Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Funny twist to the fitness/cardio thread

Just so I don't side track it.

I have met a number of guys over the years that have invested unbelievable hours building and designing the rigs they hunt with. They spend months of evenings after work, weekends and money I cannot even imagine to get high HP, heavy duty long travel suspension, diff locks, body armor etc. They have enormous pride and feel a personal achievement looking at the creation.

But they are 30-50 pounds over weight, zero aerobic capacity, drinking beer the whole time they are working on this. They end up without any liquid cash to actually go on a week long hunting trip, and use this vehicle to drive to the mountains just like my factory rig does.

Then the sad part. They road hunt because there is no way they can travel any distance. Especially not up hill! The ultimate possession we have is ourself. I would sooner look at how to rebuild or maintain my health and physical ability then all the hours and money for my super off road machine!

I'm always stumped at the guy that has so much pride in his mechanical achievement and looks as he does? He should have bought a mirror and a scale!

+1

I agree but there are also those that spend the same amount of money and time on their bodies just for show but they have no go.

MY wife and I were just talking about all the people we know who are sick and how those people are always sick. We very rarely get sick even though we work in public jobs and our son is in day care a few days of the week.

All I can figure is that if you put more importance on the equality food and getting some good sleep and working out some than the latest gadget you will feel better.

Excellent response gwl.

I feel the same way, I've witnessed guys spending hundreds of dollars to purchase a rifle that is 3oz lighter than the one that has served them over the years, binos that are a few ounces less than what they have, fluting barrels, etc, etc, etc.

My question has always been, "Why don't you just lose 10 pounds?"

This takes me back 8 or 10 years. A friend of mine (A) invited me to go on 1 day elk hunt with him and a friend of his (B). I went along for the ride. While A and I hiked the mountains, B hung out along the road because he couldn't climb a hill higher than his head. He was pathetic. Several times during the day he said he wanted to stop at a Mexican restaurant in a town we'd be going through on the way home. That was a mistake. Our food came on large platters floating in grease. I could have literally poured off a cup of pure liquid oil. A and I ate less than half of ours and we felt nauseated while B cleaned his plate and wiped up the grease with bread. He must have eaten 3000 calories. It's no wonder he couldn't hike.

In the last couple years I have dropped the idea of building my " ultimate hunting rig". I have decided to stick with my boring tacoma and spend my resources actually going out and doing fun stuff. I would far rather go for an afternoon hike than build a bumper or wire up off-road lights etc. If something doesn't fit in with my effort vs benifit strategy I won't do it. I have started to slowly purchase some key pieces of good quality gear. I am also spending time on my personal health and fitness, this I beleive will put me in good stead by allowing me to enjoy what I want to do in life.

Fuzzy

Yep, some spend 95% of their time trying to solve 3% of their problems.

Fuzzy, that post nailed it!

Rock chuck, I almost puked......... thanks for the articulate and disgusting writing. I could see this crystal clear in my mind, and know these folks myself.

What kills me is that this "fitness" thread comes up twice a year and it's the same bullshit everytime.

You want to impress me.... Lets see a Diet and Nutrition thread for guys that work nights and work 50-60 hour weeks.

I'm active enough. I can do the [bleep] I want to do when I want to do it. I KNOW I could lose 15 pounds. Eating for convenience and loving beer is my problem. I'm the most athletic fat kid I know.

That's a tough one. Sleep on the north side of the house, black out the window. Valerian root to induce sleep for starters. Zone Diet recipes that you can cook batches of and freeze so you don't eat pizzas and [bleep] like that.

Diet and sleep are more important than exercise. You don't get stronger/faster from working out, you get there by RECOVERING from working out.

Working at something even moderately physical for 60hr/wk will limit recovery and therefore limit your capacity for meaningful exercise. You have to find what that limit is, no one else can tell you.

A lot of beer isn't your friend either. I'd limit it to two daily and eat two ounces of lean sandwich meat with each beer.

After spending a year on mids (2200-0800) I can say that the eating thing was the easiest to keep under check. Now the redbull was the tough part...oh and actually going out and doing stuff on days off after working 4-10's.

Alcohol = poison. No and's, if's, or but's about it. Im so sick of dealing with alcohol and all the problems it causes through my profession I've sworn it off. It does nothing positive for you.

Now that im back to days, its wake up at 0500, workout, and enjoy my days off....gonna be a good year!

Here's your answer, from the other thread:



It worked for me, I dropped 12 pounds a couple years ago, and have kept it off. Also, what TAK said about cooking good food on the weekend and taking it to work. You can't eat restaurant or prepared food and expect to get results.

Look at what you eat every day, and figure out how to cut "empty" or wasted calories. If you have a sandwich for lunch every day, and a beer after work, just putting on a little more meat, using thin whole grain bread, and leaving the cheese off the sandwich and dropping the beer will be a couple hundred calories/day and it adds up.

Great observation JJHack. I've seen it myself.

I remember this one guy at the range 5 or 6 years ago. He was overflowing with enthusiasm for his new elk rig for his virgin elk hunt that fall. Man he had this 300 Winmag with all the bells and whistles. I'm talking everything to make an internet loonie's heart putter. Told me confidently that anything at 600 yards of less was dead meat. Judging by the targets he was laying down I could believe it.

But this fella was tad shorter than me and weighed an easy 300 pounds. Easy. I'm talking 55 gallon drum waistline. He knew he was heading into the mountains but just couldn't make the choices that would have increased his mobility.

I know it is tough. And I see a whole lot of folks fall into the trap and never seem to get out of it. Years of carrying major league extra weight turn into decades which turn into chronic disease and forced inactivity. They get old enough to retire but don't have the ability to get out and do the things they dreamed of for so long.

So even though I have VERY strong opinions on exercise I try now to be a bit moderate in stating them. Get moving, take it easy until you get your moving parts strong enough to endure harder work, and keep chugging. Doing something at a moderate pace for years with a very occasional extra heavy workout beats jumping into something too hard and getting injured.

Will

I enjoy keeping in shape it is kind of my hobby and release there for it is easy for me. If I viewed it as work or something I have to do I think that would be tough to stay in shape.

So I guess having the right perspective on things helps.

I am a over middle aged guy with a young son and a great wife. I have all the regular time commitments but keep in shape is what we do and my 4 year old even joins us.

I have a friend who thinks a good day is one in which you do not sweat. I on the other hand feel 100% opposite. He is 15 years younger over weight and on long term medications of high blood pressure and high coles.. I am on no meds at all.

But I will most likely get hit by a bolt of lighting or run over by a truck and he will live into his 8o's.

This may be the case, but just compare your quality of life versus his until that lightening bolt or truck takes you.

You will be able to "apply" yourself, doing what you want physically, while he sits on his couch and wishes.

The length of time between the dates on a tombstone don't mean jack, it's what you actually done between those dates.

The diet and nutrition is the same for the guys that work 40 hours of day shift per week.

You're welcome.


Travis

Except, it should be easier for guys who work 50-60 hours, since they have less time to eat.

When you take people hunting for a living you see lots of things you would never imagine. There are human functions most take for granted and deal with properly and effectively.

However spend a week in the bush with over 400 guys and your gonna learn things about humanity you had no idea existed. One elderly fella had no bladder control. It was like hunting with a guy that had not been potty trained.

I thought that was the worst situation I had ever had to deal with. However it was not unusual as it turns out, I've now seen more the a couple that hike with wet pants! I've had guys walk and hunt telling me they need to stop and make a better effort to clean up after #2. They say something like " gotta dig out my baby wipes, my a$$ is raw and killing me, I think I missed some"

Are you kidding me? Hunting terminated early due to a raw a$$!!!

It gets worse, I've had guys just absolutely have a blowout and crap their pants. Some continue trying to walk....... For a while! I'm not talking a light sharding, it was fully detectable at distance.

Fitness..... HA......... How about some basic human dignity and hygiene

Laughin' my ass off...



Travis

You've never met me! I know I'm fatter...