Weightlifting Versus Swimming - Different Effects on Mind

Very simple: you have attached certain perceptions to those activities as they are influencing your bodily sensations ,and they in turn are influencing your feelings.

Even the descriptions of these feelings are a construct based on what you perceive as "manly" and "cool".

So its entirely a subjective experience.

A fat guy might feel "light" after swimming and "clunky" when weightlifting... Its all in your head

 

Lifting heavy weights makes me feel more manly because you lifting heavy weights

To me, it's common sense.

Cardio such as swimming makes me feel more relaxed because I feel like I left my stress on the road.


Either one makes me feel great, but like lifting weights more lol.

 

It's a completely different type of workout! Aside from being a cardio, endurance>strength, high intensity swimming is really an anaerobic, even hypoxic exercise (there's only so much breathing when your head is in the water 3/4 of the time). It doesn't just affect the muscles with all this lactic acid, low oxygen will get into your head. Pretty much why you feel so relaxed, or rather loose, after a session. I'd argue there can still be confidence in that, silent, calm confidence being the best kind. But yeah, forget about that "ready for action" part, because your whole body is in regen mode when above water.

If you're looking for the manly feeling, try competitive. That person a few meters ahead of you, he's but a little rabbit about to be hunted down. Releasing that inner predatory instinct safely in the water will set you up for a whole day, I promise. I've done competitive.

For reference, I remember holidays with friends, swimming across 2km long lake while they were all on pedalos, I was hauling a lifebuoy, which I joked was for them idiots in case they fall overboard, all they way in both directions. With that level lactic tolerance and a good mindset you know you can outlast, outrun and outgrind anything. and anyone.