cooling system--it either cuts in when you need it or you die.

In the pool, water carries excess body heat away far better than sweat. Thus, the liver continues to function optimally, you don't hit the wall, and toxins don't build up. So you aren't hung over during & afterwards.

Typically, you can work out hard, get out of the water, and feel what I call "The Glow". It's the natural euphoria that accompanies hard exercise (Nature's way of masking the pain!) but it's not blunted because there isn't any pain to mask.

Typically, all a person needs for a good Swim Fu workout is a pool or other body of water, two ping pong paddles (or larger paddles), two "targs" (optional, mostly for fighters), a couple of small dumbells--typically 1 t o 5 lbs, or whatever you can handle--and a large nylon cutting board.

"Targs" are like Captain America shields: flat discs with a nylon strap handle on one side. They can be made from heavy plastic dinner plates, 1/2" plywood, or discs of nylon cut from large cutting boards. They are typically 11" in diameter or less.

Targs are especially for use by martial artists and boxers because they offer maximum resistance to a punch (done under water) without the joint stresses and ligament damage from punching with weights. When you stop punching, the targ (or paddle) does not keep going.

Targs teach keeping the wrist straight, which is the Ultimate Cosmic Secret of Powerful Punching. That is an Arcane Wisdom handed down from the Ancient Masters that I am sworn to keep forever secret, unless I can sell it to somebody. I usually get a quarter.

Punching done with submerged paddles strengthen the forearms remarkably. They are the muscles that hold the wrist straight, and their ultimate strength is what limits a person's "whole-body" punching power.

Most people start off with ping pong paddles doing sweeping motions in every direction, usually ten reps at a time. Forehand and backhand, both.

Targs are a push-pull exerciser. After doing an hour with targs, hop out of the pool and hit the heavy bag a few times. You'll feel like somebody bolted a turbo on your punch.

Gripping the handle of the paddle during sweeps exercises the fingers, hands, and forearms.
"Spider-gripping" the flat of the paddle takes much of the stress off the hands and allows more forceful motion.

Larger paddles can be used, and paddles with longer handles, but that can quickly overload a person's wrists. Overlarge paddles are impractical.

A large nylon cutting board is used for the "bench press" of Swim Fu. Held in two hands, just push out and pull back, hard. 60 reps is a good goal to work toward.

Consciously hold the stomach muscles tight during all Swim Fu exercises. It strengthens the core delightfully.

One of the best things about Swim Fu is that when you are ready for a weight to not be heavy, it stops being heavy. As in the "bench press"--as soon as you stop pushing or pulling, all resistance ends. The nylon cutting board will never slip out of you grip and smash your chest flat.

With dumbbells, you do all the usual upper-body exercises, plus one I call the "Brainbanger". Dangle the dumbbell in your fingers tips, then helicopter it around your head, foreword and backward. Ten reps each way is usually good. It will make all those little (but very important) muscles in your arms and shoulders scream.

You'll only hit your head a few times before you get tired of the noise and start using (and extending) your range of motion.

There's more, but this is plenty for now.

 

my early Ninja training

 

The last 6 months before I got out of the Marines I worked as a water combat swim instructor and life gaurd we run classes during rec pool and we done water aerobics that had a lot of what your ssysay in it that and water combat polo boots and uts tread water was a easy thing to do after a few games of that.

 

Some places offer swim aerobics. It is such good exercise and I know that people who have knee replacements find exercising in the pool real beneficial. The ping pong paddle is a great idea.

 

Ping pong paddles can be found very inexpensively in thrift stores & yard sales.

The Prokodima paddle is a little larger than the ping pong size and is great for more forceful training.

Right now I'm looking for another pair of those because I got a little too swishy with mine and broke one of the handles.

That's how I managed to figure out that all wooden paddles should be fully watersealed before they hit the pool. Otherwise the water will eventually weaken the wood until even a wheezy old geeezer like me can snap one off in an arthritic frenzy.

Swim Fu is also great for range of motion exercises to free up the hips and hamstrings, etc., because you can stretch to a voluntary degree and stop when you like, which is not always the case when working out on a mat. Gravity stops being an unfriendly assistant when you are in the water.

Everyone in Modernville, USA (except some martial artists and MMA fighters) have bound hips from sitting in chairs. Being able to free them up and strengthen the unused muscles in the pool is great for better balance, and to avoid broken hips caused by furniture that is too low & too spongy to get out of alive. It makes for a more graceful, better balanced, and more poised walk, as well.

Bound up hips is why most dodderers totter. But you can see it even in teenagers who couldn't possibly sit in Full Lotus without a few months of flexibility training.

For major bodybuilders (you heard it here first!) there is absolutely no reason that a weight station (free or machine) couldn't be set up in a custom water tank for submerged workouts with heavy weights. A hookah and a lifeguard would be mandatory, of course, but everybody working with Big Iron should have at least one spotter anyway.

Bodybuilders going for that last 2% could probably get 10% instead, with much less internal stress. Remaining cool, they could work out longer and harder.

Well, break time's over. I have to get back to standing on my head now.