Sorry if I’m cluttering up the wrong forum with this.
Trying to get a little fitter physically. I’m a tub of lard.
Friend suggested I supplement workouts with walks/hikes using weight. - i.e., rucksack + weights.
I’ve never done this before. Any suggestions on how to do this without killing myself?
Thanks!
-fat slut
I suggest making sure you can walk the distance first before adding the ruck. When you add the ruck, dont overload yourself. Load it up with stuff that you might normally carry on a hike/trip to the field. Once you can do that comfortably, you can add actual weights. When I would add weight to my ruck (old ALICE ruck) I would put the plate in the radio pocket. That kept the weight from shifting while walking.
Slut,
Rucking is nothing but hard on the shoulders, back, and lower body. I suggest you go slow, change your diet and walk without a ruck. Also, biking and swimming are gentle on an overweight body.
You will have to reduce your caloric intake and increase your physical exertion. Be careful to avoid high-impact activities while you’re still overweight and out-of-shape.
Remember, you did not get in your current conidtion overnight, so do not expect to lose the weight and get in shape over night. You have to commit to a life-style change or you will fail. Watch what you eat (reduce the fast food and junk food) and workout doing activities that YOU enjoy. Good Luck!
Semper Fit,
NoBody
100% agree… if you are completely out of shape, ruck runs is the worst thing you could possibly do for your body. You need to hit high cardio, diet, and mix of low and high weight (gym) to increase metabolism at least 45mins to hr a day. Once your body can handle 10mile endurance runs, then you may may be able to add a little weight on your back and start to shuffle for a couple of miles.
take it slow on the weight but go heavy on diet, cardio, and gym weights.
I second that. Get in a habit of walking first, then think about adding more exercise. And definitely think about your nutrition plan. Work into it vs. cold
turkey and you’ll likely make a life change.
You could also join a gym and take some beginner cardio classes. Could help with the motivation if you are lacking in that department.
And if you get yourself in decent shape I would recommend cross fit. But, not until you have a good foundation going first.
Good thing I asked here first. 
Understand the diet and easing into it.
Was a lean (ex)-marathoner, until I met my wife.
Thanks again for all the helpful input.
Amen to the NO-Ruck advice!
If you’re as fat and nasty as you say, rucking up will just crap you out on the whole PT mission.
When I first tried police basic training in 2004, I was so fat and out of shape I almost threw up after ten pushups, and totally sprained both knees in less than two weeks just running. Physical therapy, and not wanting to give up on LE, got me going to the gym regularly. I do stuff that’s not always fun, but tolerable. The second time in LE training, I passed the PT test, after developing plantar fasciitis and needing more physical therapy.
I HAVE to weight-train my legs regularly or my knees and heels WILL hurt. That, and when I don’t exercise enough, I feel all squishy and get so annoyed with myself that I sooner rather than later will hit the gym again. I still weigh about the same as way back when, but I guarantee a lot more of it is muscle.
What I do is get on the cardio machine while watching TV, and stay for an hour, with two or three water breaks. I get in a thousand calories an hour this way. Then I do weight training. I just want to cry when I see so many people lallygag on the cardio machines, or walk on the treadmills, then mosey over to the weight machines and put 15 pounds on them and pull like they’re starting a lawnmower, then sling around candy-sized dumbbells from stop to stop, and they wonder why they never get any stronger or faster or skinnier, and wonder why their joints hurt.
Sometimes I run on the road outside my house, way out in the country. For goodness sakes, get top-of-the-line running shoes. They cost less than orthopedic care.
You never know who’s watching. I didn’t recognize one regular at the gym, until I was in the library at the community college I take classes at, hanging with a friend from church. It was pretty cool when this guy–who turned out to be the president of the college–saw us there, and came by and said, “there’s the man who’s always lifting those huge weights!” right in front of my friend, who happens to be a very lovely young lady. He can do that all he wants.
Can’t tell you how to stay motivated, other than make it as fun or least unpleasant as you can, while still getting 20 minutes of elevated pulse. But I guess in the end, it’s what you want to do. If you’re content being overweight and out of shape, cool. If you’re not, you’ll do something about it. In this country, at least over the long term, what you’re doing is–just about what you really wanted to do all along.
Control those portions, fill up on fruit and veggies, eat 5 or 6 small meals a day and NOT 1 or 2 big meals until you bust. I go with the Large breakfast, medium meal for lunch and a light meal for dinner. Cut out sodas, get a physical and talk to your Doc before doing this to prevent you from over exerting and causing more problems. You will be surprised on how much weight you will lose from cutting out soda and the foo foo drinks. Walking and biking are low impact, but its a life style change you will have to make for the rest of your life. Good luck.
i dropped 35 lbs over the last 2 months. have a bit more to go, like 40 lbs or so. 
started with diet modification (south beach phase i and completely eliminated carbs) and gradually got back into cardio workouts - mostly those strider/cross-trainer machines (30-35 min, set for 1,000 cal burn per 30 min).
i avoid the treadmills now … my body has gotten somewhat acclimated to jogging since i was a distance runner in a former life.
my motivation to stop being a fatass: LAV Carbine I class in Feb. I got out of breath during the shoot’nmove and box drills. felt a huge difference when drilling LAV/Hackathorn Low Light I a few weeks ago. I also think (when I wasn’t bone tired on day 3 and was consciously working on avoid el trigger snatcho) I shot better.
i’m trying to do something a little different - something that maximizes calorie burn and heartrate in 30 minutes, since time is at a premium nowadays.
So, Larry “motivated” you to lose weight and get into shape?!
well, larry “motivated” me to shoot more accurately.
boy did i get yelled at.
:eek:
Wow, that’s good so far Mr. Slut(?). A day of training where you have to at least try to be the rugged outdoorsy type is very revealing. I was barely able to make it through the AK class last year, at least the first day when it was powerful warm out there. If I hadn’t already developed a tiny bit of mental toughness, I would have been just another heat casualty.
As to the original post, I think this is absolutely the right forum to talk about fitness. Being in some semblance of good shape is a real force multiplier, giving you the tools to make the most of the TTPs you learn from our valued trainers.
HR - agreed.
i think if you’re in good shape, you’re in a better position to shoot better … longer.
that’s the rub in training. a full day (and night) on the range takes a lot out of the out-of-shape weekend warrior (me).