Being fit gives you confidence. It also plays merry hell on your knees. Well, it does when you reach a certain age. And while we like to highlight the fact that not all of our readers are OFWGs (Old Fat White Guys), a lot of you are. It’s also true that I’ve been to a lot of high-speed, low-drag defensive firearms classes where my first thought is, you guys need to lose some weight. Personally, I’m as fit as a fiddle. OK, I’m a fit as a Farfisa. Wooly Bully! Obscure cultural references aside, are you fit enough for armed self-defense? Or is armed self-defense important because you aren’t fit?
With a firearm, I am able to fight my way out of a wet paper sack. I know ’cause I tried it.
In truth, I am healthy and fit for 48, even if less so since I moved back to land from a cruising sailboat recently. However, I lack the strength and grace to fight well.
I can yank the trigger to make the rod go off’ til it’s empty.
39. 6′. 150lbs. Stronger than I look, but don’t have the endurance to back it up. Have recently been looking to hit the local gym (especially since an indoor range opened up right next door) to help with that, especially since I’ve wanted to do [at least] one of the Tough Mudder events ever since I heard about them.
“Stronger than I look, but don’t have the endurance to back it up.”
Check out cycling. Aerobic as hell.
Cycling is good. But, it depends on the person. Most people I know find cycling the easiest of common aerobic workouts. Running is usually considered harder. And swimming is usually considered the most difficult. Fortunately, swimming is probably the easiest on our body as far a wear and tear goes. I’d recommend swimming before any other aerobic exercise.
“Eat Bacon, Don’t Jog” by Grant Petersen.
This dude has it figured out. Basically, high fats, no carbs, and the kettlebell is your new BFF.
Just started – and it’s working.
Tough mudder is a lot of fun. you do want to be in decent shape to do it. I was in mediocre shape for what I normally am and I did ok.
I’m in good shape, but have a painful limp at times because of a bad ankle. That I can’t always walk or run well is a great reason to CCW.That’s the definition of equalizer.
I’m in excellent shape and I believe you need to be. If it goes to the ground then I want the best chance of survival. Oh and I’m active duty so I don’t have a say in it lol
Nope, I’m fat. I’ve tried to lose weight but even with the most stringent no carb diet I can’t get below 200, and that was in my 20’s. I hover between 230 – 250 now depending on how much I watch my weight.
Fad diets don’t work. Weight loss is really about two things. Caloric intake, and caloric expenditure. The goal is to expend more than you’re taking in. If you’re trying to diet to lose weight and not getting in 30 minutes of high intensity exercise, per day, you’re not going to get real far and the few pounds you will lose will go back on rather quickly.
Try the “No S” diet. No Seconds (1 plate per meal), no Snacks (nothing between meals), no Sweets (pies and cakes and such; sugar in your coffee or tea or on your cereal is OK). On S-days (Saturday, Sunday, “special’ days like your birthday or Thanksgiving) you can indulge yourself a bit. Couple it with a regular activity like walking, be patient, and pounds will come off. Worked for me, went from 180+ to 160 in a couple of months.
You forgot the hardest part: No Suicide!
Intermittent fasting.
Eating the same amount of calories, in a shorter time window.
Look it up, try it out. It works great.
I realize this website isnt titled “the truth about cholesterol”, but exponentially more people die annually from heart disease and obesity complications then have ever been shot to death.
Just my preference, but an active and used gym membership card takes precedence over a CCW permit for that reason.
A Glock can’t save you from the serial killer gang of Diabetes and his partner in crime, Heart Disease.
The point you are making is very true.
So many folks around here talk about the importance defending their life and their freedom, while all the while their lifestyles and bad habits threaten their health and freedom the most.
Maintaining a gun collection is more fun than exercise. I know because I’m guilty too.
Well, at 40 years old I can still run a 5:20 mile. I look at people I grew up with and wonder what the hell happened. Most of them can’t walk up a flight of steps without being winded. They’re constantly limping, sore, or achy. I love when those same people tell me about how running and being active is going to ruin my joints – yet I can jump out of bed and go to a full sprint without worries, pains, or any hesitation. Oh, and my resting heart rate is right around 40bpm in the morning.
There is no good correlation between physical activity and knee problems. In fact, the opposite is much more true. Excessive body weight causes havoc on your joints, not to mention your heart. If you look at hip and knee replacements you’ll see a scary trend of people who were desk workers and never physically active being the ones accounting for disproportionate of those joint replacements.
You weren’t meant to get to the grave with a body in like new condition nor were you meant to get there at 55 years old due to a heart attack, diabetes, or all the ills that come from smoking.
YMMV if you are not injured along the way. I have no illnesses that you described, however, I wear a knee brace and elbow brace and I have herniated discs in my back. Years of soccer took care of the knee. Years of racket ball did in the elbow and a fall playing volley ball screwed up my back. Sitting at a desk will kill me since I work in IT. I do get around and move. I am 10lbs over weight but that usually drops right off in the spring and summer once I can get outside more. I do not loose breath going up the stair but there are days it is extremely painful. If you can stay active and avoid injuries that is key to staying healthy in later years.
This is important. The Nike adage “Just do it!” doesn’t work for everybody. Even in my so-called prime when I was in he Army I had a difficult time keeping up with the PE drills that many others had no problem with. In case you haven’t noticed, people are different.
Also, in many cases it’s “not the age, but the mileage.” Back injury, dislocated elbow, hernia, things add up as the years go by. I carry because as Dirty Harry liked to say, “A man ought to know his limitations.” I know mine and I know that while I can draw and shoot reasonably well I would be hopelessly outclassed in any purely physical encounter, whether a fight or just trying to run away from a fight. And at this point in my life there’s not a lot I can do about THAT, but I can learn to be a better shot and more situationally aware.
Self defense is not reserved for the physically fit, although if you are, more power to you. I recall a quote from Bruce Lee from “Enter the Dragon” while he was being recruited to go to a kung fu competition to take out the bad guy: “Why you don’t just shoot him?” If that answer was good enough for Bruce, it’s good enough for me.
There are so many exercise options out there: Running, fast walking, swimming, bike riding, rowing, kayaking, basketball, jumping rope, stuff like P90x or HASFit, even chopping wood. Doing any physical is better than doing no activity. Of course you have to tailor the activity somewhat. I don’t bother with weights. I’ve never built muscle from weight training and it’s not a great use of my time. I know my body is built for distance and endurance activities, so that’s what I do. I do more running than anything else, first I have some of the best single track trails on the east coast and they’re just minutes from my front door. Second, running not an equipment intensive activity and it can be done anywhere at anytime.
Once you’ve had a significant injury or two it may change though (speaking from experience). Surgery sucks, and makes stuff more delicate.
I’m very fit, 23, 190-210 depending on whether I’m bulking or cutting. I do a lot of weight lifting, circuit training and keep up on my jujitsu and karate.
And I could STILL kill you with one finger, from 20 feet away.
Just sayin’.
Not a fan of the bulk and cut method, unless you compete.
I prefer calories managment year around, 365. What’s the point in killing yourself in the gym all the time, but only looking good half the time… I like to keep lean year around.
In decent shape. Ran a 1:56 half marathon last year which helps for high country hunting. 5’10 177 and can defend myself if needed bare knuckle. I think that staying fit helps the mind as much as the body.
Claiming slim keyboard attributes, Robert? In my youth I was shaped like a bass drum. Today as a middle aged white guy (MAWG? ), I fear not my mirror. Slimmer as a 50 plus guy than as a teen…..
Born with a congenital heart defect that kept me out of the military despite 2 attempts to enlist. I stay fit, ran cross-country when I was younger, played hockey and other sports, but not as physically strong as I used to be (nor was I ever particularly physically strong even when younger), but can hold my own for a short time at age 52. Doubtful against a younger, stronger attacker. However, as others have noted above, proper use of a firearm is a great equalizer.
Having all the guns in the world won’t save you if your too fat to reach for them, too tired to carry them, or too winded to lift them. I know an obese guy who tries to carry 3 different versions of the XD and spare mags for each, and the combined weight of the guns, ammo, and his weight wears on him fast. Whenever we walk around he gets tired and has to sit down frequently. I tell him all those guns are going to be useless because he’s going to be laying on the ground winded when the bad guys roll up.
“…carry 3 different versions of the XD and spare mags for each…”
This guy has more problems than just being fat and out of shape!
Just for starters – if for some reason you believe you need to CARRY three pistols and ammo with you at all times, why in the HELL would you carry three different versions? If you like the damn pistol and think you need 3, buy three all alike (in case two of them fail on you in a SHTF? In which case you definitely chose the wrong pistol).
You might also want to consider moving to a less dangerous neighborhood and/or getting some professional counseling about your paranoia.
BTW, I heard a comment somewhere that I always thought was pretty spot on:
If you are not in the military or law enforcement and you find yourself needing to do a “combat reload” you are either living at or visiting the wrong damn address!
I thought the same, until I stopped a gang banger from kidnapping and killing his girl friend. Then, with the potential of retaliation, while waiting to see if the cops asked me to testify, I started carrying ankle S&W 9mm with two extra mags and my EDC Glock 30, with two extra mags, AND my under-folder AK-47 in a back pack that I could carry with me if not in my truck.
Nothing like the potential of a gang attack to change ones perspective of what is “paranoid” as to the necessary number of guns to carry as a response.
I carried two different guns because it’s what I had and I didn’t have more money at the time to buy the same guns. And if I didn’t have my AK with me, I could use the pistols to get to my rifle. I also wasn’t going to move, that would be running away. And I was single.
It would be intersting to see what his story is.
P.S. The cops never asked me to testify.
I’m having trouble thinking of a scenario where having 3 pistols would be a good answer that having 1 rifle wouldn’t be so much better. What is the threat model this guy’s working under that this is the answer?
(Disclaimer: I 100% support his right to carry whatever. However, that doesn’t mean I think it makes a bit of practical sense.)
I could do better. I’m 21 and while I’m not in the worst shape, I could definitely stand to work on my cardio. I get just a hint of exercise induced asthma, and my knees ache pretty fierce after high-impact exercise, which makes a mighty easy excuse for not doing the work I know I should.
Healthy body = healthy mind. Plus, you’ll have better reflexes, quicker response and better able to function under stress. I’m in my late 40’s, I regularly run, bike and hike and I’m competing in my 3rd “Tough Mudder” this year and my first half-marathon in June – Not only do you get to enjoy more of life and nature by being fit, it gives you that much more of a fighting chance when you need it most.
OFWG.
I’m unfortunately allergic to all the good food so..
Fit? Man, I don’t even fit my clothes. I’m certainly not fit enough to fight off two or three guys bare-handed. I’m very good with improvised weapons, but for the most part I depend my two friends (Mr. Smith & Mr. Wesson) to help me stay safe.
I’m not fit anymore. Now, I am 6′ 225 lbs. Due to a once very active lifestyle I am now the proud owner of two blown-out knees, a couple of herniated disks and arthritis in my shoulder and wrist. I can still hold my own but I subscribe to the theory of ” I’m too young to die and too old to take an a$$ whooping”.
Wrestling in Jr High and High school got me started, and the military finished chiseling my physique.
25 years ago. lol
I’m not in bad shape now (I can still do over 60 push ups without stopping), but I can’t really run because of bad knees and ankles. This is why I stay as fit as I can; in case I have to fight… because I cannot run. This has served me well, too. Over the past 7 years I have successfully used my “drill sergeant” voice, physique, perceived authority, and confident posture to diffuse hostile situations on 5 separate occasions, all of them with multiple aggressors. I am grateful that is all it took, but I doubt that these things will always work. If this keeps up I will eventually run into someone who will challenge my display. I need to stay in shape for that day, too.
FWIW, I work for a convenience store chain and daily run into foolish, angry, drunk people as the bars are closing.
I can still do over 60 push ups without stopping
I can’t do 60 pushups without dying.
As someone once told me: “You say that like it’s a bad thing…”
Friends: Some of them occasionally need killing… 🙂
Two cervical spine surgeries, and a shattered right ankle, but I still keep at it. Being able to out hike the younger guys in the “cast ‘n blast” group keeps me happy. Those snake River canyon hills are some steep buggers.
I don’t do MMA stuff any more. I hurt two days later and can’t remember why…
Who needs to be strong when you own a gun. You got pecks I got tecs.
Very young, very active, very fit. That said, I fear for my knees in the future. I have already had/ have problems with my knees.
“Being fit gives you confidence. It also plays merry hell on your knees. Well, it does when you reach a certain age.”
Due to a foot injury (mumble) years back, simply standing is quite painful after 2 hours or so. A few years of that put me on a downward slide into depression. A need to get out of debt led me to park the car and I resumed riding a road bike I had bought 15 years earlier but parked after a month. Some surgery I had put off for a few years led to a surprising finding. By day 3 of no bike riding my leg muscles were SCREAMING at me USE ME!! NOW!!. Riding zapped on Oxycodone was… Interesting.
That’s when I upped my mileage to 20-30 a day and found out the more I rode the better I felt. Depression drastically reduced and feel all-around feeling better than I have ever felt.
I consider that first bike to be the best money I have ever spent. It just took me 15 years after the fact to realize it.
If running is pounding your joints into agony, seriously consider cycling. Just don’t buy a bike at a place like Wal-Mart. For under a grand you can get a solid bike that should last with puncture resistant (damn near puncture-proof in my experience) tires. And lock it with a quality lock.
Consider your local bike shop like your local gun shop when getting advice. Look around for a shop that fits your vibe. Not all cyclists are hard-core leftist statists asswipes, but enough are so you may want to keep your gun ownership on the down-low. A fanny pack is great for misc. tools, cellphone, Bear-be-Gone pepper spray (I’ve had a dog sicced on me) and concealed piece.
I am fit enough (in the head) to know that every criminal attack has the advantages of surprise, location, time, numbers, and weapons all to the advantage of the attacker/s. That being the case, I would be a fool to defend myself from any attack with nothing more than my bare hands and feet — regardless of how physically fit or well trained (e.g. martial arts) I am. That is why I choose to carry a firearm … to even the playing field somewhat.
I know a highly competent, very fit martial arts trainer who has his umpteenth degree blackbelt. He got a little cocky one time at a nightclub when someone else became aggressive. Since he wasn’t drinking and knew he could handle himself, he figured he would teach the aggressor a lesson. He squared off to defend himself “vigorously” and then woke up in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. As it turns out, martial arts are useless against the aggressor’s accomplice who sneaks up behind you and bashes you in the back of the head. Fortunately for him he survived the incident. He could just as easily have died or had permanent brain injury.
Fit. At least, my wife still says she likes how I look :-). Running, lifting, etc 30 to 60 minutes most days.
You ain’t fit unless you are crossfit..that’s just me though. .6’1 195 lbs. Anyone else do crossfit here?
I do crossfit or HIIT wods I make up. I was strict Paleo for a few years and then I got married. She isn’t in board with it which makes it tough. I do notice a negative difference in my performance When I am not strict.
Crossfit is bad on so many levels I can barely even begin. Using movements never meant for ballistic exercises for one. Also exercising to failure has been proven to be completely unnecessary. But it’s your body, wreck it as you see fit.
Just for background…I’m 52, 5’8″, 152 lb, 6% body fat, can run a 5:30 mile, resting heart rate 55-57 bpm, been doing martial arts since I was 10 (black belt in 3 arts, boxed competitively, was stablemates with a 3 weight division world champion) coached MMA for several years including sparring and beating up on guys 25 years younger than me. You don’t need crossfit to do what I do.
You have no idea what you are talking about. It sounds like you tried something failed and are now making excusing..crossfit. .cardio. .and strength training is the trifecta. you think you are in better shape than those three friends but your not…just making excuses as to why you can’t keep up. Seriously most people who bash crossfit wouldn’t beable to keep up. It is something you can’t just walk into…you got to be fit to crossfit.
Excuse me but you don’t even know me. My 3 friends were the ones who admitted I was in better shape than them. Lol the trifecta??? You sound like you’ve been drinking too long at the kook aid well of Crossfit.
Define fail. I’ve been nationally ranked in 3 sports, looking to add a fourth, if that’s your idea of fail then you sir have standards beyond mine.
In all faithness, I know this isn’t true for everyone, but most crossfit folks I see are kinda frumpy and some outright fat. I mean, I’m positive they can out lift me, but who cares?
Too much focus on strength, not enough in diet. I’m less worried about how many times I can jump on a box, and more worried about how many time I put a fork in my mouth.
To each his or her own, I guess
..and if someone is getting injures it is caused by doing the exercise incorrect or bad form and not from crossfit alone…and that is not exclusive to crossfit. I see that happen at the gym with people on machines and with free weights. .hell people can even do a cardio machine the wrong way and hurt themselves.
you are right ben…i don’t know you, but i can recognize your lame excuses. your three friends don’t sound like they crossfit then, or they only exist in your mind’s eye. i said trifecta…that involves three things. i said strength training, cardio AND crossfit. three different things there. so i don’t know about any kool-aid…maybe that is your problem…drink water instead of a sugar drink…you can’t exercise a bad diet away. usually people who say they have single digit body fat are lying or just giving their opinion on what they think it is. i define fail as the same way as webster’s. never meant for ballistic exercises? your kidding right? crossfit is actual functional training you can use in everyday life. maybe your standards are just sub-standard.
You know it’s funny Scott that you attack the person and not the idea. Again you don’t know me or my friends. They all train seriously, all of them train brazilian jiu jitsu and the one I’m closest to in the bunch comes from a family that is personal friends with the Gracies. He’s been training since more than a decade with the Gracies in NYC and if he’s not fit I don’t see how he could possibly keep up with them. But keep on with the personal attacks because they show you have nothing logical to argue with and have to dig for something personal instead. FYI I gave up sugars and refined carbs almost 10 years ago and as I state elsewhere my diet is 70-75% vegetable based, 15-20% carbs and 5% protein. So again an off base attack. As far as my body fat % I regularly use a set of calipers to measure and a couple of times I’ve verified the calipers with hydrostatic testing. So once again with another made up attack. Is that what you do when you can’t come up with anything better?
Trifecta of conditioning??? Man you are stretching. Strength and cardio I can agree with but cross-fit is not a measurement of conditioning. Sounds like you’ve been buying into the cross-fit marketing materials a bit much there, but then again making an opening comment that Crossfit is the best is pretty arrogant at best.
wow your response is just so full of b.s. and boasting. fyi those were not person attcks ..a personal attack would be me saying you are just over the hill and are trying to sound better than you really are.
Not a measurement of conditioning?. ..you never watch the crossfit games? Wasn’t attacking you…just your knowledge of crossfit. ..you do know it crosses different techniques or fitness right? you are just knocking something you haven’t tried or tried and washed out of. You are commenting of something you don’t even do..are you going off the information your three buddies said?
BS and boasting? You’re the one making the accusations, I’m just answering them. Sounds to me like you have nothing more solid than to attack me by accusing me of lying. You’re not attacking me???? Do you have a reading comprehension problem? You sure aren’t attacking/debating the idea which is whether or not crossfit is good/bad when you start telling me I have a bad diet, am lying about my bodyfat%, my friends are made up, etc, you’re attacking me. Sure sounds like you can’t debate the idea over crossfit so instead you have to resort to attacks on my person. And now you’re just reaching because I have an answer for you and that I may actually be in shape without having to rely on your crossfit.
not boasting huh? hi am i ben…i can do this and that..i can do mma…muy thai..capoeria…px90…i have single digit body fat…i can run a mile is 5:30..blah blah blah…i know someone who knows the gracies…i’m nationally ranked in three things and looking for fouri have black belts…..i spar with a world champion..i am a fifty year old man who says he beats up guys twenty-five years younger.
Hey Scott, as someone once said, it ain’t boasting if it’s the truth. You conveniently avoid the part where you make personal attacks.
Hate to break the news to you, if you’ve been doing martial arts since you were a 10 year old kid (a grand total of 42 years so far for me including competition until I got out of college) it’s not a stretch to get a few black belts here and there. Also not a stretch to have enough experience to beat much younger guys if you keep in shape. I’m not saying I was beating up on the BJ Penns of the world but enough younger guys to prove I was in good enough shape to keep up with them. Maybe in your world a guy is over the hill at 52 but not in mine. Maybe you forget the whole question posed by RF about how fit are you as the subject of this particular blog. Doesn’t that makes it open season for people to state what they can do? I see quite a few people here are stating how fit they are and what they do. Maybe you have a problem with me though because I don’t bow down to the Crossfit folks and hail them as the next great thing. Hate to break the news to you but I had already looked into Crossfit years ago, sometime around 2006 and tried it, personally I found it lacking and never bothered going back. This was back in the day when they had a website with the Crossfit workout of the day that you followed on your own.
And your comment about how you have to get into Crossfit and you can’t just jump right in, that’s just plain rhetoric. You can’t just jump into *any* good exercise regiment without some acclimatization or you will be hurting and sore, either that or the exercise protocol was not that hard to begin with. Tell us something new or logical rather than repeating the Crossfit marketing hype and mantras.
not sure why you don’t think i am debating you…you imply crossfit will cause kidney failure…i say stay hydrated and you don’t have to worry about that….you think people are hurting themselves from crossfit alone…i say they are getting hurt from improper form…you saying a crossfit workout is working out to the point of failure…i say it is called pushing yourself..no pain no gain…as with anything avoid over training, know your limits and break your personal bests. your are basing your arguments from what your three friends think. you think crossfit is not a measure of conditioning…i say ask anyone the same question who has been in or seen crossfit games. you think it is using movement not for ballistic exercises…i say it will give you functional strength for the real world…as well as flexibility..endurance…and a great core. you say it is a jack of all trades i say it is the trifecta when you combine it with isolated strength training and pure cardio…not all on the same day of course. yes 50 is over this hill……it might not be old..but it is over this hill. so you admit you tried it could get into it and are now bashing it .
and i didn’t forgot rf question…i just don’t see the need to list off some fitness resume. or feel the need to claim all this other information you list (hence the shameless boasting). i am going to call out anyone on the internet who claims what you claim…i have always loved the saying “pics or it didn’t happen”
Attention everone…questioning the veracity of other posters is insulting and is a personal attack. Lol
You asked if I remember if rf question. ..do you remember by first question?..”does anyone else crossfit?” It is obvious you don’t. ..but you reply anyway. You reply and bash crossfit saying its so bad for so many reasons you don’t even mention them..and they reasons you do offer are easily countered. .you also feel the need to list off your accolades and everything else you do that is not crossfit. It just seems like you have a personal beef with crossfit or a crossfitter.
So as soon as someone hits 50 they are over the hill. But 49 isn’t over the hill? Can you show us some scientific evidence of that? As far as I know you are physically on the decline after you mid to late 20s so if you want to talk about being over the hill I’m going to guess that you are not far off from being over the hill yourself too. If 50 is over the hill for you that’s your opinion but I’m sure I could introduce you to some 50 year old friends in your weight class who could kick your butt in a heart beat. Unfortunately you and I are in vastly different weight classes otherwise I’d be happy to roll with you in any martial art you choose. I guess by your measure Jerry Miculek and Rob Leatham are over the hill as shooters too. The reality is that experience/skill takes longer to acquire than physical prowess and so most pro athletes for example continue into their 30’s (think Michael Jordan) while beating guys are aren’t “over the hill.” That’s why there are 50 year olds who could twist you around like pretzel even while “over the hill.”
You didn’t just ask if anyone crossfit, you stated “You ain’t fit unless you are crossfit.”. Then you go on to say crossfit is part of the trifecta etc. And you say that all my arguments can be refuted. Yet you haven’t refuted any of them except to post ad hominem arguments. Can you point us to scientific studies that show Crossfit to be the best. I don’t know of any. Can you point us to where the general fitness community says that Crossfit is part of the trifecta of fitness? Last I heard it was strength, stamina/endurance and flexibility. I didn’t tell people not to do it but I do dispute your assertion it’s the best. I told people to Google kidney failure and crossfit, I didn’t tell them to ignore dehydration but tell them to do their own research – yet you accuse me of being like the antis. With your personal attacks and refusal to post any science to your claims you’re the one who seems more like the antis than me.
To me there is no one good workout methodology or system. They all have pluses and minuses, it all depends on what your use case is. It’s also why I have count on multiple ways to workout with each workout tailored to the season and what I want to do in competition.
And yeah I tried Crossfit. I evaluated it like I do a lot of fitness philosophies and didn’t find it offered me anything I couldn’t achieve with other methods so why bother with it? Subsequent research on my part indicates to me there is a substantial body of evidence that it is more harmful than good.
Failed at it? Another ad hominem attack. If you were really serious about fitness you would know you don’t “fail” at an exercise. You do it, record the results and try to improve upon them. As soon as you introduce the idea that you fail at an exercise you are telling people the wrong message. There is no failure at exercise unless you give up entirely on it. I’m guessing, and correct me if I’m wrong, that you aren’t a personal trainer or do any kind of motivational coaching nor sports coaching.
I list what I’ve done because it was posed in the question. If you don’t believe me I couldn’t care less. I list what I’ve done because it shows that at least I’ve tried many different things in my pursuit of fitness and sports rather than just make assertions about fitness in a vacuum and that what I do has been proven in competition (as far as I know that’s the best way to prove a method). If anything I’m guessing that you haven’t done much in sports and feel threatened by someone who has, but please feel free to correct me if I am incorrect. What have you done on a personal level to prove that Crossfit is the best? Who would you lend more credibility to on selection of a gun, someone who just lists his height and weight or someone who lists what he’s done with those guns? Interesting side story, when I was in my twenties I told my brother that the good ol’ USA was the best country in the world to live in and he basically told me I was an idiot. I asked him why and his answer was that I had never traveled the world first hand to be able to back my assertions other than what I’d read on the internet and my limited experience in the US. At that point he’d traveled to around 30 countries as part of his job. So I took it upon myself to start traveling, hit Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia etc. and at the end of that time I could honestly say based on real experience that the USA truly is, IMHO, the best place in the world to live (unless Hilary gets elected…).
I don’t do fitness just for the sake of fitness. Every workout I do is with the intent of doing something with that fitness whether it be shooting, martial arts or fighting a 400 lb. shark on a fly rod. If you want to post your accomplishments as backdrop for why I should respect your credibility for stating that Crossfit is the best be my guest. What you won’t find me doing is insulting you and calling you a liar.
I am not sure why you keep parroting im giving you personal attacks and insults…news flash ben, drawing comparisons and makeing observations using the words like or as is a simile..saying you are coming off as a conceded braggart is not a personal attack…if I were to say you are one..that is an attack..also calling you on b.s. isnt either…fyi 40 has always been considered over the hill not 50.
I dont need to name off any of my accomplisments for your sake. And you can think what you want on that..gnothi seauton. . know you are old enough to remember modestly. ..the guy doing that much talking about himself is full of it. The lady doth protest too much methinks.
Calling BS is an attack – it’s calling me a liar. I don’t know how you see it, but in my part of the world calling someone a liar is an attack. And not a single one of your arguments have been to prove your assertion that Crossfit is “the best”, rather they have been comments/attacks on me and my accomplishments. If you want credibility, argue the idea, not the person.
Right…so anytime anyone is being called a liar or being full of it is being insulted…now your insulting the intelligence of everyone on here with that statement. You have some thin skin then.
And where did I call crossfit the best..you and another poster are the only two who have used both of those words in a sentence together. .I have said those two worda together until now. You are taking that best comment too seriously…and mine too if you believe me when I said you ain’t fit unless your crossfit. you are confusing what a moniker and flase claim is.
I love how crossfit is so dangerous and it can wreck your body…I guess mma and blood sports are just the safest things ever then..sure there is protective gear. Blows to the head and body contain vitamin c..cauliflower ear is full of nutrition..having your body stretched. .hyper extended and contorted is an age defeying modern marvel. blood born illnesses will rejuvenate your blood not make you sick. Haveing an asymmetrical face is a great thing too and broken noses are badges of honor. Crossfit is benign compared to some stuff you are mentioning. No scientific studies needed.
Scott you are comparing apples to oranges here. MMA and all the contact martial arts do never imply they are without injury and the risks are obvious to even the most novice participant. Everyone knows if you get punched or kicked in the face you risk significant pain or injury. Crossfit does not go out of it’s way to reveal it’s propensity for injuries and other issues not present in other sports. It doesn’t list rhabdomyolysis as a warning to participants. And you can go on and on about no pain no gain and it’s great to train to failure but according to many top trainers and sports physiologists training to failure doesn’t make you stronger.
sorry but it aint apples and oranges as you say. And training to failure does work..I was in the navy and went to rtc and ocs both…and thats how we did it..im sure your brother can tell you they did it in the army as well.
And it isn’t apples and oranges because I wasn’t ccomparing and contrasting the risks of injury. …I was pointing out the hypocrisy you have saying crossfit will wreck your body..and you going on about mma ect…something that will wreck your body.
That wasn’t what I was talking about apples and oranges if you took the time to read my post. What I’m talking about is Crossfit does nothing to educate their potential customers about the risks of injury while MMA does. No one goes into MMA expecting to never get an injury. People have gotten injured in crossfit never knowing that could happen to them until it was too late. But go ahead and call me a hypocrite if it fits your narrative to sell Crossfit.
how do you know..you say it is something you have not done in nine years. mma is a combat sport and they aught to tell of the risks so that makes sense….crossfit is a workout. now this is apples and oranges.
i i forgot to mention there is an informed consent when you join a crossfit gym or any gym whatsoever..there will usually be a contract that you sign acknowledging these facts…if someone didn’t read it that is on them. when you would go in for an assessment you will be told then too..so i don’t why you think something is being hidden to people who are interested in it. if you limber up and are keeping hydrated you will not have trouble unless you have some existing condition you don’t know about.
Crossfit is like riding the bus, no matter where you want to go, everyone is going the same place, and you aren’t driving. Instead of working to achieve a goal, working out is the goal.
And, I mean, who wouldn’t want all the risk of serious injury athletes face without all the crappy stuff like money and fame.
I do crossfit too and love it. I’m 36, 6’4, and 220lbs. Lots of modern athletes are using it for strength and cardio from football, MMA, hockey, etc. Crossfit is the best hands down.
To say hands down its the best is like the caliber wars. No such thing as the best. Several of my friends are BJJ guys who are serious crossfit guys but none of them are in better shape than me and I’m 14 years older.
Some top athletes do it, but many don’t. Also try doing it without injury when you hit your late 40s…the main reason I am still in top shape is I made it a lifetime endeavor studying the science of martial arts and sports conditioning so I avoid injuries but still manage to stay in fighting shape.
Go google crossfit and kidney failure…its eye opening.
google kidney failure and dehydration instead of trying to use scare tactics…you sound like an anti trying to convince the world and himself that guns are bad. it really sounds like you are just projecting your own failures on others. if those three younger guys are doing crossfit and you are not…then guess who is in better shape.
I enjoy crossfit, but wouldn’t say it’s best. Was ripped 3 years ago while doing SEALFit. I swim and run mostly now. Active Duty Marine at 40. Doing crossfit in Kabul caused me to need some two or three months of lung recovery (pollution and $hit in the air–literally).
To add to what I commented, some pro athletes use crossfit but it’s not their only workout, if it truly were “the best” then that’s all they would do. Saying it’s the best is like saying you only need 1 gun and that gun is the best. The reality is it’s just one of many workout philosophies. The founders of crossfit stated their reason for creating it was to not to specialize in any one endeavor or sport but to be a jack of all trades – well you lose something there if you really want to be good at a particular sport, which is why no serious athlete in the world would only do crossfit. I don’t do any single workout, nor do I only do 1 martial art. I cycle different workouts such as running, bodyweight, suspension, p90x, cardio insanity, clubbells, swimming, martial arts etc, and in the martial arts sphere I do boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, judo, capoeira, muy thai, kempo, wing chun, wrestling, savate, tae kwon do, etc. My workouts are specialized to keep me fit for fighting – and I’ll accept I’m not going to do well in as a marathon runner because I don’t plan to run 26 miles away from a fight…
*not a personal attack* but you should do some reflection on that jack of all trades master of none saying….it sounds like you are a jack too with all the things you just mentioned…here and in your other posts i stopped counting when i hit fifteen things you say about yourself…if that isn’t boasting then i just don’t know what is..and yes it can still be boasting even if it is true…and usually when someone brags that hard on the internet they are lying.
Sounds like the ozzie anti gun type. “Real men don’t need guns! They use their fists!” Which is all well and good until you come up against 2-3 thirty plus years younger than you looking to stomp a mud puddle in your a@s and walk it dry.
Being fit is good for a number of reasons. But being fit does not make you bullet, or knife or broken bottle or bat proof.
We carry guns(or would like too, damn CA) because we are not all mma fighters or young anymore. And some of us(my wife is a grandmother and 5 foot tall) simply are unable to go hand to hand or outrun a bad guy because of size and age.
“God created man (and woman), Colonel Colt made them equal.”
In my case Im armed because Im no longer fit enough to confidently take care of myself in a physical confrontation. Old age infirmity and disease has taken my physical strength. So I depend on my gun if needed to take care of me and my loved ones as Im not able to do it for myself any longer..
I’d say I was doing pretty well for 55+ up till about a year ago: basketball on Wednesdays (they called me “the Energizer bunny” because I kept running the whole game, didn’t take breaks like most of the other guys); soccer once or twice a week (but to be honest, I played goalie so I wouldn’t have to run as much), walked a couple of miles most nights walking the dog. I haven’t been able to jog a sustained mile for years, but I could do alternate running and walking (50 paces each) for a couple of miles. But basketball conked out a few months ago, work has kept me from soccer, and I am down to maybe a mile or so a night walking the dog. Knees and ankles hurt sometimes, but as another seasoned b-ball player said, at our age something is always gonna be hurting, might as well keep on going. I can still scuffle with my sons pretty well for short periods, but I carry a gun for a reason.
OK strength, crappy conditioning/edurance, above average flexibility. Not bad for having a full rebuild on my right shoulder last year, but certainly not where I was. Going froma 250 lb bodyweight, 320-330 bench and 450 squat to a 280 body weight and 240 bench/315 squat is…crappy. Oh well, I’m working on getting it back.
I’m trying…but I suck in my 60’s. I used to “walk on water”. Competitive bodybuilder,weightlifter and a 50bpm pulse at 28(I lived on a bike)…with a 29″ waist. Skin cancer,pre-diabetic,disc problems in my neck. Exposed to virulent chemicals in my many years of antique dealing. But I’m a great shot and can handle a handgun/shotgun with ease. I would also NOT hesitate to defend me and mine.
49 y.o., 6 foot, 205 lbs with ~10% body fat. I workout 4-5 times a week doing a mix of P90X/P90X3/Body Beast. I have a relatively high stress job with variable sleep patterns. Being physically fit makes it much more doable, especially the older I get.
Dude, you’re a beast if you’re 49 yrs old, 6ft and a truely 10% at 205.
Well done.
Well maybe 5′ 11” and 1/2, but the rest is right on. I still am having trouble getting rid of the last bit of belly fat. It is HARD for me once I get around 10% (by caliper) to get leaner.
The last bit is diet. At my age (52) I am anywhere from 6 to 7.5% body fat and I think a big part of that is having a plant centric diet – I still eat meat (I love steak too much to give it up) but I’m around 70% vegetables/fruit, 20% carbs and 5% protein, which fluctuates mainly if I’m on vacation.
49 and 10%…there is no performance reason to get any leaner, unless you are competing in a weight class.
A little fat (10% or so) is actually healthier than being too lean.
Unfortunately for me, I’m a little over 10%.
If you’re serious about getting that lean, look up intermittent fasting. It might help get you there.
I use it to keep maintenance calories and my diet more managable, it’s a more forgiving routine. I like being around 10-12%, but I stay around 180-185 at the same height. I prefer to have a swimmers frame, so I don’t lift big. But, I’ve been thinking about going sub 10%, not sure though.
I’m in my fifties and working out and running have been one of the consistent disciplines in my life. That, and martial arts and shooting. People have recently asked me if I’m a professional body builder.
But even with those advantages, when I was in even better shape seventeen years ago, when I got into a hand to hand fight with a human predator, I almost lost.
So having the Great Equalizer is ….Great. For those that have physical infirmities, or don’t have size or strength as at least a little advantage, all I can say is , thank G-d for America. Especially if your an American living in a state that recognizes the second Amendment right of Keeping and bearing of Arms.
Amen to that. I’ve been in martial arts for 42 years (I’m 55 and still mix it up MMA style with the 25 year old studs) and I still carry whenever the law permits.
Mmm, MMA. Always brings a smile to my face.
“When in doubt, choke ’em out.”
MMA or even jiu jitsu are great…but martial arts are no match for a good blaster at your side.
I am in good shape. I can jog 8 or so miles straight (though because of my knees I stay around 3 miles). I lift weights three times a week. I could afford to lose 20 pounds though, I just like to eat, but I am very physically capable and decently athletic.
I’m 5′ 11″ tall, 22 years old. Always fluctuated around 165-170 through high school. Two summers ago the SHTF at 200 pounds. I got off the college meal plan, started cooking almost everything I ate, and seriously cut back on the boozing. No gym, but I was back to 175 that Thanksgiving. I’ve been working out regularly for a little under a year and a half now. 30 minutes on the elliptical with varying resistance works wonders for the flat-footed, followed by ab work on a steep incline bench (with and without added weight), pushups, pullups, tricep dips, and chinups. It’s quick, it’s simple, and I am now around 160 pounds of pure muscle. Sure, I could hit the bench and bulk up like my father during his college football years, but body weight stuff is what I feel most comfortable with. Everyone finds their groove.
Getting fit is not rocket science, folks, it’s just been commercialized enough over the past three decades to seem impossible. The endgame for people in the 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s, etc was to be strong and alert, not conform to some Hollywood ideal of the pretty-boy/girl look. Not having a rippling six pack doesn’t bother me, and it hasn’t bothered generations of wicked strong Americans either. And for god’s sake just quit drinking soda altogether. Tea, and even coffee if done right, are much better options than a can full of chemicals.
5’11” and 200 lbs is not overweight, depending on the composition.
That 200 was a whole lot of fat ’cause I hadn’t touched a weight or stepped on a treadmill in three years. Ok sure, so I didn’t qualify as obese back then, but boy I sure felt like a sack of shit most days. Needless to say, I feel and am a whole lot healthier now. More daily energy, more strength, better self esteem, the whole 9 yards. But thank you for the concern.
I started taking this stuff seriously 2 years ago and I’m in much better shape now then I was then. I always laugh when I see folks buying gun after gun and survival gizmo after gizmo when they probably can’t walk up a flight of stairs without stopping for a break. These people put together “bug out bags” and other stuff and they couldn’t carry it to the end of their block.
Preppers need to be a good shape, otherwise you’re just prepping for someone else.
33. 6 foot even. about 170 pounds. I carry bricks, mortar, and concrete as part of my job. I repair chimneys. Climbing scaffold or ladders all day. walking on steep roofs occasionally. And occasionally participate in Judo. I get a workout. While I may not be as “fit” as some, I doubt I qualify as “OFWG”.
Get off my roof!
so, uh, hows about a good deal on relining a couple of chimneys, eh?
Haha. If it were up to me, I’d give a discount to any supporter of the Second Amendment. I just work for the company and have no say in pricing. Go to csia.org (chimney safety institute of america) and I’m sure you can find a good deal. Stay away from aluminum liners. They are garbage and fall apart in a couple years.
good advice. gonna wait until after all the other renovations are done, though
“Or is armed self-defense important because you aren’t fit?”
Or is armed self defense important because I’m not a 6’5″ 300lb black guy with a penchance for wrestling guns away from police officers? “Fit” and “armed self-defense” usually have little to do with one another. It’s the disparity of forces involved, or are we trying to say some women aren’t fit because they can’t effectively fight off a heavier, more muscled assailant? This TTAG piece is pushing a lot of mixed messages.
Interesting. I didn’t ‘see that at all. It’s a legitimate question. How much does being small, weak, infirm or outnumbered contribute to the need for a carry weapon?
Being a woman in particular? Some women can kick ass on a bigger guy and dominate, as an example, on youtube “Small Sized Female hit a Thief In Metro subway Of Russia”, but generally, there is a reason women don’t compete against men in sports, especially in the fighting sports. But even when your big and fit, as my own story above illustrates, having a weapon is always preferable to hand to hand as a means to defend yourself.
I love fitness but I just feel like a total douche talking about any of my exploits. For me its up there w/ getting a tribal arm band tattoo.
Question of the Day: How Fit Are You?
Answer: Never enough.
I workout, watch my diet, and count calories ( diet is often overlooked, but is more important to overall health and fitness than how much workout, IMHO) to look good shirtless.
I’m less worried about being fit for a fight, I haven’t been in a fight since I was 19 yrs old. And hope I’m never in one again.
I wish I was less shallow, but at least I own it.
I want to look good without a shirt on I turn the lights out first.
I used that same trick on women when I was younger, except I used alcohol. Same result though.
Yep, working out is the easy part. Diet is the hard and MOST important part.
Especially as you age. when you are getting close to half a century, ou can workout like you are 30, but if you still eat like you are 30, you will still pack on the blubber.
Ask me how I know.
Can’t out run a fork.
I’m pretty fit for a guy nearing half a century, and do deadlifts, weight-vest pushuos, and pullups religiously. But a 21 year career in the Army and years of doing jiu jitsu has taken a toll on my knees, shoulders, and back. So I can’t “run away”.
Guess I gotta stand and fight.
Man all the pro and con about crossfit. It’s NOT EVEN a new idea. The Polish and Soviet weightlifters did a high volume of track&field exercises back in the day50’s-70’s. I have 45years in strength training-Olympic lifting,powerlifting and bodybuilding. Won a state(illinois)title in O lifting. And I am against overhead lifting. As in snatches and jerks. Huge injury potential…and for what? I also power cleaned 300 at 182pounds. And dislocated my elbow doing a snatch. And as a guy in his 60’s I have trouble wrapping my head around a “sport” that is just a workout. Like “aerobics”. I also realize no one cares about my rant as a bunch of men think they are immortal or indestructible…I was world class at 50 and wrecked at 60…but like the blind 92 year old woman of the other day I can still shoot.
If top level athlete want to lift to failure, I can understand that, but there are coaches, docs, and nutritionist at their disposal. And athletes have years of training to draw upon.
My issue with crossfit is the ideal you can go from couch potato to max reps on deadlift overnight. Like you said, for what?
I had some problems with a severe varicocele that left me unable to exercise without severe pain for the better part of a year and that really set me back, before that I was in pretty good shape (5’10, 215, benched 330 and ran a 545 mile. Not top shelf fitness but no slouch either). Now I’m a good 240, and while I am nowhere close to where I used to be, I work out because I’m trying to get it back and I am in better shape cardiovascular and strength wise than I appear to be. This has lead to a couple of turds underestimating me on separate occasions and it ended up costing them. I’m trying to get back to 215.
5’9″ tall, a little over 180 lbs, 31″ waist. I can bench press around 300 pounds, and hoping to increase that figure. I run occasionally and do about 3-4 workouts a week because we have a treadmill and weights at the work office. I could literally be in a fight tommorrow so I try to be as prepared for that as possible while still having a wife, kids, houses, dogs, etc.
My last physical altercation was a couple of weeks ago and it went fine. No injuries to me, minimal injuries to bad guy. He went to jail after being medically cleared and I went home.
300 + is a solid bench for your height and weight, good job.
This is somewhat antidotal, but I wanted to increase my traps and upper back depth, so I started doing wide grip pull ups and rows like a mad man. My bench also went up as a result, it was unexpected, but welcome. I stopped worrying about my chest and started worrying about my back, and my chest got stronger- it was almost zen like.
I’m very strong with good muscular endurance, but my cardiovascular out put is lagging. I train powerlifting and some strongman drills for strength. I train in kettlebells for muscular endurance. I train in Olde Time strongman for grip strength (card tearing, nail bending, rolling frying pans). My firearms I own won’t protect me against heart disease.
69 years old, 6’3″, 229 lbs. Worked 60 to 70 hours per week for 20 odd years. Can’t run, too big to hide and that is why I carry. I don’t want to fight I just want to be left alone.
Each year cholesterol, high BP, and heart disease kill far more people than armed thugs.
With hobbies like kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking, it’s easy for me to stay fit. The key to staying fit or getting fit is challenging yourself while keeping it fun at the same time. Eat less and exercise more if you’re trying to lose weight.
again you are reading things too literal…..i call it a trifecta because they work well together…i didn’t claim it to be the holy trinity and gospel. who is calling it the trifecta of fitness?
You were the one who said that the trifecta is cardio, strength and crossfit. I don’t know, when you write something on the internet how else is someone to take it other than literally unless you are clearly making a joke? I’m sure you’ve been on the internet long enough to know that’s the only way to interpret something without seeing the person say in front of you to interpret tone and body language. I doubt anyone reading your post thought you meant it the way you just stated, especially after your opening comment that you “aren’t fit unless you’re crossfit.”
Again you reading thing to literally. .you aint fit unless you crossfit..did you notice I said thats just me though. that was a opinion. an opinipn that has nothing to do with the question does anyone else here crossfit..you are mistaking me saying trifecta as something written in stone..im not. I am giving you my opinion thar those three work well together. I just love that you are taking the time to write me a book here. You are really giving me a ton of great info about yourself without even realizing it.
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