Are you ready, physically, to give this bowhunting season your best shot?

I suppose I must start out with the obligatory statement that I am not a doctor or a licensed trainer – I’m a worker-outer.  So, if you aren’t in shape, but want to get in shape, maybe you should start by hoofing it on over your doctor. 

How do you know if you are in shape?  If it has been more than 3 weeks since you biked, swam, ran or used the elliptical trainer you probably aren’t in shape.  If you have “done-lap” disease (your belly done lapped over your pants’ waist, either gender) then you probably aren’t in shape (and you probably shouldn’t wear low-rise jeans, either gender).  If you haven’t done a push up or a bench press in more than 3 weeks then you probably aren’t in shape.

Like I said in Half Marathon Down, I believe working out and bowhunting go together like peas and carrots.  Back when I first moved to Wisconsin I hunted with a very physically large man.  He used a climbing tree stand and while I never watched him ascend a tree with it I was sure that one day I’d come back and find him hanging dead from a heart attack.  After moving away I found that something did happen to him in the woods and he gave up hunting.   Either for your family or to fully enjoy the sport of bowhunting you owe it to yourself to get into some sort of shape. 

Likely influenced by the physical fitness culture of the U.S. Navy (it’s there if you wish to partake) I’ve been working out for 22 plus years.  I’ve been a Command Fitness Leader or CFL assistant I don’t know how many times and I’ve helped many men and women pass their physical fitness test after they strayed from the standards.  I am absolutely no Cameron Hanes or Awnald Schwwwaaazenager and when I was 31 I had a heavy-built 42 year old USMC Gunnery Sergeant kicking my butt in wind sprints, but I’m building and maintaining flexibility, strength and stamina.    

First, like any good thing worth working for, start with a simple plan.  Figure out what you want to do and when you have time to do it.  If so inclined you can find all kinds of workouts including the latest Kamakazi Special Forces Bowling Ball Cruncher Guy workout in magazines and books.  I suggest three simple things; some cardio, some body-weight exercises and some stretching.  Time.  Basically, if you want to do it, you’ll find time for it.  Period.    

I also suggest not buying any equipment.  Other than tennis shoes and some clothing you don’t need much more.  I suppose clothing is optional if you workout in the solo privacy of your home.  If you do go out to get some new clothing or equipment park as far away from the store doors as possible and walk in.  If there is an elevator or escalator, use the stairs.  There, we just started our simple exercise plan and you won’t have some inconsiderate idiot banging your car door with theirs since you parked so far away.  There is one further thing you need and it is the most important – mental fortitude.  You’ve got to stick with it.

Exercises

Conventional Wisdom says you should warm up by running in place or something and stretching.  That’s a good idea.  I don’t do it.  You decide.  I like to roll right into some exercise. 

This is my “old standard” exercise routine.  Easily done, including the running, with limited equipment and space such as the flight deck of a Navy frigate which is roughly one-quarter the size of a basketball court. 

I repeat the listed rounds 3 times. 

-1 round of abdominal exercises with a goal of 40 repetitions. 

-On the first set I do regular crunches.

-On the second set I do cross-leg crunches, i.e., right elbow to left knee, then left elbow to right knee. 

-On the third set I do leg raises ensuring I roll/raise my hips off the floor when my legs and feet are at the apex.

-1 round of pull ups with a goal of 12.

-1 round of push ups with a goal of 27.

If you think are you are in ok shape, start out by cutting the quantities in half.  If you are in no shape at all, set the quantities to one-quarter of those listed.

Want to go advanced?  Get one of those manly looking pastel gym-balls (when are they going to make a camouflage one?).  My abdominal work outs have never been so good since I started using one of those.  You build your core while working other muscle groups at the same time.  Do the regular and cross-leg crunches on the ball.  Put the ball between your feet for the leg raises.  Do all the push ups with your hands on the ball and your feet on the ground or mix it up with feet on the ball and hands on the ground.

Ball crunches.

Cross-leg ball crunches.

Ball leg raises. 

Push up position one. 

Push up position 2.

Cardio

Again, simple.  Do 20-45 minutes of cardio.  Whether you want to swim, bike, run or use an elliptical trainer, do it.  Running is my favorite.  Nothing else burns calories like running.  Depending on my current running goal I usually try to run a minimum of 35 minutes, about 3.5 miles.  I don’t focus on miles, though, just time.  However, if something is aching or the weather is poor or whatever then I’ll swim, bike or use the elliptical trainer.

Want to go advanced?  Add some interval training one day per week.  Sprint from a telephone pole to the next, then walk to the next pole.  Repeat.  Or, sprint 100 yards, walk back to where you started and repeat. 

Post Exercise Stretching

I have a set routine of stretches including gastroc (focusing on maintaining flexibility in the left ankle where I have two screws), calf and other upper and lower body muscle groups that I hold for a thirty second count. 

Right leg gastroc stretch.

Left leg calf stretch.

More upper and lower body stretches.

Stretching hands and arms away from body and flexing back up off the ground.

That’s it.  I can be done with the entire routine in less than 60 minutes and I like to do it a minimum of three times per week. 

happy hunting, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:

• Half Marathon Down
• All In – Registered For The Wisconsin Half Marathon
• 7 Miles In – Training For A Half Marathon

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Bowhunting, Fitness, Peas and Carrots

If you’ve been following dv’s Mostly Archery you know that at age 19, err, 39 I’ve been preparing for my first half marathon; see 7 Miles In – Training For A Half Marathon and All In – Registered For The Wisconsin Half Marathon.  Working out and running are like bowhunting for me.  They’re in my blood.  It’s what I look forward to when I get up in the morning.  If I don’t get my work out in I’m grumpy.  In my opinion fitness and bowhunting go together like peas and carrots.  And, I just wanted to see if I could do it.  There may be a marathon in my future and this was a starting point.  Heck, if P-Diddy and Oprah can do it I don’t see why I can’t.    

Training

Anyway, the Wisconsin Marathon and Half Marathon, billed as “The Cheesiest”, were held Saturday, May 1st in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  After following Hal Higdon’s novice training program for eight of its twelve weeks (I was already running at the four-week level when I started) I was ready to test my mental resolve.  I say mental, because that is my weakness.  Running is just one foot in front of the other, but wanting to quit due to boredom is a problem for me.  I knew I was ready, but I feel my mind and body do better under steady-state conditions (continuing to run) than the prescribed final Read the rest of this entry »

Commited To The Half-Marathon

I took a big step today and registered for the Wisconsin Marathon’s Half-Marathon.  Held May 2nd, 2009 in Kenosha, WI it is promoted as the “Cheesiest”.

The nearly $50.00 fee is just one more bit of pressure to keep me committed.

happy hunting running, dv

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Coming up on Mostly Archery

• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products
• Overhauling A Bow
• Veteran’s Dogsled in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area

Just a quick post this morning. 

I’m currently training for a half-marathon, 13.1 miles, that will be held in Kenosha, WI the first weekend in May.  I want to do this half-marathon to prove that I can at age 19, err… almost 40, and just to keep fit for bowhunting.  Fitness and bowhunting go together like peas and carrots in my opinion (even if I don’t like carrots). 

I’m following Hal Higdon’s Novice Half-Marathon Training Program.   Today’s plan called for a 7 mile run – the longest of my life.  I made it in 1 hour and 9 minutes, but it wasn’t without tribulation.  The temperature was 31 degrees when I left the house and the wind was gusting heavily.  Even with light weight gloves my hands got so cold they were aching.  I ran with them down the front of my sweats the last 1/2 mile. 

Listening to Dan Staton on Bowcast and the Up North Journal on my I-pod helped with the mental aspect as boredom is really my greatest challenge.

Hopefully, blogging about it will add to some peer pressure and keep my motivation up.

happy hunting running, dv

Feedback, Questions & Comments
I’d like to hear your tips, feedback, comments or questions. Please leave them below.

Subscribe
Like this blog? Want to be notified of updates? Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking here.

Coming up on Mostly Archery

• dv’s Gear Provider Recommendations – ACE, provider of ASAT, Sitka Gear and Wilderness Athlete Products
• Overhauling A Bow
• Veteran’s Dogsled in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area