How does fitness fit into your overall strategy?

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Being fit gives you more options to get out of a situation. It should play a role in every ones strategy.

If your strategy is, verbal warning, back away and pull gun, fitness might not be so important. However, now that I'm aware of the consequences of a legal shoot, it's all the more important to end situations without firing a gun. Using non-lethal weapons and hand to hand are all viable options, but only useful if you are fit.
 
It's critically important, and it gets more difficult as you get older! I think leg and cardio strength are the primary attributes. Arm and especially bicep strength tends to be of limited utility. And it might lead some men to posture and get into trouble when they should be using their legs to leave.

I used to be in great shape in my 20's, but after starting my career I've put on the weight. It's an ongoing battle but I make a point of riding my bike everywhere and getting a lot of walking in. It makes a big difference in my ability to respond to trouble even if I am still fat. Anyway, it's not fat it's a tactical bullet barrier ;-)
 
Anyway, it's not fat it's a tactical bullet barrier ;-)
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There is actually some truth to that. lol.

Seriously, one of the guys that used to help out at the LGS where I also helped was 6'1" and 540 lbs. The amount of "padding" he had, I would not bet on a COM shot with a service caliber getting to his vitals.

Of course, he could barely walk from the front of the shop to the back without getting winded, so running away isn't even necessary if you had an attacker built like that. Just walk fast.
 
It's amazing how much credibility people attribute to physical appearance. Size is an impressive deterrent indeed. A fellow officer is very overweight, but because he's 6' 1" and about 275-300ish, very few suspects ever even attempt to challenge him. Of course, there is a healthier way to get around this: hit the gym. A coupe of us are dedicated gym rats, and it's obvious that we are by our physical stature. We have a much lower level of use of force incidents because I think people recognize in their head that we are prepared for a fight and the cost-benefit analysis they do in their head indicates a much greater cost than benefit. I have had someone actually file a complaint against me because I looked "ready to do business" while I was standing by as a cover officer for a partner. Sort of interesting how that works, really. But in public on a day to day basis, I've noticed a difference between now and several years ago before I got serious about lifting.
 
I've recently lost over 50 lbs. (in the past year) But I'm still overweight by about 35 lbs. With the physical handicaps I have, my activity is limited. But not as limited as it was 50 lbs. ago! And imo being overweight doesn't just make me look like a "softer" target.....it confirms it. I will lose more weight.
 
I work out every day, P90 X'er, and have become a green belt with brown tip in San Shin Kai karate. 6'0", 190 lbs. I am very confident without a gun as long as the threat is within 10 feet of me. It's when they're further than 10 feet when I want my gun. I love the way I feel being fit. Those who work out know what I'm saying, those who don't wish they did.
 
Running away is always a better option than engaging in a gun fight, so I would say being fit enough to move quickly is very important to anyone's strategy.
 
I think it's a given that it is a huge advantage to be physically fit. I'd like to be more toned than I am but I think focus should be cardio and in relation to this forum, arm strength to hold a firearm for an extended period of time.
I have been steadily increasing my cardio endurance for when SHTF but my love of the fine art of brewing keeps me more or less in the same physical shape :)
 
buy a sledge and pound a stump for a while then carry a log around your yard, repeat however meny times you can before you gotta get ready for work. thats my morning routine. nieghbors may think i am a bit on the od side but it has been working for me.
 
buy a sledge and pound a stump for a while then carry a log around your yard, repeat however meny times you can before you gotta get ready for work. thats my morning routine. nieghbors may think i am a bit on the od side but it has been working for me.
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While better than nothing, that's hardly a well rounded workout. I think you'd do better with sit-ups, pull ups, squats, etc. and a little running.
 
i mix in push ups and pull ups and other more standard things but honestly splitting wood and carrying a heavy object hits just about all the muscle groups. i'm not a trainer and def cant argue my methods beyond that and have no problem with the critique. :)
try it on a saturday morning sometime
go
30-40 swings with a maul or sledge on a stump, or a tire works too
then find an object that is a challenge to get on your shoulder I use a log and walk at a good pace for what ever distance is a challenge I swap shoulders 3 times while walking my "track". and then alternate which shoulder i start with each time. trying to work up to not having to switch.
gets your cardio, arms, back, legs, stomach and chest.
and then repeat
it may not a be for everyone and maynot be perfect but it might be something to mix into your routine from time to time keep things fresh.
 
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30-40 swings with a maul or sledge on a stump, or a tire works too
then find an object that is a challenge to get on your shoulder I use a log and walk at a good pace for what ever distance is a challenge I swap shoulders 3 times while walking my "track". and then alternate which shoulder i start with each time. trying to work up to not having to switch.
gets your cardio, arms, back, legs, stomach and chest.
and then repeat
it may not a be for everyone and maynot be perfect but it might be something to mix into your routine from time to time keep things fresh.
Click to expand...

If you have the discipline an coordination to switch sides with all the activities, it's a different story. But I suspect few people do with a task like that. Me swinging a splitting maul left handed would be a good way to end up in the ER ;)
 
I hit the gym 2-3 times a week. I like knowing that I can run a couple miles if I need to, also I work on my strength. I'm 6'2 and about 210 lbs, I'm not huge but in pretty decent shape. I feel upper body strength will be very useful if I'm attacked and need to fight someone off or hold them back until I can draw my weapon. Plus as someone else mentioned I think it helps to not look like a soft target. If you look like it won't be easy the badguy may pass you up for an easier target.
 
In the context of a pure gunfight it still is a critical component. Overall your body will be under less physical stress which will allow you to function & think at a higher level.

Moving to cover- waddle or sprint
Single hand shooting- wobble or steady
Controlling a kid, bystander or other third party- bump them off balance, or put them where you want them
Get shot- heart is already tapped out or you have some compensatory function in reserve
Multiple shots- slower or faster

Do what you can with you have available & always try to improve it.

In a class like SouthNarc's ECQC, fitness plays a very critical role. Fighting for position to employ your firearm takes a lot out of a person. The stronger folks do better. Cardio not so much. The stronger guys can control a weaker person until the weaker one gasses out, then have their way with them. They also take abuse better than the skinny cardio/body weight only guys. The ability to move your body is great. The ability to move someone else who is trying to crush you is even better.

Be strong so you can overpower & conditioned so you can do it as long as necessary.

RE: Small girl/big guy- Regardless of the size difference, a stronger & better conditioned little person will be more likely to exploit any opportunities than a weaker, deconditioned person.
 
I'm certainly not as fit as I was at 19, assigned to the 353rd SOG, not even as fit as I was with the 60th SFS, but at 6'2" and roughly 240, I'm in ok shape. I could trim down and bulk up if I really had the desire, but I never really enjoyed working out when it was forced on me, so it didn't really stick when it became optional.
I hated running. Being a bigger dude, I was always one of the slowest runners. I had the long term endurance to keep a steady pace for lengths of time, whereas the skinny dudes could sprint like the wind, but had no long term endurance. PT tests didn't take that into account, so even though I was probably on par with the PT kings, my scores were lacking. But when it came to hauling the heavy equipment, to whom did they look? Yeah, the big guys.

In sustained combat operations, fitness takes a greater role overall. The average street encounter, you won't be hauling 70+ pounds of gear. Adrenaline will make up for a lot of fitness failings. Is fitness important? Absolutley. I'm pretty sure I can still handle myself in most situations, even though I'm a bit more doughy as a civilian.

Mindset has a big part to play here as well. I've seen some of the strongest crippled by fear and the ones you would never except pull out some great accomplishments. How you handle stress, IMO, holds a lot more than how much weight you can carry.
 
I think a lot of you guys will be amazed at how quickly a person will gas out. Especially in a full bore adrenaline dump. Ive seen big strong guys gas in less than 30 seconds, to the point of muscle failure where they couldnt lift their arms to defend themselves. Now granted they were a bit on the soft side, they were still big guys, but had zero cardio. Look at mma fighters for example - rarely does a guy win just because he's huge. Technique and stamina help along with strength.

I think it's safe to assume a lot if guys carry a gun as an equalizer in their brain. When in reality it's only a portion of the overall equation.
 
I have always been a good sprinter. Even at my age I still run up flights of stairs. This keeps me in shape for the first option of my defense strategy - to run away.
 
I'm strong enough now, but my fitness is horrible since I've gotten out of high school and my asthma has gotten worse. I'm going to start doing some run and guns where I sprint and or jog some distance and then try shooting. I'm sure its a completely different thing.
 
Being in shape would always give you an advantage, other than in natural body armor:cool:.

Sadly I'm in that natural body armor camp.
 
I think a lot of you guys will be amazed at how quickly a person will gas out. Especially in a full bore adrenaline dump. Ive seen big strong guys gas in less than 30 seconds, to the point of muscle failure where they couldnt lift their arms to defend themselves. Now granted they were a bit on the soft side, they were still big guys, but had zero cardio. Look at mma fighters for example - rarely does a guy win just because he's huge. Technique and stamina help along with strength.

I think it's safe to assume a lot if guys carry a gun as an equalizer in their brain. When in reality it's only a portion of the overall equation.
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It's common knowledge that having more muscles means your body needs to provide more oxygen to get rid of the lactic acid build up. This means, the bigger you are the more in shape you need to be, because you will get winded faster than a leaner person. Which is why in MMA, you don't see many bulky guys.
 
I started a cardio and weight routine a year ago. I've found that it's MUCH easier for me to shoot a high volume of stout handgun loads now than it was before I began working out.

I'm able to shoot for longer periods of time and get back on target quicker than ever. This is particularly evident when shooting my heavy GP 100 with big loads or my snappy G22.
 
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