Physical Condition In Ipsc

[Jaxshooter]

Reading all of this has made me tired and hungry. I am going to get a coke and candy bar and sit on the couch and train.

All kidding aside, I am overweight and can feel it in my knees and legs after a local 5 stage match. I am going on a diet and start riding my bike daily. The bike is what my orthopedist said would help my knees the most. It is also a good cardiovascular exersise.

[f250sd]

I feel that someone in better physical condition is starting off with an advantage, Be it faster off the line, changing directions, getting in and out of positions, or just a more stable shooting platform. Of course you still got to be able to shoot well, and have good mental conditioning as well.

[dirtypool40]

It's just like strength, speed, or skill.....the more you have in teh tank the longer, at higher level you can go.

If matches were one stage and all stand and shoot conditioning would be almost no factor, but as days get longer and more of them, and stages include starts and stops, changing positions (kneeling, leaning, prone etc) then ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL the guy in better shape has an advantage.

[baa]

I have, in the past 6 months, dropped around 40 lbs. I also managed to quit smoking and can finally run 4 miles straight again. I lift weights 3 times a week. My performance in shooting has gone up 100% (though keep in mind that I have only been shooting IDPA/USPSA for about a year so part of this is just learning.)

Simply put, moving, shooting, everything is easier without that extra weight and lack of cardio fitness. Even when I was fat and smoked, I could still explode off the line, but it didn't last and I would actually get tired and winded at the end of a long COF. Now, no biggie. The most telling improvement was shooting a recent 3-gun match which had a very long physical COF. It would have killed me 6 months ago, but I was not even winded.

So, I am sold on the fitness aspect of this sport. As others have said, it is not absolutely required to be in great shape, but it certainly helps. If nothing else, being in shape eliminates a possible weakness in your shooting game.

Edited July 27, 2006 by baa

[Pdoyle]

In reference to the explosive accelaration and decelartion required you guys mught want to look up the use of kettlebells. go to dragondoor.com for more information. Lots of military groups and police are now using these. Great for foot speed, cardio, and certainly hand eye coordination. All favorable in the use of USPSA or IDPA. Be prepared for awesome workout in just 10-15 minutes.

Pat

[John Thompson]

John,

Are you more in favor of plyometrics rather than weight training or cardio workouts for shooting? Just wondering if I understand this discussion correctly. It seems that the consensus is that weight training and cardio may be good for overall health but of limited benefit for shooting specifically....it stands to reason that if you are in better physical health overall that you might shoot better - all things being equal.

Just curious - thanks for your comments.

Steve

I just noticed this question.

I agree that plyometrics would be the most helpful of weight training and cardio but plyometric training still has elements of weight training and anaerobic training.

In the three years I first posted on this thread I have changed my opinion slightly. I can't do plyometrics too much due to getting older but I do a lot of jump band stuff that I'm forunate enough to go to a gym that has classes in it. It has noticably put some explosiveness back into my slow butt. I'm also really into boxing right now which has worked tremendously with my breathing control and endurance in holding my arms up.

Someone mentioned doing 100 rep squats to help geting out of a crouch faster. I totally disagree. Very high reps work the slow twitch muscle fibers and case adaptions that will actually slow you down. I recommend speed squats. These teach you to move a moderate amount of weight as fast and explosively as possible over and over again which develops power endurance.

Where conidtioning helps me is in paintball. We play 15min speedball type games in the woods and when at the end of the game it's me vs multiple opponents I'm taxed hard.

Edited September 12, 2006 by John Thompson

[GunBomB]

Where conidtioning helps me is in paintball. We play 15min speedball type games in the woods and when at the end of the game it's me vs multiple opponents I'm taxed hard.

Yeah, paintball is awesome.

[ArturoJ]

I think the Shaolin Workout fits the bill.

[Mistral404]

I walk about 3 miles a day with a 1 mile run added on. I have been losing inches on the waist but my legs seem weaker. I need to add some weight training for the quads, etc.

I just integrated a modified duck walk. I drop my butt, bend my knees alot, hold my strong arm up and try to walk heel to toe.

I look really funny to the cars driving by but it is helping alot.

I really need to improve on my quickness again. When I started out a couple of years ago I was moving very fast, shooting poorly, now my shooting has improved by I am moving like a slug.

Soon I will incorporate some quick interval work-sprint about 10 yds walk 20 yds during my walking.

Any ideas from Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[Trisha Lowry]

I think for the ladies, the size that matters is the wallet.

I'm no trainer, I just know what a match is like:

Wait an hour, shoot and run for 5-20 seconds. repeat 4-10 times.

I do intense cardio on the elliptical (sp?) and light weights with high reps.

30-60 min of dry fire almost every day.

The match is more endurance than strength IMO.

SA

Hey Steve! That's not fair........ not just the wallet but the size of your gun too Ladies want a guy that treats them well and if he is a shooter...well that is a bonus! Training....Krav Maga rocks!

[Odie]

Boy, this is one topic that can get some interesting takes. All I know is that 18 lbs. later (less) I seem to shoot, think, and observe better. And can tell at longer matches I don't get hot anymore. It really doesn't matter how being in good condition affects one's shooting game, the bottom line is that it sure doesn't hurt anything. And if it means no more achy knees, elbows,neck, back and a better tolerance for heat, then those are just more distractions that are no longer distractions. I DESPISE going to the gym, but I go, everyday.

[ktyler]

Prior to IPSC, like many here, I was very involved in martial arts and fighting full contact. Then I moved to powerlifting, (much less painful). I have tried more different types of routines than I can remember. Then I had a back injury that kept me from working out at all for about 2 years.

Now that I am back I recently got introducted to crossfit. www.crossfit.com. I have been doing the "works out of the day" that are posted on the website. They are some of the hardest workouts I have ever done. There to much info to post here, so please check out the site and download the free issue of the crossfit journal. It explains the foundation of the crossfit workouts.

The workouts are fun and very tuff. I have only been able to complete 1 of the 15 workouts I have done without using assisting movements. The nice thing, the work outs last about 30 minutes, but they are intense. Check it out.

I believe this type of training along with some new agility training I am working on will truely help my performance especialy during those long hot days on the range.

Ktyler

[Putty]

I never would have dreamed that shooting is physically demanding until I took 2 classes with scott springer and one with manny bragg....yikes! My thighs were shaking more than I could believe. One thing I did notice was that, coupled with intense mental focus, and moving and shooting 1k rounds per day tended to wear more on me than just the shooting alone. I taught karate for 20 years and my body got used to that certain regime, so the affects of workouts and kumite were not a problem. So my mind is slowly drifting to the percieved benifits of cross/circuit training that I have seen top athletes incorporate into their workouts...especially the older athletes like chelios, lemieux, granato and others. That Swiss ball looks like the ticket. Anyone use the Swiss ball? I want to stay interested in working out and the local tribal wellness center is a nice petri dish of burgening bacteria and virus'. One visit and you have the cold/flu combination.

Perhaps I have not mastered the shooting in a relaxed state, in order to move and shoot efficiently with less mental stress and improved time. Ah, being C is so much more than just a letter, eh grasshopper

[kimel]

I think flexibility and core stability are by far the most important aspects of fitness in pistol competition. Other things come into play when we start talking multi-gun because those COFs tend to be longer, more involved and often involve terrain that isn't flat and the targets are out there a bit. Engaging 10" plates at 350 yards while you are gasping for air isn't easy (speaking from experience).

Core stability has an amazing impact on ability to setup and shoot quickly when moving from position to position not to mention shooting on the move.

I tore my right hamstring a few weeks ago and once the pain subsided the biggest effect that has had on me (besides being very weak on that side) is the loss of core stability. Dry firing at home has been dreadful to the point where I stopped because I was afraid I would hurt myself.

In another 6 weeks of PT I should be back to normal and actually be better off than I was before I got hurt. Scores will tell....if I can remember how to LAMR after a 10 week layoff.

[Vlad]

Something I didn't see mentioned in this thread is you don't always get what you pay for, or at least some surprises may creep up.

Since February of this year I've been working out a few times a week (circuit training on my bowflex) and moderate hikes once a week (around 4hours with up to 1000ft elevation changes). I've lost 35lb, though in reality a lot more fat then that as I've built up quite a bit more muscle then I've started with. My endurance has been greatly improved, hot summer days bother me a lot less, and my performance over the course of a match is much more predictable.

Whats the problem? My shooting sucked for most of the year. My balance was off, my new upper body mass plays havoc with my transitions, my splits sometimes end up in Alpha Mikes, and my general timing has been off. I'm just now getting back to the shooting level I was at at the begining of the year as I'm getting more used to the changes and my weight loss leveled out for a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the results, but don't be surprised if a heavy workout program makes you a worse shooter for a while.

Edited October 12, 2006 by Vlad

[A-shot]

Did you still have regular shooting practice with all the extra working out?

I chase my cat around the house everyday for about 5 minutes...good for footwork and tracking targets on the move!

Edited October 12, 2006 by A-shot

[Vlad]

I think my wife would skin me alive if I chased the cats around. And the dog would just sit there and stare at me. I've practice and shot just as much as I was before. I really do think it had more to do with change in my center of gravity and upper body strength. As I've gotten more used to it, I started shooting better as well.

[John Thompson]

I have to second the "core strength" advice but will add that core strength seems has turned from being a part of the program to being THE program; at least from what I see. I just read this morning that core only workouts are falling out of favor around the country.

Boxing has really made me lighter on my feet but at 260lbs I still ain't decelerating very well. That's ok though, I prefer to stay my current size.

Edited October 31, 2006 by John Thompson

[M-TRAIN]

Check my new website out...as we talk about nutrition and physical conditioning relating to shooting IPSC and keeping fit in general.

Some of the Team members talk about how they keep fit and what they eat.

Theres also heaps of cool pics 'n vids as well.

..."NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!"

www.team-mtrain.net.au