Look fit but far from it?

[Warnie]

First of all a bit of background, I'm 34 played football up until 18, since then been a gym bunnie upto now. I'm 6ft 4 so have always been around 16 stone for the last 10 years or so at around 14-15% bodyfat. Since starting ADF about 8 months ago I'm now 15stone 4 pounds and about 10% bodyfat. Been lucky as I've never really had a problem losing or putting weight on whenever i like and I tend to eat as well as I can.

I bet your now thinking what's the problem you bragging swine?

Well for someone who looks the part I have never had any stamina. So when I play 5 a side football I'm the one gasping for breath, yet some players I play with or against are completely out of shape yet they out last me. I thought it was down to concentrating mainly on weights down the gym, but then I thought hold on, this guy I've just played with has done sod all for a few years, yet turns up and plays no problem.

I also have problems swimming. A couple of lengths and I've had it, I would love to swim with my head under water but because I can't seem to get enough air in my lungs I panic. It's really embarrasing walking to the pool looking at the peak of physical condition yet can't manage a couple of lengths

As far as I know I'm not asthmatic, but my daughter is and so is my cousin and nan. I've read that asthma is about people not breathing in the correct way, and although I don't think i have it, I do think I'm not breathing correctly?? So when I do come off for a break when playing football I'm really struggling to get any sort of air in my lungs.

It's really been bothering me latley so I thought I'd post on here to see if anyone has any advice or has experienced the same problems.

[mcelliott]

Yes you've hit on something there. Physical appearances can be very deceptive! I play football and cycle with people who you wouldn't look twice at in the physical sense - no bulging muscles or huge veins, but they have big 'engines'. Obviously you love going to the gym and that's fair enough, but for aerobic fitness it's a bit of a false economy. You're never really going to stretch your heart and lungs long enough to gain any aerobic endurance, so the only way to get fit in the swimming pool and the football pitch is to keep swimming and to keep running.

[Warnie]

I remember when I was 18 and I had an assessment at a gym and was asked to blow into a tube or something, and compaared to my 2 other mates with me at the time my lung capacity was less than thier's. This despite me playing football since I was 7!.

I put on muscle quite easily where I know others struggle despite probably working harder. So it may be that I need to work twice as hard to gain extra stamina compared to the average joe?

But it still doesn't explain why I can't swim a couple of strokes under water without struggling for breath. It's wierd I try to take the air in when swimming but it's like my lungs just close off and won't let any in

[BlackVanDyke]

Check in with your GP, just in case there's something physiological going on - I'm pretty sure there's more to asthma than 'not breathing correctly' or we'd never have asthmatic athletes who are at peak physical fitness, have access to shedloads of sports medicine etc etc - but otherwise I think that the swimming lesson suggestion is a great one, feeling more physically confident in the water can only help no matter what else is going on.

[shouldbworking]

I look fitter than I am, but then fitness is weird. Did the usual army fitness tests this weekend, compared to people of the same age, same sort of build I was getting lower press ups, sit ups, longer 1.5 mile time, but tabbing I'd be cruising along and they'd be absolutely blowing, huffing and puffing away.

[pilchardthecat]

Have you ever done one of those lung volume tests? (blow as hard as you can down a tube)

[muon]

I’d imagine you are probably relatively healthy and don’t have asthma. Even if you have fat guys you play with who are shorter and heavier than you, they have a lot less muscle mass… muscle uses energy and needs oxygen. Fat doesn’t. So you have to work so much harder to keep up with guys who are muscularly smaller. It’s not just simply pushing the oxygen around your body and getting the carbon dioxide expelled that also makes you more out of breath, you will tired much quicker too because you are using way more energy than them even at rest.

A mixture of interval training and middle-distance running will help you out. But I doubt there’s anything wrong with you, you tall bd. :P

[ringerz]

Depends on how you define fitness.

Conditioning of the level you refer to can easily be gained in 4 weeks or so. When you compare how long it would take those that you play with to reach the same kind of strength levels there is no comparison. Proper archictural changes in the body - like significant muscle mass take a lot longer than gaining conditioning. That's good news for you as you should be able to gain it quickly and maintain your strength.

[dojo]

Also maybe your mates read the game much better than you do.

Position themselves way in advance so it requires less running whereas you're always a couple of steps behind so having to push harder to get back in position etc.

Also if your a physical player once your tight and jostling with another player it saps energy, maybe your mates sit off and see them out wide.

It can be really deceptive.

[Warnie]

Thanks for all your reply's guys

Just to update, yesterday I went to see my GP who checked me over and although couldn't find anything wrong, including the lung capacity test, he agreed that there's a good chance it maybe excercise induced asthma.

So he sent me off for a chest x-ray and a blood test, but also gave me an inhaler to try. Two puffs of this 20 mins before I excercise was his advice. Last night I gave it a try at the gym, and my god what a difference!. Now I know a part of this difference may have been me wanting it to work so much that I convinced myself the difference was better than it actually was. But it really felt good to do sprints on the treadmill for long periods, slow down then spreed up again with hardly any recovery time. Before after one sprint my chest would hurt and I wouldn't bother trying another. I was literally bouncing round the gym with a massive smile on my face feeling like a bloody superhero. Even lifting weights felt better, due to the extra air I could now take in.

So if there is anyone out there who despite working hard, cannot build up any sort of stamina, then it's worth seeing your gp. Unfortuatly it has taken me over 15 years to see mine, but I'm so glad I did. Can't wait for football on monday now

[Farmerpalmer]

To the op - i have a very similar story. but now my asthma is now controlled and i can enjoy the gym again. no more gasping like a smoker.
in cardio, it used to be my breathing that stopped me , but now it is muscle fatigue. i sleep alot better, as i also had night time breathing problems