Does Swimming Make Your Breasts Bigger?

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For a lot of people, swimming is not just a hobby; it’s an efficient way to exercise. Swimming is, after all, a great way to stay healthy and build muscular endurance with little impact on your body. However, like any other exercise, swimming comes with its share of confusion.

One of the most confusing and divisive questions for women regarding swimming is related to breast size. Does swimming make your breast bigger? Do a quick search and you’ll find plenty of people claiming it does, while others saying it doesn’t.

Does Swimming Make Your Breasts Bigger?

It seems swimming doesn’t really make your breasts bigger. Like many chest exercises, swimming increases the size of the muscles under your breasts. This, in turn, can possibly make your breasts look bigger, without really increasing their size.

Remember breasts aren’t really muscles, just glandular tissue, and fat. Breast size is moderately heritable and determined by genetic variants. That’s why no matter how often you go swimming, the size of your breasts will be the same.

a woman swimming wearing a swimsuit

Does Swimming Make you Bulky?

Swimming does help build your muscles. This is why almost all swimmers are flexible, lean, and agile. Swimming involves two vital concepts, increasing propulsion and reducing drag. 

Balancing between these two concepts can be quite difficult, especially when a swimmer becomes bulky. The bulky a swimmer becomes, the easier it becomes for your swimming to suffer.

To ensure that their swimming does not suffer, almost 99% of swimmers ensure that they don’t become bulky. However, swimming does come with numerous benefits that ensure your body remains not only fit but also your mental health is well catered for.

Does Swimming Tone Your Chest?

Yes, swimming does tone your chest. Swimming is a workout that requires the use of large muscle groups located in your chest. The more you swim, the more your muscles get stressed as your body moves against the water’s resistance.

This type of resistance causes your muscle fibers to have small tears. However, these small tears always end up repairing themselves during your rest periods. Once your muscles repair themselves, they end up becoming strong and well-toned.

As you long as you’re swimming and resting regularly, this is what happens to your chest muscles. Your chest muscles tighten and tone; thus, improving your overall look.

Why Do Swimmers Have Big Chests?

Swimming plays a significant role in developing chest muscles. Every swimming stroke works a particular muscle, major and minor, in your body.

These muscles include the arms, shoulders, chest, and upper and lower back. The minor muscles swimming works on including your abs, thighs, glutes, and spinal stabilizers.

This, in turn, contributes to the chest size most swimmers have.

a swimmer performing sidestroke wearing a swimwear

How Do the Different Swimming Strokes Work the Body?

Every swimmer knows that there are different swimming strokes, and each technique works the body differently. These techniques include:

Breastroke

The main muscle group you work with this stroke is the latissimus dorsi. These are located on your back. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work on chest muscles, your core muscles, thigh muscles, and arm muscles as well.

Backstroke

The primary muscles this stroke works is your arm, core, and leg muscles. The backstroke technique requires you to use your arms and legs to navigate yourself through the water. This, in turn, also helps in improving your posture. It also helps strengthen your hip’s flexibility.

Sidestroke

Like the other swimming techniques, the sidestroke works on both your leg and arm muscles. These are the muscles that enable you to propel yourself forward. You also get to work on your core muscles, as you have to maintain a horizontal and smooth position while in water.

Butterfly

This swimming technique works on your upper body and core, as it requires your core to help in stabilizing the movement of your legs and arms. It also works on your upper back, arm, and chest muscles, as you need both of your arms to maneuver yourself while in the water.

Swimming Styles That Workout the Chest Muscles

StylesTechnique
Style 1Breastroke
Style 2Backstroke
Style 3Sidestroke
Style 4Butterfly

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Swimming Make My Butt Bigger?

Although swimming can help tone your butt muscles and doesn’t necessarily make them bigger. Typically, swimming is an endurance exercise that helps your butt build more slow-twitch fibers.

As a result, swimming can help get rid of cellulite and stretch marks on your butt, giving it a flattering appearance.

Can Swimming Help Me Lose Weight?

Yes, swimming can help you lose weight. On average, swimming can help a person who weighs 160 pounds burn around 423 calories in one hour at a moderate or low swimming pace.

On the other hand, you can burn up to 715 calories in one hour if you are swimming at a more vigorous pace.

Can the Size of My Breasts Affect My Swimming Performance?

Yes, the size of your breasts can affect your swimming performance. Generally, this is because the boob tissues are heavy and unsupported, with few connective and stabilization tissues.

This makes the boobs move as you swim, reducing your performance. However, you can improve your performance by wearing bikinis designed for larger busts, as they offer more support to prevent boob movements.

100 Years of Bikinis | Glamour

Conclusion

So, if you are looking for a way to increase your bust size, why not just try swimming. It will work on not only your chest muscles but also other parts of the body as well. However, if you are looking to increase the size of your breasts, swimming is not the way. You also get to experience the numerous physical and mental benefits that swimming has to offer.