Top Physical Condition!!!??

At 6-1 and 215 I am not at the ideal weight. I tend to go in spurts with my physical training regimen. I do everything at 110% so when I am on the health kick, I am insane and can lose 30lbs in 1.5 months. When I am in college mode (i.e. Football season) I can gain 30 lbs in 1.5 months.
When I train hard it is mostly plyometrics, big time cardio and some weight training. I will exercise twice a day for 2-3 hours. I eat an incredibly healthy diet and cut back on any alcohol and smokes.

When I was a little boy, I saw (part of) a fight between a young man and an old man. They had, been in a bar, I later learned, talking about politics. I was on the sidewalk, across the street from the bar, trying to take an annoying tag out of my new straw cowboy hat.

I heard this crash, and looked up to see an old man crashing through the plate gass window of the bar. He layed there on the sidewalk, and I was thinking of going over to see if he was okay, but I had to wait until there were no cars coming.

Before I could cross, this big young fellow stepped out through the window and grabbed the old man up by his shirtfront, and hit him. Then there was a bang.
They young man was laying half on the sidewalk and half into the road, bleeding to death in the gutter.

Around here we have a saying to the effect that you never fight an old man, because if he's too old to fight you he'll just kill you.

Physical fitness is one of many possible advantages that one can have in a situation. It is the mistake of youth and inexperience to think that it outweighs all other advantages. It is also a mistake to pass it up if you have the opportunity. Some of us are in good shape, some of us may be in better shape, and some of us will never be in good shape again. Try to do what is best in your own situation.

Dear Mr. Quick,

Remind me to stay on your good side.

Byron said:

Call it what you will-heart, mental toughness, fire in the belly.

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It's called skill, and he can do pretty much what he pleases because of it. If he had full command of his body, he'd be dodging bullets.

I have no motive nor inclination to fight fair.

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Good.... cause there is no such thing as a fair fight. BG does not think to himself....

"That guy looks tough... bet he can kick my butt... let me start a fair, one on one
fight with him".

I've been on both sides of the fitness fence and prefer the fitter side for sure.
I have done a little defensive training and just grappling and wrestling for control
of a BG and to keep control of my CCW can be tiring.

Don't be limited... use all tools available to you. Whether it is a .45 to the
chest, a fist to the face, or a knee to the groin, you want to be able to do it
to the best of your ability.

Am I the only one who thinks if someone pulled a pistol on me in tight quarters I would make them eat it? I hope a few more military guys can back me up on this, inside a couple yards a gun is not much against a solid fighter. I'll borrow a redgun from work and we can see who can draw in close quarters before I beat the hell out of them. Just a thought

Am I the only one who thinks if someone pulled a pistol on me in tight quarters I would make them eat it?

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An excellent question, and one each individual who is a well trained (read that mixed training or real life training) fighter should consider.

I'll borrow a redgun from work and we can see who can draw in close quarters before I beat the hell out of them. Just a thought

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That is an enlightening exercise. When you are comfortable on that level step up to training with simunitions (proper safety gear in a well controlled environment is essential), and it will be an educational experience.

Honestly I hope it is a decision I am never faced with. For me, I know my training and skill level. Knowing what you are capable of, assessing, distance, threat, response, and the specific situation should determine the appropriate response. There is no perfect answer when a confrontation happens at contact distance, often everyone gets hurt.

Simunitions class is fun, I recommend it to anyone that likes bruises that bleed in the middle.

I am a trail runner. I load up a backpack with 15 lbs. worth of crap, strap it on, and actually go run around for a few miles in the woods. Sometimes, i stop running to climb up some rocks. Sometimes I stop running because I go off the trail and there is an area where it would be physically impossible to actually run.
But either way, I know that in woods, i can run flat out for a bit over a mile before getting winded. And I can run at normal speeds for 5-6 miles on trails. All while wearing the backpack. I want to do more, but I figure I am probably ahead of the curve.

now heres a SHTF response if there ever was one.....

If it ever gets bad, and the tactical gadgets dont work, and your $200 illuminated rectum scope isnt on, and you cant get a message over the hill because you thought training pairs of homing pigeons was retarded and way too tinfoil, and you were too broke to get hand crank tele's and solar powered battery systems for radio (which eventually died anyway) then you will need good runners. Scouts. Informants. Carriers.

Cross country runners will be your friend!!!!



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Good thread with some terrific links! Thanks guys!

I tried the dumbell snatch from rosstraining.com today, good move that I think I'll add to my routine. Also, the ring pullup/aerial dip is a cheap rig anyone could easily set up at home; might be better than just a chin-up bar. Those crossfit girls kickk!

We've all got to work around our limitations. Personally, in Dec 2005 at age 52, I developed a digestive condition that forced me to look at my lifestyle (diet and exercise). Thought I was going to kick the bucket, but after recovering, decided to make some changes. Threw out the salt shaker, learned about "glycemic index" high fiber more natural foods, and made gym a part time job. Running is out due to a 30 year old knee reconstruction, but the elliptical and stair machines give all the cardio I can handle. Glucosamine/chondroitin has erased nagging joint pain, I'd highly recommend it to other geezers with aching joints. I'm so lucky to have found a good trainer to learn from!

Sly Stallone said "your body is an honest machine; it will return exactly what you invest in it". So true. Many of my middle aged peers are gobbling handfuls of prescription meds, with their associated side affects, it's to be avoided if at all possible, IMO.

The time/money spent in the gym is the best investment I've ever made. The challenge is keeping it fresh, making changes, avoiding burnout. There's a million and one ways to do that; the journey is the reward. After 1.5 years on a daily workout routine, I feel like I'm only scratching the surface.

I'm looking at taking up a new sport this year, kitesurfing.

Potential rewards of being more fit, that relate to tactical readiness are probably real, and icing on the cake!

Sure you can still survive in a self defense situation even if you're out of shape, but being in shape never hurt. Don't let that be an excuse to stay out of shape.

Sly Stallone said "your body is an honest machine; it will return exactly what you invest in it".

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That would be this Sly Stallone?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/176479/stallone_charged_with_importing_illegal.html

Just had to pick a little bit, it is a great and true quote, to bad it is attributed to a anti gun individual who appears to be somewhat hypocritical.

Yea, Charles, we were all surprised when Stallone was caught with HGH. His thin book "Sly Moves", was fluffy Hollywood reading (saw it by chance in the library); the quote was a keeper.

The topic of HGH was also touched on in a recent CNN special on longevity. Legal aspects aside, supplementation remains a controversy, eh?

I tried the dumbell snatch from rosstraining.com today, good move that I think I'll add to my routine. Also, the ring pullup/aerial dip is a cheap rig anyone could easily set up at home; might be better than just a chin-up bar. Those crossfit girls kickk!

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Start off easy dumbell snatches stress the rotator cuff in unusual and unique ways. I spent 3 months on the DL after jacking up my shoulder when I started doing them. Way too much weight, way too many reps, way too fast.

If you can find a 55lb dumbell or kettlebell I definitely recommend trying the Secret Service Snatch test. It's 10 minutes of snatches, 150+ reps is a good goal.

If you like Ross Training, I definitely recommend Infinite Intensity available from the website. I wasn't as impressed with Never Gymless

If you like dumbell snatches you got to try the sledge hammer, it's the best stress reliever I've found.

Let me throw my 2 cents in here. This post seems very controversial and when I first clicked on it I figured it would be a no-brainer that people should be in shape. It does not take a huge amount of effort to remain in decent shape and it certainly is not a bad thing. I will admit I eat horribly. My meals are very erratic and I skip meals all the time. I usually just eat one meal a day, dinner and sometimes I eat lunch but its unusual. I never under any circumstances eat breakfast as I can't stand the sight of food in the morning. I do the exact opposite of what most nutritionists say and when I do eat its very unhealthy. My normal dinner consists of pizza, fast food or possibly frozen food. I drink soda, both diet and regular all day long. I also ride a desk for living and the most active part of my day is a jaunt to the Xerox machine.

That being said I am a avid runner. I have been running for aproximately 15 years. I first started at 17 right before I entered the army and have basically never stopped. I run 2.5-4 miles a night depending on how I feel. My weight fluctulates from aprox 168-185 lbs during that time. It has little to do with age and more to do with how I am eating and running at the time. I am 5'11" and even at 185 lbs I am not particulary overweight. 172-174 is probably my ideal weight but its not a given. The running I do takes anywhere from 18 minutes to around 35 minutes, depending on distance and how I am running that week. My point is it does not take a huge investment in time, willpower or anything else to stay in decent shape, but you do have to do something and stick with it.

El Tejon's quote:

I believe I read Tom Clancy who wrote that running to or from battle was THE most important skill a man could have.

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The quote I have always heard is that "Running to and from battle is often considered to be the oldest of all martial skills". Not sure about the most important. Being in shape is however conducive to a long and healthy life. That should not be constroversial.

Some of us are approaching the age where having a pulse, not messing your pants, and not drooling excessively IS top physical condition. Actually 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

a good quick cardio vasc workout to take you into the top 20%, start at 10 mins on a rower, then sip some water and get straight on a stepper for 10 mins then sip and 10 mins on treadmill. when you can get 20 mins on each your doin an hour of quality cv that you can sustain. oh, a clever fit man is better than clever unfit man.........

Epiphany...

I did a little digging into some of the links in this thread...

I have to say, the crossfit.com article - "what it fitness?" , is about the best, most understandable treatment of exercise philosophy I think I've ever read. For convenience, here's a direct link (only 11 pages): http://www.crossfit.com/cf-download/CFJ-trial.pdf

For those inclined, reading this essay will be time well spent!

My workout already included weighted dips, and chinups (although I never speeded them up with the "kip" motion, as they show). Maybe it was time for a change anyway, but I'm revamping my workout to adopt some of the more dynamic power lifting/gymnastic moves, as opposed to the slower bodybuilding type isolated-muscle work I'd been doing. Tried it the last couple days; positive feedback! May have even talked the gym into getting some gymnastics rings installed, which they lacked!

I think these guys are onto something! Its hard not to be impressed by the performance in the video that crazyxgerman posted in #35:
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/051204.wmv

Again, thanks for the references!