Physical Conditioning @ Home

Last week I sawed up 8 larch snags into blocks over two days. Most averaging 16 inches in diameter and one at 35 inches. This week we rolled and tosed them 400 yds down the hill and loaded them. The yield was a little more than 4.25 cords. Before that was 6 chord of lodgepole.

Next is replacing 40 posts followed by putting 800 bales in the barn. At nearly 70 I'm not sure where I would find the time for an exercise program. However if any of you would like to help put up hay I'm sure that would replace a portion of your exercise program.

I can't run up the trails but I still have an acceptable amount of endurance. Maybe it is just being stubborn. My Welch roommate told me one time that Scots can't wear rubber boots because the heels give a little.
 
I used to put about 10-12 tons of hay up in our barn. Usually by myself. Don’t miss that.
 
I'm in the camp of the "train for what your competing in" crowd.

Since I'm determined to get in mountain shape again, I'm doing rucks in the hills and mountains around Vegas plus trips where we are in the actual game unit mountains we are hunting, and scouting with full gear.

When I have shed 20 pounds from doing that, I will begin adding weighted packs to the mix.

Additionally, strength exercises will be mixed in using the home gym (free weights, dumbbells, roman chair, etc.).

Also have a setup for simulating lap swimming in our pool where a leash tethers me to a wall outside the pool. Timed swims doing this get the heart rate up and keep it where you want it.

Diet: Portion control on everything. Even cut out the drinking, not so bad once you get through the first 10 days or so.

Rest: Lack of sleep makes cowards of us all, or some such drivel from I can't remember who.

Injury control: Try very hard to train with the goal in mind of pushing things, but not so far that you set yourself back by causing injuries.

Testing: Occasionally, take the gloves off and do a maximum effort workout. See how you do and re-evaluate your regimen accordingly. Recently started evaluating acetazolamide trying to get my oxygen uptake more efficient. No results on that yet, only tried once so far this year.
 
I am fortunate enough to have access to a large inground pool. Amazing how good of a low impact cardio workout you can get in that thing.

I have been trying to get in some running and hiking with a loaded pack but with the heat and humidity down here it is hard from June into the first part of September. This humidity just makes it feel as if I am suffocating. I am limited to the first couple hours of daylight for these. The humidity is still outrageous but at least the sun isn't beating down. Instead I built a 16" tall step to do step ups with. That is definitely a workout for me. I think I may have to make it 18" high soon though.
 
Total gym and kayaking, that burns the shoulders. Quarantine was a doozie but I still have 3 months to drop the 'Rona 15! 🤣🤣
 
I haven’t been able to work out as much as I was hoping to but I made a pull-up bar out of pipe and 4x4s in the garage. Been doing pull-ups and pushups. And some sand bag workouts between work calls. Really need to get some cardio in... The MTNTOUGH body weight stuff looked good but havnt decided to pull the trigger yet.
 
I haven’t been able to work out as much as I was hoping to but I made a pull-up bar out of pipe and 4x4s in the garage. Been doing pull-ups and pushups. And some sand bag workouts between work calls. Really need to get some cardio in... The MTNTOUGH body weight stuff looked good but havnt decided to pull the trigger yet.
I had a setup like that with two two by fours and a pipe growing up as a kid. Creaked like hell but never gave out.
 
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My running has been out for a few weeks now. But I have a complete home gym now, so I can knock everything out. Which is good since AZ just shut the gyms down again.
 
oi, that looks like it hurt. What happened?

Hit a sign post at work. LOL. But covid quarantine running is out.

Gyms just closed again for us. Hopefully everyone else has a plan. As the saying goes, no one has ever said they were too in shape for an elk hunt.
 
My wife talked me into doing her 60-day Insanity workout with her. I don't need to lose weight but I do need to strengthen the muscles around my bad knee and get ready for my buddy's sheep hunt in August. We get up at 6 and jump around like idiots in the basement for 40 minutes every day, my body hurts...
Insanity is hard. Are you doing the advanced workouts yet?
 
Insanity is hard. Are you doing the advanced workouts yet?

I have no idea, I'm not in charge, I just roll out of bed and stumble downstairs to where my wife is waiting impatiently to start whatever workout is queued up...I'm about 3 weeks in and whatever we're on right now is certainly hard! I've gained about 3-4lbs since we started, pretty sure it's not fat either.
 
I find the older I get the harder it is to loose weight. Last month I walked in hills with a 25 lb pack on for 72 miles. I watched what I ate and drank and lost 6 1/2 lbs. If you saw what I ate you would say no way you only lost that much and walked that much. It sucks. Today did 8.66 miles with 30 lbs in the pack. Time to up the weight a little in the pack. Then when season rolls around it feels so light with just my hunting stuff in it. last 5 days have packed 34 miles and its brutal in this heat and humidity. But it will all pay off this fall when I can keep up to my hunting partner who is 28 years younger.
 
57 days to elk season.

Since the pandemic started, I suspended my gym membership. But I'm finding things to do instead, shooting for minimum 3 workouts weekly. This 30-year-old desk jockey needs to get whipped into shape.

Local park has a trail that's .75 miles, with a 300' hill in the last .25 mile. I've been hiking that at least weekly with a bag of sand in the pack- comes out to ~70lbs. Torture.

Biking for 20 minutes at least once a week. Push the pace in intervals, try to race the cars on the downhill portion.

Some light weights with 20# dumbbells, or squats/pushups with the sand pack.

Went backpacking this weekend- 7 miles in, but got a shortcut to knock off 1.5 miles on the way back. Total pack weight 40 lbs, parked at 6400', topped out at 9400'. Was ~5 hours in @ 1.4mph, but averaged 2.5mph on the way back. Might post in the fishing hole later. Going to try doing a trip like this every week or two until October.

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I started doing one of the mountain tough fitness programs earlier this year and I really like it. Not the same thing day after day which helps to not get burned out
 
Just finished 4 months of no bread and no added sugar to get all my clothes to fit again.

With <3 months to go until WY mountains I’m upping my workouts now. At least 30 mins moderate cardio x5/wk to include some time with a weighted pack.
 

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