Fitness Goals for Scouters

[69RoadRunner]

You lose much more weight from diet than from exercise. Exercise certainly helps, but is more important for strength and agility.

As we age, functional exercises become more important than strength. 

Less weight makes pretty much everything easier.

And stay the heck away from crossfit. Chiropractors and physical therapists love what it does for their business. Plus, you'll annoy everyone talking about crossfit.  😋

It's not inherently bad, but it's grown faster than the rate of qualified instructors.

[mashmaster]

23 minutes ago, 69RoadRunner said:

You lose much more weight from diet than from exercise. Exercise certainly helps, but is more important for strength and agility.

As we age, functional exercises become more important than strength. 

Less weight makes pretty much everything easier.

And stay the heck away from crossfit. Chiropractors and physical therapists love what it does for their business. Plus, you'll annoy everyone talking about crossfit.  😋

It's not inherently bad, but it's grown faster than the rate of qualified instructors.

I am 50+ and do Crossfit.  It is great, but you need to find a gym that has coaches that scale and aren't so focused on killing it.  If you show up and everyone is in their 20's turn around.  When I showed up, there was an equal range of 30's, 40's, 50's and even 60's so it went well.  But yes you need to be very careful, I have seen many crossfit coaches not understand how to adapt workouts.

[desertrat77]

I concur with Mashmaster, CF works if coaches scale, but unfortunately many of them seem focused on just smoking everybody with the same workout, regardless of condition or age. 

And CF loves those box jumps...which I now avoid because of the injury potential.  And those headstand push ups...I'll pass!

[mashmaster]

50 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

I concur with Mashmaster, CF works if coaches scale, but unfortunately many of them seem focused on just smoking everybody with the same workout, regardless of condition or age. 

And CF loves those box jumps...which I now avoid because of the injury potential.  And those headstand push ups...I'll pass!

I do Box step ups......no jumping for me.  🙂

[desertrat77]

19 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

I do Box step ups......no jumping for me.  🙂

Henceforth I'll start doing the same, and will credit the source!

[mashmaster]

4 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

Henceforth I'll start doing the same, and will credit the source!

cool!  I think they really help for hiking, like an lunge on an incline.

[DuctTape]

I have interpreted "physically fit" as individualized and dynamic. Meaning, a scout (scouter) is physically fit if they demonstrate a regular fitness regimin appropriate to their personal health. 

I think the responses which referred to "doing ones best" is appropriate. 

Like most aspects of scouting, "physically fit" is not a phrase in isolation but a piece of how a scout demonstrates ethical choices over their lifetime. In this case the ethical choices would be about ones eating habits, exercise habits, etc... If one knows the better choice, and chooses the opposite (habitually regarding food/exercise), then is the person making ethical choices? These choices are witnessed by others and thus is setting either a positive or negative example.

[desertrat77]

2 hours ago, mashmaster said:

cool!  I think they really help for hiking, like an lunge on an incline.

Sample WOD:

"The Scouter.Com"

1. 50 Mashmasters

2.

etc.

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by desertrat77

[JoeBob]

I used my role as Scoutmaster to motivate myself to stay fit.  "I gotta set a good example for the boys!"  Whenever we had a physical challenge ahead, I'd scarf down a handful of chondroitin for the knees, and happily soldier on.  I liked being able to make 2 trips up Mount Yonah hauling water(1000 feet of elevation in 2 miles), paddling solo on the Flint and the Blackwater as lead or sweep, and coaching the younger boys halfway up the wall in the climbing gym.  I think that that is what being a Scoutmaster is about. 

Not to say that I never doubled up on s'mores, and heated my own hammock afterwards; or had a 4th hot-dog, when 2 would have sufficed.  In my world, only about 10% of Scouters over 35 would be considered fit.  I just really wish that more Scouters would push themselves to set a better example.  I wonder if part of the friction I have with District and Council bigwigs is them being intimidated by the difference in our levels of fitness.  (Probably not; that sounds like my ego talking.)

I'm 6'2", 210 lbs, and 64.  I have a physically active job, so I can still suck it in and display a sixpack.  (It's actually an 8 pack, and the two on bottom are 16 ouncers.)

[desertrat77]

@JoeBob, 4th hot dog?  Heck, I thought I was the only one that did that!

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by desertrat77

[mashmaster]

46 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

Sample WOD:

"The Scouter.Com"

1. 50 Mashmasters

2.

etc.

 

Hmmm, a good WOD (Workout Of the Day) would be:

4 rounds

1. 400m run
2. 25 20" Box Step Ups
3. 25 deadlift (barbell or dumbell or kettle bell) weight varied 45# - 65#
4. 25 kettle bell swings 35# or 55#
5. 10 push-ups
6. 25 sit-ups
7. 2 minute rest

What do you think?

 

[desertrat77]

59 minutes ago, mashmaster said:

Hmmm, a good WOD (Workout Of the Day) would be:

4 rounds

1. 400m run
2. 25 20" Box Step Ups
3. 25 deadlift (barbell or dumbell or kettle bell) weight varied 45# - 65#
4. 25 kettle bell swings 35# or 55#
5. 10 push-ups
6. 25 sit-ups
7. 2 minute rest

What do you think?

 

Mash, that rocks!   I really like having the run in the mix.  Very challenging. 

PS  Added:  Thinking on the way home from work, I could do that particular WOD right at the home and around the neighborhood, and get a superb workout.

Edited October 25, 2018 by desertrat77

[69RoadRunner]

6 hours ago, mashmaster said:

I do Box step ups......no jumping for me.  🙂

My WOD starts and ends with 16oz curls.  🍺

I sometimes do box jumps with a trainer. He has me do sets of 3 different exercises that work different body parts. 

After my first workout with him, which was after many years as a couch potato, I couldn't walk down 1 flight of stairs the next day. Now that workout would seem incredibly simple.
 

Getting started is hard.  Sticking with it is harder.

[packsaddle]

4 hours ago, mashmaster said:

Hmmm, a good WOD (Workout Of the Day) would be:

4 rounds

1. 400m run
2. 25 20" Box Step Ups
3. 25 deadlift (barbell or dumbell or kettle bell) weight varied 45# - 65#
4. 25 kettle bell swings 35# or 55#
5. 10 push-ups
6. 25 sit-ups
7. 2 minute rest

What do you think?

 

If you're advocating this for most of scout leadership, I see coronaries in the future. 

[mashmaster]

1 hour ago, packsaddle said:

If you're advocating this for most of scout leadership, I see coronaries in the future. 

Here is a scaled version.

4 rounds

1. 400m brisk walk
2. 15 Step Ups on a stair ~6"?
3. 15 air squats
4. 15 push press 10# dumbell each arm
5. 10 push-ups on knees
6. 15 crunchs 
7. 2 minute rest