Staying in shape for hunting season.

[NPO_Aaron]

With the dead of the winter comes high-hopes and big plans for next hunting season. My goal is to spend a week traipsing around the badlands with hopes of taking a mule deer with my bow. In my current shape, that would not be an easy feat. So, I am starting to take my training a bit more serious with the intention of upping my odds of success. I have spent the last few weeks researching and ran across a program called "Train to Hunt". It seems like a Crossfit-like program that incorporates shooting in order to help prepare for more challenging hunts.
The point of this topic is for me to see what others on NDA are doing to keep/get in shape and what kind of hunts you have done/plan to do that may warrant some extra preparation time.

 

[Bowhunter_24]

I hit the gym every day at 5:00 am. Then I run or ride bike at noon. My goal for the summer is to be able to run a full marathon and be able to bench press 350 at the same time.

I do a lot of backpack hunts. Being in shape makes them a lot more fun.

 

[svnmag]

Lots of exercises and things can be done with a fire dept training dummy. Heavy bastard.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I hit the gym every day at 5:00 am. Then I run or ride bike at noon. My goal for the summer is to be able to run a full marathon and be able to bench press 350 at the same time.

I do a lot of backpack hunts. Being in shape makes them a lot more fun.

Let's arm wrestle and Indian leg wrestle.

 

[DirtyMike]

Like bowhunter, at the gym by 5:15 am most days. Strong mix of weight training and cardio. Starting in September, cardio takes a precedence. A lot of running and stair climbers. Hoping the dog is ready to go by the spring in order to put on a few miles. I had a torn calf bugging me throughout hunting last year so this year will be a little easier.

 

[Sum1]

I do a lot of sitting around eating buttery bowls of popcorn. If I can find a decent place to fish in the winter where I don't have to walk so far all the better. Thats why I love boat fishing. I can run about half way around the block before crouching over hands on the knees drooling and bench press a cool 175( I think I could anyway). In a 50 yd dash I can still whoop my 8year olds butt. Come hunting season I can walk my ass off for the whole first day. I then spend the rest of the season sore as all hell and contemplate not putting in for a tag the next year cause its to much work. Man I love fishing.

 

[Kickemup]

Over the winter I run a trap line to keep me moving that is about a 2 to 3 mile walk every other day depending on what line I'm walking. After that I go sit in the fish house and do nothing.

 

[Sum1]

I actually wish I could do some exercising but a bad knee ,two bad shoulders, and a bad heel really keep me from doing anything to over bearing. Sucks getting old. Suppose I could go to the gym and sit in the hottub and tell the ole lady I was swimming laps.

 

[BDub]

For deer hunting I practice jumping out of the truck as fast as possible.

After my my second hip replacement I started squatting as much as possible. Thousands of squats later my knees are in much better shape than they have been in several years. I call it my gardening physical therapy. I was able to chase roosters several times this fall. Pretty much a miracle compared to the last several years.

 

[Wild and Free]

I run 4.5 to 6 miles 3 or 4 days a week, have been running 5K races in the 24 minute time frame consistently, do some core, arm and leg resistance work on a total gym incline bench 2-3 times a week along with pushups, planks and sit ups and do some elliptical training a couple days a week. Have not missed a day of working out for a bit over 2 years now.
Made it a life long commitment to my health starting a couple years ago, lost over 80 lbs. in 9 months and have kept every lb. off for over a year now. Went from 282 to a steady 201. Last BMI a few months ago showed I was @ 17.5% Body fat and had one pound more muscle than body frame weight which is text book ideal according to the Doc. I lost about 90 pounds of fat "Inflammation is the now term for it" and replaced about 10 pounds with muscle as I went by doing BMI every 3-4 months along the way.
My knees and ankles used to hurt me a lot working 10-12+ hour shifts on concrete as a diesel tech for near 20 years, those aches and pains have all disappeared and feel great once I took up running a little over a year ago now.
I cut out all grains from my diet and quit drinking dairy milk and all grain alcohols as well.

 

[NDwalleyes]

A year ago I made a commitment to stop eating fast food, sweets, pop (diet or otherwise), and milk. I hit the elliptical 3-4 days/week and put in a couple miles. I've dropped 20 lbs and feel much better. Fewer aches and pains, sleep better....

We all like to think we're 10 foot tall and bullet proof until you hit 35 or 40 and start putting on some weight. It's a simple game...admit to yourself you're getting older, don't eat garbage, get the glycogen stores in those muscles used up so you don't build fat, and get your heart rate up to 150 or so one in a while.

 

[Vollmer]

I actually wish I could do some exercising but a bad knee ,two bad shoulders, and a bad heel really keep me from doing anything to over bearing. Sucks getting old. Suppose I could go to the gym and sit in the hottub and tell the ole lady I was swimming laps.

Ever look at an elliptical machine? The wife has had 3 knee surgeries, but she can still use an elliptical.

I, on the other hand, I play basketball. I've been addicted to hoops since I was a tiny lad.

 

[Wild and Free]

Ever look at an elliptical machine? The wife has had 3 knee surgeries, but she can still use an elliptical.

I, on the other hand, I play basketball. I've been addicted to hoops since I was a tiny lad.

That is what I used almost exclusively for the 1st 8 months and what I lost my first 70 lbs on, 1/2 hour a day everyday until it broke down and it took about 2 weeks to get parts in is when I took up running and have been hooked ever since. I like it cause it has many different types of workouts programmed in and gives an arm and leg and cardio workout with no impact.

 

[KDM]

6-8 weeks prior to my MT elk hunt I put my pack on and start walking the hills with it. Other than that, I just try to keep active and off the couch. I try to stay in that 185-195 range all year without killing myself at a gym. I'm retired, married, and well fed. Hunting will take care of itself without me worrying about it.

 

[Pinecone]

there is also a show called run and gun, but it's gay:;:howdy

 

[fnznfwl]

I run between 3- 5 miles a day, 5 days a week, along with about an hour of circuit/cross/weight training depending on the day. Even at 40 I've never really struggled with my weight, but I feel much better the last few years since incorporating a regular workout. Only issue is it seems like there a nagging injury or two every month or so that a guy deals with.

Hardest part is I have one or two buddies that I hunt with who also exercise regularly and the rest of the guys do nothing so it seems like those guy are always wanting to quit early or really dragging us down with excuses, complaining, etc. Good friends, but that gets old.

 

[NDwalleyes]

That is what I used almost exclusively for the 1st 8 months and what I lost my first 70 lbs on, 1/2 hour a day everyday until it broke down and it took about 2 weeks to get parts in is when I took up running and have been hooked ever since. I like it cause it has many different types of workouts programmed in and gives an arm and leg and cardio workout with no impact.

If you're looking for a replacement, we bought a Sole E35 a month ago, off Amazon, after our 5 year old elliptical wore out. You will pay about $400 more for it but it is fitness center quality. It is so smooth and quite you wouldn't believe it and the programs and electronics are great.

 

[Reprobait]

Its kind of sad that a person gets into some kind of shape from hunting season then people throw all those holiday treats in front of you.

Thinking about joining the gym at least till I can get the bicycle out again.

 

[Wild and Free]

If you're looking for a replacement, we bought a Sole E35 a month ago, off Amazon, after our 5 year old elliptical wore out. You will pay about $400 more for it but it is fitness center quality. It is so smooth and quite you wouldn't believe it and the programs and electronics are great.

The one I have is a Sole E20 I picked up used for only a month with only 13 miles on it with extended warranty paid up on it to boot for 500 bucks, I love it only thing I would like better is if it had a longer stride length but for less than half price for a brand new machine I make do. I have had warranty repairs done to it twice now and glad it came with the extended warranty. I actually did the repairs myself, the Sears tech came out looked at what it needed and just had them send the parts to my house, was not anything major so I just fixed it myself when the parts came.

 

[DirtyMike]

Good on you guys for figuring out the diets. I gave up too much food in my life to pick and choose what I'll eat and not eat. I work out to be able to have the pizza or burgers....and beers. I enjoy the gym but I'm not looking to be on any magazine covers.