How important is physical conditioning in tactical world - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How important is physical conditioning in tactical world (Page 2 of 2)

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:00:03 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Some of the other schools I have been to don't say much about it.

Most I've been to don't mention anything about fitness unless it's obvious the student can't perform the drills in the class because of being out of shape.

You don't have to be in Army Ranger shape to manipulate a weapon and use it successfully for self defense.

Being in good shape is certainly an advantage in many situations, but not necessary in all of them.

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:02:44 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:

Quoted:
fitness and tactical training go hand in hand.

if you think you are a crack shot and can remain in an static position indefinatley, good luck to you. in real world situations speed is what wins. if you can maneuver so you can both kill the enemy first and avoid getting hit yourself, then you win. it doesnt matter how much your rifle costs or what kind of goggles you are wearing.

try running up a single flight of stairs wearing body armor, two weapons and a full load of ammo and water. then factor in that you have several more buildings to clear. if you are folded over panting when that one moment hits and you get contact, its not going to be a good day for you.

a lot of people think they can do what the military does, but they dont even realize the half of it. you dont just drive somewhere, get out of the vehicle, and gun down the enemy at your leisure.

imagine rotating from missions to 6 hour guard shifts over and over for several days, catching naps in a crowded guntruck once in a while, beat from the constant 130 degree sun, dehydrated because all you have is boiling hot water from your trunk, and then catching contact at the tail end of an 8 hour silent OP. how well do you think you will move at that point carrying 70-80lbs of armor and gear? how well do you think you will shoot with your entire face pouring with sweat and wearing a heavy helmet with a PVS-14 attached to it? how well do you think your mind will work with a radio blaring in your ear with 12 different urgent conversations at once, and tracers flying by your face out of shadows 500m away? what if you have to carry a casualty to a vehicle who, like you, is wearing 40lbs of body armor?

training is everything, its always the singer not the song. physical conditioning is only a single aspect of it, but probably the most important.

All of which are not applicable to most US shooters. They are not part of a unit, doubtful they even have GMRS comms much less sets and the organizational structure for a 12 net radio system. Generally they are not going to be pulling OP's silently, and mose don't even have night vision or helmets. You'd be lucky to have them wearing plate carriers with rifle plates.

Different potential "working" worlds.

understood, thats why i emphasized that the focus of my post was the military aspect of the "tactical" world. im just trying to show that things are a lot different in real life than they are in your head. parts of it can be applied to the "shtf" fantasy shared by most here.

realistically, what would happen? you hear a window break downstairs, you run to the closet to get your pistol, run downstairs to start poking around in the dark and find out whats going on. if you are already panting heavily you have given an edge to your adversary. also, being physically fit makes you more adept at maneuvering, especially on the fly if shots come out of the shadows. you can stand there and take the second shot he fires if the first one somehow missed you, or you can move, preferrably fast. physical conditioning assists your reflexes as well.

not to mention that if somehow you took a bullet, you would have much better odds of surviving it if you are in good shape. muscle takes hits better than fat, and if your heart and lungs are in good condition they are more inclined to keep working after trauma.

last but not least, if you want to get into the average joes tactical situation, it will most likely occur at close proximity. this means that a gunfight may not happen even if you both have guns, and you will end up locked in a physical struggle to determine who is going home in a bag and who is not.

I agree in general, but I'm going to go out on a limb and assume most here are not so grossly out of shape to be panting by merely moving about their house.

PT is important, but for most sport shooters, I don't think being in peak physical condition is as important than if you were mil. That doesn't mean you can look like Sergant Surgar Cookie however.

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:07:24 PM EDT

[#3]

for me its a gauge of how serious you are.
Staying fit is free.
Nothing funnier than a guy with a 3K pimped AR and wilson 45 who gets smoked walking from the car to the firing line.
Fatigue makes cowards of us all.
Shooting and moving.
Fat bodies can't manipulate their fat badies around cover. Can't get up when on the ground, can't fight, can't move.

If you aren't conditioning your body, you are wasting your time and money.

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:22:44 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Seriously, if the body is under stress,the better shape you're in the better it will cope.

Well said.

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:22:47 PM EDT

[#5]

The fitness will pay off when the time comes to take a bullet.

If you have good cardiovascular reserve, you can fight better, run farther, and lose more blood than an unconditioned person could. Your body uses oxygen more efficiently when you're fit, and you will tolerate the stress of a wound better. Even if you get a lung punctured, you'll do better with a good set of conditioned lungs compared to a scarred set of emphysema lungs.

Pre-morbid function plays into prognosis more than you'd ever believe. If you're fit, you'll do better in a prolonged hospital course, complete with an extended interval on a ventilator, infection, sepsis, etc. etc.

That said, it only goes so far... look at the Redskin's player who took the femoral artery hit. He was probably in VERY good shape, but you can only lose so much blood before your CV system runs out of compensation room.

Fitness is important for when things go bad.

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:29:37 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Here is why I ask. I was looking through some gun magazines and seems like many of the writers are pretty pudgy, the photos in most if not all of the classes had some massively overweight folks in them and there are some youtube videos out there where guys are wearing tactical gear and are unable to even buckle the fronts.

The problem I find is that tactical gear is MADE for the fatties, and it flops around on a skinny like me.

Posted: 12/1/2007 12:53:29 PM EDT

[#7]

From what i have observed in class. Not very.

Posted: 12/1/2007 1:05:03 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
for me its a gauge of how serious you are.
Staying fit is free.
Nothing funnier than a guy with a 3K pimped AR and wilson 45 who gets smoked walking from the car to the firing line.
Fatigue makes cowards of us all.
Shooting and moving.
Fat bodies can't manipulate their fat badies around cover. Can't get up when on the ground, can't fight, can't move.

If you aren't conditioning your body, you are wasting your time and money.

that's a bit of a broad statement. i know several people who would qualify to be called morbidly obese, yet they can run and gun a hell of a lot better than your statement implies.

could they keep up with a SEAL? probably not. Smoke 80% of this board? absolutely.

Posted: 12/1/2007 1:13:24 PM EDT

[#9]

to me its very important.

I remember after I got into my first fist fight I was exhausted and it only lasted about 45 seconds at most.

Imagine being shot and having to run around to cover for several minutes. Your adrenaline is gonna be through the roof and once the shooting settles you will be exhausted. If you are out of shape how will you be able to continue when the shooting starts back up?

If the military's elite need to be in incredible shape that, to me, is a hint if its important or not.

Posted: 12/1/2007 2:31:21 PM EDT

[#10]

While I openly mock the AR15.commers who post pics of themselves (since most are overweight, and many ar downright obese), I will say something on behalf of the fatties....

Fitness can be used like a tool, just like a gun.

A gun can only help you in a tiny, tiny, tiny set of circumstances, that are EXTREMELY unlikely to happen. A lot of things have to go wrong for you to need it, then a lot of things have to go right for you to come out on top when you use it.

Same with fitness. Most people (even the fatties) are in the type of shape they need to be in to accomplish the things they do in life. Being "more fit" will only help them in a tiny set of circumstances (that are EXTREMELY unlikely to happen).

Yes, of course a gun CAN help you, but it most likely never will. Yes better fitness CAN help you in personal defense, but it most likely never will.

Now for the other side..... the fatties are their own biggest enemies. They will most likely NEVER be attacked by another person. Their risk of violent confrontation is so much lower than the health risks they face.

The fatties have already accepted the health risks, and condemned themselves to the consequences..... that being the case, I'm sure that they are OK with their lack of fitness as it relates to personal protection.

As pointed out earlier, a trained fattie with a gun is still very likely to win in a fight.

Posted: 12/1/2007 3:50:11 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
If the military's elite need to be in incredible shape that, to me, is a hint if its important or not.

The demands of a special forces soldier and a SWAT officer are very different than what your average civilian is going to deal with here...

Consider the job of a special forces soldier. While in the service he has to maintain the fitness of an Olympic athlete...and this is logical because he can find himself humping a hundred pounds of equipment in the mountains of Afghanistan and his life and the life of his teammates could very well depend on him carrying that equipment and being able to hustle with it.

To merely GET to the gunfight, people in his position often have to jump out of planes, swim long distances, climb mountains, etc. Then they have to have the stamina to actually carry through the fight and usually to get out of dodge pretty quick too....

SWAT guys do have to be in shape, and some of the SWAT teams in this country have physical requirements that are unbelievably tough...but then again some of the SWAT teams in this nation have an environment that requires a lot of them. In one city I know of the officers have to be able to dive out to a boat and take it over...which requires quite a bit of stamina. They have to be able to climb lots and lots of stairs for the high rise buildings....be able to rappel down from the tops of buildings...and all while wearing about 50 pounds of armor, not to mention their weapons and ammo and any other neat toys they have to carry.

They have to be able to stay in position for hours at a time wearing all of that stuff...sometimes in a concealed position very near the bad guys and they can't make a noise or move a muscle without endangering the lives of hostages.

The demands made of your average civilian are going to be much different than those demands that are made of the guys who spend their lives on the pointy end of a spear...

Being as fit as a SF soldier is certainly not a bad idea....but few people are really going to have the ability to get into that kind of shape.

Posted: 12/1/2007 3:59:05 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
While I openly mock the AR15.commers who post pics of themselves (since most are overweight, and many ar downright obese), I will say something on behalf of the fatties....

Fitness can be used like a tool, just like a gun.

A gun can only help you in a tiny, tiny, tiny set of circumstances, that are EXTREMELY unlikely to happen. A lot of things have to go wrong for you to need it, then a lot of things have to go right for you to come out on top when you use it.

Same with fitness. Most people (even the fatties) are in the type of shape they need to be in to accomplish the things they do in life. Being "more fit" will only help them in a tiny set of circumstances (that are EXTREMELY unlikely to happen).

Yes, of course a gun CAN help you, but it most likely never will. Yes better fitness CAN help you in personal defense, but it most likely never will.

Now for the other side..... the fatties are their own biggest enemies. They will most likely NEVER be attacked by another person. Their risk of violent confrontation is so much lower than the health risks they face.

The fatties have already accepted the health risks, and condemned themselves to the consequences..... that being the case, I'm sure that they are OK with their lack of fitness as it relates to personal protection.

As pointed out earlier, a trained fattie with a gun is still very likely to win in a fight.

All other variables equal, I bet that a mugger would be more likely to try victimizing a big fatty than an athletic person. Sure, the fat guy might be trained to get out of such a situation successfully, but the fit guy didn't even have to rely on his skills. If true, being fit helps out a lot more than one would expect, just because it prevented a bad situation from arising in the first place.

Posted: 12/1/2007 4:31:59 PM EDT

[#13]

I know I'll catch hell for this but I must opine...

Myself and my .mil buddies...all retired from active duty, are repulsed and totally unimpressed with those we see within this community that apparently have little respect for themselves. We've seen it while on active duty too and consider it the "poster-child" of poor discipline and training.

Seems many would rather spend gold on gun crap than provide a solid basis to which they can get into shape and stay that way.

Physical fitness is THE foundation in which tactical knowledge, judgement and technique is built on.

Fat bodies don't win, they bleed and die.

How can you possibly operate in a hostile environment when you can't even depend on your own physical abilities and therefore confidence to do so.

The excuses here are pathetic. Get off your fat ass and move.

Sell your gun shit and purchase decent fitness equipment, or a membership to a good gym, or a position in life/circumstances that motivates you to treat yourself with respect and seriousness and tune your body.

Your gun is useless dead weight when your out of ammo, out of options and the horde is staring you in the face. Fat, out-of-shape slobs instantly lose when it comes to sharp sticks and bricks. Apparently you did not care enough about yourself and your family/ friends/team if your unwilling to get fit and gain that advantage. Too bad.

Now you just die tired, and possibly take your loved ones/team members with you.

Fat, out-of shape bodies are a weak link that should not be tolerated.

Get in shape.

Otherwise, your a not-so-funny joke with cool trinkets and go-fast gear and little ability to use them...

Flame away.

CPO SWCC US Navy (Retired)

Posted: 12/1/2007 5:10:36 PM EDT

[#14]

I think people underestimate just how much better everything works when you are fit. Perceptions, reflexes, thoughts, everything. I stay pretty fit but I notice it after, say, a week of extra fitness training like a high-altitude backpacking trip, or even time off when I can get in some hard exercise every day. I'm faster, the brain works better, colors seem brighter, the whole ball of wax. I would venture that you are probably a lot less likely to let trouble find you and cope with it better in every way when you are fit. I can't imagine how dull and impaired it must feel to be 50-100 lbs overweight and not having engaged in hard, physical exercise in years. I worked for 10 years as a divemaster (cold water) and I would say the number one precipitator of panic was running out of steam while task loaded to the max.

Posted: 12/1/2007 5:57:51 PM EDT

[#15]

Another .mil here. Get in to shape! Take small steps. Start by educating yourself on how to get in to shape. Cut out the worst parts of your diet and replace them with healthy alternatives. Exercise! Start as slow as you need to and keep at it. That .5 miles you walk today will turn in to a 5 mile run easy in much less than a year. Such amazing transformations can happen in as little as 6 months if you really put forth the effort. It amazes me.

What is the first thing the military works on with new recruits? Physical fitness. I'm light infantry and before I ever touched a weapon or learned any tactics in the Army I was PTing (PT= Physical Training). You must build a fighting platform out of your body from which to fight from. If you put yourself in to better shape than you are now, EVERY ASPECT of your life with change for the better. I'm not exaggerating.

More important than any tactical discussion is that of health. Civilians and the vast, vast majority of the military are at far more risk from health concerns than anything job or "tactical shtf"related. Get in to better shape than you are now. GET IN TO SHAPE.

Posted: 12/1/2007 6:11:16 PM EDT

[#16]

Keep enough body fat to survive a few days of strenuous activity with little calorie intake, at the same time slow people = dead fast in many situations.

I run regularly, play with my kids a lot (toss whee)

, kids/business growing spelled the end of just about everything else.

ETA - I'm in nowhere near the shape I was in while I served

Posted: 12/1/2007 6:31:51 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
its a gauge of how serious you are.
Staying fit is free.
If you aren't conditioning your body, you are wasting your time and money.

This is the truth. Speed kills. I am appalled at the physical state of most people that I know. It is about being prepared. For whatever.

Posted: 12/1/2007 8:32:37 PM EDT

[#18]

It's not beer belly. It's tactically padded stomach.

Yes, being fit is important. I'd say being overweight is not good, but being fit means you have no extra weight and is capable of doing some physical stuff without too much problem.

Posted: 12/2/2007 4:11:10 AM EDT

[#19]

Let us also consider the effect of fitness on marksmanship... something that should be near-and-dear to the heart of everyone here. After all, if you can't hit the target, all the high-speed gear in the world is worthless.

Any good marksman, shooting at any significant range, will tell you that you must coordinate breathing with trigger squeeze. Some will shoot at the peak of the respiratory cycle... others at the trough; I generally try to release the shot at the end of exhalation (Why? Physiology. Your heart rate slows slightly during exhalation, and quickens slightly during inspiration... which brings me to my next point).

Heart rate is lower in a fit person (some elite athletes have resting heart rates < 40 BPM), and their overall rate doesn't rise as fast (or as high) under an exercise load. They also return to baseline more quickly. If you've never attempted to take a shot when your heart is pounding, try it sometime... you'll notice your sights and/or crosshairs bouncing all over the place (this effect is particularly pronounced in an unsupported shot).

Fatigue also dulls your senses and reflexes... you may take a shot you shouldn't have, or throw a shot you'd normally make.

The military doesn't ask its snipers to be very fit because they're going to be running a marathon before every shot... a lower heart rate and good breath control aids in marksmanship... and fitness helps both of those things. If you have to abandon a hide and bug out to a new one, being able to get your breathing and heart-rate back down to take a shot at your pursuers is greatly aided by a high level of fitness.

And that sure sounds like anybody's urban warfare, SHTF scenario to me... sprinting across open areas to take up a new position... attempting to lay down accurate and effective fire from there, then sprinting to a new position of cover to do the same...

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:50:11 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Same with fitness. Most people (even the fatties) are in the type of shape they need to be in to accomplish the things they do in life. Being "more fit" will only help them in a tiny set of circumstances (that are EXTREMELY unlikely to happen).

I think being fit helps out in most (rather than just a few as mentioned above) circumstances

-Lowers many health risks
-Lower insurance rates (saves money!)
-More energy - more productive, keep up with family
-Plus uber-tactical-ness

I think, barring specific bad neighborhoods, that spending weeks on your CCW, only to ignore the threat you might be carrying around your gut is to be blind. Manage threats in the order they are likly to occur - The doughnuts will kill you. The funny looking guy on the other side of the street looking at you _might_ kill you.

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:52:29 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Best way to look at it is by looking at it.

Everyone involved in HSLD op's are all in good shape and have standards to meet..if not they get the boot.

I look at the VT gunman day..when that picture of 4 fat guys dragging one skinny out and they looked like they were hurting, big time, fat guts hanging out, out of breath..etc..compare that to guys that have to pick up another man throw him on his shoulders and run for X amount of distance.

Fat=Dead in the tactical world or not.

You are exactly correct!

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:06:26 AM EDT

[#22]

Well ya'll lit teh fire under my ass, i just did like 110 situps, 15 min on the treadmill, and lifted the 80 lbs dumbbell 3 or four different ways like 10 times each and have only had 2 cigs so far today.

After the treadmill i was dizzy and had a buzz for like 10 min, during which i set up some clays and killed them at 80 yards with a single shot rossi 22 saddle rifle from the standing.

Drank 3 bottles of water, and now im bored.

How often should you exercise? 3 times a day? 3 days a week?

And whats some good stop smokin techniques?

I got two ten page papers to crank out now before tueday.

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:18:21 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:
for the average shooter...

a few extra pounds is not a bad thing. not more than 20 off your ideal weight. you will shed it quick enough if you need to. i am 6-1 and go about 250. i realize that is about 50# more than what the chart says. but at 220 i look underweight. must be a "German" thing. if i take a week long shooting class or go to the farm i don't tend to eat as well as i should and i drop quite a bit of weight.

i think it's better to stay hydrated and eat good food than worry about being at target weight.

Yes it does boil down to "body type". Endomorph, Ectomorph and Mesomorph, or a persons genetic "mixing" of traits from a couple different types.

I am a Mesomorph with some Endomorph tendencies. I am large framed, gain muscle easily but also gain fat easily if Im not careful. that is Meso-Endo.

The old school height/weight charts and the newer BMI index is pure BS for someone like me.

+1 When I 20 years old ran 5 days a week of hard core motivated USMC Infantry physical training I weighted 190 lbs. I am 5ft 11 inches in height. According to BMI I am "Overweight".

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:18:51 AM EDT

[#24]

Fitness time is more important than range time, though both have their place.

Being fit not only helps you in a dangerous situation, but it also helps you in everyday life far more than how fast you can make mag changes or whatever the latest tactical benchmark might be.

And anyone who uses the age excuse never saw how competitive the 35-39 or 40-44 age ranges is in long distance running. Odds are, a 9:00 mile pace (races 10 miles to 26.2 miles, not dinky 5K/10K stuff) won't even get you in the top 100 in those age brackets or the top 60% overall. That's slow, but probably faster than the average couch potato. Hell, looking at the most recent 20K in my area, in the 60-65 age group, only 4 runners out of 19 in this group were > 10:00/mile. Age is no excuse. Anybody can get in some kind of shape if they're willing to put in the time/effort.

Bottom line, a fit guy can learn to shoot and make good decisions under stress long before a tactical hippo can get in shape. The fat guy can lie to himself about how "prepared" he is, but in general he's less prepared than the fit guy overall. The word mindset comes into these discussions often. The discipline and self respect to keep yourself in decent physical condition is absolutely fundamental to any kind of "preparedness mindset". Fit folks move better than fat folks, and in any kind of major bad situation, if you can't move, you're a dead duck.

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:28:48 AM EDT

[#25]

I know it's important, and I don't do enough to stay in shape.

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:31:42 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
for sum reason college, especially if u and the wife both r fulltime students with kids, packs on weight, like 5-10 lbs per year, its like there is little or no time for anything and when u do find time you wanna sit down and do nothing, maybe tv video games or reading.

Prob has to do with all the fast food and soda and no physical activity. plusyer metabolism seems to want to slow down after 22, but your eating habits dont change much except for more junk and less real food.

im 28, long legs wide shoulders, 6 even and weigh between 190 and 200 depending on the month, last month i weighed 201, this month 196, the month before 192....and ive changed nothing.

My biggest prob is lack of time and too much whiskey/cigarettes.

It isn't college....

When I was in college, I lived at the bottom of two big hills. School/work were both at the top of those two big hills. I pedaled up and down those hills at LEAST twice a day. Also, I was on a budget, so I didn't eat out. If I wanted lunch, I came home to eat - after which i had to pedal back up the hills again...

Just saying...

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:38:41 AM EDT

[#27]

yah but i dont live on campus in a dorm, have to drive to and from.

Typically, get up at 530, get the kids ready, take one to school the other to daycare, then go to school until about 3pm on average, then back to get the kids, then home to do all the daily home maintence crap laundry, clean, cook/eat, wash car, do reading and homework etc.....the day passes with little or no time to do much of anything but general living. When i get time i have to check with the boys in the garage, make sure they're working on schedule and get them new work if they're finished, occasionally hook a car or two up and take them to the auction, then get home late, eat and pass out.....very little time, especially since the boys have to be played with/read to/bathed etc

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:42:23 AM EDT

[#28]

PT, PT, every day!

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:55:36 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
yah but i dont live on campus in a dorm, have to drive to and from.

Typically, get up at 530, get the kids ready, take one to school the other to daycare, then go to school until about 3pm on average, then back to get the kids, then home to do all the daily home maintence crap laundry, clean, cook/eat, wash car, do reading and homework etc.....the day passes with little or no time to do much of anything but general living. When i get time i have to check with the boys in the garage, make sure they're working on schedule and get them new work if they're finished, occasionally hook a car or two up and take them to the auction, then get home late, eat and pass out.....very little time, especially since the boys have to be played with/read to/bathed etc

There is always time to do at least bodyweight exercises if you have zero access to a variety of tools. It doesnt take much to drop and knock out 25 every hour or so. Same for jumping jacks, pullups, etc. If you watch tv, do as many pushups, situps, etc during every commercial break. Before my divorce, I was going to college fulltime, working fulltime, family, personal, etc, etc...still found 20-30 minutes during the day to exercise. It is for you to decide if you want to sitdown or crank out reps.

Posted: 12/2/2007 7:56:38 AM EDT

[#30]

nery important but ignored by many many people

5' 7" 165lbs here

Posted: 12/2/2007 8:50:43 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
yah but i dont live on campus in a dorm, have to drive to and from.

Typically, get up at 530, get the kids ready, take one to school the other to daycare, then go to school until about 3pm on average, then back to get the kids, then home to do all the daily home maintence crap laundry, clean, cook/eat, wash car, do reading and homework etc.....the day passes with little or no time to do much of anything but general living. When i get time i have to check with the boys in the garage, make sure they're working on schedule and get them new work if they're finished, occasionally hook a car or two up and take them to the auction, then get home late, eat and pass out.....very little time, especially since the boys have to be played with/read to/bathed etc

There is always time to do at least bodyweight exercises if you have zero access to a variety of tools. It doesnt take much to drop and knock out 25 every hour or so. Same for jumping jacks, pullups, etc. If you watch tv, do as many pushups, situps, etc during every commercial break. Before my divorce, I was going to college fulltime, working fulltime, family, personal, etc, etc...still found 20-30 minutes during the day to exercise. It is for you to decide if you want to sitdown or crank out reps.

Hey, doorway chinup bar is your new friend! Three kinds; palms forward, palms reversed and behind the head. Start with your arms at whatever level of bend you need to do about 7 then work up to dead hang. And if you are typing, you can be cranking out sets of pushups between paragraphs. Between the two you have a pretty complete upper body workout. I did a couple of hundred of each a day while in college while never really taking the time out to exercise. Have a minute to spare? 10-20 pullups. 2 minutes? 50 push-ups. 3 minutes? Crunches. As far as cardio, a couple of 20 minute runs a week (pushing it; 7 minute miles) will make a huge difference. But maybe start out with walk/run/walk/run and work in more running. The above should keep you in better shape than 95% of the population while requiring almost no dedicated gym time. As far as the smoking... Well, knowing you have a run waiting for you at the end of the day that will leave you puking if you have been smoking... There is nothing like a 3 mile run hanging in your future to have you carefully considering a lot of options during the day like food, cigarettes, etc. If you've taken car of yourself during the day, a run will be a pleasure and great stress reliever. If you've been smoking and eating at Micky D's? More puking...

Posted: 12/2/2007 11:25:05 AM EDT

[#32]

Your odds of being in a gunfight are far lower than your odds of dying bcause you are a fat ass.

Posted: 12/2/2007 11:34:55 AM EDT

[#33]

It is obviously important.

Posted: 12/2/2007 11:51:56 AM EDT

[#34]

If your idea of defending yourself is shooting someone in your living room or at a dark gas station etc, then not much. If it's anything past that, then it is more important than any piece of gear you can have, any weapons drill you can do.

Some level of fitness is what separates posers from people that are serious.

Posted: 12/2/2007 11:58:25 AM EDT

[#35]

Because working out is hard and painful, but buying cool guns and gear and fondling it in your 'man room' is fun and pain free.

Posted: 12/2/2007 12:02:33 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:

Quoted:
for me its a gauge of how serious you are.
Staying fit is free.
Nothing funnier than a guy with a 3K pimped AR and wilson 45 who gets smoked walking from the car to the firing line.
Fatigue makes cowards of us all.
Shooting and moving.
Fat bodies can't manipulate their fat badies around cover. Can't get up when on the ground, can't fight, can't move.

If you aren't conditioning your body, you are wasting your time and money.

that's a bit of a broad statement. i know several people who would qualify to be called morbidly obese, yet they can run and gun a hell of a lot better than your statement implies.

could they keep up with a SEAL? probably not. Smoke 80% of this board? absolutely.

Morbidly Obese people can crack their fucking femurs from WALKING.

Happened to a friend of mine who was genuinely morbidly obese, (5'8", 300 lbs) so I don't know what you're talking about.

If you aren't conditioning your body, you are wasting your time and money. Running is free, push ups are free, free weights are cheap... whereas Cable TV costs money, and prepared foods cost more that stuff you can cook yourself.

Do with your own body as you will. If you care about yourself and your survival, you will find the time to work out 20-40 minutes a every other day.

Posted: 12/2/2007 1:01:17 PM EDT

[#37]

The power of the weapon is only good as the power of the man/soldier...

basic training is all about "you" getting stronger..

Posted: 12/2/2007 1:02:34 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/sullysauto/FAT.jpg

holy fn shit..

Posted: 12/2/2007 5:53:31 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
How can you possibly operate in a hostile environment when you can't even depend on your own physical abilities and therefore confidence to do so.

The excuses here are pathetic. Get off your fat ass and move.

alright, that's it -- i have one thing to say to you, sir:

+1 billion.

i'm 38 now, around 12.5% BF. and i can do better.

ar-jedi

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:12:25 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
How important is having a penis in sex?

Great response.

Basically, if I see a fat young guy (not 5-10 extra pounds cause you work in an office and have a busy schedule) I automatically write them off.
If you are under 40, there is no reason for you to be in bad shape.
YMMV

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:18:04 PM EDT

[#41]

I am in good physical shape but I dont fit the norm in the looks like he is in shape catagory....

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:24:02 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There was a poster on the wall in my police academy. It went into a lot of detail, but essentially it's this.

Most life or death fights hand-to-hand are over within a couple of minutes at most.

If you wish to survive you must do at least 4 hours of cardio a week for every minute you wish to stay alive.

Lifting weights and walking around the front yard is not cardio.

That much!?!?! Really????

Dude...a 30 minute run each day is not much at all.

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:25:11 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
Because working out is hard and painful, but buying cool guns and gear and fondling it in your 'man room' is fun and pain free.

Dead center in the "X" ring.

As for the folks making "I don't have time" kind of excuses, If you have time to vegetate in front of a TV or computer, you have time to train.

30 minutes a day. Would that be so damn hard?

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:37:46 PM EDT

[#44]

Let me give you another example.

My father was the physically fit from a lifetime of activity type. Possibly one of the pound for pound strongest people I've seen.

Age 67, goes up a ladder, comes down hard. As in, fall from 20 feet onto frozen ground hard.

Breaks his back in three places, shatters his wrist, mild concussion, significant soft tissue damage to his back and shoulder.

All this with recurrent prostate surgery.

Prognosis=he'll walk, probably with a walker. No stairs for the rest of his life. Impaired balance, little use of injured arm and wrist.

9 months later, he's walking. Arm back 90%. Wrist back 80-90%. Balance returned. Strength slowly returning, limited by doctors order. (I caught him using a belt sander, though...sneaky bastard.)

Recovering well from radiation treatment.

Being fit helps you heal people. From car wrecks, falling down stairs, radiation/chemo, you name it.

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:39:44 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There was a poster on the wall in my police academy. It went into a lot of detail, but essentially it's this.

Most life or death fights hand-to-hand are over within a couple of minutes at most.

If you wish to survive you must do at least 4 hours of cardio a week for every minute you wish to stay alive.

Lifting weights and walking around the front yard is not cardio.

That much!?!?! Really????

Dude...a 30 minute run each day is not much at all.

Yeah, but a 30 minute run a day would only be 3.5 hours, wouldn't even buy you a minute

I think 30-40 minutes, 3 times a week of whatever kind of cardio floats your boat would do wonders for most people. But I agree, it is very important, and it is the one prep that is guaranteed to get used.

FWIW I spend 30-35 minutes a weekday on cardio (walking with weights and some stair stepping.) And a hour or so a week chasing my son around the playground. Been doing it for a year and a half now, and I'm in the best shape I've been in since I got out of the Army. It's not what you do, its BEING CONSISTENT ABOUT IT. Get out and do something, I like walking, it's free and natural.

Posted: 12/2/2007 6:55:07 PM EDT

[#46]

Running tears the shit out of your knees. I'd say 40minutes of working your heart doing whatever is what you need.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How important is physical conditioning in tactical world (Page 2 of 2)

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