Middle Earth Ranger Forum

I've been starting a "new" fitness program lately. With my new work location up at the Lake, I have a lot of steep hiking territory at my disposal 3 days a week (pics coming soon!) and, as of today, I'm heading over to a local park to start using their "fitness trail", because, due to my laziness and/or lack of financial backing, I have no means or access to fitness equipment. I've used local fitness trail equipment before with pretty good results. I'd highly recommend it!

I eat according to my blood type (specialised blood type diet for maximum health)

Most of my weapon training is my fitness for the day and that includes staff and sword aswell as my rolls and handstands (though the last one is more for gymnastic ability rather than ranger ability) I also go to the gym 4 times a week and run there and do stretches as well as maintain my muscle mass.

My other exersizes include archery, knife throwing and martial arts though these are more core skills for me rather than for fitness.

overall I see alot of sword and staff service (4-5 days/wk), moderate gym service (4 days/wk) and less of my rolls, handstands and other vertically shifted tricks (varies from 1-4 days/wk), archery, knife throwing and martial arts (1-2 days/wk. will be increasing archery and martial arts).

My less trained arts find room when its the holidays and im free to pursue them but my sword and staff never see less than 4 days unless it rains every day of the week.

Ive started some knife throwing also and hope to be axe throwing soon as well.

Good stuff, Willrett!

I'm setting up hay bales in my new backyard in the next week or so so that I can shoot whenever I want. I expect my long hiatus from shooting to not only come to an end, but I expect my accuracy levels to go through the roof, metaphorically. However, I'm wanting to set up a log for throwing axes, too.

Well, it's not quite fitness but I am losing weight...I've been cutting down on snacks and drinks at work to save a couple of dimes and also practicing some food and water discipline. Watching what I eat, rationing, and keeping an eye on my water supply, I have trimmed off a couple of pounds and gradually getting myself used to getting by with less. Who knows, I might get lost in the Ettenmoors

I'm down about halfway to my goal weight of 180. That's just an initial goal; when I get to 180, the next goal becomes a 32" waist. I should get close to a 32" waist at 180, but I can't be sure until I get there.

As for exercise, I'm currently doing decline pushups (feet on a chair), hindu squats, atlas situps (full range situps, using stomach muscles to hold the legs down), and negative pullups. I've just started doing these in an experimental fashion that I'll report on later if it works the way I think it will. If it doesn't, I'll try something different!

Well, as you might have noticed, my exercise regimen is to do as little as possible! =)

I did lose about 15 lbs. last semester from walking everywhere. Now I just have to try and keep it off during the summer.

Spend a day with me at the lake once a week, Dave, and that'll be easier than you think...I can drag you all over the place to all manner of terrain that just looks painful...

I went back to Okinawan Goju Ryu with 2 1/2 hr work outs twice a week and have made a commitment to build up to running. I also supplement with weight training three times a week. Sundays I eat Taco bell and sleep a lot and do the occasional arm curls with the Wii control and tv remote. I like Sundays best!

If anyone is familiar with Bas Rutten, he puts out a very good product. I'm in good shape, and I still lost 11 pounds on his program:

http://www.basrutten.com/hex/dvds/mma-w ... d-dvd.html

Currently I walk six miles a day, which includes a long steep hill, bellydance, do sword forms and other weapons drills, including double weight scutum and gladius work, and go through the martial arts routines I know.

Additionally, I dumped starches entirely for a month, now eat them *very* sparingly and only occasionally. Mostly fruits, veggies, and protein these days.

Dropped my BP ten points in three weeks, took three inches off my waistline, and has increased my stamina greatly. Given our current situation, I have a lot of time to exercise. O-o

Siani

I was doing the Enter the Kettlbell! program exclusively, until the press work was getting to be much for my shoulders on top of sword-ing. I decided to give bodyweight exercises a try and even did some research into how the ancients and renaissance folks did it - been working my way through the Convict Conditioning program ever since. It's a slow process, but the end goal is to be able to preform the "big six" for reps.

On the off days I still do kettlbell swings for cardio, and follow a diet loosely based on the warrior diet (no meals during the day, just snack on raw foods and nuts).

I've definitely got to start hitting more of the local hiking trails, though.

Today I achieved a big goal: I am back down to the weight I was when I met my partner Sharon in 1992. I am down to 186 from a high of 226- that's 40 pounds gone, hopefully never to return! It's not the same, though; I was probably carrying 10 to 15 pounds more muscle back then, so I'm still 10 to 15 pounds fatter than I was then. Still, it's an important goal to me.

Next goal, I have this pair of pants I wore back in '92 that is still in good shape. I can get into them, but they are not comfortable yet, so I want to get back to where they look good on me and fit properly.

Final weight goal: my high school pants size of 32. I can now see that 180 is going to get me nowhere near a 32, so it's a guessing game how much more I'll need to lose. Wish me luck! (I'll need it!)

Hurrah for Kaelin! I am very proud of you! It is very hard to lose weight, and keep it off. Great going, Ranger!

Thanks Mirimaran! It *is* difficult. Most people begin to lose muscle mass after the age of thirty and bone density after the age of forty, and those make it more difficult to lose weight, but also that much more important! I could see myself turning into Jaba the Hutt!