Winter Not Kind To Me

[climber511]

I got back on my Concept II rowing machine today - 2000 meters in 8 minutes - augh - I should have done more cardio over the winter - thought I was gonna barf. Guess I better get in shape again. Which brings up my question, how many of you do any cardio, and if so what's your exercise of choice?

[ryaneverk2]

I used to play soccer at a pretty high level, and I was in outstnding shape. I've always thought that the best cardio is one you do when playing a sport you enjoy. I have a hard time just running for no point except to exercise, but running in a soccer game or training, that's fun. Some people have the discipline to just run for exercise, but not me.

Do you have any sports you enjoy? Basketball, football, swimming...

[climber511]

ryaneverk2 - my hobby is rock climbing and mountaineering. Rocks live in mountains; mountains alway seem to go UP. Therefore I have to be in good shape both hiking at altitude and climbing wise. When I worked (retired), I carried mail so I was always in pretty good hiking shape. Now, well...............lets just say it could be better. With all the knee problems, running isn't an option anymore for me and the rowing machine works well - if I use it - which I didn't do all winter. Oh well, a month to six weeks and it will come around, I'm sure. Anyone else using the Concept II for fitness - what kinds of times are you pulling this spring?

[GatorGrip]

The U.S. Army is favor of anything cardio - long long long runs, sprints, long forced road marches (forced meaning you rarely stop if you do it better be to change your socks and be damn quick about it - also in it's most intended meaning being you have a set time to do a set number of miles and you will make it or else. Example 12 miles in 3 hours with all your battle rattle, weapon and of course in your combat boots (we don't march in tennis shoes - they have denied many soldiers request over the years- Ha Ha). One of the traditions of the Army and other services is to sing cadence at the top of your lungs. It requires you to breath is a bit deeper to finish a long winded line of the call plus the real power that is hoped to be gain is the power to distract you from thinking so much about running mile after mile - it is better to think of that than "Damn is SOB SSG CREWS ever going to lets us stop?". That kind of thinking will get your head working harder than your feet with a quickness and you'll swear if you had the energy and would get thrown in Leavenworth Prison (Detention Barracks that more PC) where a big mother like Shane "Showlarson" Larson our grip board power house use to work as a prison guard (corrections officer) you would leap from the formation and jump on the Sergeant running you and you jut know it would cause the lynch mob to follow just to get that damn energizer bunny to stop running you in the dirt. Yes running is a tried and true exercise that has it's place in the military but it can also be used as a form of punishment as all exercises can be "Drop and give me 50 or beat your face till I get tired or get some real-estate" to name a few of the common orders to do push-ups and lots of them.

It happens less and less as you gain higher rank "that is just one reason of many that I decided to be the best I could be and should pin E-7 Sergeant First Class on soon".

All this being said for a chuckle but is 100% honest. I think cardio is a must for total fitness and even though I am not built like a marathoner (but I can sprint fast) I think that running or even walking should definitely have it's place in your exercise routine. I like the elliptical machined for a low impact workout that incorporates more than just the legs, rowing machines are good, and those damn stair steppers (you ever feel like your life is on a stair stepper you keep climbing but don't seem to be getting no where, I did for years until I let God be my coach).

As a Gator I love swimming and in the Florida summers growing up I probably spent at least 1/4 of my time in the water - no kidding. I even became a Red Cross life guard and then Red Cross life guard instructor at my last post Fort Rucker Alabama "Home of Army Aviation" to save a post pool from being closed down because I wanted our children to be able to come and swim, splash and have fun. That is one way kids can get exercise and never even realize it because they are just being kids in the water.

Now here in the interior of Alaska I have discovered the snow sports. One thing I done was bought a pair of snowshoes and poles to run in or cross-country style.

It can get intense but keeps it interesting buy exploring and keep a keen eye out for moose, especially mama moose and her babies. You can get a damn fine workout running from one of these behemoths of the North -"trust me on this!” Moose in Alaska hurts more people than any other wild animal; they beat out all 4 bears here combined by staggering numbers. My daughter’s Min Pin "Silly Willy" (miniature pincer - looks like a Doberman that was shrunk in the dryer) shot out the door last summer when there was a moose in the driveway and chased that big thing all over the housing area before chasing him into the woods and yes that 7 pound dynamo went in after it. It took me over an hour to find him with a pissed off moose somewhere in that patch of woods. I kid you not when I found him he was scratched up from briars and soaking wet with foul odor liquid. I can only think of one possible explanation and that is the moose pissed on him to get him to leave him alone. I recall no standing water anywhere in those woods and the Chena river was way back on the other side of our home. Needless to say we got to be careful with him being a moose hunting dog because even though he is one of the smallest dogs arounf he thinks he is a big dog, he only gift that kept that moose from stomping him was he is fast as grease lightning. I got a hell of a cardio workout yesterday chasing him around the nieghbor hood when climber the fence and took off lick a black rocket.

Lastly the Army Combatives (hand to hand combat training program) Training gives you a killer workout with non-stop sparring with your comrade anything after 15 minutes of going hard at it on the ground can seem like an eternity. Its fun and rigorous but you are learning and competing with each other so you aren't thinking man I am getting some kick ass cardio here. That’s why I think wrestling (not WWF) and other forms of marshall arts can be a great way to put in some cardio training. Bud Jefferies our fellow board member is an incredible strength athlete with a raw squat of 1000 pounds & a Zercher Squat - 500 Pounds, Pull 32,000+lb bus 100 feet in less than 40 seconds for demonstration, flipping Tires (Flip 500+lb Tire with One Hand & Flip 800lb+ Tire - 30 meters in 90 seconds), Stone carrying: 300lb Atlas Stone (chest high first time ever doing this lift) Husselfelt-style 500lb stone lift and walk and even one arm pressing Dennis Rogers by the pants and carrying him in that one arm press position up and down a couple flights of stairs and not even breath hard that is quoted from a Dennis Rogers newsletter message. He got with his friend Matt Furey and learned about all those body weight exercises and has built up some great cardio fitness especially for a big guy of over 300 pounds. How about these stats for some cardio performance with weights and body weight exercises:

500 Hindu Squats in 16 minutes.

1,000 Hindu Squats in 39 minutes.

2,000 Hindu Squats and 1,000 Push-ups in three hours.

Weighted Run - 370 pounds (barbell on back) x 25 yards in 6.96 seconds

Weighted Walk - 520 Pounds for 1/2 mile

Weighted Walk - 1,200 Pounds for 10'

Weighted Walk - 1,000 Pounds for 20'

He has a book called Twisted Conditioning out about how to incorporate strength training and cardio together it might be worth checking out on his websitehttp://www.strongerman.com

Well that all I got to say about that cardio thing! I know I got long winded or long keyboarded but I hope this helps people see that strength and cardiovascular fitness can be fused together in your exercise program and combined with a proper nutritionally sound diet to make you as healthy as you can be.

GatorGrip

[climber511]

Gator - I never really had to think about cardio until this last couple years - I walked 6 hours a day every day on the mail route and had this great "base" cardio level. I trained cardio the first year off the route but this winter I got lazy - I trained the weights real hard and set a few PRs but neglected my fitness and am paying for it now. I wish I could still run but the knee surgeries make that hurt too much. I really like the rower and stepper because they don't have any impact forces on my knees. I just got some kettlebells and they really get the heart rate pumping as well. I also just welded up a sled to pull, etc - I want some pure cardio but also strength endurance. Last winter I was rowing 2000 meters in about 7:30 so I'd like to cut 30 seconds off my time then I'll be happy again. My rower is the only thing that has a measuring system on it that I can compare to previous years - my stepper is just a cheap one but still works. But I love your story - the military does have a way of making fitness "fun" - doesn't it?

[Darco]

Hey climber, sorry for forgetting you in the chat room, on the plus side it is easier for me to read your work out here than for you to type it in it's entirety.

[stew2]

Hey Chris, some of my favorites are one since I was a hockey player I still like to get the skates out and hit the ice in the winter . In the summer I like to roller blade its a harder work out than running if you keep the pace up but its not as hard of an impact on the knees and legs. I've also come to enjoy doing laps flipping the tire back and forth across the yard its same size as the big ones but not as thick so it weighs less about 5# shy of 300 so you can get more laps. Then I've also been doing overhead walks with some natural stones great for the core I think.

[denver]

Climber511,

I am also a climber. I started road biking within the last couple of years and have really enjoyed it. I never thought that it would be something that would appeal to me...but I got a ways out of shape and needed something to go along with my running where I could really burn some calories. I still use it as a cardio workout now that I am back in shape. It would probably work great for you knees as well. I noticed some benefits in climbing too. I was better at hard stand up moves on slabs and could step high with a heavy pack a little better.

I have also wanted to start including boxing workouts into my cardio routing. I did them back in high school and really got an incredible cardio workout out of them. Also, I think that most fighters under the Heavy Weight division have physical builds that are not too different from climbers. They have very strong backs, great core, very very low body fat and are not overdeveloped in any area (Like having huge pecs...not very useful in climbing). Basically they are pound for pound very strong. I have just moved into a new house and have not had time to set up everything to really start putting this training idea to use. Let me know what you think of the boxing training idea.

[climber511]

Denver - I used to do Triathalons years ago and also a few road races, both on the bike and running. I did several 100 mile rides. The bike is also doable for my knees. I'll ride some this summer, I'm sure. All I really care about is being in good enough shape for general health and for the mountains. I want to do the Casual Route on the Diamond and Sykes Sickle this fall and I'm sure I could do it in my current condition, it will just be a lot easier the better condition I'm in. Where do you normally climb, and at what level on trad? As for the boxing - I can't afford any more hobbies - I'm sure it would work, I just don't have the interest for it. At 6' 2" and 200#, I'm already a pretty big rock climber so stying lean is important to me. I just plain got lazy this past winter.

[chuck]

Climber

try bearwalk intervals on the flat and up and down stairs or hills (wear gloves outdoors).

If you have Kbell pairs, do walks on the flat and/or up and down stairs with the bells in the rack position. Great for strength endurance, especially for the core. You can also try walking around with one or two kbells held overhead. You can even do an overhead, rack then farmers walk progression in the same set. Try it, you'll like it!

Edited April 20, 2005 by chuck

[sigmfsk]

I constructed a special computer desk and walk on the treadmill while using the computer for an hour or two each day. Even when just surfing the web - I'm not wasting time - I'm exercising! Its hard for the wife to complain when I'm keeping the beer belly trim, hehheeee.

For National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org), I wrote a novel while walking after work each day: 95 miles in 11 days at 4% incline. Argh!! A coworker also wrote a novel, but he sat the whole time! Shameless plug: please take the last 20 copies off our hands! its advertised on our grip club page: www.cocit.com.

[denver]

Climber,

I don't really climb trad very hard. I only do a couple of trad routes a year and don't lead that many of the pitches. I spend most of my time bouldering, but right now I am clipping bolts. I plan to stay on bolts for a few more months and do a few trad routes along the way...then get back on the boulders toward the end of the summer.

However, I am also planning to doing the Casual Route this summer. When were you planning to do it?

[climber511]

We haven't set dates yet but more than likely will be the end of August or so. You?

[OldGuy]

The winter in Sth. Florida has been cruel as well. One day recently, I considered wearing slightly longer shorts when going outside.

[climber511]

Old Guy - there is probably a suitable comment I could make but not around the children! I suppose I'll be doing the laughing when it's blazing hot down there in August. I'll have to take comfort in that.

[denver]

Probably in August too. You may have seen this but check out the link below...it is a really useful local website...lots of good info and pics.

climbingboulder.com

[smp76]

Climber511,

I do cardio a few times a week:

Tuesday: hike 65lbs pack for two hours usually 8-9 miles on rolling hills, climbing no more than 75 ft then down 75ft, you get the idea.

Thursday: hike 65lbs 45 minutes hill climb 2000 ft elevation gain over one mile

Friday: 45 minutes of dodgeball against the high school students I teach during lunch

Saturday or Sunday: light pack 20-30lbs, 6-10 hours, elevation gain of 5000+ft over 6-12 miles up and down small mountains in the Chugach.

-Sean

[climber511]

2000 meters on my Concept II rower in 7:30. Got my target time. One more thing I can cross off my list. You young bucks let me know how bad you beat my 2000 m time.