bryant1

I use the low-carb diet also after hunting season to lose the excess fat accumulated over deer season and the holidays also. Dropping the fat use to be very simple, maybe a 3-4 week diet and a little cardio. Now that I'm closing in on 30 it's definitely getting harder to lose it and my body doesn't respond as well

Steve863

Hunters and fisherman in general are by far in the worst shape of any outdoor enthusiast I've ever come across. You don't see the hiking, cycling or skiing stores selling XXXL garments like Cabelas does do you? Unless one is regularly exercising by walking, running, cycling or using some other cardio gym equipment I don't think they will ever get into good shape. Just putting around the backyard mowing the lawn or doing other chores simply won't be enough. You really got to be religious about exercising if you want to see results. Weight lifting doesn't do the job either.

OregonHunter5

i have to say being fit and hunting is really important to me. i also dumped 50 lbs. i have a foot thing called plantar faciaitis(spell). i run 6 miles a day, 4 days a week. anymore than that my feet start to hurt more.

remmy123

horacio, when my knee tendinitis used to be a problem i would stretch my hamstrings 3 times a day and i wore a little velcro strap that is placed around the leg just under the knee cap, it takes a few times out to feel results but it is worth a try if you haven't tried it already. i would think about any athletic store would sell them.
Dan.

FLBandit

While I agree with diet being one of the keys to weight loss, I think the biggest first step someone can take is simply to reduce the amount you eat, and increase the exercise you get. When I started losing weight the last time around, I made it a point to only take normal sized portions, and only eat one plate per meal. Sometimes I wished the one plate was the size of a garbage can lid, but that's another story! Any way, on top of that I started riding my bike 5 miles a day 3-4 times a week. It only took a few weeks to see a 6-7 pound loss. After getting that first motivation I was able to modify my diet for lower fat intake and increase my riding mileage. I eventually was averaging 100 miles a week and shed 45 pounds in about 7-8 months. At that point I was lighter, stronger, and had much more endurance.

Horacio

Yes, I wear knee straps when I lift.

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wi..._Strength_Wiki

This is the workout I've been doing for quite a while. I'm pretty serious about it and it has paid dividends. The tendonitis only bothers me when I have a high volume of work, be it running and/or lifting.

Bob H in NH

First off being in shape is always better than not being in shape, it's just good health to work on heart rate, bp, etc. also great stress relief.

You also will recover from injury and avoid injury better.

that said, us eastern hunters, in general, don't know what hunting excertion is like, ok, the Benoits in VT are a different story, but if you are stand hunting, you aren't doing the same level of work as a western hunter. Even with a 1+ mile walk to a treestand, not that big of a deal, take your time etc. Now dragging one out, that's different....

Out west, where the norm is to hike, hike, keep hiking til you find the animals, and they actually have REAL MOUNTAINS which by they seem to trade for not having any oxygen in the air, that's a different world. I can hunt New England and not worry about bring in shape, try following a Western Elk guide around, run up down, across over things, then shoot. Oh, you can't breath any more? Hmm bummer, there goes that bull of a life time.

crokit

whether hunting or not, being in decent physical shape is important IMHO, to a good quality of life. I stay as active as possible { hunting/fishing/hiking etc } and gave up cigs, to which I have to adopt the addicts mantra of " one day at a time ". I've got to admit though, pushing 60 years old/young, , I feel pretty damn good.

RenaissanceBiker

I want to bump this old thread from the end of last season. I read it then and really started working hard to get in shape. Now I'm 47 years old, 5'11", 190 lb and I run about 10 miles a week. I did 330 situps this morning as part of my normal ab workout. Tomorrow is my 5 mile run and Thursday is leg lifts and pushups. I workout for about an hour each morning before breakfast and try to do 30 minutes of free weights each evening before dinner. I really am in the best shape since I got out of the Army. I don't have a 4-wheeler but I do have a game cart. Walking for miles is no problem and using my climber is now a breeze. I just wondered how many of y'all kept up your fitness for this season.

salukipv1

anyone else fat and out of shape?
I'm not too fat, certainly carrying more weight than I'd like to though, and certainly not in as good of shape cardio wise as I'd like to be either.

geez, one of these years I'll be a machine again, haha. I'm kinda in emergency mode to try to increase some endurance before the hunt...but losing 20lbs and being able to run a marathon isn't going to happen before this years hunt.