Scottie888 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Hey guys what with the crazy lockdowns we've been having & gyms being forced to shutter, I thought I'd give my personal $0.02 on getting physically prepared (& somewhat fit) for all the pitfalls of riding including reducing damage from falls & such. Luckily I've been into kettlebells (henceforth KBs) for the past few years. Let talk about what its not. It's not going to turn you into Conan the barbarian. It's not going to take 1+ hrs. It's does not entail driving to a gym, find parking, fight for sweaty, dirty & perhaps covid infected machines/weights & it does not cost any monthly fees. It does not require the latest $$$ skinwear nor even shoes (although I use Vibram Five Fingers as I dislike being barefoot but that's me). Now lets talk what KBs does do. It's does provide a fullbody workout emphasizing alot on the core taking as little as 15mins (discounting warmup/cooldown). It does combine strength, strength endurance & cardio fitness all in 1 or 2 (or more if one wants) exercise. It does cost as little as $20-50 to begin. It does take up about 1/100th the space of my closet when not in use. It does a workout whenever & even wherever you want. Done correctly, a KB workout will prepare the body for almost any strenuous activity one may do at work, at home & at play. Far's personal heath (over & above fitness), I've been plagued with lower back issues for most of my adult life leading to debilitating back spasms a few times a year, at worse. I'm sure some of us here can empathize with that. I've since solved this (maybe not 100% but at least 80-90%) by doing a variation of a KB movement combining a 1/2 windmill/bent press. The rest are swings, cleans & presses. Unless asked, I won't go into depth on KB routines as there's lots of resources online & on YT. Suffice to say that I've never felt fitter, overall stronger & the back's never been better. The wifey says my bod has feels harder errr...she means muscle firmness, I think😄 Regardless, just a heads up that we don't neglect an important aspect so we can enjoy our hobby/hobbies to the max & hopefully not be hurt or if unavoidable, be very much less hurt when the worst occurs. What do my fellow wheeler's do for fitness esp in these covid lockdown & gyms shuttered times? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..... Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 GOod info! Im trying to get back into good enough shape to carry a plane on my back and put the sherman into the wind like a REAL beast. Its been so long that the p90X i used to do, seems like bloody murder. I must admit to myself that Im lacking determination and hate working out. So, I'm thinking 30 minutes would be more realistic. My buddy Mike is a workoutaholic and he gave me some great advice. Obvious but great. DO something. Anything! Start with 5 minutes and eventually work up to 10. -Im paraphrasing, but he's exactly right. If its determination you lack, maybe that first routine of a mere 5 minutes is the biggest hurdle? I used to work out a lot, but then got sick for just a month and lost so damn much. However, my weakness is getting in the way of my play, so choices need made. Great post and thanks for the info. I dont care to be healthy at all, but having ability to play until my maker takes me home, sounds like a decent plan. Wishfull thinking would be that I manage to get a routine and the wife follows suit. Trust me guys, you DO NOT want to even THINK about 'telling' her to work out! I guess if you're trying to loose weight and she cooks for you... go ahead, mention how fun it would be for her to join you.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie888 Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 7 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said: DO something. Anything! Start with 5 minutes and eventually work up to 10. -Im paraphrasing, but he's exactly right. If its determination you lack, maybe that first routine of a mere 5 minutes is the biggest hurdle? I used to work out a lot, but then got sick for just a month and lost so damn much. However, my weakness is getting in the way of my play, so choices need made. Yup your bud is abso 101% correct. Actually beginning an exercise program is very similar to beginning to ride an EUC. Take it easy take it slow & most of all, take it one step at a time. Going full bore only leads to (usually) lots of pain & grief. 7 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said: I dont care to be healthy at all, but having ability to play until my maker takes me home, sounds like a decent plan. This is great way of looking at this with a mucho incentive pov. Don't look at it as getting fit or even healthy, but instead look it as getting the foundation for having fun, for being able to do an extra curricular physical activity thats fun without hurting yourself in the process. Since accidents do oft happen, having the requisite physical & muscular attributes contributes to the least damage should such events occur. This is exactly how I got started. Once upon a time, I wanted to race motorcycles & found out the hard way that crashes are part & parcel of it. Besides the damage to the bike, there's also substantial damage to the human body. Hence I started a weight lifting program to hopefully alleviate some of that damage. Luckily this particular habit has followed me til this day. Don't get me wrong, I'm as lazy as the next guy & I do go on long hibernations esp when the harsh winters hits where planting my ass on the lazyboy & popping tater chips infront of the tv feels best. Then I think about summer & the fun activities I wanna do & somehow, find a smidgen of motivation to get back in to the kinda condition that would allow me to enjoy those activities. Getting new toys helps in this motivation thing. 'cept it puts huge dents in the pocketbook though. O well win some lose some. At least its somewhat healthy & heaps of fun, hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 This seems the right place to plug the following excellent topic: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie888 Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 1 hour ago, meepmeepmayer said: This seems the right place to plug the following excellent topic: Excellent topic meeps! For us with a program, we take warmups, cooldowns & stretches as part & parcel but you bring a very important point. Stretches in & of itself is a very large part of physical health as witnessed with Yoga. Strains & sprains are as much caused by stiff inflexible muscles/tendons/ligaments as much as over exertion. As a bonus, a good stretching program is a much easier hill to climb (pun intended) than pumping iron. It could be the perfect gateway to more strenuous physical endeavors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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