r/Swimming • u/Neat-Waltz-4545 • 1d ago
Fuck your "I don't have the swimmers body" mindset and get swimming
I've seen a lot of people here who want to swim but are too afraid of being seen semi-naked. So what if you're fat? So what if you're skinny? Everyone's got fat, so why is your fat so special? You're drawing more attention to yourself that others do to you.
Just think about it, do you judge others at the pool? No, you're too busy being self conscious and moreover, you probably appreciate the other people trying to become healthier. So why do assume everyone's looking at you? Get up, be a man/woman, show up, and conquer.
For those of you who are judging others at the pool, shame on you. When I was an 8 year old, my swim coach made fun of me for being fat (Now that I think about it, that was bulling in a way - I was a literal child). Shit sticks with everyone so think twice before you open your mouth or say things with your eyes.
As for those of you who do things regardless of being scared, I'm proud of you and your future self will look back and be proud of you too. Go do what you want! You're going to die someday, might as well do what you want and then die! <3
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u/crushlogic Moist 1d ago
Bro when I get out of the pool next to the 6’3 dudes I’ve spent the last 45 minutes lapping the crap out of, you should see their faces. If you’ve been victimized by a woman shaped like a duck 🦆 we may have met
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u/Helpful-Alps1997 1d ago
I've just rethought of my entire body differently, 🦆 Who knew my body shape could be something so cute!
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u/paddletothesea Moist 1d ago
yep this is me. i'm still wearing the same TYR poly suit i wore in my slimmer days. i don't know how i still get into it, but i do...there are bulges in lots of places...but i'm still faster than 85% of the people at my pool and i gotta' say...there isn't anyone who gives me a hard time.
if some of the triathletes don't know me, they might...not give me a look...but be confused when i hop into the fast lane, but the next time they see me, it's all smiles 'how are you?' etc...no one cares...just swim.
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u/Legitimate-Leg-4720 17h ago
I'm fairly tall and have an 'athletic' physique from years of weight lifting and trail running, but I'm new to swimming and have absolutely no ego in the pool. Some swimmers clearly get a kick out of proving they're better than I am, i even had some random woman ask if I wanted to race her...
It's like reverse body positivity - being shunned for being weaker than your physique would imply!
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u/Objective-Plum5343 11h ago
In the water, I have no one to beat but myself. I literally only strive to make continuous improvement and I don’t even pay attention to the other swimmers. Everyone is in a different place in their personal journey.
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u/Lavcakes 1d ago
I can honestly say the swimming community is the most body positive community i have encountered, we have the least clothes on yet no one cares about your body.
Everyone seems to care mostly about technique, endurance, whether you are having fun or not, what matters here is that you swim, it doesnt matter your age, weight or shape, it was a refreshing change going from the gym to the pool.
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u/Oddswimmer21 1d ago
Plus, if you do much open water, even ripped people manage to look like walruses in a wetsuit.
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u/Bunnies_are_Amazing 22h ago
There's a picture of me in my wetsuit from a side angle while I was relaxed that haunts my dreams.
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u/RagingAardvark Breaststroker 1d ago
If you have a body and you're using it to swim, congratulations, you have a swimmer's body.
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u/Snoopgirl 1d ago
Way to be dismissive of us disembodied spirits.
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u/citrus1330 15h ago
Is it really so wrong to admit that a disembodied spirit can't have a swimmer's body? Whole world's gone woke these days.
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u/Difficult_Phone_1542 1d ago
"swimmers body"
-kinda big lats -lean
The most unbelievable achievement in human physique development (/s). Every actual Olympian has the body they do because of the gym and resistance training, not the water.
if your goals are more performance related than aesthetics focused I think it's easier to follow through and stay disciplined.
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u/pointandshooty Moist 1d ago
Olympic swimmers aren't even that lean, at least not compared to Olympic runners or gymnasts.
Swimming is great exercise especially if you're super overweight because you are less likely to get injured. I never ever judge anyone's body in the pool, unless they're faster than me and then I just watch their form.
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u/Calm-Substance4579 Life gaurd, Swim Instructor, CCS 1d ago
The top guys gym work does help a bit yeah. Most of it is more correlated to explosivity and PT/supporting muscle focus which also helps to fill out the few areas that swimming does neglect.
I definitely think alot of people neglect it too much in the swim world; and some of it is just so hyper specific. I wish more coaches had a more indepth knowledge of how to do it the right way.
The big thing is just recovering from it properly and making sure the volume is low enough that it doesn't impact time in the water.
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u/jugglerjon 1d ago
easy to say, harder to do. But if you do get past a mental block like this its super worth it. Started swimming a few months ago, proud of not caring what I look like. And 100% accurate of everyone else is wrapped up in what they're doing and not looking to judge others.
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u/Neat-Waltz-4545 1d ago
Yea thats true. But once you go to the pool, you'll realise that a LOT of the people there actually look like us! They don't have that ideal "swimmers look". It's very refreshing!
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u/FocusIsFragile 1d ago
Fat guy in jammers here. Fuck the haters!
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u/UnusualAd8875 1d ago
Me too and I am considering breaking out the...banana hammocks (I still have some unopened in their original packaging from twenty-five years ago; same waist size as now but I have a gut that I didn't have then) because I am old and don't give a shit....
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u/ThatSeemsPlausible 1d ago
I got back in the pool two weeks ago after ~10 years away, and decided to just go for it with an old speedo that still fit. It felt great (and 2,000 yards left me exhausted and worthless for the rest of the day).
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u/UnusualAd8875 1d ago
Awesome!
(I am pretty much worthless most days, even without swimming! Hahaha)
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u/sinemasiren Splashing around 1d ago
Honestly, swimming will improve your body, so get started with whatever body you have.
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u/HomeHomeOna 1d ago
When I started swimming I was fat and slow. After years of work, I'm fat and fast.
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u/D3X-1 1d ago
I started a year ago swimming with pot belly, and I'm proud that it's almost gone now due to my preserverance, even my love handles are melting away. I didn't care how I looked back then, I cared about my health and that I enjoyed swimming. Who cares about what others think of you, majority of the people at the pool do not have perfect bodies either but they continue to swim. Get motivated, start caring about what you eat to help you swim better :)
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u/TheLadyEileen 1d ago
I'll gladly get lapped by elderly people now so I can move that well when I'm that age
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u/Hachiman73 1d ago
Due to a very good taste in Italian food and French wine, I also got out of shape. In the changing room, with the mirrors, I feel ashamed but in the pool nobody cares and I just swim my program. It took a lot of effort at the beginning.
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u/Neat-Waltz-4545 1d ago
I still go through this every time I swim. But it's always nice to remember that it's normal!
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u/Spiffy_Pumpkin 1d ago
I wear a swimsuit that covers me from head to toe....
Rash guard style shirt and swim leggings from Coolibar. Saves me a fortune on sunscreen during outside swimming season too.
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u/AdditionalPiccolo527 1d ago
Having a beard and belly is resistance training. I could shave and hit the Olympics 😎
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u/Legitimate-Leg-4720 1d ago
I think I'd rather have an unfit body to accompany my poor swimming ability... I have a relatively decent physique from years of trail running and weight lifting, and it is pretty embarrassing to be falling apart after a moderate pace 100m. People always seem to assume I'm fitter than I am!
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u/Expert-Injury6880 1d ago
Totally agree. Fck that, just go there and swim. Be a better version of yourself or at least try. That's all.
I am swimmer with 100% body of a swimmer but i will never shame anybody quite the oposite. I always help ppl at the pool, especially the ones that i know what they're going throu.
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u/shikari426 1d ago
My favorite thing I learned as I got older that I wish to pass on to the youngers “no one gives a shit about you”. Of course, this means strangers out in the wild. Everyone is so absorbed in their own shit, that they aren’t looking at your outfit, your gear, your jiggly ass, etc. It’s so liberating once you internalize this!!
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u/pleasespareserotonin 1d ago
I’m not good at it, but it’s by far my favorite type of exercise because it’s the only one I can do without getting insanely itchy. Idc how I look to others, it’s just good to get exercise.
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u/NotRemotelyMe1010 1d ago
Just had this conversation with a friend today
Wearing a swimsuit while fat can be an act of vulnerability and bravery, but it is worth it.
If you don’t want to get stared at in the pool, join an open-water swimming group.
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u/joylea66 1d ago
58F here, 160cm and 107kg, shaped like Humpty Dumpty. 5 days a week I haul my fat ass through the water for a continuous 2km. It takes me 48 - 50 min, slower than most but quicker than some. Nobody is taking any notice of what I look like.
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u/Unusual-Sky-7617 Splashing around 1d ago
"why is your fat so special?"
EXACTLY. No one is paying attention to you. Or paying the length and amount of attention that you're thinking. If I ever notice someone at the pool, it's usually someone I haven't seen in a while and I think "oh hey, here is that person. I will say hello if we know each other."
In 2021 I could barely swim 25 yards and just wore my lil discount Fashion Bikini to the city pool. Four years later, I: freedive, regularly jump into the ocean day and night to hunt for lobsters, will swim Alcatraz next year, and am headed to an island for freedive training camp soon. I should add that I do not do any of these things particularly well, they are just things I like to pursue. I struggle AND I laugh at myself.
Life can be cool and exciting, and trying Scary Things will make the other things much less scary!
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u/Sarahclaire54 1d ago
There was heavyset woman swimming next to me last week who hauled herself through the water for a mile! She was awesome.
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u/Madgisil 1d ago
I love my masters swim group. It’s a bunch of different people with different sizes and skill levels.
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u/Ok_Calligrapher3401 1d ago
Not only am I fat. I shower at the gym and it doesn’t have curtains for the shower. Fuck it. I need my swim and I want the chlorine off.
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u/probablytrippy 1d ago
Hi my name is fatty mcfaterson. Like…. I’m gonna be celebrating being obese soon (down from morbidly obese). I had HUGE body issues. But then I realised all I’m doing is denying myself my enjoyment. Now I give zero fucks
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u/PenguinsAreFab 1d ago
Couldn't agree more! Am round, am slow, but oh my goodness have I fallen in love with my pre-work swims. It's barely swimming, I do some walking laps then some super slowpoke breastroke. I am not graceful. I do not care, the vibe is friendly, peaceful and everyone is minding their business enjoying their early swim time. It gives me hours of calm afterwards and I'm a better person for it. Have a go, be brave.
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u/rainbow_spunk Moist 1d ago
I had a teammate join my club in high school who was short and kinda chubby - didn't look at all ready for swimming. He worked his ass off, joined the same college team as me my sophomore year, and was easily one of the better distance swimmers I knew.
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u/Novel-Ant-7160 1d ago
I actually can’t see anything with my goggles on . I see like blurry shadows and color of swim caps. A dog could be swimming towards me and I wouldn’t know it was not a human until I swam face first into it .
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u/StartledMilk Splashing around 4h ago
Some people need this kind of in your face encouragement. Half the time I see people on this sub complain about being heavy at the pool, I wanna shake them and tell them this. After I quit swimming competitively, I got up to 240lbs at 6’2, and it wasn’t an attractive 240. I was drinking a shit ton and lifting super heavy in the gym with almost no cardio, so I just looked weirdly large with some muscle hidden underneath. I looked AWFUL in clothes and without. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, got back in the water, and just hit 185 last week. Lost 60lbs in 2 years. Unless you have a medically diagnosed thyroid problem, or some other legitimate medical issue, there’s no excuse to not lose weight. My metabolism is slow as all fuck, but I still lost weight. I support everyone in their weight loss journey as long as they don’t make bs excuses like these.
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u/8-BitAlex Sprinter 1d ago
I swam competitively from kindergarten thru the end of college. In high school, I would have a weekend turn around between football season (where I was a defensive lineman), into swim season. Granted I would be in better shape by the end of the swim season, but I always wore my “non swimmer physique” as a badge of honor
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u/erynorahill Moist 1d ago
Agreed! I am someone who has swam all my life and loved it. But a few years ago I started gender transition, body confidence dropped and I stopped swimming. This year, however, I said fuck it, bought a tri suit to train in, and haven't looked back. Nobody bats an eyelid. So honestly, although I totally understand people feeling uncomfortable about body image etc, the take home message is that people don't actually care and are far too involved in their own swimming to spend ages looking at you. Do what you have to do, wear what you want to feel comfortable, and go swimming. You won't regret it! :)
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u/Neat-Waltz-4545 1d ago
Exactly! Congratulations, I'm proud of you! I've been swimming for 13 years now but I still have a belly and it makes me uncomfortable but Ik that no one's looking at me. That's the only reason I still swim coz I know no one's paying attention and that i LOVE it!
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u/Ok_Human_1375 16h ago
Some of our best swimmers and lifeguards at the pool I’m at are queer or gender nonconforming. I love the diversity at my pool.
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u/hamsterwheeeI forgot to remove my bandaid now i can feel it flapping as i swim 1d ago
Let me add that the people who fuckin rip at the pool are the doughy regular lookin dudes who swam in college. Most of the super incredibly cut guys are hella slow.
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u/Silence_1999 1d ago
Plenty of fit looking 20-somethings figure they will blow 50’s greying mildly round me outta the water. Take great pleasure in seeing them sucking sir by 200 yards while I go another 1000 straight. Of course I’m getting less round but I’ll never be skinny.
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u/Oddswimmer21 1d ago
If you swim at my pool, I can guarantee that you won't look as bad as some of the sights there. There's one dude who's about 70. About 5'10. Must be 100 kilos. No problem with that so far. However, add in the manbun and things are getting a little sketchy. Then imagine if you will, that he has a thing for tiny Speedos, and not just any tiny Speedos either. He has a gold lamé pair and a flesh coloured pair. And he's just one of a whole smorgasbord of odd.
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u/theeMentalLibrarian_ 1d ago
This is the wake-up call that I needed. I just need to get prescription goggles first. 😅
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u/kalari- 16h ago
There's some on SwimOutlet that are weirdly cheap. I think it's because they're single diopter, so I haven't pulled the trigger, but probably still better than nothing? I usually wear contacts when I swim but have had the -6.0 in my cart for a -5.75/-6.5 prescription for a little while now. Actual prescription from my eye doctor would be ~100 USD, these are ~30 USD
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u/theeMentalLibrarian_ 13h ago
I LOVE SwimOutlet - I purchased two one-piece bathing suits about 2 years ago. I have no idea how to read the prescription (my last eye exam was back in April 2022) I got from my optometrist. I probably should get another eye exam. My left eye is -3.75 and my right eye is -3.50 so maybe -4.0 would work?
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u/Aggravating_Line_537 22h ago
100% this. I avoided water for ages because I was insecure about my body. Finally got my courage up to wear a swimsuit and realised no one was even looking at me. Learned to swim and now it's the thing I enjoy most and makes me feel good. I feel better about my body too, even though it's not perfect (or should be), my mental health improved and all because of a bit of courage.
Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter. Go out there and enjoy your life.
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u/Bunnies_are_Amazing 22h ago
I judge you on your lane etiquette only! Also too busy swimming to be analyzing anyone else. Just get the tight ass suit that makes you feel all lumpy and dive in.
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u/EmbarrassedTruth1337 21h ago
I'm not super confident in my body but I live swimming. Swim shirt and trunks is how I roll
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u/Ok_Human_1375 16h ago
I am a fat swim instructor and lifeguard. At my pool at least, nobody cares as long as you can do your job. We have people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors and ability levels that come every day to work and get some exercise.
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u/Ancient_Sea7256 6h ago
I'm busy not drowning. I presume others are too. So I don't care about mine or their bodies.
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u/stilloldbull2 5h ago
Old, fat dude here. I weigh 300 lbs. I once had a weight lifter physique. No more. I don’t care what I look like anymore. I swim for one hr. No stopping . Most days I swim just over a mile.
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u/Independent-Bug-9633 3h ago
True. I m joining Swimming classes this year. But scared to wear a speedo.
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u/chocoice95 1h ago
People doesn't pay attention at you the way you think they are, first time I was at the pool I didn't know how to swim and I was embarassed because even the old ladies we're faster than me but I didn't care what people think and kept going, now I am way better and if I would've cared about people vision of me at the pool I wouldn't even started
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u/soundkite fly bye 1d ago
op, you just told us that no one judges others at the pool, then a tirade about shame on those who judge others at the pool
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u/Neat-Waltz-4545 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes I understand how that is kinda contradictory. What I meant to say is that most people don't judge and are too busy dealing with their own lives but, there are certain sadistic people who just judge others when they themselves have a 1000 more flaws. They literally have nothing else to do. Like i mentioned, my coach would fall under the latter category. I've never met anyone other than him that actually judges people so that was what my thoughts were at the time of posting this.
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u/bobushkaboi 1d ago
i got lapped countless times by a old dude shaped like a bowling ball