Recently I was thinking about what might be a minimum maintenance program to keep in shape for hunting. Anyone care to share their personal work out?

Ringman: If you are talking about "body" maintenance I drink 3 to 4 beers a day.
Just funnin ya there - I am to old to engage in calisthenics anymore.
But you get after it guy - i suggest swimming to avoid any stress on ones knee's (I learned that lesson the hard and painful way!).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I thought it was booby maintenance. My bad.

You, sir, happen to be about my favorite poster. As for beer I think I had one earlier this year.

In February it will be two years since my wife told me she wanted to look like she did in her thirties. She was 73. I told her if she didn't work her whole body she would be a flabby old woman. She hit the treadmill and the machines and within sixteen months weighed 127 pounds; down from 184! She can bench press 85 pounds!

I, on the other hand, was a quenticential little old man. Five feet seven inches tall and 160 pounds. I got a couple heart rate monitors and discovered she kicks my butt. I have to limit my speed on the treadmill to 2.5mph at 15 percent incline. Nevertheless it is better than nothing. I can hike in steep terrain for five hours now.

I thank the Lord for my health.

Good topic. I suggest changing the spelling on the title.

Lots of fornicating...

Ringman, there's an exercise thread on the backpacking forum with some good information. As you get older, you lose lean muscle mass, bone density, cardio capacity, balance, flexibilty, and a few other things. So you need to work on those at a minimum. If you have access to a gym with good trainers, I'd recommend consulting one to come up with a program.

I am a strict follower of the cigar, whiskey and bacon diet.

Keep going good men, I need to get motivated.

To what?

There’s an idea.

Yeah, at first glance, saw the same. It's the Campfire so could've gone either way.

The Breakfast of Champions..

Ringman, I don’t do anything specifically for hunting, but am fairly physically active around our place. However, I believe that a light regiment of pushups, sit ups, pull ups and most importantly aerobic exercises , would be beneficial. memtb

get with Eyeball first.

I just don’t get in a hurry. Surprising what you can walk up on!

I work out on a tread mill 4-5 days a week. I work at it 30-40 minutes a session, mostly a fast walk 4 mph with incline 5-10%. But at times I’ll jog for a few minutes.
And I work out on a weight machine twice a week, various lifts of 50-75 pounds.
I’m four weeks shy of 69 and this seems to keep me in decent shape. I do this year round and have for 30 plus years, but it used to be more rigorous.

It would appear that you have a good start. Add a 20 lb pack and a rifle and you will be ready for most anything.

mike r

Age 74.

Tae Kwon Do, 3x per week. Still not real flexible but stretch frequently. Have lost about 20 lbs. in the past 5 yrs. I’m still old, but in better shape than my peers.

B

If nothing else, long fast walks every day can help a lot. Start wearing a day pack and add water bottles as you get in shape. A 5 mile walk wearing 30 lb gets the heart going a bit.

I'll be 67 in a couple weeks. I've used to hike the hills around here, but winters and some summers kind of got in the way. Joined a gym sponsored by the local hospital so I can go year round. I usually go 4-5 days a week. Hit a few of the weight machines, mainly the back extention, rear delta, stomach crunch, and shoulder press with the back extention being the only one I really add a lot of weight to. Then comes the tread mill or eliptical on alternating days. On the treadmill I raise the angle as high as it will go and set the speed to 3.5 mph. Once my heart rate hits 150 I drop a couple degrees. Keep adjusting the angle to keep my heart rate in the mid 140s. This one I go 30 minutes on. The eliptical I set with a fat burn program giving my weight, age, heart rate target and go for 20 minutes.
Three years in now at the gym and I can pretty well hunt daylight to dark on our family pheasant hunts.Some of that CRP will kick my backside, but this is the only way I'm still hunting so I'll keep it up.

Hiking/walking with a pack on uneven ground.

General farm labor all year long, cutting, maul splitting, and stacking fire wood, driving fence posts with a 35lb driver, a couple trips up the mountain or down in the hell hole and back out has my legs and lungs blown out and ready for another year in the woods.

I used to run the treadmill at 4.5 until I got the heart monitor. It was 200. I thought it was high so asked at the front desk. They told me to keep it below 150. Therefore I started backing down till it's under control.

“I’m too old” excuse is lazy and puts you one step closer to hospice.

220 minus your age is max heart rate.

Wife just informed me it's supposedly National Bacon Day.

I missed it this morning.

I'll double down tomorrow perhaps.

Geno

PS actually we just picked up an ancient exercycle to add to our walks and such.

Check out bosu ball. Fantastic for balance, strength, cardiovascular. Can be as easy as you want it or can kick your ass.

That's the hardest thing about keeping in shape, Wabi.

“How to determine your ideal running heart rate

To determine your ideal running heart rate, you’ll first need to calculate your maximum heart rate.

To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.

For example, if you’re 30 years old, your maximum heart rate would be 190.

Keep in mind, this is just a guide. Your maximum heart rate may vary 15 to 20 bpm in either direction.

The American Heart Association recommends exercising with a target heart rate of 50 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate for beginners, and for moderately intense exercise.

You can work at 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate during vigorous activity. Follow the table below as a general guide. Your heart rate may be 15 to 20 bpm higher or lower. Use a monitor to keep track.”


75 and I can hit the low 170’s before crashing. Doc says don’t change anything now based on all tests.

Damn, son!!!

According to that my max should be 153, I often hit 153-154. Asked the dr about it and he said as long as it doesn’t bother you keep it up

Hmmm,
Doc said the same. 👍

Treadmill Doc didn’t come close to stressing me. “Doc, there is more to give.” “Your done, I don’t need someone your age dying on my watch. Go change.”

Is this booby maintenance or baby maintenance?

At age 70 I walk one mile every day and try to work in a 2-3 mile walk a couple times a week. I work out at the gym three days a week using the cable machines and bosu ball for balance/equilibrium improvement. I alternate days doing upper body one day and lower body the next, so far I have maintained my weight and my blood sugar and blood pressure are within my doctor's guidelines.

I can't swim due to mucked up shoulders, can't walk very far due to arthritic knees. What am I left to do? And I'm only 53!

I walk from two to five miles, over varied terrain, carrying a rifle, everyday. In the winter, I use snowshoes, if necessary. When it's icy, I use those slip-on studded shoes. I lift weights (not too heavy, high reps), and hit the speed bag and heavy bag. I quit sparring five years ago, on advice from the Dr., due to some neck problems but I'll still do a round now and then. I'm 70 and am still doing OK. One thing I find is that things go wrong more easily. A few weeks back, I bent down to pick up a nail, my back popped, and I was crippled for two weeks. I still managed to walk but had to use a cane! I guess these are the golden years.
From the time I was about 10 years old, I have been taking that walk with a rifle and it helps me feel good. GD

Kin he spel?

gunswizard,

You sound like you're in very good shape.

Triggernosis,

I feel for you, man. There is something worth a try. Call the elders of a church and have them anoint you with oil in the name or Jesus. It sure can't hurt and I have seen complete healings. I can't recommend a church 'cause I don't tend to go there.

well since i got these testosterone pellets and have been working out 17 inch biceps are coming back...and i can see making the 18 inch i always wanted too.

No boby pictures? this place is a shadow of what it once was...

Kent

Who’s Boby?

Trust me, no one wants to see a picture of my "Boby" And I ain't payin' for NOBODY's therapy!

Walk as much and as often as you can. Add a pack when you’re ready, then add weight to that when you work up to it.

Buy a 16kg, 20kg or 24kg kettlebell and learn how to do proper kettlebell swings. Employ a trainer if you must, as it will only take one or two 30-minute sessions to use proper form. Work up to the point where you can do 100 kettlebell swings in 15 minutes, then do that 3-4 times a week.

Add the walking with pack and kettlebell swings to a good stretching regimen and you’ll be a beast in the woods.

And, if you’re 60 or older, get a GPS device and learn how to use. The watch varieties work well, as they monitor your heart rate and track your daily steps.

Bicycle?

You can float in the pool. That’d be meditational.

You got that right!!! And what you can see too.

Stay out of churches with rattle snakes in them.

ditto.

6 days a week 5 miles a day walking in the foothills with a Garand, no sling. 3 of those days I add a pack weighing either 20, 30, or 50 lbs. Snowshoes when it gets deep. 60 Pushups and situps daily, half just before the 5 mile circuit and the other half right after finishing the 5 miles. I'm 66.

the old 220 minus age is nothing more than a rough guide to cover averages.

To really get your max you need to know your resting heart rate, the best way to do this is an average over a week or more IMMEDIATELY when you wake up. then you factor in age and weight. There are many charts on line to do this.

Excercise at about 75% of max based on that and you will build stamina and burn fat. Go beyond that and you go aerobic.

WOW!

Thanks for this information. I will start tomorrow.