Airline Pilots and Fitness

[Yellow Snow]

I understand cigarettes and vodka can knock off the pounds pretty quick. Oh and crack will work really well for those of you who are forty or more lbs overweight

 

[profile]

I'll second the divorce diet, the most effective thing you can do! Between eating less and exercising to relieve stress, it's really a wonder diet!

 

[FurloughedAgain]

I've recently joined a gym for the first time. I am NOT (and never have been) the athletic type.

I wouldnt know a football from a frisbee.

I'm not getting any younger and I figured it would be a good idea to take care of my heart.

Can anyone recommend a good start for a gym newbie? I need to find something that I don't mind doing or i'm afraid i'll be one of those people who pays for the gym membership and never goes.

I generally work from 5am until 6pm, but i'm home every night, so I dont have to worry about hotel workouts. Getting motivated after a long work day may be the toughest part. I rarely work more than 3 or 4 days in a row though. Is it possible to just go to the gym on off days? or is that just a waste of time?

 

[profile]

3 days/week will maintain fitness, but no gain. You need to gain fitness, so a min of 5 days/week, IMO.

Aerobic exercise every day, treadmill is probably best, but stair steppers, etc, are ok also, just don't cheat. You can cheat on machines by supporting your weight with your arms, greatly lessens your workout. Go for time, not speed. Min of 30 mins, ideally at least 45 mins at the fastest pace you can do and not be out of breath (be able to talk, etc). Your speed will increase as your fitness does.

For the rest, chest, back, shoulder and leg exercise, arms if you still have time. I alternate, with chest/shoulder with triceps and back (lats) with biceps, with stomach crunches every time.

Ask someone there to show you how to work the weights or machines. SLOW is the key, and the return stroke should take twice as long as the lift stroke. A 2 count for the lift and a 4 count for the return. Weights that allow you to do 8-10 in a set, do a min of 3 sets/muscle group.

Don't forget to eat right, also.

 

[Carl_Spackler]

Stay away from personal trainers. I've been to alot of gyms and most of the trainers are out of shape themselves. When they are working with clients, they aren't even making their clients sweat. At one gym I was at, they had a few sessions for cheap. I signed up for it, but instead of getting personal training, I paid to get a sales pitch for a really expensive program. I complained to the management and got my money back for that one.

As far as working out on the road, try jump roping. It sounds easy, but try it for 5 minutes.

 

[NookyBooky]

3 hours+ of surfing and/or at the boxing gym everday plus a healthy diet of cigarettes, coffee, booze, tums, advil, and the occasional bowl of cereal works for me.

 

[satpak77]

public parks

are free and usually have a running trail, along with pull-up bars and work-out stations along the route

I have found that drinking lots of water, eating lots of fruits and vegatables, chicken and fish, and not too much sugar and carbs (I use sugar in my coffee but thats about it), will help.

 

[FN FAL]

3 hours+ of surfing and/or at the boxing gym everday plus a healthy diet of cigarettes, coffee, booze, tums, advil, and the occasional bowl of cereal works for me.

I miss the gym days...I remember when I could strap a belt on my waist and hook plates on it and do dips! Leg extensions on the machine would include the full stack of plates and I would put my finger in the stack to make sure form was correct.

I'd love to hit it again...flabby love muffin that I am.

 

[NookyBooky]

You might want to try good ol' push-ups, and sit-ups, combined with jogging and or running. It works ok for these fellas:http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm

I really think gyms and all their machines are worthless unless you have injuries you need to rehab. All you really need is alot dicipline and a little time, period.

 

[FN FAL]

You might want to try good ol' push-ups, and sit-ups, combined with jogging and or running. It works ok for these fellas:http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm

I really think gyms and all their machines are worthless unless you have injuries you need to rehab. All you really need is alot dicipline and a little time, period.

True...but one other thing I miss about the old gym days was the commraderie. There's nothing like being asked to spot for someone as making them do what they couldn't do for themselves...that one last rep with you screaming at them to do it! Yea, your fingers were on the bar, but you weren't doing nothing..."Push it, push it...it's all you you...you can do it!"