Where to start - Offseason Workouts

[Old_Norther]

Big game seasons are winding down. Leaves are off the trees, up here in Washington State it's full-blown duck blind season. This time of year is a period of reflection for me. Sitting on the decoys waiting for shooting light, I think back to this year's bear and deer seasons, what went well for me and what I missed. With respect to fitness, the questions center on my family and how my health (and theirs, for that matter) will affect our outdoor experiences together. I think that, for my part, I’m not the only one who wonders if fitness and health are the main emphasis area to gain more success next year. More memories with family, more epic adventures, more trophy experiences, and more meat in the freezer.

I am a strength coach by trade, I work for an NHL team. Not everyone has the luxury of calling a gym their office. But I think that, in the hunting industry today, there’s too much noise around training to enjoy the outdoors. It just doesn’t have to cost you any money. So I want to simplify it for the hunter’s like me, like my Dad and Uncles, who just want to enjoy the outdoors with family. Here’s a few thoughts for places to start;

I – TRAIN. Don’t diet. You don’t get into better shape by restricting your food, taking drugs, or going on a fancy diet. Focus on a lifestyle that gets you out and moving every single day, 365 days a year, regardless of the weather. Invest the time, structure your lifestyle. A “strenuous lifestyle” as TR would have said.

II – START. Begin where you are. Let’s say you don’t really get your HR up over 120 more than 2x per week. Start doing something that gets your HR up over 120 every single day for about 10 minutes. From there, you can add in a gradual progression.

III – MOVE. You don’t need a barbell, you don’t need crossfit, you definitely don’t need a coach. You don’t even need a gym in some cases. As you begin your off-season, focus on full range of motion exercises that don’t cause you pain. Lunges, pull ups, push ups, BW Squatting, sit ups, etc. Ask yourself this: Do I do these body weight exercises 3x per week for 30 minutes? If not, don’t go to a gym! Start where you are, master that routine, then look at adding more complexity. Movement is the foundation of health. Health is the base for fitness.

If you are looking for a reference guide, please have a look at this program I wrote for hunters like us, just starting their health journey in the offseason. Again, it’s 100% free.

Sportsman S&C | mysite

www.jakejensenstrength.com

 

[Block]

I’d have to STRONGLY disagree with the statement of

“you don’t get into better shape by restricting your food”

That’s exactly how almost everyone does and should start getting in shape. Everything else you said is great. But the “can’t out train a bad diet” is a fact.

eliminating or restricting certain foods is the single most effective way to get in shape.

 

[Old_Norther]

I’d have to STRONGLY disagree with the statement of

“you don’t get into better shape by restricting your food”

That’s exactly how almost everyone does and should start getting in shape. Everything else you said is great. But the “can’t out train a bad diet” is a fact.

eliminating or restricting certain foods is the single most effective way to get in shape.

Ahhh Hyperbole is always fun. It usually says a lot about the person using it.

Typically "diet" exists on a sliding scale from "boiled rice and starkist tuna fish" to slim jim and chocolate milk. I'm not here to tell anyone how to eat, but here are some easy guidelines that I share with my athletes:

1- What is it? If you look at your food and you can't tell what it is without looking at the (usually long) ingredient list, that's not great. Opt for unprocessed foods that are simple, which usually require you to cook them, and typically taste way better than the packaged space food we find in the middle of the grocery store.

2 - When did it die? Look at the thing you are about to put in your mouth. When was it alive? Was it last week, a month ago, 10 years ago? In the case of common processed foods like, for example, BBQ sauce or ranch dressing, who even knows if the stuff in that bottle was ever alive at all? Look for foods that were either recently walking around (beef, poultry, fish) or were pulled out of the ground and preserved (thinking of rice, or flour, or potatoes here).

Starting here can really help you narrow down what's best vs what should be considered a treat.

Another great resource on where to begin is the Peter Attia book Outlive. A great book on health and how exercise is the key to human longevity.

 

[Block]

Again., I agree with a lot of what you’re sayin dude.. but restricting certain foods and controlling portion size is the key. Period.

I def agree if you are saying most people don’t have a clue what a “diet” actually is or where to start and they restrict way too much and typically fall off right away.

 

[keithw_007]

gym is 40% the other 60% is in the kitchen, but you have to have both not just one. You cant just diet and expect a change, lifestyle is what needs to change.

 

[Old_Norther]

Since this thread is about the process of getting started, I want to highlight the commitment required.

COMMITMENT
No heroes here. You commit to change, you do it for your reasons. You do it now and don't go back. Starting out is about biting off a chewable piece, then following the 10% rule until you reach your goals.

AUDIT
How much time goes into my workouts now? For the sake of argument, let's say zero. You don't really work out at all. So if I want to start, what do I do now?

STRUCTURE
To begin, I want to get fit. But I don't want to be "can't sit to sh** sore". Ideally it would look like this:

MOVEMENT - (walking, biking, hiking, pickleball, basketball, anything) 7 days per week 30 min per day.
STRENGTH - 20 minutes, MWF, full body, 6-8 exercises for 1-3 sets.
CARDIO - none.

Do this for at least 3 weeks. You won't get jacked or super fit doing this routine, thats not the goal. But you have started a lifestyle that supports the kind of training that WILL get you there.

FUELING - DIET. to @Block point, and as others have said, don't be a child. Eating processed trash is going to make it impossible to reach your goals. Start now to eliminate processed foods from your diet. A good starting place is protein. Don't eat a meal that has no protein in it. Any time you sit up to a meal, look at the plate and make sure there is a fist size portion of meat that you cooked, is easily recognizable as meat, and requires you to cut it with a knife to eat it.

Now you're off to a strong start. We will touch more on the elements of HOW to train further on in this thread.

 

[*zap*]

'getting into shape'- restricting caloric intake is not required if you are eating natural foods and no processed foods and actively working out daily. no one needs to be 10% bf to be in shape.
yes- elimination of processed foods is a very good thing for your health and fitness.
if you let yourself become a fat slob then you need to be patient in becoming a normal fit person again. something like carnivore can help with that but consuming only 1500 calories a day will not help you in the long run.
1# a week weight loss is probably a good sustainable number to shoot for and you can get that calorie deficit from exercise while eating natural foods until your appetite is pleased. intermittent fasting is also a very good thing to do for getting to a correct bodyweight and also to increase hormone production. 8 hour window is best and it does not have to be 7 days a week.....100% is great but 75% may also provide the benefits and help you with the transition.
but- you have to train hard and very regularly plus sleep 8 hrs a day at least.
diet and lifestyle are very important. and by diet I mean what you eat not count calories.
also natural ways to improve your t #'s and hgh production are very important. average t #'s for todays usa males are terrible.
my total t last blood test @67 was 901, all natural so I may know a few things about this...
.

 

[Old_Norther]

'getting into shape'- restricting caloric intake is not required if you are eating natural foods and no processed foods and actively working out daily. no one needs to be 10% bf to be in shape.
yes- elimination of processed foods is a very good thing for your health and fitness.
if you let yourself become a fat slob then you need to be patient in becoming a normal fit person again. something like carnivore can help with that but consuming only 1500 calories a day will not help you in the long run.
1# a week weight loss is probably a good sustainable number to shoot for and you can get that calorie deficit from exercise while eating natural foods until your appetite is pleased. intermittent fasting is also a very good thing to do for getting to a correct bodyweight and also to increase hormone production. 8 hour window is best and it does not have to be 7 days a week.....100% is great but 75% may also provide the benefits and help you with the transition.
but- you have to train hard and very regularly plus sleep 8 hrs a day at least.
diet and lifestyle are very important. and by diet I mean what you eat not count calories.
also natural ways to improve your t #'s and hgh production are very important. average t #'s for todays usa males are terrible.
my total t last blood test @67 was 901, all natural so I may know a few things about this...
.

Jealous. 901 makes you an absolute bull shark. For people who don't know, it would be considered high end of average for a 30 year old male to kick a 650 test score. Most doctors won't prescribe TRT unless you are in the 100s. 900 is money.

If you haven't done blood work, that is a GREAT place to start.

BEST OPTION - Get a doctor, get them to run the blood work for you. This allows you access to a real person who can interpret the numbers for you. None of us on here are your doctor, that makes us hack job pretenders in terms of interpreting the numbers.

GOOD OPTION - If you're confident you know how to interpret the numbers, or can't get in to see a doctor, WellnessFX offers an online service that I have used. You visit a blood collection center (there are tons of these, with licensed phlebotomists) and they will send the sample to them. Their online portal has reccomendations and interpretations ready for you.

 

[P Carter]

Jealous. 901 makes you an absolute bull shark. For people who don't know, it would be considered high end of average for a 30 year old male to kick a 650 test score. Most doctors won't prescribe TRT unless you are in the 100s. 900 is money.

If you haven't done blood work, that is a GREAT place to start.

BEST OPTION - Get a doctor, get them to run the blood work for you. This allows you access to a real person who can interpret the numbers for you. None of us on here are your doctor, that makes us hack job pretenders in terms of interpreting the numbers.

GOOD OPTION - If you're confident you know how to interpret the numbers, or can't get in to see a doctor, WellnessFX offers an online service that I have used. You visit a blood collection center (there are tons of these, with licensed phlebotomists) and they will send the sample to them. Their online portal has reccomendations and interpretations ready for you.

I'm dont want to become king of blowing up threads, but I'm a curious guy and like to learn more. Is "t" one of these (super-rare) things where more is always better? Is it commonly or reliably used as an indicator of overall health?

Hermann Pontzer posits that wacked-out hormone production, including over-production is (or could be) a byproduct of energy toxicity/"modern lifestyle," loosely described. I don't see that he has any numbers to back that up - it seems that he has really good numbers on energy expenditure, but his conclusions re: hormone production seems (to me at least) well beyond what he actually studied and therefore in the realm of speculation. But with the recent emphasis on "t"--which I'm tempted to place in the realm of "bro science," but maybe it's not, I'm curious to learn -- it seems like something to dig into a bit.

 

[Old_Norther]

I'm dont want to become king of blowing up threads, but I'm a curious guy and like to learn more. Is "t" one of these (super-rare) things where more is always better? Is it commonly or reliably used as an indicator of overall health?

Hermann Pontzer posits that wacked-out hormone production, including over-production is (or could be) a byproduct of energy toxicity/"modern lifestyle," loosely described. I don't see that he has any numbers to back that up - it seems that he has really good numbers on energy expenditure, but his conclusions re: hormone production seems (to me at least) well beyond what he actually studied and therefore in the realm of speculation. But with the recent emphasis on "t"--which I'm tempted to place in the realm of "bro science," but maybe it's not, I'm curious to learn -- it seems like something to dig into a bit.

Good stuff. Just want to re-iterate that you should have a General Practice Doctor who you trust. This is your king and country resource. They can direct you on the path to health (thinking blood pressure, lipid profile, hematocrit, etc. here)

Now, bro science...... Testosterone is chicken and egg. Does it determine your stress/health or is it determined by it? Is more always better or is there an optimal range? In my opinion it is a surrogate measure. Having high T doesn't mean anything. If you aren't living a hard life, training, having adventures, getting after it, etc. then it likely isn't your hormones fault. If you're having problems in the bedroom and you carry around a barrel belly, well it probly isn't the T.....

My personal philosophy is this: I can be disciplined to get after it in life, in the gym, on them mountain. If I am already doing that and I feel like something is missing, I will get tested and consult my doctor. A word about drugs - I have trained powerlifters (pro lifters, IYKYK), was a powerlifter myself, steroids are amazing. They work. Do you need them to be a healthy outdoorsman who kills and enjoys being on the mountain? No chance. I do not use them, but I would be more awesome if I did.

 

[P Carter]

Good stuff. Just want to re-iterate that you should have a General Practice Doctor who you trust. This is your king and country resource. They can direct you on the path to health (thinking blood pressure, lipid profile, hematocrit, etc. here)

Now, bro science...... Testosterone is chicken and egg. Does it determine your stress/health or is it determined by it? Is more always better or is there an optimal range? In my opinion it is a surrogate measure. Having high T doesn't mean anything. If you aren't living a hard life, training, having adventures, getting after it, etc. then it likely isn't your hormones fault. If you're having problems in the bedroom and you carry around a barrel belly, well it probly isn't the T.....

My personal philosophy is this: I can be disciplined to get after it in life, in the gym, on them mountain. If I am already doing that and I feel like something is missing, I will get tested and consult my doctor. A word about drugs - I have trained powerlifters (pro lifters, IYKYK), was a powerlifter myself, steroids are amazing. They work. Do you need them to be a healthy outdoorsman who kills and enjoys being on the mountain? No chance. I do not use them, but I would be more awesome if I did.

I appreciate this, and it mirrors my general thinking on the matter.

I do need to start working with a doctor in case issues arise in the future - I haven't seen a GP in...gosh, almost 15 years. At 40 now, I should revisit that and start building a relationship.

For the record, I haven't done any sort of bloodwork, and I don't chase any testing-based numbers, or performance based numbers for that matter other than miles covered, resting heart rate, and some rough threshold calculations, but I do like to follow these sorts of topics.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Off season training for me consists of coyote hunting, ice fishing, and snowmobiling. The rest of you folks can have the gym.

 

[*zap*]

Jealous. 901 makes you an absolute bull shark.

I am a Great White Shark.

 

[Block]

'getting into shape'- restricting caloric intake is not required if you are eating natural foods and no processed foods and actively working out daily. no one needs to be 10% bf to be in shape.
yes- elimination of processed foods is a very good thing for your health and fitness.
if you let yourself become a fat slob then you need to be patient in becoming a normal fit person again. something like carnivore can help with that but consuming only 1500 calories a day will not help you in the long run.
1# a week weight loss is probably a good sustainable number to shoot for and you can get that calorie deficit from exercise while eating natural foods until your appetite is pleased. intermittent fasting is also a very good thing to do for getting to a correct bodyweight and also to increase hormone production. 8 hour window is best and it does not have to be 7 days a week.....100% is great but 75% may also provide the benefits and help you with the transition.
but- you have to train hard and very regularly plus sleep 8 hrs a day at least.
diet and lifestyle are very important. and by diet I mean what you eat not count calories.
also natural ways to improve your t #'s and hgh production are very important. average t #'s for todays usa males are terrible.
my total t last blood test @67 was 901, all natural so I may know a few things about this...
.

That gets a little messy making people think they can eat as much food as they want as long as it’s “healthy” …it’s still calories in vs. out.. yes MOST people would see progress to just cut the junk..

a lot of what is pushed as “health food” today is high fat ..yes most of these are healthy fats..BUT too high of fat in ur diet is just making it harder to keep the calories at bay..adding whole eggs, butter, steak, and avo isn’t helping anyone lose weight unless the rest of their diet is great and calories are accounted for.. otherwise ur just adding un needed calories to someone’s most likely poor diet…

Yes I eat all those things..I’m really kinda just sayin it’s hard for people that don’t know much about nutrition to read between the lines. Most end up just getting confused and give up because their effort goes into the wrong places. I don’t think everyone needs to track (forever) but tracking for a short period of time is probably the most effective way to teach people the do’s and dont’s …

Edit- wanted to add that I’m not disagreeing with you,, pretty much everything you said is awesome. Just kinda pointing out how people are kinda dumb and see bits and pieces and wonder why it doesn’t work for them.. even intermittent fasting.. I love to do it while on a cut.. but I don’t think it’s good for MOST people. Most people have a hard enuf time getting enuf protein as is without skipping a meal.. (esp women) most people also think they skip breakfast and eat whatever they want haha.

 

[*zap*]

^that's true, but:
People hear what they want to hear and can rationalize anything.

 

[Old_Norther]

TRAIN

Again, reiterating what I said before, you don’t diet your way into being fit. Muscles and tendons need movement to function at their peak. This is your paradigm. It won’t happen all at once, give yourself some grace to get from where you are today to a place where you can train every day. So how to do it, there are a few simple thought processes that will help start moving this direction.

I) MOBILITY –

- frequency: 7 days/week

move your joints through their full range of motion, without pain. Start at your neck and move down to your ankles. This should be done actively, not by stretching to a point of pain. Circle your neck, circle your shoulders, reach down and reach up (to your toes if you can) circle your hips one leg at a time, so-on and so-forth. You get the idea. Do this for 5 minutes straight, you will be amazed how much work you can do on mobility in 5 minutes if you don’t take breaks. I have a bunch of videos on how to do this at my Instagram @sportsman_SC

II) STRENGTH –

-frequency: 3 days/week

Being strong requires work. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you need work in a gym to get there! Train where you are today, and progress each session by adding sets and reps. Start out by doing a body weight strength training program, after doing your mobility work. Here is an example of a week 1 program. Do the 1’s in a circuit, so a,b,c then repeat for 3 sets.

1a. SQUAT 3x8

1b. PUSH UP 3x10

1c. SIT UP 3x10

2a. LUNGES 3x5e

2b. PULL UP 3x10 (add assistance if needed)

2c. SIDE PLANK 3x10 3x:20s e.

Progress by adding a set of each for 4 weeks. When you are doing 5-7 sets of each exercise, you will find it might be time to look at getting some dumbells, or scouting out a gym membership.

III) ENDURANCE

-frequency: 3 days/week

Endurance is, by nature constrained by time. You can’t train how well you work for time, if you don’t spend time training. So the minimum time required for cardio is 30 minutes. You really can’t discount this. MODE is the type of exercise you do. Are you walking, hiking, biking, playing basketball, etc. Check your HR by getting a pulse on your neck, count beats for 6 seconds, and x by 10. Or get a Polar HR chest strap and download the free app on your cell phone (way better approach). Start by doing the following:

Day 1- Record your time, heart rate, mode. 30 minutes minimum

Day 2- Record your time, heart rate, mode. 30 minutes minimum

Day 3- Record your time, heart rate, mode. 30 minutes minimum

Look, this doesn’t need to be complicated. You budget 40 minutes every day, to invest in your health, your happiness, and your success on the mountain. That’s it. The template for a week looks like this:

M- mobility, strength

T – mobility, cardio

W – mobility, strength

TH- mobility, cardio

F- mobility strength

S-mobility, cardio

Sun- mobility

Make the commitment, start building a TRAINING PARADIGM. You will watch your body transform and feel the difference. Once this happens you’ll find you don’t crave junk food and seek out healthier fuels. The process begins with TRAINING first.

programs are available for free at http://jakejensenstrength.com/about-6

 

[Watrdawg]

Off season isn't much different than when training specifically for a hunt. My diet consist of proteins, beef, pork, fish and chicken, fresh vegetables and fruit, carbs to a point. So I eat as clean as possible. I stay away from processed foods and sugars other than what comes naturally in the foods I eat. I haven't had anything from a box or can in years. The main Macro I keep track of is protein. I try to stay between 175 and 200 grams of protein a day. I'm in the gym doing a Crossfit or a strength workout every day. I stay fit year round. It's a lifestyle basically. I'll modify my workout regiment if need be for a hunt. This year I added in a good bit of rucking 2-3 times a week to get ready for an elk hunt. I'm 60, 5'5", 170lbs and stay between 10% and 13% body fat. I started out in the gym when I was 12 and have never left. So basically there isn't an off season but more of a modification when and if needed.

 

[Old_Norther]

Off season isn't much different than when training specifically for a hunt. My diet consist of proteins, beef, pork, fish and chicken, fresh vegetables and fruit, carbs to a point. So I eat as clean as possible. I stay away from processed foods and sugars other than what comes naturally in the foods I eat. I haven't had anything from a box or can in years. The main Macro I keep track of is protein. I try to stay between 175 and 200 grams of protein a day. I'm in the gym doing a Crossfit or a strength workout every day. I stay fit year round. It's a lifestyle basically. I'll modify my workout regiment if need be for a hunt. This year I added in a good bit of rucking 2-3 times a week to get ready for an elk hunt. I'm 60, 5'5", 170lbs and stay between 10% and 13% body fat. I started out in the gym when I was 12 and have never left. So basically there isn't an off season but more of a modification when and if needed.

This is a great "in the trenches" breakdown. Getting after it, living the life and crushing it. I appreciate the post!