Quote from: ftmax on October 29, 2014, 07:40:58 AM
Let me know how it goes for you after a week or so? My roommate is a pool manager with the local schools and is always offering to let me come swim, so if the binder/rashguard combo works well enough for you, I'll maybe give it a try.
Hey sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet. I had such a bad cough I badly sprained my ribs and wasn't able to go swimming until recently.
The binder/rashguard combo... is complicated. It's a pretty big ordeal. Especially if you decide that this is what you're going to do, give yourself goals and just go all in. At least, I've made it one. This is what I've discovered and my personal experience with it and I won't beat around the bush. You should know I have the luxury of a single-stall family change/shower room. I have no idea how guys would manage this with other people in your change room.
1) It's very form fitting, obviously. My form is not the most masculine... yet. Hi dysphoria, how are you? So I drape a towel over my shoulders to hide my whole upper torso when not in the pool. When you're in, no one sees much.
2) Binders are not designed to be taken off when wet. Oh, claustrophobia, didn't know you existed! I recommend to not use a pullover if possible. Clasp, velcro or zipper. Dunno about the velcro, but zipper would likely show up if you are wearing a regular rashguard over top. But it would work. I'm using a clasp type that does up on the side and it works okay.
3) Binders are hard to pull over or step into when you are even slightly damp afterwards when you're all done. I'm again having to resort to my clasped binders even though they aren't the best. I got mine on amazon for really cheap - yeah the leslesbian ones or something along those lines. I'd prefer the velcro ones but they don't ship to Canada.
4) If you end up going often, it's quite an ordeal without having to deal with the above. I bring shampoo, body wash, a washcloth or gloves and lotion as the chlorine is very hard on the skin. But that takes even longer to dry so say goodbye to pullover binders.
5) I also ended up getting a swimcap and goggles. The goggles are awesome and I'd recommend them to anyone, from Aqua Sphere, Kayenne.
I believe this will all be worth while in the end if you love swimming and if you're a little or more dysphoric about your body shape. My sister said swimming a mile 3x a week + workout really made her shoulders get huge. It's a lot of work, but you get used to the routine and work out the kinks so that it works for you. Swimming really is a godly workout. You get your cardio, you become more efficient with oxygen, it's a full body workout but your shoulders, lats, and arms all get beefed up especially when you go hard at your swimming and couple it with a good weights routine.
