Is it possible to build muscle through swimming? And shud I drink protein shake after swimming?

Question
QUESTION: Hi i heard that swimming doesnot build muscle but I found some articles on the internet that says if done properly, swimming can build muscle. Here's one from askmen:

"If you are looking to improve your fitness, however, you may wish to perform two of these longer moderately-paced sessions, along with one or two sessions at a higher intensity with some interval work. Approach this in the same manner you would on the treadmill: Swim one lap or a few lengths of the pool at an easier pace, and then swim half a lap or one or two lengths at all-out intensity. This will push your body harder, which will increase your VO2 max and fat-burning efficiency, and help create an anabolic environment similar to strength training (for muscle building)."

Most of them suggest a form of interval training, which I dont rly understand. So can u give me clearer explanations on this matter? Like how many laps I nid to do in one session, how fast/slow, etc. in order to build muscle. I dont need to be too bulky, I just wanted to gain some tone muscles.

Another question I like to ask is shud I drink protein after swimming to build muscle? The thing is, I have quite bulky calves, I dont know wehter it's fat or muscle but it's quite hard when I touch it. Im afraid that drinking protein after swimming will only make them bigger. What shud I do?

Thanks a lot!:D

ANSWER: Hello Anh,

It is very true that muscle building can be accomplished through swimming exercise. Many people believe it may not be so because usually when one enters a pool they are usually having fun splashing one another at a pool party :P. But in reality, muscle can be achieved from any type of exercise including swimming. The article you've submitted holds the concept, but really, there are many ways you can achieve muscle building (there is no official workout for muscle building). However, I can share some of my own workouts, or simplified ones. If you plan to build your legs then I recommend kicking sets, in which you use a kick board to tread water. Try kicking at an even pace, not too slow or fast, and travel across the pool as long as you are able to handle. You are basically trying to achieve the "burning" feeling in your legs when you are doing these exercises. When you feel the "burn" do not stop kicking. It is imperative that your muscles have the lactic acid needed in order for your legs to begin burning calories (thus eventually transforming your legs to muscle). If you suddenly get a cramp, then you should stop. Starting with a few laps of kicking per day is a good start. As you progress, and as time passes, you will start feeling change, and you will be able to kick farther distances (from 2 laps to 4 to 6, etc). Remember, it takes time and patience to build muscle. It is not a 1 time workout thing.
Do a few laps each day, and if you feel like you've improved, it is a good idea to start going more laps. You will eventually improve and be able to kick longer distances without feeling the "burn" so easily. At that point you would have known that you're workouts have paid off and that your legs are beginning to tone.
About the protein shakes, It is Okay to drink a protein shake right after workouts, but make sure the calories are not too high.

I hope this has helped you :]
P.S. Remember exercise takes patience and time as well as continuity. I wish you luck!  

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you:DD, ur advice really makes things clear! Would u mind answering another (actually some) questions? Sorry for taking up your time:(!

I intend to go swimming 4-5 times a week, each session around one hour plus. How many laps would u recommend me doing in one session (when I swim slowly I can swim for around 2 km or 40 laps in 1 hour, alternating breaststroke and crawl) ? How many sessions should I spend doing interval?

If I want to train my upper body how can I do that?

Another thing is that Im afraid that if I trained my calves too much they would become too bulky:(, which I do not really want since my upper body is slim and it is already kind of disproportionate. How can I ensure not to over-train my calves and not to make them gigantic?

Sorry for ambushing u with these qns:(.

Answer
Dear Anh,

For training your legs, its good to do short sprint sets. In sprint sets you go all out speed for a small distance. This way you will get your legs to feel the "burn" faster. Try doing 1 lap sprints and having some rest in between them. Do that until you feel very tired (try not to overdo or injure yourself). When you feel very tired, do 1 or 2 laps more then you are free to take a break. If you do this for a while, your legs will begin to adapt and soon enough you will become use to it and will be able to go more sets at a time without being tired.

If you want to train your upper body, you can try dry land workouts such as push ups to enhance your biceps or sit ups for abs (Pull Ups Help a lot). If you are planning to train your upper body in the pool then the best stroke would be butterfly. If you do not know how to do butterfly you can learn from a personal trainer. When You first start butterfly it'll be an intense stroke, and that is exactly what you need in order to train your upper body.

About your calves beeing to bulky. Usually with swimming, your calf size doesn't really get much bigger (personal experience), rather it just becomes more toned. Just try not to eat too much junk food but also ensure that you are eating 3 balanced meal a day.

Hope This Helps :]