Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting 2014 Fitness/Workout Thread

That's funny, my dog feels the same way. He loves to help when I'm cutting and trimming. He's like a garbage disposal for the trimmings. Never lets a piece hit the floor.

Did cardio today.

Mike Lang the Penguins announcer has some great lines when a Pen does something good. One of which is, "He's grin'n like the butchers Dog."

Could've just as well said "he's fartin' like the butcher's dog."

At least it's a convenient excuse. Need those for the wife.

How much exercise is enough? Lard-azz couch potato or "super-fit" endurance athlete? Both may wind up as cardiac cripples as a result of their respective behavior. A decades long study of Scandinavian X-Country skiers first denoted a direct positive correlation between endurance racing and early onset atrial fibrillation. Not only was this prevalant, it was MOST prevalant in the MOST fit, and moreso the LONGER they raced. Here is more research from Medscape. To see the entire article, you'll likely have to register.


heheart.org on Medscape > Trials and Fibrillations with Dr John Mandrola
Exercise, Overindulgence and Atrial Fibrillation: Seeing the Obvious

John Mandrola
DisclosuresMay 21, 2014

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Drug & Reference Information

Atrial Fibrillation
Holiday Heart Syndrome
Pediatric Ventricular Fibrillation

Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on drjohnm.org.

If you like thinking and writing, few topics are better than the excess exercise and heart disease story. Indeed it is a matter for the curious.

Two studies published last week in the British journal Heart addressed the relationship of exercise and heart disease[1,2]. Although these studies garnered mainstream media attention they added little to what is already known. Namely, that moderate exercise is protective and excessive exercise is detrimental. This has been dubbed the J-curve of exercise. You could also call it�obvious.

I've been to this place so many times, I was going to leave it alone this time.

Two things changed my mind.

One was a series of comments on my Is Atrial Fibrillation Necessary post on theheart.org . The post describes the fact that lifestyle factors, not bad luck, play a central role in atrial fibrillation and its treatment. I believe this research, from scientists in Adelaide Australia, is the most important work in all of electrophysiology.

The Australians are exposing our blind spot. Their findings force us to look at AF as a modifiable acquired disease. Modifiable not with drugs, or freezes, or burns, but with simple lifestyle choices. What we eat, how we sleep, how much weight we carry�these are the things that matter to the health of our atria. What makes the Australian work so compelling is that they connect basic science and physiology to real-world clinical outcomes.

It's important to note that the Adelaide brand of lifestyle intervention is aggressive. They enroll overweight patients in a physician-led clinic where multiple areas of health are addressed. These patients get results. Their weight drops, BP falls, sleep improves, blood sugar decreases, alcohol intake plummets. Through these anti-fibrillatory effects something else happens: they feel better. Go figure.

So, yes, the Australians are reversing AF in a population that is over-indulged.

Many of the readers here are endurance athletes. And when viewed from a distance, athletic people do not appear over-indulged, eg, they are not overweight. This sort of thinking came through in a number of the comments on my THO post.

"There are some skinny normal-BP people with AF and no valvular defect. Lifestyle modification will help many, but not all."

And this one:

"Strange thing is though, a remarkably high level of "super fit" people get Afib too�"

Can you see the intuitive (fast) thinking? That skinny and athletic equates to "healthy." Most doctors, those who don't roll with the athlete crowd, think this way.

I, and most of you, know better. Many, if not most, masters-aged athletes are completely and utterly, micro (last few weeks) and macro (last few decades) over-indulged. We've been at the train-like-Lance-ride-like-Lance game for a lifetime. Exercise is our drug. When we don't race fast, we train more, not less. A brisk 10K run isn't enough, we need to run a marathon, then two, and of course, many, like I once did, move to triathlon. Always more inflammation, not less.

Seems to be the current thinking. However, it doesn't take the individual into account in that some just have a bigger engine. I.E. heart and lungs and subsequently are born for the long run.

The example was driven home years ago with Duffy a Springer, could go all day and never had another Dog make him hit quit and a few tried. Developed a cough and I eventually took him to the Vet who did chest x-rays. He is a cool guy and dedicated hunter. They were thrown up on the screen and he said "Look at this!!!!" "What, something wrong?" "No, his heart and lungs are just huge."

Turns out the cough went away, but the question of why he didn't know quit was answered. Hunted hard and slowed down only little into his 12th year.

Some are born to the long run. Most are not.

10 sprints Saturday morning. Legs yesterday morning, 3 sets of squats, lunges and calf raises with dumbbells. Back to pushups and pull-ups this morning.

Strength:
Clean and Jerk
5-3-3-3-1
135#-155#-175#-175#-185#

AMRAP in 9min
15 Pullups (banded)
15 Dips (on box)
3 Cleans - 175#
1 Jerk - 175#

3 rounds + 2 pullups

Got in a few miles up in the mtns yesterday, around 9,000 ft. Beautiful day, aspens not turning yet though.

Did lower body/core today.

Saturday: Fast 3.2 mile hike.

Took Sunday and Monday off:

Today: Deadlifts, KB Squats, standing press, bent over rows, farmers walk. (x4)
20minutes hill climb intervals on treadmill.

Skill/Strength:
5X5
Pistols

Workout:
5 rounds for time
5 burpee pullup
10 pistol (alt. let, so 5 each leg)

5:50

I've fallen off the wagon on posting my workouts. Current weekly schedule: Lifting on M/T/Th/F, MMA/grappling on Sunday, boxing on Mon/Wed/Thur, cardio on Tues/Fri. ...will try to get back on the posting wagon soon...

Dude, seriously, is that all?

Did upper body today. Down to 192.5 Lbs.

Strength:
Bench Press
10-8-6-4-2
135#-165#-185#-225#-225#

Workout:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Bench Press 165#
Row for calories

13:50

I'm a bit dissappointed in my bench numbers...

Did cardio today. A little under the weather, had to tone it down a bit, but got in a good sweat nevertheless.

Have to get on the rower. Been a shooting day.

Strength:
Back Squat
5-4-3-2-1
135#-185#-205#-255#-275#

Workout:
Back Squat 185# - 70 reps

9:50

60minutes on bike trainer yesterday morning. 4 mile run this morning. Packing in and hanging a treestand tonight.

Treadmill: 30minutes 12.5% incline

Circuit: Bench press, dead lifts, EZ bar curls, KB squats, dips. 5 sets.