Maintaining your fighting form during the off season.

[TimberJack_7]

Several years ago, I came off of a particularly slow winter and as usual I figured that jumping right back into climbing after a couple of months off due to winter (and probably too much eating and beer drinking) would get me right back into shape. Apparently I forgot to factor in that I am getting a little older and lack of physical activity does not help. As I ascended the Red Oak to the first lead at 60ft (and the black tunnel was closing in on me along with heaving breath and seeing stars) I decided in the future that I would implement some sort of regimen so as to stay in tree climbing form. These days, especially during the slower season I do a mix of a little lifting to maintain muscle mass and 3 to 4 days/week of cardio. By doing this, I have found that it makes getting back into the swing of things (after a slow down in work or a layoff) substantially easier.


What do you guys do (if anything) to stay in shape?

 

[Iustinian]

To stay in shape during the winter I climb/trim oaks lol.

when there are no oaks to trim I lift weights, diet, and treadmill/jump rope, speed bag and heavy bag.

But usually I just trim oaks hahahaha.

Well get Jenny Craig to put a warrant out for your arrest hehehehe

 

[arborjockey]

I'm out of the loop we have a tree climbing season . Only time i get hurt is when i stop(for more then a week) and then hit it hard again. To me best work out for tree guys is a swim. All your muscles will be used + cardio. surfs up boys. love climbing in bad weather.

 

[Iustinian]

dont forget the local climbing gyms. but the rock climbers do look at us like we're crazy for footlocking a rope. lol.

 

[arborjockey]

I spend off time sparing with Chuck Norris. Gets me ready fer the big wood:msp_sneaky:

 

[tree md]

Well with the economy still in the crapper around here things have been dead the past few Winters. This year was better and I have managed to keep working though it has still been lackluster. I have gotten a crap load of calls on stumps and have been doing more of that than climbing here of late. My stumper will work you out, I guarantee you.

However, I still usually climb a tree nearly every day and sometimes twice a day during our long bow hunting season. I usually hike a mile every morning before daylight, hike out for lunch, then back in and out after lunch. Hunting keeps me active and is great exercise. If not hunting I am either working or cutting firewood.

I'm not in as good as shape as I was in over the Summer but I am sore right now from working and not doing bad for Feb.

 

[formationrx]

staying in shape...

i joined a gym several years ago.... it was by my doctors request... he said my cholesterol was too high... i go whenever i can... even after working all day... sometimes i have a headache from dehydration and i stay home....some mornings i limp real bad and my feet feel like i m walking on stilts... i think its from the years of working in boots. a while back i started bring hiking shoes to work to drag brush and that seemed to help with back pain, but my feet still hurt bad sometimes... there is nothing i can do about it. i know if you exercise and eat right it can have a huge impact on you feel. when i started doing tree work i would eat garbage and by the end of the day i would crash and burn. it was only after i change my habits that i realized how bad i actually was.

 

[possumtrapper]

i joined a gym several years ago.... it was by my doctors request... he said my cholesterol was too high... i go whenever i can... even after working all day... sometimes i have a headache from dehydration and i stay home....some mornings i limp real bad and my feet feel like i m walking on stilts... i think its from the years of working in boots. a while back i started bring hiking shoes to work to drag brush and that seemed to help with back pain, but my feet still hurt bad sometimes... there is nothing i can do about it. i know if you exercise and eat right it can have a huge impact on you feel. when i started doing tree work i would eat garbage and by the end of the day i would crash and burn. it was only after i change my habits that i realized how bad i actually was.

You might want to evaluate your water consumption, as aches, pains and high chol are all possibly attributable to a lack of it. When working at peak a soldier can easily consume 250ml per 15 minutes (one liter or what you guys call a quart?- per hour). tree climbing and bush work can be as hard (physically, not mentally). I've done ten hour days on a saw and drained 5x2 liter bottles of water, and still been thirsty on the drive home, but aint sore.

Not sure how old you are but if you're hydrated correctly you shouldn't be sore like that til you're 80ish. Older guys (50 ish) Ive worked with reckon they drink heaps, and when I ask how much is that they say half a coke bottle (500mls) for a day. No wonder they work slow. Others got by on 3 cups of coffee and no water but a pile of cholesterol pills, and burning them off on a hill climb was no problemo even if I was carrying all the fuel and oil cans and a spare saw. Seems lack of water consumption is something bred into a certain generation, (the same generation that needs viagra) but I reckon its a reversible condition. Here in NZ the OSHA training even goes into the importance of water to maintain health and safety awareness. Anyways good luck, hope you find a new lease on life! This is a great site have learnt heaps from lots of the members.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I have no off season! Always in shape!

 

[CNBTreeTrimming]

I thought all we needed to do was a lil Tree90X. That's what I always tell my friends that go to the gym...but they don't go for the workout.

 

[imagineero]

beer, salami and cheese with crackers and lots of time in the garage.

Shaun

 

[treeslayer]

What off season?

ain't one here in philly this year.... dang I like working regular when it ain't that cold........

 

[Zale]

Pork rinds and Mountain Dew

 

[superjunior]

I do all I can to fatten up in the off season so I don't fall through my belt in the spring.
Not easy being a superjunior..

 

[sgreanbeans]

Tree90X.

LOL, AWESOME! I am so stealing that! I run into guys I went to high school with, all big and nasty, they ask how I stay looking like I do. Tell them about tree work, clueless! Gonna start saying that and make the X with my arms, lol!

TREE90X, LOL, love it!

 

[mikewhite85]

dont forget the local climbing gyms. but the rock climbers do look at us like we're crazy for footlocking a rope. lol.

So true! I have footlocked at a gym and they looked at me weird!

Gotta get me some of that TREE90X

 

[TimberJack_7]

Yeah that Tree90X is catchy, maybe we should make this the Tree90X thread?

 

[dts99]

i married a girl that teaches fitness classes entitled POWER HOUR and man its worse than any climb i ever did, i cant even get my butt down on the john after one of those babys, push ups, sit ups, and lunges.... hundreds of them, but when ive been doing the classes for a bit i can climb like its nothing

 

[treemandan]

Swam a few laps today, that IS some work. I felt a little self- conscious in the locker room - you would too if yer toenails were still painted sparkly orange.

 

[sgreanbeans]

LOL, U KILL ME!
In 92, I was standing in our pre-deployment formation at Pendleton, we were literally getting on buses to start our trip to sunny Somalia. We just came off a long weekend (96). We all are standing in formation as the Col. talks to us. We are at the POA (position of attention) My best friend was down a couple platoons and I could see someone moving out of the corner of my eye, finally I broke bearing and looked, he just looks at me and smiles? After formation, we meet up. I ask WTF? He says "Betcha I am the only Marine with hot pink toe nails" We made him show us, sure enough, HOT PINK! His lady friend, whom he spent the 96 with, made sure he had something to remember her by!