fitness for climbers

[treevet]

How about a little Van Morrison to help get through the pain of a workout?

http://www.last.fm/music/Van+Morrison/_/Gloria?autostart

 

[tree md]

When I first started lifting weights seriously me and my brother scraped our pennies together and bought us a weight bench. We had stacks of 8 tracks back then. Our favorites to work out to back then were ACDC and Van Halen...

 

[tree md]

As far as diet, mine changes with the season. I tend to eat breakfast a lot more in the cold, off season. I try to keep eggs, bacon and such to a couple of times a week. I might eat eggs and bacon once a month in the busy season. When I get busy I tend to eat a banana every morning for breakfast, sometimes a bowl of Cheerios. I don't eat out a lot for lunch. I take a lunch break and if the guys want to go get something to eat they are allowed to do so. I pack a lunch and stay on the job site or eat on the way to the next job. I will usually eat a sandwich, chips and an apple. When it gets really hot the only thing I eat is melon, fruit and sometimes cold cuts. I don't like to eat a lot when I am working in the heat. For supper, I eat whatever I want. However, I normally eat a deer steak or something from my freezer and will often forgo baked potatoes or anything starchy and just do a steak, chop, whatever and a salad. When I get into my work habit diet I start shedding the pounds big time.

Edit: I also have to confess when I am very busy I tend to skip breakfast and lunch altogether. Not the healthiest thing to do, I know but when I am busy I often just forget to eat.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I'm too broke-down to run any more, and my knees swell if I ride my bike any distance. I'm mostly doing isometrics these days and stuff I remember from my kick-boxing days - punch/block routines, some kicking and leg blocks. Doctors say I should not do any contact workouts any more..

Diet is pure see-food though my digestive restrictions have put a damper on what i can look at these past few years. I dropped a lot when I had to take all dairy out of my diet.

 

[Hddnis]

I could never get into working out. Could never get into working for nothing. I understand it if you are an office guy, but if you are a climber, or work construction etc, just do your job, work harder. I have worked with people that worked out, never been too impressed. Work ain't a gym, to many variables. But it if makes you feel good, thats great.

I partly agree with this. If you have the work to do it is the better way to stay in shape. Too many lean tough farm kids taking out the big tough muscle builders to ever argue with that.

This winter I ran into a problem I've not really faced before. There was no work to do, hard physical work anyway. I've got plenty to do on the property here, but some of that was underwater. and the rest just could not be done with all the wet.

I helped a few friends out for nothing just for the excercise. LOL

Anyway, when I was working every day dawn to dark, several guys saw my skinny frame and agreed to arm wrestle. To date I have never lost to anybody except one tough little farm kid from Tillamook, OR. He could bench three times his own weight, and that was as high as my weight set went. 150/450:jawdrop:


Mr. HE

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I could never get into working out.

It depends on what you want. Some guys want big muscles for the sake of having them. I was that way once.

Now-a-days I work out to balance my work exercise. We have a certain range, though it is greater then most peoples, we do not work the entire body properly. Quite often it is good to do specific routines to balance things out.

 

[treevet]

I agree. I am not capable of the big muscle body. I want strength as much as I can develop for the things I do.

 

[mr. holden wood]

Doesn't ANYBODY lift weights? I have been lifting since I was 17 and still feel weird if not lifting. I have cut back substantially but still do a split routine with 2 days on and one off. Chest and shoulders and back on one day and arms and legs on the next. All exercises are done in opposites with, for example, one set of presses and lat pull downs or pullups ....leg extensions./leg curls....curls/tri extensions....bench press/rowing, etc. etc.

I hook my ascentree up to the lat machine and also have a tricep extension rope that I use on there too to simulate climbing.

I get paid to workout.Step away from the bucket truck, ditch that fat mans ascender(wraptor )and start climbing.

 

[treevet]

I get paid to workout.Step away from the bucket truck, ditch that fat mans ascender(wraptor )and start climbing.

Guess you got me pegged Woody. I will discard my 2 bucket trucks that I earned from 40 years of climbing, throw away my climbing gear and start shimmying up every tree just like you....and likely become poor....just like you.

 

[mr. holden wood]

Guess you got me pegged Woody. I will discard my 2 bucket trucks that I earned from 40 years of climbing, throw away my climbing gear and start shimmying up every tree just like you....and likely become poor....just like you.

You wanted to lose a few pounds and build more muscle. My advice was to climb with out the aid of machines. Shimmying up trees is major part of tree work and it come with the added bonus of staying in shape. No need for insults. I bet back in the day you were one heck of a tree climber.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

uh oh..... this is going down hill fast. Easy Guys..... Mike

 

[treevet]

You wanted to lose a few pounds and build more muscle. My advice was to climb with out the aid of machines. Shimmying up trees is major part of tree work and it come with the added bonus of staying in shape. No need for insults. I bet back in the day you were one heck of a tree climber.

I can still get it up...er...I mean get up it.

You would be surprised what I can do. I need to lose maybe 5 pounds and I lift only to maintain strength anymore.

I am surprised so many have such disdain for it. The weakest link is the one that will knock you out of the game.

 

[mr. holden wood]

uh oh..... this is going down hill fast. Easy Guys..... Mike

I agree. But I find it ironic when a guy wants to get in shape yet rides a wraptor and a bucket. It's not that complicated just climb a little more maybe even drag some brush. We are lucky that our job provides adrenaline, a total body workout and pays well . Its up to you to take advantage of it.

 

[Ed Roland]

opcorn:

 

[clearance]

Removals with a bucket truck are fun, you can use your whole body and rock an roll. Tree killin fast, lots of fun. Faster than climbing, course, when you climb out of the bucket to finish, you are the man.

 

[treevet]

I agree. But I find it ironic when a guy wants to get in shape yet rides a wraptor and a bucket. It's not that complicated just climb a little more maybe even drag some brush. We are lucky that our job provides adrenaline, a total body workout and pays well . Its up to you to take advantage of it.

duh....you might want to take advantage of the opportunity this job provides you to support your family.

I am into production. Plenty of opportunity to be the climber even after you have made substantially more with the bucket and yes...the wraptor.

How old are you Woody? How long you been in the biz? Easy to find that info about me.

 

[treevet]

opcorn:

I know you got something to say Ed. (not picts tho)

 

[Ed Roland]

By my reckoning, picking a fight with you is like poking a big old bull with a toothpick!

:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[mr. holden wood]

duh....you might want to take advantage of the opportunity this job provides you to support your family.

I am into production. Plenty of opportunity to be the climber even after you have made substantially more with the bucket and yes...the wraptor.

How old are you Woody? How long you been in the biz? Easy to find that info about me.

Buck up treevet, you asked a question about fitness and I answered it. No argument here, buckets speed production and make money. They also produce some of the worst prunes I have ever seen and are worthless in most urban areas.
Im half your age with a quarter of your experience. I wasn't trying to portray myself as more educated or experienced, just in better shape. Maybe down the road that bucket or some other fancy ascender will seem more appealing. Stay busy and safe.

 

[Johndirt82]

Ill will agree with John paul , doing tree work will not hit every body part adaquately and some more than adaquately. I am a huge fan of weightlifting and strength conditioning being in the military Its madatory. Most people , I've noticed, are always hurting their backs especially doing lots of manual labor. I can't stress enough that you need to build those back muscles as well as your abs and obliques, having a strong core will make life much easier. bent knee and stiff legs deadlifts will strenthen that back in no time and those of you whom have had back trouble it will help ease those pains by better supporting your spine.