Your health account, your bank account, they’re the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out. Exercise is king and nutrition is queen. Together you have a kingdom.
I truly feel that one of the biggest shortcomings in the gun-owning world is a lack of focus on physical capability. When you look at it, though, our physical fitness underpins nearly every activity we do. Strength helps you carry heavy loads for hunting and hiking. Cardiovascular health helps you be more accurate and recover quicker from exertion during a hunt or match stage.
Muscle mass helps you survive longer when the situation grows dire.
Since the Everyday Marksman community emphasizes taking action, I want to make sure you have the resources and tools to own your physical fitness and improve upon it. Here you will find all of my articles, podcasts, and challenges related to your physical capabilities.
If you haven’t tested yourself against a Marksman Challenge, be sure to check one of them out and lets us know how you did over in the community forum.
/// Test Yourself
We all need objective standards to hold ourselves to, it gives us a direction to train for and a yardstick to measure our progress. And as part of promoting a more capable type of citizen, I thought it was important to develop a set of standards for the community. So here they are! Think of them as a progression as you improve and develop your personal capabilities.
/// Fitness Archive
A Marksman’s Balance: Making Time for Things that Matter
Today's episode has to do with the theme of the month within our community over at The Marksman's Quarter: finding balance. I thought this was an appropriate topic because I just came off of a month-long break from writing or recording, and wanted to talk a little bit about what led to that hiatus and the things that have been on my mind.
The 12-Mile Ruck Challenge
If you've been around The Everyday Marksman for long, you know I'm a fan of rucking. It's a foundational skill of light infantry work as well as a fantastic builder of strength and endurance. I thought it was time to have another challenge about it. As I write this, we are still amidst the COVID-19 struggles. It's difficult to get together in groups, either indoors or outdoors, and ammo is hard to come by due to the panic. So let's do something that requires no ammunition, range time, or social contact.
Sharpening the Edge: There’s Value in Competition
Life is full of competition. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, all of life is a giant competition for resources and reproduction. Entire species either prosper or go extinct on the macro level due to their collective abilities to compete in an ever-changing environment. Nations, businesses, and people operate in a similar way. And so should you.
Finding Balance: If Everything is Important, then Nothing is
In today's episode of Everyday Marksman Radio, I'm talking to an old friend of mine, Garret Glover. What makes Garrett interesting is not that he's my friend, though. It's that he has managed to strike a balance between his career as an active duty Air Force officer, planning a wedding, getting his second master's degree, running a side business, and still compete as a bodybuilder. So where does he find 36 hours per day to fit all of this in? It's all about smart time management and prioritization.
100 for 30 Pushup Challenge
This challenge is about the lowly pushup, one of the simplest and most effective exercises you can do. But, really, it's not about the pushup itself- it's about discipline and routine building.
Combat Strong: Analyzing the New Army Combat Fitness Test
I recently got the chance to speak to Dr. Whitfield East, the research physiologist for the US Army Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT). You’ve probably never heard of him, but he is responsible for leading review and analysis of military physical fitness training for the Army. More importantly, he’s a key player in developing the Army’s new Combat Fitness Test. During this interview, we cover several important topics including the history of combat fitness testing; how military physical training evolved over time; how the new ACFT came to be; and what a training program for the average guy like ...
Rucking 30 for 30 Marksman Challenge
The July 2019 Marksman Challenge is upon us. Last month the focus was on the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship, and this month we pivot to fitness. The theme of the month is rucking. So dust off your pack and let's get to work.
Book Review: Body by Science
I want to tell you about one of the best books on fitness and exercise I’ve ever read. In a way, it completely revolutionized how I think about exercise. I first purchased Body by Science in 2012 after a long stint of exploring better ways to live a healthy life.
Have You Been Doing Cardio Training Wrong All Along?
Most people approach cardio training all wrong. it's not just about fat loss or heart health. Cardiovascular training also has huge impacts on your recovery time between hard workouts and even your cellular health.
You Really Need to try Rucking, This is Why
This post is all about rucking. I want to dig into one of the foundational skills of the military, especially the infantry, but one rarely seen in the civilian world. We're going to talk about the benefits of movement on foot, over ground, while carrying a load.
GoRuck Light VAFB: After Action Review
Set the way back machine to August 2016. I wasn't far from leaving the Air Force, and looking for a challenge. The day taught me a lot about grinning through the pain and discomfort. It also taught me the value of a team.
The Aerobic Training Plan You Need to Try
Cardio training is one of those things that everyone knows they're supposed to be doing. Yet science is showing that most of are doing it wrong. As it turns out, our bodies are best at either training at low intensity for aerobic conditioning, or at high intensity for anaerobic value.
Sandbag Training and the Pursuit of Readiness
Sandbag training is a fantastic way to add some realism to your strength and conditioning routine. The simple truth is that not all the movements you need to do in the real world involve perfectly balanced weights that you hold right on the center of gravity.
AAR: Mountain Tactical Institute ‘Waylon’
While researching places to download fitness programs, I came across the Mountain Tactical Institute (MTI), run by Rob Shaul. Waylon is a 7-week program focusing on work capacity, core strength, endurance, and strength.
Tactical Fitness: Health and Durability is About More than the Fight
Physical fitness and shooting go hand in hand. There are too many people in our community who only focus on the shooting and gear components while completely ignoring their own health. This is my soap box.
This is Why You Should Practice Tactical Skills
Learning military and tactical skills will improve your life. Adopting a mindset that pursues honor, strength, mastery, and courage has tangible benefits to your career, your relationships, and your own wellbeing. This post outlines why I started all of this.
