Workout / train (humans, not dogs) for upcoming season

J

jackrabbit

Active member
With fall seasons here or quickly approaching, what does everyone do to train themselves for the upcoming season? We spend so much time getting our bird dogs in shape but often fail to think about the shape we need to be in to hunt with them. No point in having the best dog in the world if we cant keep up with them or limit their ability or opportunities to hunt.

I personally am a bit of a health/fitness junky person and enjoy strength training year round. As fall approaches, I will incorporate in a few more exercises that develop my hip flexors, as those always seem to get worn down walking lots of cattails and thick grass. Along with lower body in general, glutes, hams, quads, through various strength exercises. I'm not a big cardio person, but I try to add in a bit more cardio work on a treadmill and add in some incline with it too.
 
Up my calorie intake to build my fat reserve in case I'm stranded in a blizzard. I don't think I'd like the taste of springer & don't plan to find out. Ace thanked me for overindulging in pork loin & mac-n-cheese tonight. He told me he didn't think a 2nd helping of brussel sprouts would be beneficial.
 
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Dakotazeb said:
Check out this thread from last month.

Do you do anything to get in shape before season?

Do you jog, walk, lose weight? Personally I usually follow the dog and wish I had gotten in better shape.
forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com
Click to expand...

Sorry for starting a new thread! I even did a search of the words "workout" and "train" before creating this one to make sure there was not a similar thread already going. However all I came across was dog workout and train threads, must have missed that one or it didn't have any of the words in it I searched.

I see that one is in the Bird Dog Forum. I may have just glanced right by it thinking it was specific to getting dogs in shape.
 
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Jackrabbit, it's all good buddy, no big deal !
 
I had a buddy who is a fitness major and his wife is finishing her PhD in fitness put some circuit training together for me taking into account injuries and being over 50. It has seemed to help. Specifically noticed hauling my duck sled full of gear and some of the younger guys stuff also. The circuit training and hiking and trail running with the dogs hopefully will have me ready. I can text or email. Just pictures of what he hand wrote. I had to look some of them up.
 
Get ready for the season? Here is your answer. High intensity and low impact on the joints: https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-bike (Air Bike). It's one of the best workouts on the planet. Additionally, I use a Concept2 Rower, Concept2 Bike and Concept2 SkiErg. I'm 6'6" with past sport injuries and all 4 of these machines will cater towards injuries, joint issues and will not sacrifice a sub-par workout. My 70+ year old parents are finally listening to me like I know what I'm talking about. Also Crossover Symmetry cables are a must to fix my shoulders for the time I spend on the computer.
 
webguy said:
Get ready for the season? Here is your answer. High intensity and low impact on the joints: https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-bike (Air Bike). It's one of the best workouts on the planet. Additionally, I use a Concept2 Rower, Concept2 Bike and Concept2 SkiErg. I'm 6'6" with past sport injuries and all 4 of these machines will cater towards injuries, joint issues and will not sacrifice a sub-par workout. My 70+ year old parents are finally listening to me like I know what I'm talking about. Also Crossover Symmetry cables are a must to fix my shoulders for the time I spend on the computer.
Click to expand...
I am for the cardio activity enhancing too in order to get in shape before the season, air bike sounds really cool, I try for myself peptide rejuvenation to improve all processes in the body in general, it is course of injections with peptides if you`ve heard about it - quite a useful thing, it is like you load into your body small items of protein and straight via injections which work better and faster for the quick organism regeneration, so I buy all the stuff for the peptides injections, including bacteriostatic water for preparing shots in here
https://paradigmpeptides.com/product/bacteriostatic-water-buy-from-paradigm-peptides/ and then I go to my doctor to do the course of shots
 
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I swim. Its not nearly as bad on your joints as running or jogging is.

Not a whole lot I can do to prepare to walk through deep snow though, which often occurs in December here. That just drains my energy extremely quick. High stepping with boots on is just tough.
 
Had two knee replacements the same morning three years ago at age 69. Highly suggest recumbent exercise bike. Might was used from a hotel exercise room that was getting a make over, only a fraction of original cost with a built in TV. Knees are better after a ride on this bike. Try one first
 
I've been doing more lifting this year, but gonna start adding cardio in here next week, bump the workouts up to 2 a days. The hardest part to me is eating "healthy"...

I was trying to get in decent enough shape for an upcoming chukkar hunt, but I think that might fall through now. Either way it's definitely worth it.
 
I am now 65 year old.
My routine is to hike the hills every other day, gradually increasing distance and adding weight to the pack.

On off days I bike primarily to strengthen the hamstrings.
Then reverse lunges to strengthen the quads.
Finally a hip abduction exercise.
 
Year-round I walk the dog for 20-30 minutes most days of the week and do a few strength exercises. Nothing specific for the season. The dog's a leash puller, has a big back yard to run in, and I keep her on a strict diet, so she's always lean and in hunt-ready shape.

My year round exercise routine:

1. Curls 2 x wk
2. Military presses 2 x wk
3. Ab crunches 2 x wk
4. Glut crunches 2 x wk
5. Knee raises 2 x wk
6. Static squats 2 x wk
7. Torso twists 2 x wk
8. Torso side dips 2 x wk
9. Toe curls 2 x wk (to prevent plantar fasciitis)
10. Deltoids 2 x wk
11. Straight leg raises 2 x wk
 
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Year-round barbell/strength training really helps. Once the season gets closer, time spent running the dogs is as good of conditioning for pheasant hunting as possible.
 
I'm retired and 66 years old, so plenty of time to keep in shape.

Long morning walks every other day. (2 hours now, building up to 4 hours)
On "off days" I do reverse lunges for quads, hip exercises,
then mountain bike for hamstring strength.

Both labs get plenty of exercise training.
For example, three 200 yard water blinds would be about 1,200 yards of swimming.
 
Now at age 67, retired for 5 years,
I start in March as soon as the snow/ice is melting.
Before that it is cross country skiing every other day.
In March, the north-facing trails are ice, so I carry cleats with me and trekking poles.
Usually 4 miles every other morning, reverse lunges and weights on other mornings.
I gradually work up to 8 miles every other morning.

Then I work up to maintenance mode of 2 10-mile plus hikes twice a week,
biking every other day for an hour, reverse lunges and weights the other days.

Once it gets hot and our retriever training group starts at 7:30am,
I bike 5am-6am every other morning and reverse lunges and weights the other days.
We don't train retrievers on weekends, so a 10-mile hike Saturday mornings for maintenance.

Once Sept 1 rolls around, I hunt every weekday morning,
I start slow as it is hot, getting the dogs feet toughened up
by hunting the hills for huns from dawn until it warms up into the 70s, 2 hours max
and gradually lengthen that to 4 hours as it cools into October and pheasant opener.

I am a big fan of reverse lunges as there is not excuse,
I can do them anywhere, traveling to visit family, while on vacation etc.
and they strengthen hamstrings, quads, gluts.
 
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