Fitness and Shooting...

Fitness and Shooting...

by Zef Medina on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 8:32pm ·

Olympic Athlete

I don't want to sound like one of those guys...  But, getting in shape has helped my shooting. Rob Pincus, Travis Haley and several other well known shooting instructors have been making their living off of integrating exercise and shooting.  But my realization did not come from watching it on youtube, it came from watching my own match videos. Not long ago I got a new iPhone I started using it to record my runs on match stages. Its no secret I like to shoot practical pistol competitions like IPDA and USPSA(IPSC). And I have recently developed a love for 3-Gun, where one shoots pistol, shotgun and rifle in stages meant to test ones skills.
As I was watched my home movies and decided which one to post on FB it dawned on me.  I was chunky. Not unbelievably 'Homer' fat, but I had a gut, and it was getting in my way when I bent over, jumped down on to the ground, and curled around objects to shoot a target.

I had started going back to the gym during the summer but had fallen off my routine and it was not helping me. As fall and now winter approached I started running 5k's with Cutie and realized how much I enjoyed running and pushing myself. And as it would happen, I started noticing my stage video's started to look better, or at least my movements and actions started to look better. My aim is always in question, but while watching my last weekend video's I was surprised that even while watching my mistakes while shooting and engaging targets I had my athleticism back, kind of...

I have to admit, last couple of weeks I had looked for another way to push myself.  I started attending a calisthenics class at my gym(no, I'm not going to say aerobics class). And after watching the class from a distance I realized it was what I needed to add to my workout, short bursts of energy working my anaerobic capability for field courses.  As stated on MyFoodDiary.com; http://www.myfooddiary.com/resources/ask_the_expert/aerobic_vs_anaerobic.asp.  Aerobic exercise is similar to when one is running, breath in, breath out with legs pumping. Anaerobic is when legs are pumping, but do not have enough oxygen like when climbing and jumping obstacles.

Shooting a field course is an Anaerobic exercise, normally short sprints followed by tough shots and repeat. It is actually a joke I have said many times at a match but I have been known to tell people to breath before they start shooting. I personally try and take a deep breath before I acknowledge the "shooter ready" command. It is true, exercise has several benefits, especially when taking a difficult shot. One has to control and watch ones breathing so that when the weapon goes off one does not miss because they are out of breath.

Daniel Horner (profile pic)

Its no secret that professional shooters like Julie Golob does Cross-fit (she's talked about in her blog). And after watching Daniel Horner from AMU I have to wonder what his fitness routine is as he duck walks by an opening and blazes away like a baseball player stealing home.

As for me hitting the target, I am working on that with trying to get another class under my belt. For now, I am not going to give up my running or working out, I like not being winded when I jump onto the ground and pull the trigger on a target.

For more video's of me tripping over myself see "Crosse Creek 'Outlaw' 3-Gun"
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crosse-Creek-Outlaw-3-Gun/167919879956101


Originally Posted:  https://www.facebook.com/notes/zef-medina/fitness-and-shooting/288726361187517