Lifting Weights, Strength/ Resistance Training, Functional Fitness

Lifting Weights, Strength/ Resistance Training, Functional Fitness FOR SURVIVAL

Today, I wanted to explain how a mixture of lifting weights, strength training, resistance training, and function fitness exercises fit into your preps as a survivalist.

Last week, I figured out a way to work in an exercise routine.  This was what I call “Hell Week.”  If you have never been to the gym, let me explain something to you… You will be sore, so take it easy.  I took it easy every day, despite my intense personality of constantly pushing myself, and still ended up so sore one day that I could barely move my arms, and my wife couldn’t lay her head on my chest without placing me in extreme pain.  This IS GOING TO HAPPEN, so please, I beg you, take it easy for your first two weeks.

Why would you want to lift weights, strength train, resistance train, or do a functional fitness program (thinking of the Cross-fit community)?

At the ripe old age of 17, I began basic dumbbell exercises in my bedroom.  Nothing extreme, just some movements that made me a little less skinny.  Then while I was in Electronics Training and Nuclear Power School, I was working out an hour to two hours a day, minimum.  I got pretty darn big, and spent plenty of time learning techniques for weight lifting.  Oh, and I ran to and from the gym every day.  I was pretty hardcore back then.  I began having people asking me to train them.  I trained a few people and they also got pretty ripped.

Skip ahead to a dad with a family, lots of travel, and shift work.  I just got to the point that I “fell out” of lifting slowly.  As time progressed and so did my gut and weight (which I still looked like I was in shape compared to 75% of america) I just began having heartburn, started getting more tired at the end of a long day, wanted to sleep more, and I was getting a tad lazy.  I still had the ethic to work on things, but the energy wasn’t quite there all of the time.  Now, I have just started back in the gym I am tired and sore, BUT I already know what the first two weeks are like, so I will make it through it and really ramp up my fitness program.

All of this being said, I am one to say that you will have more energy, your mind will seem a little sharper, your different health issues can start disappearing on you, and you will socialize with one of the most welcoming and nice groups of people who I have met.  Sure there are SOME jerks in this world, and in all aspects of life, but the majority of fitness buffs are very nice and will teach you ALOT.  Did I mention that you can do more things, you have reproductive benefits, and we just look better.

“But I don’t have time, Ken.  You don’t understand.”

Well, although I don’t have the worst schedule out there (like I used to), I work on average 50 hours a week, drive 3-4 hours every day on top of that schedule, own a business that is in continuous development, and (for all the parents out there) have 4 children.

Let me explain to you what my routine used to look like in my heyday (and I was really big on dumbbells over barbels):

Day 1 (Muscle Groups: Chest, Shoulders, Abs):

• Bench Press
• Inclined Bench
• Declined Bench
• Butterflies on Cable Machine
• Military Press
• Modified Military Butterflies
• Shrugs
• Declined Sit-ups
• Bicycle crunches
• Oblique crunches

Day 2 (Muscle Groups: Back, Lats)

• Lawnmower Starters
• Pull Ups
• Lower Back Raises
• Side to side raises
• Modified Superman

Day 3 (Triceps, Biceps, Forearms when I felt like it):

• Overhead Press
• Skull Crushers (Barbell)
• Tricep Extensions
• Tricep Pull-down (cables)
• Dips
• Dead Curls
• Isolation Curls
• Bicep Pull-Up (Cables)
• Weight wrapping up on a stick for forearms

Day 4 (All legs, All workout)

• Dead-lift
• Leg Extensions
• Leg Curls
• Calf Raises
• Toe raises

What I did was a 4 day rotation that allowed me to be flexible with my schedule.  I ran to and from the gym.

Let me explain what “Hell Week” was for those that I trained, and for me now:

Day 1 (Chest, Shoulders, Lats, Back, Stomach, Biceps, Triceps):

• I choose one exercise per group, go light weight with medium reps, you WILL be sore
• Bench Press
• Military Press
• Tricep Extensions
• Isolation Curls
• Lat Pull-down (cable version of pull-up)
• Crunches or sit-ups
• Lower Back Raises

Day 2 (All Legs, All workout):

• Same as day 4 above without the leg extensions.

I am almost certain that I have left out some names, and some exercises that I did all of the time, so if you want to correct me in the comments, I am cool with that.

I would do this over and over until too sore to deal with it anymore.  Usually I would go through about 5 days and then rest for two days.  Then do a second week the same way.  On the third week, I would change to the 4 day rotation (although I don’t know if I will this time).

This time, I will be working out with a little lower weight with much higher reps, for that stamina aspect of the work out.  I also don’t know how much I will be lifting this way, since I have looked into cross-fit.  We all know that I am about functional fitness, and that is what cross-fit is based on.  But just getting out there is the real key.  If you aren’t having fun with the hobbies for survivalists that I wrote about, you should because they give real, practical fitness that will help you when the CHTF.  These hobbies are placed into REAL fitness building when coupled with strength training.  The two compound on themselves to push you into great fitness.

Just about any legitimate exercise is great.  It is always good for your health, and when coupled with an active lifestyle and a decent diet, we can feel great, and probably look it too (I DON’T PROMISE THAT IT WILL LOOK JUST LIKE ON TV!)