There are a lot of us out there that have are 5 rifles 5 handguns and a 1000 rounds for each one along with enough food and water and other supplies to last your family for 6 months. I think this is a great thing and wish I had all that gear. But stop and think about it what good are you if you can't even go on a 5 mile patrol with your gear?

It does not matter how much ammo or gear you have if you can't even go on a 5 mile hump with your gear without getting winded and gasping for air your better off just giving your gear to someone else who can. Why I'm on getting on about this because a year ago I was in shape enough to go to combat I was 180 lbs now a year later I'm 220 lbs and I look at myself and ask if I had to could I do what need to be done if a big SHTF? As all of us want to say yes but really I look at myself and know maybe I can't!!

If you can't be honest with yourself then who can you be honest with! I also have another resin for this I bought a suite for a job interview for a police department and I just looked like pure crap in it really I looked like a 5 lbs sack with 10 lbs of fat shoved in it! So I'm taking the challenge I started today by July 2007 I want to get down to 180 lbs or get my body fat to 25% of less. I'm not trying to be preachy here to anyone but I opened my eyes and I did not see what I liked and it just friendly advice  but be horniest with yourself  will you be going on the patrol or being the armor  or cook who stays back.


I started a post in the Self Defense and Fitness     about the diet and exercises that I'm going to be doing and I'm going to be updating it every week with me placing down my weight and my body fat along with a list of food  I ate and the exercises I did.  

You are correct about the fitness. I get to the gym about twice a week, but could still use more cardio training. I have cut back on the food intake to lose the 10 lbs I have gained in the last 6 months. Just stay with your plan, and you will succeed.

RS

I agree with you Feral.  I gained 30 pounds in the last six years since I went to college, got married, and started "life."

I just recently started making a concerted effort to start losing the pounds and getting in shape.  No snacking, I run three times a week, play volleyball once a week and am trying to go on a hour or two hike during the weekends.  

And I think people just don't understand why you can't be wheezing after going on a five mile patrol.  In my experience, it's because when you are tired, most people can't think straight, much less care about anything other than being tired.  

And though I have no experience with this personally, if someone starts shooting at me, my life depends on my being able to think straight and come up with a plan to keep from getting killed.

Quoted: I agree with you Feral.  I gained 30 pounds in the last six years since I went to college, got married, and started "life." I just recently started making a concerted effort to start losing the pounds and getting in shape.  No snacking, I run three times a week, play volleyball once a week and am trying to go on a hour or two hike during the weekends.   And I think people just don't understand why you can't be wheezing after going on a five mile patrol.  In my experience, it's because when you are tired, most people can't think straight, much less care about anything other than being tired.   And though I have no experience with this personally, if someone starts shooting at me, my life depends on my being able to think straight and come up with a plan to keep from getting killed.

where's feral?

Quoted: where's feral?

err, I meant to say tayous1.

I may not look like it but I am in the gym every day !

to respond, I absolutely agree with you.  Monday/Wed/Fri is weights and sprints day.  Tuesday and thursday is distance, 3 to 4 miles.  I do the best I can, but I'm getting old.  

actually, I started on this over a year ago.  I've lost 30 lbs in the past year.  I'm not to where I can run a 7 min mile, however, like the speaker at the national combat arms shooting championship said when I was there in Oct 1994, "it's better to practice to shoot the enemy than to run away from him."

Quoted: There are a lot of us out there that have are 5 rifles 5 handguns and a 1000 rounds for each one along with enough food and water and other supplies to last your family for 6 months. I think this is a great thing and wish I had all that gear. But stop and think about it what good are you if you can't even go on a 5 mile patrol with your gear?"

Well I guess it depends on how you estimate the value of a human being. Suppose you have a relative after TSHTF and they hurt themself so badly that they can't even go on a 5 mile patrol with their gear? Will you tell them that they're worthless?
We've discussed this a few times here before, and it often gets nasty.
I could probably make 5 miles, but it would cost me. I have a bad back and I will never be able to get back in shape again. My back will continue to get worse and limit me even more, but I'm not going to give up on surviving. I may move a lot slower than I used to, but I can still shoot just as straight as I always did, and I still know many of the things I learned in the Army.
Yes, being fit would be good, if it was possible, but I'm not going to roll over and give up because I can't have it. I'm a survivalist, not a quitter(and I don't give up on other people too easy, either.
When I was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado in the late 70's(76-78) we had an older E-7(Sergeant First Class) who was seriously overweight. In those days, they harped on the Overweight Program all the time, making anybody who was overweight do extra PT and go on restricted diets, but they never seemed to mess with him for some reason. One day when we had a dress green inspection, I figured out why. He wore all his decorations and awards on his uniform. I'm not sure if it was the Ranger tab he was wearing or all those medals, but something about his uniform made it clear that he'd "been there and done that". They never did make him go on the Overweight Program.

  A local mine had a health contest to see who could make the biggest
healthy lifechange in 60 days.  1st Prize was a huge wall Mount flatscreen TV.
The guy that won really wanted to watch football on that thing.  
He lost 45 pounds.  Amazing what motivated folks can do.

  Some folks dont have the option of going on a patrol,
especially the elderly who have mobility problems.
Its twice as important that they have preps available,
in case their vehicles are disabled or out of fuel until
someone can reach them.

Quoted: I agree with you Feral.  I gained 30 pounds in the last six years since I went to college, got married, and started "life." I just recently started making a concerted effort to start losing the pounds and getting in shape.  No snacking, I run three times a week, play volleyball once a week and am trying to go on a hour or two hike during the weekends.   And I think people just don't understand why you can't be wheezing after going on a five mile patrol.  In my experience, it's because when you are tired, most people can't think straight, much less care about anything other than being tired.   And though I have no experience with this personally, if someone starts shooting at me, my life depends on my being able to think straight and come up with a plan to keep from getting killed.

I agree with TM 100%. you gotta make the change!@


Here's the deal.

IF you take this LIFESTLYE seriuosly YOU WILL make improvemnets everywhere and that means your waist line and health!
Those that dont only show they are full of it!
Sorry, but  I am not  fit and trim TM you tell you my build.  BUt i'll be dammed if im gonna be like other guys my weighta nd sit around sucking twinkies watching family guy!

IF you take this lifestyle seriuos you will change. You will drop bad habits, you will train, you will work out, you will become better all around. Myabe alil paranoid but who isnt!

It really cracks me up with some of the load outs i see posted on some forums. I doubt most could go 5 miles with their gear! Hell our FLA hikes show that.
How many fla ppl are here in fla? how many show up?( just useing fla as an example guys) AND if they do you can tell how walks the walk. Ive seen guys   show that could run circles around me  , great for them i admire them for doing so. Ive also seen guys show up that I EXPECTED to run circles around me,, yet where almost dead by the 1/2 way point!

"oh but protus it always isnt about bugging out..."

fine dont show me your LBV/LBE, rifle and that fancy pack if you cant hump that fucker!
Can you even row,de-weed,shovel, farm a small garden with out falling out, how bout a simple thing like cutting wood?


You have to make a change. Not being in some sort of active shape  means you may and COULD  fall out when most needed by family, and friends!

I started about 1.5 years, ago lost 40+lbs my 1st year, and leveled off.  Ive stayed within +/- 8lbs this whole time.
I walk/jog everyday.  I walk or ride my bike to work on top of that (1/4 mile 4 times a day)
I purposely run/jog up  the 3 story stair at my work when i go up carrying my work bag(30lbs)

WHY, becuase i dont want to fail my wife or child in a time of need. That and i dont wanna croak over at 52 from heart issues!

sorry to be harsh but we have this "fitness" issue come up once a year, your either gonna takeit seriously  or your not. Your the one that has the deal with the effects of not being in shape, not some guy in Fla with a  funny clown picture!

height=8

Quoted: There are a lot of us out there that have are 5 rifles 5 handguns and a 1000 rounds for each one along with enough food and water and other supplies to last your family for 6 months. I think this is a great thing and wish I had all that gear. But stop and think about it what good are you if you can't even go on a 5 mile patrol with your gear? It does not matter how much ammo or gear you have if you can't even go on a 5 mile hump with your gear without getting winded and gasping for air your better off just giving your gear to someone else who can. Why I'm on getting on about this because a year ago I was in shape enough to go to combat I was 180 lbs now a year later I'm 220 lbs and I look at myself and ask if I had to could I do what need to be done if a big SHTF? As all of us want to say yes but really I look at myself and know maybe I can't!! If you can't be honest with yourself then who can you be honest with! I also have another resin for this I bought a suite for a job interview for a police department and I just looked like pure crap in it really I looked like a 5 lbs sack with 10 lbs of fat shoved in it! So I'm taking the challenge I started today by July 2007 I want to get down to 180 lbs or get my body fat to 25% of less. I'm not trying to be preachy here to anyone but I opened my eyes and I did not see what I liked and it just friendly advice  but be horniest with yourself  will you be going on the patrol or being the armor  or cook who stays back. I started a post in the Self Defense and Fitness     about the diet and exercises that I'm going to be doing and I'm going to be updating it every week with me placing down my weight and my body fat along with a list of food  I ate and the exercises I did.

I was in your exact situation at the beginning of the year. I weighed 220 and looked like i was smugglin a midget under my shirt.  I had the same feelings about the situation I have all this gear and I would propably pass out just trying to put it all on.  I have sence lost 31 pounds and I can run and lift heavy things again (Besides Myself!) If you need any help or tips I would be glad to help.  I have been lurking around here for awhile now and this is the first subject that I could actually give some insight on.

Good post man, but double check your spell check.

Quoted:  but be horniest with yourself

I with you,  I use to be in great shape.  Like you I was once 180 and now am pushing 200.  I am now going to get back to 180 and loose the excess FAT.  I dont want to be soft.

Diet is the most overlooked, but most important part of any training program.

You've got to have a healthy diet with the things you like that you can stick to.  Too extreme and you'll just give up on it so cutting a little here and a little there is the best way to start.

I am also a FIRM believer in having fun with exercise.  Keeping to the same routine will cause you to 1) hit a wall in your physical conditioning, and 2) get bored as hell.

Do the jogging and the weights, but mix it up with a few days of doing something you enjoy like a pick-up basketball game, tennis, backpacking for a day, whatever gets you outdoors and keeps you active.

Keeping fit is a lifestyle not some thing you do with an end in mind it is ongoing.

Heck just having my German Shepherd Dog keeps me more active than I would have been without him and motivates me to get off my butt on days when I'd rather sink into the couch.

You mean your suposed to be able to carry your gear

At age 50 I looked in the mirror and was not pleased with what I was looking at...
I was about 210 and about 6', flabby and yuck.
Today at age 53 I am 175 still 6' and firm.
While I am not the strongest on the block, I am upping my workouts.
Workouts consist of 30 minutes on the Stairmaster (level 12)
30 minutes of weights and 30 minutes of abs and stretching all 3 days a week.
Its not a lot but I feel great... and look a hell of a lot better.

Diet consists of lots of fiber, fruit and vegetables. I am eating less read meat
that a year ago, drinking gallons of water a day and only drink alcohol once a
week (Yeah its boring). No fast food, pizza twinkies....you know what is bad.

I am also a Beekeeper so I have lots of raw honey . This is great stuff, lots of benifits when eaten raw. A teaspoon before bed and a teaspoon before a workout.

Your physical health is important for your mental health.
For those with familys set a good example for your kids.
Show them what you can do. Your fitness is a gift to yourself and your wife....

What are you waiting for?

ACtually this gets talked about ALOT. its mainly embedded in some ppls BOB posts. They will pile a bunch of crap in their packs and have an 80lb pack and have never carried but around in their living rooms. So, most times, I simply suggest that someone join one of our backpack/campouts. Its the perfect way to test out their gear.

I went from 60lbs down to 30lbs on my pack. Its much nicer to carry less weight and youd be surprised how much FLUFF is in most ppls pack.

Quoted:   A local mine had a health contest to see who could make the biggest healthy lifechange in 60 days.  1st Prize was a huge wall Mount flatscreen TV. The guy that won really wanted to watch football on that thing.   He lost 45 pounds.  Amazing what motivated folks can do.

Work had similar but for money Im down to 145 from 185 since Jan.


I cant do the gym workout thing, I'll walk and load metal for exercise instead.

Well I redid my body fat and weight last night and I'm down by a pound and lost 1% of my body fat. It's funny I read on one site that you can not lose more then 2 lbs a week and so far I'm down a pound since Saturday and 1% body fat. I'm going to post what my weight and body fat is next weekend.

Toyotaman brings up a very good point about hitting the wall! This is what I like best about Martial Arts, eyes full of sweat, you can not see or breath, heads pounding from your heart beat, but you bring  it out of yourself to make the next move. It forces you to think under physcal duress.
Sometimes I jog down to the 100 yard line to post targets just to get a little bit of a pulse going. Then shoot. MOst Fudds/zumbos freak at the 50 year old Hippy out  shooting them.

I brought this up last year and it got ugly.  There are a few people here who take things seriously when it comes to health, fitness and conditioning.  A third like to buy pristine gear and take photos of it and never use it or test it out to see how and what works.  This group might buy a first aid kit and a first aid book but may never open the kit or read the book.  Another third will buy gear and test it and may even take a self defense class or a handgun or rifle class.  They will even read that first aid book.  The key being A class and read the book ONCE. Still they lack the dedication to really TRAIN in martial arts, weights, running, continued training in firearms on a CONTINUAL basis.  The thoughts from those camps were the older out of shape guys would be smarter and wiser and not need good physical conditioning.  There are people here who are serious about personal fitness but they are in the minority.  The majority likes this as a hobby and its fun to collect gear.  Its not so fun to diet, run, lift heavy ass weights, and get hit in the nose on a regular basis.

That said I would rather have an older neighbor with good supplies, some knowledge, and a good attitude than the meat head bodybuilder who lives next door right now.

Quoted: Well I redid my body fat and weight last night and I'm down by a pound and lost 1% of my body fat. It's funny I read on one site that you can not lose more then 2 lbs a week and so far I'm down a pound since Saturday and 1% body fat. I'm going to post what my weight and body fat is next weekend.

I have lost over 4 lbs a week before but the longer you diet the slower the weight loss becomes.  The more out of shape you are the faster the fat comes off.  The body does not like to be either too fat nor too lean as both are abnormal states.  For me to go from 8% bodyfat to 6% might take me months and it is only 4 pounds of fat.  I could put that back on in as little as a week of indulging.

The key is knowing your capabilities.
Don't go on a 10 mile patrol when you can only do 4.

"A man's gotta know his limitations"

You fellas that think you are going on long patrols need to heed the above to, moving fast makes you more likely to be seen and being seen allows people to aim at you.

Stealth over speed.

+1

All you have to do is just cut back a little and add some more exercise.  I am just about happy where I am at, considering the places that I have been.  

I am prior military and a LEO with almost 20 years on.  I am slightly under 40 years old.  I have only 1.5 lungs (from a medical issue not from smoking) and have some knee problems as well, so intense pounding on my knees cardio is not my thing, but I do go on hikes and teach martial arts on a regular basis.  

I just go at my speed and if I get tired or winded I rest, but slowly my previous wind is coming back.  I am not in a terrible hurry as long as I am making contstant improvement.

When I was sick, three years ago I was on life support for three weeks.  I had to learn how to walk again, due to the illness that I had.  When I got home from the hospital I was taking a shower for the first time and I got so tired I sat down in the bathtub and was too weak to get out.  My wife and brother had to help get me out.

Everyday that I wake up and slowly open my eyes give a brief bit of thanks to see another day....hit the bathroom the its push-up and sit-up time....G Gordon Liddy style.  That is the only way to wake up IMHO.

Stay safe and God bless,
G

....still vertical!!!!!

kids ranging from 6 to 14 here, i'm going to be gone for the next year at least. kids are in decent shape and the wife can walk a few miles a day, probably 4 or 5. bugging out a long distance won't be much of an option for the wife (disabled, army), but her parents live about 12 miles away and i'm hoping that they can get there if things get bad. the wife has the skills and they can follow the RR tracks there. i'm just hoping they can make it there and be safe.

edited for clarification

Quoted: The key is knowing your capabilities. Don't go on a 10 mile patrol when you can only do 4. "A man's gotta know his limitations" You fellas that think you are going on long patrols need to heed the above to, moving fast makes you more likely to be seen and being seen allows people to aim at you. Stealth over speed.

going slow like thatover long distances puts alot of stress on you, more thanosme think. and its a very good point.

I doubt anyone is saying go strap on that 90lbs monstrosity you call a BOB or GHB or line 2.  And go run up pikes peak.



The simple factis that if you fail to get into some sort of shape you will suffer,hamper,slow or even cause injury to yourself or others?!  think i am full of it>?

take a shovel go dig a slit trench  shovel wide 15 inchs deep and 40 yrds long. Then let me  know how you feel the next day.  Put that into any hard work senerio. Post event it wont be about how much you can bench but how much  you can shovel, grow, walk.

The patrol example is just that. put your gearn on  and walk a normal mile, then do the same mile as a "patrol" you'll be just as wore out. The stealth involved, constant kneeling, going prone, stopping and going, is a lot harder than walking in a straight line for 1 mile!

Im sure some are out there saying
"ahh protus, that fat ass giveing advice  on to stay in shape.."

thing is fellas, im getting out there and doing it. You may be 170ish and wear a size 36... but if your sitting on that couch looking pretty my "fat" ass is gonna run circles around you, its that simple!

Quoted: The key is knowing your capabilities. Don't go on a 10 mile patrol when you can only do 4. "A man's gotta know his limitations" You fellas that think you are going on long patrols need to heed the above to, moving fast makes you more likely to be seen and being seen allows people to aim at you. Stealth over speed.

Precisely.
They don't start you out in basic training marching 20 miles uphill with 50 pound rucksacks.

They build up to that.
Same with any fitness routine.
I've been weight training for over 10 years...I didn't START with the routine I do now.

I do however, get a chuckle reading some of the survival threads where people don't understand their stamina and strength IS important in SHTF.

Quoted: Quoted: Well I redid my body fat and weight last night and I'm down by a pound and lost 1% of my body fat. It's funny I read on one site that you can not lose more then 2 lbs a week and so far I'm down a pound since Saturday and 1% body fat. I'm going to post what my weight and body fat is next weekend. I have lost over 4 lbs a week before but the longer you diet the slower the weight loss becomes.  The more out of shape you are the faster the fat comes off.  The body does not like to be either too fat nor too lean as both are abnormal states.  For me to go from 8% bodyfat to 6% might take me months and it is only 4 pounds of fat.  I could put that back on in as little as a week of indulging.

I have lost 7 lbs in 1 week using the Red Bull diet.

My wife made a deal with me that if I lose 25 lbs, I can spend $2,500 on guns with no strings attached.     This is damn near unheard of in my home.  I had already been planning to lose the weight, and it looks like this is just the incentive that I needed.  I lost 5 lbs the first week, but I don't have any illusions of keeping up that pace.  My fighting weight is 200lbs, and when I started I was 245, so my goal is 220 lbs.  Its amazing what a half hour a day on the pavement and some changes in your eating habit can do after 5 years of marriage.

Fitness is important.

I am lucky that I have a naturally high metabolism, so body fat is minimal. I bust out 150 PU's and 200 crunches every morning, but need to up the cardio.

That being said I am also lucky that I can walk forever, even with 50 lbs on the back.

Like Playmore said, you have to work up to your goal...ANYTHING is better than nothing. Once you get into a regimen, you will start to crave it, and feel guilty if you veer away.

Thanks for the reminder.  I definately need to get more exercise and lose about 20 lbs.

For those that are up there,and I mean WAY up there like I
was , diets are meaningless.

You have to change how you live,and how you think.

Take some of the crap out of your daily intake,and replace
them with something better.
Do little things to increase your exercise .

After a while ,you'll feel better and have more energy.

I'm finally pushing back the 200 pound barrier ,
after losing almost 50 pounds this last year.

Just by familiarizing myself with what foods are bad,
and replacing them with better alternatives.

This year I've done what I've been trying to for years,I've
gotten out of an extremely stressful job with ludicrous hours.
Now I don't have to wear 30 + pounds of freaken protective
gear for 12 to 14 hour shifts !

With more time on my hands now I intend on getting more serious
about the exercise end of it .

If I make 185 again ,I've promissed myself a good
shooting course  .    

Pacing oneself and stamina is a lesson I've learn.

At work  we do what's called "non-paid digs".  We hand dig up a curb box that doesn't work so we can shut off the water at a residences' home for un-paid water service.

The hole is 4'x4' and as deep as needs to be to reach the shut-off valve.  The worst one I've    dug was 7 1/2 ' foot deep.  The next day you are sore.

Work keeps me in shape,  18 hours on a main break when it's -5 out makes for a good workout.  This past February we had more main breaks then there were days in that month.

Fitness is extremely important, but you don’t have to be a tri-athlete to be in good shape, nor do you have to look like a Greek god. We are talking survival. You can weight be 5’6 and 400lbs if you’re not bugging out! But you need to be able to do the all the tasks evolved in maintaining your castle. I think an extra 20lbs of fat is useful if it’s not taking away from your activities. If it’s truly survival you will lose that weight in no time. If one can do 45 sit-ups and 45 push ups with in 2mins and can run 2 miles with out dieing, you are in good enough shape. You are not going to be assaulting beaches and jumping out of airplanes you don’t need to be a PT stud to stay alive, if you are and want to be that’s great but it’s not necessary. Rucking with weight (try out your gear and know if you can carry the load) is more important than running. When I was in the Army I was a super slow runner, I joined 28yrs  and being 6’4”  270lbs most of my time in the Army I wasn’t built for speed, I could out last(durring12mile marches and in field exercises) many kids eight years younger that could run 2miles 6mins faster. You could be Lance Armstrong, but if you don’t have the fitness coupled with skills, you’ll have short comings compared to the guy with moderate fitness and superior skills.

If you’re not sitting at the computer all day and have like 20,000 post in one year and actually get out of the house and do things, you are probably in moderate shape already.
Coming to grips that you’re not Rambo will probably help your game (staying alive) more than anything.

Honestly Id rather have 20lbs of excess muscle to burn off than 20 lbs of excess fat. But you are right.  If you can run 2 miles and do the push ups and sit ups you are not in "bad" shape.  However since everyone in life is either getting in better shape or worse shape you will always end up either challenging yourself to go to the next level or fall back to where you started and not notice it happening.