Regime Change - Workout Ideas

[PropStop]

Okay, so i'm a fleet aviator, working on average 50-60 hours in a good week, and I've not really been into the PT thing since...oh, OCS. I don't have time for a regular workout routine but I'd like to get into better shape. I'm trying to get at least 1-2 days of 30+min cardio in a week (so the stairs up to the 2nd deck of our hanger don't kick my ass quite so much - if this were the air force we'd have an elevator!). I'm also trying to build strength and size with weight lifting. Again though, i cannot be regular about the time and length of my workouts.

So here is my question: all you PT buffs out there (I know there are a few), what kind of workout regime would you recommend. My goals: size, strength, and stamina. I've got a pretty fast metabolism and i'm the tall lanky sort. Any advice would be great!

 

[NavyOCS]

Cardio is not what you want to be doing if your goal is size, strength, and stamina. 1-2 days a week for 15-20 min. should be all you need of cardio. I would lift moderate to heavy weights about 3 times a week and about 45min to an hour per session. Working out too much is bad if you are going for size. Your body needs time to pack on the pounds. I would focus on the big muscle groups by doing sqauts, bench press, and power cleans.

Also, you need to consume at least 1gram of protein per pound of body weight to promote muscle growth. Get some protein powder.

 

[airgreg]

Sounds like you're limited on time. If you have access to a gym/equipment, you might want to check out http://www.crossfit.com/ for some short, high intensity workouts. They have a daily "challenge" workout, but nothing says you can look through all their workouts and choose the ones that suit you.

From Crossfit:

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

 

[wink]

There are adults that climb ropes for fun and exercise? I haven't climbed a rope since HS gym. Pirouettes, I'm sorry but I didn't see that in the SEAL workout video.

 

[Flash]

Regime change? I thought that is what we did in Iraq :icon_smil .

 

[Crowbar]

If you want stamina from lifting, you may want to try a high rep workout such as 3 sets of 12 or if you're a real masochist, 4 sets of 15. If you want size and strength, try something like 5 sets of 5 or 10 sets of 4. I do all four of the workouts I just described and alternate between them, but regardless of what I do, I always rest 30 seconds in between sets.
To put it very simply, it's very hard, if not impossible, to have exceptional strength and exceptional endurance in one package. I mix it up anyway. Just be warned that if you try the 10 sets of 4 with 30 seconds rest, 1 exercise will take ~10-12 minutes. So think about supersets or trisets if you really want to punish yourself.
When I was really limited on time I would do the 5 sets of 5 pretty routinely. You can go much higher on weight, then with a 5 minute cardio warmup, warmup set, and 5-6 exercises it would take me about 30-45 minutes.
If you're interested, there's a book called "Men's Health and Fitness Book of Muscle." You can get it at most any bookstore. I picked one up over the summer and just since then I've gotten stronger and bigger than I have been in years. Just make sure you lay out your workouts so they're efficient (if you're limited on time, no need to do multiple exercises that work the same part of the same muscle group.) Change up parts of your workouts periodically so you aren't just doing the same thing over and over again. Before you start on your own, though, find a diehard to go with you a few times and check your form. Then once you get everything down pretty good you can go solo. But don't cheese the form. It bears repeating...don't cheese the form.
I by no means am an expert, but if you want me to send you examples of some of my workouts, PM me.

 

[PropStop]

these are great tips guys, thanks!

Crowbar, i'll check out that book.

 

[zab1001]

No workout advice, you'll figure out what works for you, but some words on chow with a flight schedule. As I'm sure you know THREE P (hah hah, I keed), the typical box lunch is a nutritional nightmare. I tried to pack my own sandwiches, protein shakes whatever while on deployment.

Local area trainers are even worse, because you have your FE shoving cookies, candy, and chips in your face for the whole flight. I used to buy one of those deli veggie platters and set it up right on the touch screen on the center console (it's good to be King, or PPC). I would also grab a few of those plastic containers of blueberries or strawberries. Yeah yeah, I know they have fructose, but it's still better for you than oreos.

If you're like me and need a caffeine IV drip to stay awake, try sugar free Red Bull, diet Dr Pepper, or keep Equal in your backpack for the "awesome"(gag) P-3 coffee.

 

[texasmid]

check out The New High Intensity Training. i just started the workout from it. basically 8-12 sets, each hitting a different body part, very little rest in between sets. i was looking for a shorter workout than what i was doing before since i am about to class up API then move on to moody... not planning on having much time to workout in valdosta.

 

[PropStop]

If you're like me and need a caffeine IV drip to stay awake, try sugar free Red Bull, diet Dr Pepper, or keep Equal in your backpack for the "awesome"(gag) P-3 coffee.

so i get done with my sim tonight at like 2100 and i've got a 0700 meet for crypto and then a 0730 brief for a nice, 7 hour flight. It is so very hard to not eat like crap when you're in this situation. i bought a tripple cheese burger from wendy's on the way home, now i feel like ASS. Breakfast and lunch on the plane don't like like they'll be much healthier. No wonder p-3ers get pudgy!

anyhow, yeah, i need the caffeine. I like the sugar free redbull quite a bit more than the regular stuff - the leaded stuff is too sweet for me. I also dig the diet pop now, though i thought i'd never do that!

 

[zab1001]

Yeah, it seems once you get to the Fleet there are very few guys in the "middle of the road". Either fat or fit. Deployment is a great time to get your workout on, especially if you are qualified or PQS complete and waiting on events for whatever part of the syllabus you are in. Plus, ya gotta keep ahead of all those empty calories in a 40 oz of Thai beer. Upgrading is just a b!tch no matter what, time is always at a premium, and after a week of getting your ass kicked in pilot trainers, who wants to spend Friday night at the gym? If I were you, I'd be zooming to Seattle as soon as the horn goes off, Flintstones style. Get your Frontier Room on.

The best caffeine shooter I've encountered was in 5th Fleet. I had an FE buy 6 CASES of Red Bull syrup "grenades". These were basically Red Bull without any carbonation or dillution, just the pure syrup in a 6oz (more or less) bottle shaped like a hand grenade. Pretty funny to watch guys not used to coffee suck two of those down.

One of my personal favs is detting to some place really hot, where everyone should be drinking water, but instead they still suck down coffee and diet cokes all day (myself included). That fantastic pungent "dehydrated combat aircrew" urinal funk is mighty enticing.

 

[webmaster]

That fantastic pungent "dehydrated combat aircrew" urinal funk is mighty enticing.

Oh, that just brings back some nasty memories of pissers that have either had holes in them, fallen over because some stupid ass SS2 didn't bolt it down, or the best, turning around a plane that just got back from a 12 hour flight, and you head off on your 10-12 hour flight, but, damnit, someone didn't take out the pisser, so the damn thing is FULL!!! Oh the cruelty....

 

[webmaster]

No wonder p-3ers get pudgy!

Like zab said, there usually isn't a middle ground in a squadron. BUT, some of the best workouts, and commitment to continuing the workout has been on deployment with your crew. You are a ready, either in your BOQ room, or you all go down to the gym. I have always come back from deployment in a lot better shape, but the good home cooking, and those evil teddys bigger burgers always sneak up on me.

 

[erinbynight]

What happened to good 'ol pushups, situps, and the jump-rope? Do 'em in your room/place of relative rest. jump ropes will help you with those stairs! Don't laugh, i bet some of you can't even go 5 minutes...ha.