Ok, we've discussed supplies, weapons, skills and planning but how many of us are fit enough for a survival situation or at least working on improving our fitness?

Personally I'm working on it but I'm not there yet.

Three months ago I was very overweight (5'8" and 274 lbs) and had a heart attack and a few stents installed. I also had very high cholesterol and I smoked.
I would have performed in a less than spectacular manner physically if a survival situation had occurred.

In those 3 months I quit smoking, made a drastic change to my diet and got involved with exercise.

Now, 3 months later I'm down to 235 and actually working out 6 days a week, 6 days of cardio at an hour a day (and yes I am actually running after only 3 months) and an hour of weight training 3 times per week which might soon increase.

As a side note I also paid cash for my wife to attend the rehab so that she could be monitored while exercising, she did great and is also working out 6 days a week. She has exercised for years doing Pilates but is now doing that along with an hour of cardio 6 days, 3 days of weight training and aerobics classes.

We made changes to improve our lives which should also inprove our chances of survival in a survival situation.

How about you?
Are you going to survive?
After all, the saying is "survival of the fittest".

Nearly identical experience in my past.

I thought I was in god shape. 5'10 and 165. Active as all get out but needed to quit smoking.

BAMMM!

The big one.

A couple of stints and three ballons and perminant damage to areas they could not get too.

I smoked a cigarette on the way to the hospital that day. I died two hours later. Stayed on artificial LS for 48 hours. Have not smoked since that day.

I do one hour of cardio daily and a light weight workout. Some say they do not have time.

Do you have time to die? That would put a real crimp in your schedule!

You can have all the gear and knowledge in the world, and if you get too winded to carry it across the yard, and are too tired to do what you know how to do, you will still be dead!

Remember boot camp. You spent more time conditioning than you did learning. We never walked anywhere, it was always double-time. Horizontal ladder in the line for chow hall. Run dodge and jump between the baracks and formation. Push ups for not breathing right.

I remember sitting on the PT field at airborne school at Benning, waiting for the sunrise. As the mist brightened I realized there were people out there already, running in the dark. As is got brighter i realized it was the instructors. They had already done 5 miles before we arrived, with a sand bag in each hand!

The vetrans of multiple tours knew what it took to stay alive in extreme survival situations. They never stopped training.

I have two boys that just returned from the Marines. They say it was amazing how many boots flunked the strength test and needed additiona PT. Most had problems with the 3 pull ups that were required. Imagine a bunch of 18 year olds unable to do 3 pull ups? Vidio games have put us in a sad situation.

You made me think. Do I have time to die. About a year and a half ago, I had a blood clot get sucked up into my hart causing a blockage. Couldn't breath, blood couldn't circulate. Fell on my face in my living room sufacating. If not for the fact that I don't smoke and that my colesteral is low along with at that time I'd dropped thirty pounds, and dropped sqaure on my chest thus causing the clot to move I would not e here. After reading this I'm on my way out the door for a walk of at least a few blocks to get started, and will be looking into the 24hour fitness place by the morning.



THANK YOU AGAIN.

Went for a walk. God I'm out of shape. Don't know how far I went, but I'm going to hit it again in the morning.

Hard to beleive isn't it?
Keep it up and soon you'll be doing an hour of cardio also and maybe some weights.

I still have a ways to go myself. My goals for the next year inc a weight of 180 and a daily 3 mile run. Right now I do 20 min on the stepper, 20 on the bike, 20 on the eliptical and 20 on the treadmill for just a bit over an hour and I can actually run now, I do this 6 days a week and 3 days I also include weight training for another 45 min to an hour.

Not too bad for having a heart attack 3 months ago and a few stents installed.

I'm taking it very seriously, even my nurse and my physical therapist said that they see few people work as hard as I've been doing.
It was a wakeup call for me.

I am fortunate that my wife who is 12 years my senior is in good health and is doing this with me though I have to admit that being outdone by a woman 12 years older can be a bit embarassing but then again with an hour of cardio and some weight training a few days a week with my low fat diet I am probably at this stage of the game doing alot better than a lot of younger folks who are sitting in front of the boob tube and video game consoles.

Perhaps if Glockman sees this maybe he'll create a section for survival fitness, a place not to compete but to offer advice and encouragement.

Thats not a bad idea, how can we expect to win if we aren't keeping fit? Didn't get toi hit the trail this AM, but I'll be out therre around 7pm as it'll be cooler in this north Texas heat. Again thanks for the motivation.

Been working for a week. getting better all the time.

Cool, keep at it.

Well as some of you may know I've been on a fitness quest for awhile now but boy did I learn something new this week.

I've been lifting several days a week, heavy duty, mult sets, mult exercises for each body part, supersetting the exercises and doing alot of work with the bike, treadmill, stair climber, eliptical, etc.

The other day I accepted a challange from my wife and some of the ladies in her aerobics class to join them. Myself and 2 workout buddies joined them and we all though we wouldn't even work up a sweat. Now I'm no slacker, I perform 1.5-2 hrs of aerobic activity at a shot several times a week and a minimum of 1/2 hr even on the rare day when I'm short on time or on my heaviest lifting days. These girls ran us into the ground, left us tired and sweaty.
Two other friends went to an aerobics studio running their gums that they can do anything the women could, one wound up barfing and the other wound up in a puddle of piss and sweat as he termed it but to his credit he did complete the intense aerobic workout.

Guys, put the macho inhibitions behind you and try joining the ladies for an aerobics class, you'll most likely be surprised and impressed.
I was.

I'll accept it, just DON'T wear a leotard! I got dusted at my first several attempts at aerobics, FWIW

Nah, they usually wear some pretty short shorts or tight stretchy pants, keeps class very interesting and they know it. They're always teasing us about watching their buns.

I've been at the aerobics classes for about a month or more now and still doing more cardio on the machines (up to 2 hrs on a good day) not including the aerobics class. I'm still also doing the weight training but into that alot more also, nothing to brag about yet but for a guy that had a HA less than a year ago, was fat and had bad shoulders my bench is 250 and 500 on my squat and doing all the other weight exercises also.

I'm still not at my weight goal but working on it, I'm at 210 now but pretty darned solid. I'd probably weigh alot less but for the lifting and the protein shakes.
I have had to buy smaller clothing and belts, now in a 36 waist and large shirt rather than a 44 or 46 and XL shirt and the shirts now stretch the arms and chest rather than the belly.

I'm really into some pretty hardcore workouts now, between aerobics, weights and cardio I'm at the gym a few hrs.
I'm also still following an improved diet.

The best part of it all is that my wife stayed with it also, a 60 yo woman that can bench 130 lbs after less than a year (she started with an empty Olympic bar 45 lbs), Not too shabby. I'm proud of her.

Keep at it guys (and gals)

sounds like you are all doing great lol. but i'm still young and resilient. i can get out and run 5 miles "if i wanted to"

i havent lifted much lately but i can still bench around 250. if i wanted to.


i still however do my boxing training whenever i can at random times through out every day.

all that at a whopping 185 lbs .


soon though with the weather warming up i'll be running 6 minute miles again. 3 - 5 times in a row. daily.

Ah, to be young again, lol

R1100

That’s why I post these, there are probably quite a few forum members younger and in better shape than I.
I post to encourage you younger and more fit guys to stay that way and not let yourselves deteriorate to the point where I was at.
I also post to give hope and encouragement to older guys who may not be in the best physical condition in the hope that they will start doing something to improve before they get where I was.

Less than 1 year ago I was in bad shape, really bad shape. I smoked 3 packs a day, I couldn’t walk a block without huffing and puffing and I was diagnosed with COPD as well as having a serious heart attack and 2 heart surgeries.

With these posts I hope others will pay attention and either keep fit or start on the road to becoming fit.

I was lucky to survive, it was a wakeup call.

Great Googli-moogli!

You guys have just scared the crap outta me!

I'm gonna for a walk right now!

Thanks!

Alright, I'm back.

I am 53 years young, 6',3" tall weigh 270, don't smoke, don't drink, don't (til today) exercise. A genuine couch potato...
Diagnosed with type II diabetes, high blood pressure, moderate chloresteral and a heart condition known as Supra-Ventricular Tychardia (rapid heart rates up to 200 bpm).

It was da*ned hard to walk for an hour.... It took an hour just to recuperate.

But, you guys give me hope! I called my doctor and got permission to start slowly... Exercise by walking four times a week for twenty minutes each time and we will see him next month.

I just threw out all my snacks and ice cream (shed a tear or two)...

Again, thanks guys!

Anytime, now keep at it.