Will you be prepared physically? 14 weeks

[Greg Gilliland]

ttt

[jhg]

In case there are any older archers  working out to stay in hunting shape  here is my injury stops workout report and some thoughts on aging and the  value of patience.

Somehow a mild twinge in the elbow has bloomed into full on tendonitus. If you have not had the pleasure rest assured it cramps your style.
The big difference I have noticed about aging is an injury like this 5yrs ago would have remained mild or not even happened. As it stands now its taken 4 weeks for it to begin to recover and I am finding this typical of injuries in middle age- they take a lot longer and a lot more care for recovery.

I am in great shape and stay active. But injury is a part of being older. Injurys seem to just show up, often without warning and in ways that you have never experienced. Not a big deal, but to ignore them is to risk destroying your foundation.

I read about workouts that are clearly designed and perfromed by  younger hunters. Simply pushing yourself does not always work as you get older. Push you must, but with an eye on the details and an acute awareness of recovery time.

I have noticed that my ability to push myself now exceeds my bodys ability to recover. Now workouts and the goals I have physically must be carefully balanced against time to recover. In the end it simply takes longer to achieve a certain level of fitness.

Now, it is a question of persistence.

It becomes a dance between what you want and what you can realistically expect. In my case I wanted to be in as good a shape as the very best in my age group. 10 years ago that would have meant 4-6 months training. Today it has meant 2 YEARS.  Two years to reach a level of fitness that 10 years ago I could have reached in 6 months or less. But I don't let that fact flag my love of life or staying fit. There are many good reasons to be the best body you can be.
Sustained effort requires a certain amount of value placed upon the goal. For me, hunting elk and running with my kids has kept me at it. My family takes pride in what I am physically in that I can do lots of things with them that many older men like me can't do anymore. I can share more with them that includes active stuff. And no, its not all they think of when they think of me. But it is  cool to them that Uncle Joshua or "Big Daddy" can still "walk the line".

Find your own motivation. Make it personal.

Rock on!

Joshua

[GMMAT]

I'll be in the best shape of my life when I get to CO in Sept.

I'm 45

[String Cutter]

I try to power eat atleast 3times aweek... shoot my bow and dream of going elk hunting in the Rockies. Though I've completely given up on the dream now.

[Autumnarcher]

Mid December I turned a page. After getting lit up by my Doc for mmy cholesterol and poor diet, and a slap in the face with a heapin dose of reality, I made some changes. I'm 5'8" and had swelled up to 210 lbs, just squeezing in to a pair of 36" waist pants. Considering at one time I wore 32's and was under 160, it was time to get to work. My program is simple, takes a little discipline, and thus far involved no working out, although I am starting a program for that this week which I'll explain.

As for diet, I started with the South Beach diet. Lean meats, veggies, fruits and good carbs. The first 2 weeks is more limited, but I lost 15# in that time. I have totally eliminated any white flour, enriched flour, sugar, white rice and processed food of any kind from my diet. If I need flour for thickening sauces etc, whole wheat flour only. I can eat carbs, but I limit them and watch the fiber content. More fiber-good. very rarely do I eat bread. No more than 1 slice. I use whole grain flour tortillas for sandwiches instead.

I used to be a junk food/sweets junkie. I no long have any cravings for them, and really no interest. I eat 3-4 pieces of fruit a day, usually apples, pears and bananas. grilled venison, chicken, pork, beef,baked fish etc. Eggs 3-5 times a week for breakfast.
No vegetable oil, canola oil or any trans fat. Olive oil or coconut oil. Healthy poly and mono unsaturated fats.

I'm slowly taking off wieght, and am currently down 30 lbs. I picked up 3 10# wieght plates, and let me tell you, holding 30# of iron in my hands and realizing that used to be FAT on me was humbling. And motivating.

AS for workouts. I hate lifting weights, and not really a fan of working out. Looking back, I was in the best shape of my life while in the military. Never lifted weights. Body weight resistance only- Calisthetics. PT. The old fashioned way.

So this week I'm back in boot camp, sort of. Except I dont have some creaming idiot spitting on me and yelling at me.

I ordered Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey. Excellent workout with just your own body weight. Also doing the Marine Corp daily 7, plus a few others that I remember.

With that, I do interval training, running short bursts of sprints, and walking or jogging. Sprint 30 sec, walk 1 minute, etc mixing it up.
Mt total workout time is 15-30 minutes tops. No marathon sessions on the treadmill, I keep my body guessing as to whats next. Run 30 sec, crank out 25 pushups, walk 1 minute, crank out 25 mountain climbers.

With this program, my next goal is 170#. Followed by 160#. Might take me all summer, but thats fine. There is no end point. That will be 50# of blubber off my arse, and gone!. 50# less of ME I have to haul up and down the mountains.


I encourage anyone looking to get in better shape to try this program. I know it works.

[mrpenguin]

I signed up for a half Ironman in RI the week before the season opens in CT... been dropping weight and getting back into shape after the birth of my son but needed a 'goal' to get my butt outta bed at 430-5 and ride a bike or do core workouts several times a week... since I started, I have felt better and been able to negotiate stress better.  PLUS I know I will be able to hunt deeper where the bigger boys are than my heavier brethren of the bow in Sept  

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Dang Erik, A HIM right off    

I'm signed up for a Sprint Tri. and a couple Duathlons and running 5k's every month and I thought that was a lot. Go get em buddy!!

Nice job everybody and hang in there.    

Tracy

[wapiti792]

WOW a half...I was due to do one in Sept right before elk hunting but my brother got deployed to A-Stan early so no half. YOU GO BOY!

I am up to 6 miles running as my long run with a half-marathon looming in 8 weeks. After that it is a triathlon every month (Sprints and one Olympic)until I do my Colorado and Wyoming elk/mulie hunt.

Keep up the good work everyone...that air is thin, the mountains don't get any smaller each year, and I am a year older. Man I love it :)Can't wait!

[cahaba]

Adirondackman says"PM me and I will share a hunting workout based on my military experience"

I shot you a PM. Any advice would be appreciated.

[wapitimike1]

I believe in signs or indicators. I bought a Bowflex tred climber set it up (You need to go to M,I,T assemble it). I used it faithfully for two days then my puppy chewed the wiring out of it. There you go, I was ment to be this way!!!

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Another 5k in the books and I got a new PR by 4min.    I'm down 28 lbs and still a ways to go before my Triathlon but I'm very happy with my progress.

A big reminder why we should all take care of are selves eat and drink right and go to the doctor and get check ups. A 51yr man dropped dead just a ways from the finish line, Luckily there was medical personal on site and they revived him with chest compressions and had him on his way to the Hospital quickly.

If this would have happened to a solo hunter in the woods bowhunting things could have ended much different.

They announced that he made it and was doing well     That was good news for sure but I just wanted to remind everybody to have things checked out and get the OK from your doctor to exercise.

Keep up the good work everybody!!

Tracy

[jhg]

Originally posted by wapitimike1:
I believe in signs or indicators. ...

Me too. When I start gasping for breath just climbing stairs and adding another notch on my belt its a sign I need to start working out.

Keep the momentum everyone!

J-

[bluegrassbowhunter]

As of today I'm 40lbs lighter than than I was in deer season....15 more & I'm were I want to be for turkey season....I can't believe how much more energy I have...may have to buy some new camo that will fit...lol...

[Shakes.602]

44 Years here.  :cool:   I have been Trying to Walk some each Day, even if its just cruising the Local Wally World. Bad Knee and Use a Cane, but I have a "Walking Stick" to get around the Woods!!    
  Been doing some Light Weights, just a Lot of them.     So, I AM Trying, for whatever thats Worth!! LOL      

[wapiti792]

Keep after it fellas...I am running on some bad wheels wight now but everytime I think about quitting one of my long runs I think of a bull that is screaming his head off up the mountain a ways. I wanna be fit enough to go get him!

[rappstar]

The only type of exercise that doesn't bore me is riding my bike.  Looking forward to warmer temps so I can get out and ride.

Lately, I'm grinding out some tredmill runs, pushups, situps and my total gym.  Hard to get amped up for it.  I'm still carrying a heavy pack on the t-mill as well.  

I caught myself talking to a friend the other day and we were chatting about some of the bigger name bowhunters who don't workout!  Bad sign....

[jhg]

Sustained effort = success.  

Brick by brick.


There are other perks to getting into better shape too. Just the other day, as I was walking toward one of those glass doors you see in stores, I could see in the refection a woman turn and check out my butt. Made me feel almost young again! I told my GF and she said that woman better be careful, because my butt belonged to her!  (And thats alright w/me!)

I'll take whatever encouragement I can get. Dreaming of elk season, being able to enjoy the backcountry trout streams, or reflections in windows, its all good.

And good for you Bill! Keep it up, walking stick and all!

Joshua

[Autumnarcher]

I just got my 3 month follow up results from the doc. Cholesterol down from 276 in December to 136!!! Needless to say, I'm thrilled with that.
Also down 35 lbs, 4" smaller around the waist, and feeling great. Workouts have been hit and miss, planning on buckling down on that this week, but I can run a far cry more than I could 3 months ago. My plan is to continue a slow and steady pace towards 160#. Will be talkin to my doc about eliminating or at least reducing the cholesterol meds, and see how the way of eating I've adopted maintains over the next 3 months.

Whenever I think of stuffing garbage food in my mouth, I think of that stack of weight plates that now weigh 35#, and remind myself that could be back around my mid section if I let my guard down. I plan to replace that image by theend of summer with a 50# bag of sand. As a reminder of what I won't be hauling around the mountains next time I go west.

Good luck to all in your efforts, the vigilance is well worth the sacrifice.

[jhg]

Originally posted by Autumnarcher:
I just got my 3 month follow up results from the doc. Cholesterol down from 276 in December to 136!!! Needless to say, I'm thrilled with that.
Also down 35 lbs, 4" smaller around the waist, and feeling great. ...

That is just fantastic! Keep it up brother!


Joshua

[GMMAT]

I did this, last week

Mon. - 4 mi. run
Tues. - 10mi. ride in the woods (mtn bike)
Wed. - 20mi. ride on the road (mtn bike)
thurs. - 4 mi. run
Fri. - 10mi. ride in the woods (mtn bike)

I'm taking today "off".....and doing a leisure ride on the bike with my wife, tomorrow.

I've only owned my bike for 3 weeks, now.  I haven't found anything to work me this hard...other than an all-out weight lifting session.

The gym DEFINITELY has its' place in a fitness regimen.