I figured a blog might be better than the thread I started. I copy pasted my first entry from the thread, but I'll add more as time permits. ANY AND ALL suggestions/comments are encouraged. Let's see if we can help each other to get healthy so we can continue to fight the good fight, so here goes......

We all talk about being prepared as in having things to keep us and our families alive should SHTF. That's all good and well, but if your health fails you, what good is it? I thought I would start a thread about preparing your body as well as your mind for any eventuality. Most of us are over 30's, and we NEED to exercise regularly to keep everything running smoothly. Walking around work DOES NOT count, lol.... If you can swing it, either weight training, or something aerobic. It doesn't necessarily have to be jogging/running, but something to keep your heart rate up for a bit.

I personally lift weights. I guess I would be considered an "intermediate" lifter as I work with some pretty heavy weight and low reps. I do compound body exercises, none of that BS isolation crap. Heavy squats and deadlifts are a staple of my program, as well as bench and barbell rows. When I get done with my set of 5 on squats/deads, I am heaving as far as breathing is concerned, and my heart rate is cruising, lol... For those who are interested, I use the stronglifts 5x5 program. I am on madcow 5x5 after doing SL for 2 years. I have lifted on and off for many years, usually quitting because I wasn't seeing any results. This program, however, I saw BIG results. The reason is with the 5x5 program, you add 5 Lb EVERY WORKOUT. I lift mon, wed and fri, so thats 15 lb/week. That is quite a bit of weight to add weekly quite honestly. I DO NOT endorse too much of anything, especially here because I respect all of you as my family, and would not want someone to get hurt or whatever following my advice, but this program simply works.

The thing is, you MUST follow this program to a T, or it won't work very well for you. I started out with an empty bar for the first month making sure my form was correct on ALL of the exercises. Otherwise, you're just going to end up hurt. This program will work for guys and girls. Again, I gain nothing by telling y'all about this program exept maybe it will help someone like it helped me. It doesn't happen over night. It takes alot of hard work, especially doing it after working all day, and alot of discipline to stick with it, but believe me, it IS worth it. The only thing I really need to do is start running after I lift because I need to get the cardio stamina up, and the only way to do that is to keep the heart rate elevated for an extended period. Either way, no matter what program you choose, it is VITAL to take care of your health because all the preps in the world are absolutely useless if you can't function 100%. For those interested, here is the link to the SL site: http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5...ining-program/

For those who may not know, one VERY important thing to remember if you are going to lift, you MUST get plenty of protein. 1gram/lb of body weight to be exact. The RDA says 50 or so grams/day. BULL. That IS NOT enough to build muscle. I supplement with protein powder and creatine. I try and get at least 80 grams/day from the powder, but also eat meat, fish, beans, rice, and anything else that has protein in it. The real key is to eat wholesome food. Not the processed crap in a box. WHOLE foods. Lots of veggies and fruit are good to. Nuts as well, if ya like 'em. Even if you don't lift, balanced nutrition is CRITICAL to your overall heath, and it makes ya feel great too!!! I used to be a junk food mounger. I'm talking McDonald's cheeseburgers at least 3x a week coz they were yummy and super convenient, lol. I had a cholesterol test done when I was about 27 or so and it was 298. The dr was NOT pleased. He basically told me I was heading for a coronary if I didn't change my ways. It was a combination of that and the fact that big bro is out to get us that really got me to make a change. We now eat NOTHING that is processed, except an occasional pizza, and even that I read the label to find the least crapped up one I could find. Everything organic, which unfortunately is killing our finances every week, but to me, if we aren't healthy, the $ is no good anyway.

I'm NO NUTRITIONAL EXPERT ,I can only say from my own experience and the way I felt then vs now, and I gotta tell ya, I feel better than I did 20 years ago BY FAR. I'd be glad to answer any questions I can, and if any of you are doing different programs, or whatever to stay healthy, by all means share it. We are here to keep each other's back and help one another learn. I know some may think "squats are bad for your knees" BULLCRAP. If they are done with proper form, they will strengthen your knees because the muscle around them will get stronger and provide more support for the joint. Obviously if you have arthritic knees, or ANY known health issue, go see your dr and tell im what your plans are as far as exercising, and get his or her input before ya start. I look forward to seeing some posts, and hope we can get a conversation going on this extremely important, but seemingly overlooked topic.