General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Male Body Shaving Rss Feed  
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2017-04-11 11:54 AM
in reply to: TXTriRook

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Champion
7036
5000200025
Sarasota, FL
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

I've shaved for swim meets for a long time.  Legs, chest, armpits.   Just use a disposable razor and take my time.  The trickiest part for me is just below my kneecaps, that's where I normally manage to nick myself.  I'll shave a couple of days ahead of time and then do some "touch up" in the shower later if needed.  There always seems to be a spot that you miss.

I think most of the benefit of it is psychological (at least for me), but it does feel good.  An unexpected consequence for me is that shaving my chest accentuates the scars from my open heart surgery 17 years ago. Some of my newer friends who don't know my medical history are still taken aback sometimes.  

Mark

 

 

 

 



2017-04-11 12:05 PM
in reply to: SeaDogAther

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812
500100100100
Katy, Texas
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving
Originally posted by SeaDogAther

Originally posted by dmiller5

you go faster




eh, I've podiumed quite a few times, beating those with shaven legs, I never shaved my legs, and I'm Scottish so there is more then just a wee bit of hair there...

I feel that its a mental thing, you think shaved legs make you faster, so you push yourself more. just like guys that spend all day lifting shave their arms so their guns look bigger, just my $0.02


I won my last race by 31 seconds. The bike portion was 55.8 miles.

According to specialized wind tunnel data, over a 40k TT, shaving your legs is worth 70 seconds and shaving your arms is worth another 20. Let's just double those for easy math and say that I saved 3 minutes by shaving. Even if that is no where near close to what I actually saved, I still probably wouldn't have won if I hadn't shaved.

So yes I'll continue to shave for races.
2017-04-11 12:48 PM
in reply to: Jet Black

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Master
1324
1000100100100
Rochester, NY
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

Like RedCorvette, I've shaved twice for swim meets and will be doing so again at the end of the month.  I will shave not just the legs, but also the chest, arms, underarms and whatever of the back that I can reasonably reach.  I've used a male disposable razor in the past and have gotten a few cuts.  I may try a ladies' razor this time.

But regardless, I found that I missed a ton of areas.  Sitting in the sun or a bright light later, I found spot after spot after spot that didnt get it all removed.  So I would address each area as I found them.  Its at least a couple hour process (for me) the first time through.

I would also do a touch-up each night (multi-day swim meet).  You do get stubble.  These go much, much quicker.

2017-04-11 3:20 PM
in reply to: Ridgelake

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1300
1000100100100
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving
In HS a lot of my buddies liked to make fun of me about shaving for swimming. A little so in college but they started asking some questions about it. Post college around mid 20's most of them were doing some landscaping. So be warned OP, once you start !
2017-04-11 3:52 PM
in reply to: 0

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

I use a razor and yes, I shave the night before the big race.  I am always out of practice since my races are always 6 months or more apart so it always take about 3 times as long to shave as I think it will (but I don't miss any spots I get it all after about the 7th time over).  Getting to bed late the night before you race because it takes two hours to shave has me thinking I will try shaving a few days before the race with the clippers then follow up with the razor the night before.. 



Edited by BlueBoy26 2017-04-11 3:56 PM
2017-04-11 4:07 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

Originally posted by BlueBoy26

I use a razor and yes, I shave the night before the big race.  I am always out of practice since my races are always 6 months or more apart so it always take about 3 times as long to shave as I think it will (but I don't miss any spots I get it all after about the 7th time over).  Getting to bed late the night before you race because it takes two hours to shave has me thinking I will try shaving a few days before the race with the clippers then follow up with the razor the night before.. 

 

Originally posted by SeaDogAther
Originally posted by dmiller5

you go faster

eh, I've podiumed quite a few times, beating those with shaven legs, I never shaved my legs, and I'm Scottish so there is more then just a wee bit of hair there... I feel that its a mental thing, you think shaved legs make you faster, so you push yourself more. just like guys that spend all day lifting shave their arms so their guns look bigger, just my $0.02

 

Ya... I got the hair from my maternal Scottish side.  There is more that a wee bit of hair.  I don't have to shave to go fast, and one or two minutes faster or slower doesn't make much a difference in a 5-6 hour race it is just part of my race day gear.  Not required but a personal preference.  :-



2017-04-11 9:46 PM
in reply to: SeaDogAther

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Extreme Veteran
3025
2000100025
Maryland
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

Originally posted by SeaDogAther
Originally posted by dmiller5

you go faster

eh, I've podiumed quite a few times, beating those with shaven legs, I never shaved my legs, and I'm Scottish so there is more then just a wee bit of hair there... I feel that its a mental thing, you think shaved legs make you faster, so you push yourself more. just like guys that spend all day lifting shave their arms so their guns look bigger, just my $0.02

And i've won races, and by about 30 seconds.  I was very happy for the minute i saved shaving my arms and legs.

2017-04-11 11:25 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

Originally posted by dmiller5

Originally posted by SeaDogAther
Originally posted by dmiller5

you go faster

eh, I've podiumed quite a few times, beating those with shaven legs, I never shaved my legs, and I'm Scottish so there is more then just a wee bit of hair there... I feel that its a mental thing, you think shaved legs make you faster, so you push yourself more. just like guys that spend all day lifting shave their arms so their guns look bigger, just my $0.02

And i've won races, and by about 30 seconds.  I was very happy for the minute i saved shaving my arms and legs.

 

Ya...we got that the first time you posted it in this thread, but it is still a personal preference. It doesn't state anywhere in the rules that you have to shave and I don't even know of any coaches that would insist that their athletes to shave if that wasn't the athletes preference (because it really doesn't matter).  Some prefer to shave so they can say that they save 5 Watts. If 5 Watts makes or breaks my race then I am not racing for the right reasons.  I race for recreation.  Yes, I like to go fast but speed is relative.  Some people would cry for joy if they were able to get to a 20 MPH average and other do 26 MPH making it look easy. As a personal rule I only race against myself.  First place, fourth place, tenth place it doesn't really matter to me.  What matters to me is how I did compared to previous race efforts.  If I never shave then the plus or minuet 2-3 minutes doesn't matter.  If I always shave the plus or minus 2-3 minutes doesn't matter and the effort is the not measured in time anyways so it is irrelevant to my racing.  ***Note***: My last race I didn't shave but I won by over 4 minutes, and broke the course record.  It was a small local race of about 50 people.  The weather conditions were perfect for racing and I had been feeling really good in my workouts leading up to the race so I thought there was a good chance for a PR.  By the effort I put out I thought I would be close to the PR but wasn't which surprised me.  Could shaving have made a difference between a PR and missing it?  I really don't know, but my preference is to not shave for training or B races.  They are just to make me stronger.  I only shave for "A races" and my last race was not an A race..  

2017-04-12 1:36 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Extreme Veteran
3025
2000100025
Maryland
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving

Originally posted by BlueBoy26

Originally posted by dmiller5

Originally posted by SeaDogAther
Originally posted by dmiller5

you go faster

eh, I've podiumed quite a few times, beating those with shaven legs, I never shaved my legs, and I'm Scottish so there is more then just a wee bit of hair there... I feel that its a mental thing, you think shaved legs make you faster, so you push yourself more. just like guys that spend all day lifting shave their arms so their guns look bigger, just my $0.02

And i've won races, and by about 30 seconds.  I was very happy for the minute i saved shaving my arms and legs.

 

Ya...we got that the first time you posted it in this thread, but it is still a personal preference. It doesn't state anywhere in the rules that you have to shave and I don't even know of any coaches that would insist that their athletes to shave if that wasn't the athletes preference (because it really doesn't matter).  Some prefer to shave so they can say that they save 5 Watts. If 5 Watts makes or breaks my race then I am not racing for the right reasons.  I race for recreation.  Yes, I like to go fast but speed is relative.  Some people would cry for joy if they were able to get to a 20 MPH average and other do 26 MPH making it look easy. As a personal rule I only race against myself.  First place, fourth place, tenth place it doesn't really matter to me.  What matters to me is how I did compared to previous race efforts.  If I never shave then the plus or minuet 2-3 minutes doesn't matter.  If I always shave the plus or minus 2-3 minutes doesn't matter and the effort is the not measured in time anyways so it is irrelevant to my racing.  ***Note***: My last race I didn't shave but I won by over 4 minutes, and broke the course record.  It was a small local race of about 50 people.  The weather conditions were perfect for racing and I had been feeling really good in my workouts leading up to the race so I thought there was a good chance for a PR.  By the effort I put out I thought I would be close to the PR but wasn't which surprised me.  Could shaving have made a difference between a PR and missing it?  I really don't know, but my preference is to not shave for training or B races.  They are just to make me stronger.  I only shave for "A races" and my last race was not an A race..  

The poster had asked *why* people shave.  The answer is that it makes you go faster.  I guess going faster is a personal preference...but i don't think that really answers the question of why people shave.  I guess you would say you don't shave because you don't care.  Seems silly to me to do all this work and then away all the time you worked off, but if you want to go for it.

2017-04-15 10:46 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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1508
1000500
Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving
2017-04-17 9:53 AM
in reply to: dmiller5

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360
1001001002525
Ottawa, Ontario
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving
There are other reasons to shave besides aerodynamics.

One is is that its easier to deal with road rash if you crash on the bike.

Another is that getting the wetsuit on and off is more pleasant and perhaps more speedy.


2017-04-19 12:35 PM
in reply to: SenatorClayDavis

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Elite
3683
20001000500100252525
Whispering Pines, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Male Body Shaving
Originally posted by SenatorClayDavis

There are other reasons to shave besides aerodynamics.

One is is that its easier to deal with road rash if you crash on the bike.

Another is that getting the wetsuit on and off is more pleasant and perhaps more speedy.


It's also easier to get massaged if you are shaved.

As stated, many reasons, but the best is probably b/c you will go faster.

I have a race this Saturday. I shaved early in the week and will do it before race day again. It's SOOO much easier to do it this way than trying to de-fluff the night before.
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