Thursday, February 4, 2010

Staying in Shape

It's hard to stay as active on the short winter days, compared to the wide-open long days of summer.  I plan to do some long distance backpacking this summer, so I'm working on staying in shape.  Packing a heavy backpackback over mountain passess is pure hell if you're not in good shape.

The nearest commercial gym is the brilliantly-named Right to Bare Arms in Darby, about 30 miles away.  As much as I love the name, and want a T-shirt, that's too far to drive multiple times a week.

Instead, I work out in my as-yet-unnamed gym in my garage.  The power rack allows me to work out without a spotter.  Don't anybody make fun of my po-man weight set, which is a hodgepodge of plates from two old sets of mine and some individual plates I picked up here and there.  Their only job is to be heavy, not look pretty.


It takes a little mental adjustment working out in an open garage during a Montana winter.  On average, it's about 28° in there when I work out, but it warms up fast after the first set.  I've never worn workout gloves before, but now I wear winter gloves, because that metal is cold.  And it's always a shock to finish a set and look up to see it snowing just outside the wide open door.

7 comments:

  1. dude didn't you hear? all you need is 20 minutes a day with a soloflex and you'll have the body of a god(dess)? working out in 28 degree weather?...in the garage?...it don't matter what your weights are...you da man!

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  2. Now we're talking...! GYM

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  3. You've got a perfect training setup. Snowshoe two hours daily, no matter what the weather, wearing your fully loaded backpack. A snowshoe mile feels like about three trail miles. Your pack shouldn't be much over 30 lbs with today's lightweight gear.

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  4. Hey, Timecheck, welcome to the blog! I agree that a snowshoe mile feels like three on the open trail, but I've never known any experienced snowshoers to ask. Thanks for the info.

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  5. LDB e-mailed me this comment. She's having computer issues that won't let her comment directly.

    LDB: "I was trying to suggest that your gym be called "Fidna Get Ripped!" I will design the t-shirt.

    "I changed my mind...I think "Fidna Get Some Muscles" is a better name for the gym. Don't worry that no one else will get it--that's really beside the point. As soon as I finish with this trial, I'll get on the logo.

    Cliff: I told her she could at least make it "Fidna Get Some More Muscles," or the hipper "Fidna Get Mo Muscles."

    By way of explanation, a long time ago, LDB and Mari were trying to guess what my middle initial ("F") stands for. They didn't believe me when I told them Filip. They started guessing things like Felix and Fabio, so I told them it was Fidna, as in "I'm Fidna get me another beer." They didn't believe that, either, but they decided it was probably better than what the name really was.

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  6. Promise me you will not name your garage gym "RIGHT TO BARE (any other part of your anatomy)EXERCISE GYM!" Remember how cold it is there. *

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