Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

This is my first post under survival. Since most of everything has already been covered, I thought I would mention a topic that is more important than you may have prepared for.

Your Physical fitness. I suspect that some of you are a bit out of shape. If this is the case.

SHAME ON YOU!

Especially after all the fun some of you have made of fatties (and rightfully so)

So, I would like to indroduce you to a FREE workout with almost no expense that will get you in the shape you NEED to be in.

http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com/my_video_journal.html

You can thank me 16 weeks from now

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

That's a great site, and I need to get to work. I am definitely "unfit" for survivalism.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I'm an ironworker, I'm in "good enough" shape. I can hold my gun up all day without getting too tired, so I think I'm set :D I couldn't run even if I didn't smoke (busted leg) so thats out of the question anyhow.

So basically, I'm good to go :D I'm getting back into lifting weights, now that I'm more lean and tonned from this job.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Hey BJ - quit smoking. It's easier than you think if you get your head around it right. Even forget the money or the health benefits of the quality of life improvements. Just picture a fat, sallow greasy little CEO sitting behind a big desk somewhere laughing at you every time you buy a pack. And counting his bags of Gold. Laughing and sneering at you with his sweaty face and piggy little eyes, as you pay him for the right to poison yourself with his drugged-to-make-you-become-addicted-to-them little 3 inch signs-of-weakness. Laughing , uncaring, and getting rich as you secretly loathe yourself and get sick. Because of your weakness. YOUR weakness , and his ability to exploit it. You comfortable with the role you and he occupy? He's the pimp , you're the bitch. That's what got me to quit. fwiw. ;-) I'm big on visualization and meditations.

Hey my brother is an iron worker , on the bridges in NYC , spends his days "knocking out rivets' as he puts it.

Good post SOG . Exercise is a crucial part of "Life" , never mind survival.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Free weights and cardio 3 days a week. Martial arts off and on since I was 5 years old. Did survival training in my late teens-early twenties; need to brush up on those skills. But I'm ready. Just need more preps...

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Drinking and smoking are impediments to your survival and well being. I have been fortunate in that I was able to shake both of them loose. It's tough, but you will be amazed at how better your life is without either one.

Booze and Smokes are:

1. Bad for your health
2. Expensive (how much is one smoke in a gram of gold?)
3. Impair mental ability
4. Impair erections (actually makes your flagpole of iron into a flagpole of wood)
5. Make some rich guy on the east coast richer
6. Are addictive
7. Reduce motivation to excercise
8. Are often perceived as a sign of "weakness"
9. Can cause expensive health problems down the road
10. Make you smell and look funny

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I guess this is a good thread for me to plug a piece of equipment for the home gym I really like. It's the Iron Man Power Tower, I got mine for $150. It lets you do pullups, leg lifts(I hate situps), dips and has pushup bars so you can get as low as you want. If you got a bike, eliptical machine, treadmill or just walking/running you'd have it covered. I'm not a big fan of running on cement or ashphalt, it's unnatural and can be injurous which is why I'd consider the machines if you live in the city.

The main rule about your physical fitness is use it or lose it. I have known some very fit elderly folk, they kept active so they could keep active. Makes sense.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I own the same thing, really recommend it.
got mine from costco

its the only equipment I use, the rest is ALL bodyweight exercises, which I find vastly superior to weights,

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

wallywrolds got em for 110

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3884704

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I recommend combat conditioning, by Matt furey.

Good selection of bodyweight exercises, which give you practical & functional strength

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I'm definately not in the shape I was in when I was younger. I've done a little exercise lately and was suprised how much weaker I am.

While strength is important, I'm not so sure about large muscles. They may give a survival advantage in strength and for warning off trouble, but doesn't having alot of muscle mass burns up more food?

I'm not real well informed on nutrition, but seems lean and strong may be better? In a survival situation, you want what you're eating to go towards fueling your life and work, not unused muscle size?

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

That's funny that you mention that, we had an Engineer/Supervisor at work that actually had one of those in his office, he was into boxing and Martial arts.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Cool! :top:

My wife's pretty into weight lifting and she was looking at a lot of stuff while we were building our gym in a spare room. I saw the tower and could tell right away it was exactly what I wanted. I find I use it constantly, every time I pass the room I step in and do a set of pullups real quick.

Wow, that is weird. Just a while ago there was some guy in my office staring at my Power Tower and all my shootfighting trophies.:aetsch:

Nah, but as someone with similar interests I can tell you it's a very appealing piece of equipment because it basically develops athleticism, strength and endurance. I use free weights too but most machines seem to really be made for people who are more interested in just bulking up.

What BJ said about holding up his gun all day without getting tired reminded me of something... that's actually a good conditioning exercise. A strong stance is the foundation of any fighting art, including gun-fu. It isn't a bad practice to take your gun, no bullet in the chamber for safety, and hold it up while aiming at a spot on the wall for as long as you can without getting too twitchy. Then switch sides.(in real life you'll likely want or need to be able to shoot from both sides of a piece of cover) You can develop a once or twice a week routine of your very own gunkata! :D

This is actually part of the reason why I enjoy using hand tools over power tools, I get strong doing useful things so I have muscle developed along useful lines.

Yup. The really big body builders have to eat a HUGE ammount of calories to keep their size, not infrequently in the form of weird shakes and supplements since it can be hard to eat enough burgers. And then some powerlifter who looks much smaller comes and does three times the weight. Body building isn't my scene, I'm all about the go, not the show.

The intimidation factor can be an advantage but what is it really worth? If you're really a dangerous man then chances are you're probably good at non-verbally conveying that message when you want to and if you're not really dangerous the guys who are will be able to tell you're bluffing.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I read an article about Thunder Ranch a year or two ago, the author talked about how sore they were after running from point to point to point, while shooting all day long , sometimes holding their rifles at the ready for minutes on end without firing, they really started to feel the burn :D A friend from the marines said they make them do that in bootcamp. I do it for fun, once in a while I'll get home from work, look at my AK, and just decide to run through my house clearing each room of imaginary threats. Other times I'll put a 75 round drum in it, and see how long I can hold that with one hand. Not easy! Curling using just your wrists definitely helps, you'll be very sore after doing it for only a few minutes. Do it a few days a week like REV said and you'll be on your way to being a lean, mean, gun-holding-all-day-machine :tongue_ma:

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Wish I had one of those! I've thought about just building something similar, but for now I'm getting by with what I've got.

I have a bench and rack, so that covers bench press and squats. I've got a bar and plenty of weight, so that covers deadlifts, rows, overhead presses, etc. I do pullups and chins on an implement I made out of plumbing pipe, following instructions I found online - it "hangs" on the wall overhead of a door opening by using opposing pressure, so it's not actually hanging at all, but more like squeezing. And dips, tied with deadlift for my favorite exercise, I just do between two chairs for now with my feet up on a third, with weight on my lap for added resistance. My only real problem is staying consistent with workouts, something with which I often struggle. :wink:

Another element of full body strength that I think many folks overlook is hand and grip strength. If you're a carpenter, or farmer, or know one, you know they've got great hand strength from working with their hands all the time. Those who don't work with their hands regularly can strengthen them other ways, through high strength grippers (check out Ironmind), using a thick bar or a towel wrapped around your regular bar in your exercises, farmers walks, and lifting wide, heavy objects such as the ends of old-fashioned York dumbbells. Grip strength is important because it's through your hands that you transfer your body's strength to implements you're using, whether that be a firearm, a tool, a thug's arm, etc. Weak hands, just like a weak back, are a weak link in the chain. There are guys out there that are really into this stuff, that I've met at a get-together, and it's mind-boggling to witness or feel their strength. They take it to absolute extremes, but I think a decent base is something for everyone to work at.

When I was really into the grip strength thing for a while, I learned a neat feat of strength (and technique): tearing a phone book in half. :bear_w00t: It's a lot of fun and really wows people who've never seen it before (tiring, though!). :bear_tongue:

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I have an exercise room with various toys, but my main work out now is an ipod and a drum set.

Rock on!

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Three miles every third day. Seven cords a year. Two packs a day for 42 years[grow my own smoke~cook my own mash].


Us real addicts will be the last ones standing

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

No! Over the last year I've gotten caught up in a horrendous amount of overtime at work and have spent a lot of time helping out with a serious family health issue (my father has cancer), and I completely quit working out. I was also only sleeping 2-3 hours a night, quit my dance troupe (and dancing), and was getting home from work so late that I wasn't eating dinner until midnight or later. I'm getting my life back together now, though. I'm sleeping more, eating earlier, and started working out again. Over the years I've accumulated a decent amount of weight-training equipment, so I'm pretty well set up in the home gym department.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I helped a co-worker move two months ago, and received a set of 15lb dumbbells and a set of 20lb for helping. Curls,flys,shoulder press,deadlifts, rows, shrugs, and just holding them standing as I watch a movie. Although I have only been working out for a couple of months, I have notice substantial gains.

Started doing pushups yesterday, and will start situps soon. I am thinking about getting an olympic bar setup, so I can do cleans and bench press.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

bodyweight exercises here

I did weights for 20+ years, I feel a lot better doing these, and I am more "fit"

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler19.htm

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

No, but i intend to begin training martial arts. Karate or aikido. Beginning tomorrow.

Perhaps i will be more focused/disciplined because of the training.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

training of the Captain from the movie 300

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/556588...n_in_300_film/

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Yeah, those guys were cut like stone in that movie. All the ladies I know LOVE this movie because of that!

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

medicine balls & kettle balls

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Kettlebells ;)

Swinging one of those for an hour will beat your entire body up, from your hands to your feet.

Noticed he was doing deadlifts, too. :applause_

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I stand corrected.

;)
Never tried the kettle bells, I used to deadlift a lot
back a couple of years ago, my best deadlift was like 550 lbs

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Wow!!! Now that is impressive. :applause_ :applause_

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I LOVED lifting weights.

did it for like 20 years, and thankfully I quit before my body gave out.

Now i do bodyweight exercises, I do them daily. Some days I do more, some days less.

But my flexibility has increased, so has my strength, etc etc

When i was lifting hard, I had like 19" Arms (all muscle), this is not bragging please bare with me, but I was unable to touch my shoulders because my muscles were so big, and my flexibilty was so poor. (picture making a bicep and unable to touch your own shoulder)

I feel lots better doing bodyweight work, not as glamorous, but it is healthier IMO

as a 20 year Gym rat/power lifter, I strongly suggest you weightlifters look into it.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

My wife does deadlifts, never tried it myself so I don't know how to judge but any way you cut it a quarter of a ton is a lot of weight! The heaviest known weight I've ever moved was 175lbs overhead press, but it was on a machine and I hurt my back for a while from doing it.

Kettle bells look like a cross between an Indian club and a dumb bell, I like both of those so I think I'll give'em a shot.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I will say it one more time, try out the bodyweight exercises
Hindu squats
Hindu pushups
Back Bridge

even if you mix and match, bodyweight exercises offer something that weights do not offer.

You might end up liking them.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I haven't tried those yet, but I do like dips and pullups, and will sometimes finish out a workout with 40-50 deep squats without any weight or anything.

REV, you'll like kettlebells. I've been wanting to get one for a while now, myself. A "bottoms up" overhead press with one (that's where you hold it by the handle, with the base extended upward, overhead press style) is a whole other ball game. You constantly fight to keep it steady. You can also do swings with them that will punish your back and arms. Lots of fun stuff.

I miss sports, often. I played soccer at a pretty competitive level for about 15 years. I basically never worked out; just played the game I loved. Training was often tough, and the games were brutal (center midfielder) but it was pure joy, and I was in the best shape of my life. So though we'd practice for two hours every day and have matches every weekend, it didn't always feel like work. I'd much rather play soccer for 90 minutes than "work out" for 30. :bear_tongue: If I were still playing, though, I'd supplement it with a little weight training, to build up some additional strength.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

I think this one did it without the website
http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/2...sixpackza2.jpg

:bear_wub: :bear_wub: :bear_wub:

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Thanks, blueice.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Nice routine.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

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Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Cool vid Infidel.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

May I be as bold as to suggest this gentlemans books. He is the real deal and is nice enough to reply to any questions you may ask promptly. I have a number of his books and they are great. I also have some of Mr Fureys books and video's. IMPO Ross' stuff is far superiour and FWIW far cheaper. More money for Gold, Silver or Lead :wink:

Also check out the Ross' videos. The man is a machine. Mr Furey seems to trade on his "I came second in a High School Wrestling Comp" story. Fair play to him though. I certainly don't think I could handle him. But then again I'm not saying I'm Sh^& hot either.





Dude - is this one of your various "toys" :-P

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Good luck with that. Hardest part is sticking with it.

I know a few people with very good martial arts skills, they are very self-concious, focused, yet balanced individuals.

They aren't kids though. Kids can get very good at martial arts, and have heaps of strength, but still lack the maturity to know when its use is appropriate.

I have also met rarer people with martial arts skill, or basic skill, who have no discipline whatsoever. I suspect a lot of them end up in prison or worse.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

These are all great exercises and I do them on a regular basis. Still love free weight exercises, though I'm not into typical ones like curls and bench presses. I do power cleans, snatches and deadlifts, stuff like that. I don't think you can beat them for explosive power and strength if they are done with heavy weight. Also for legs jumping squats, jumping lunges and pistols (bodyweight) are great.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

You know, in a survival situation where food is limited, I think having six-pack abs would be a major disadvantage. The body stores fat for times of famine. If you look like this fellow when tshtf, it won't take long until your muscles are eaten away and you are nothing but skin and bones.

I say gain some weight, pack on a few pounds (already there for many folks). You'll get your six-pack when your stored food runs out. Doing some strength training and cardio is highly recommended, though. You never know when you'll need it.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

Absolutely true.Any drug-free person who has such low bodyfat that his 6-pack is showing is deeply in the catabolic state and is losing muscle,one of the steroids advantage is that the metabolic scales are tipped in your favor and you can be ripped and not lose muscle at the same time.

Re: Are you "Fit" to survive?
 

The "spirit" of the post was to help encourage those that are out of shape.
You have a point about having some stored up useable fat in a food shortage situation. On the other hand, you should not use that as an excuse to not be in shape. Most of us live among people and not in some far away remote isolated location, which may be more conducive to a bear hibernation stragedy as you are referring to.

In a city/suburb location you are FAR better off being in good physical shape at the onset of a Stink Hitting The Fan senario. With the proper food storage a time for body fat storage can be had later once you have analyzed the current situation.

We are far better off with a FIGHT mentality than some wimpy, hide myself in a cave with my big fat gut outlook. The founding fathers did NOT have that frame of mind.