Since the outdoor season is over in my neck of the woods (Rochester, NY area), I was wondering how you fine fellows keep your fitness up over the long off-season, if you have any that is.
For years my off-season fitness program has been refereeing basketball. I now also study karate. I try to throw a 5k run in now and then when it's warm enough to keep up the long-term endurance as well.
Getting the f#ck out of Rochester is great motivation to find outdoor fitness, though it looks like I might be riding my bike outdoors around southwest Monroe County Xmas weekend while I'm out there.
I do a "total body conditioning" class three days a week. I also have a schedule of running work outs about three days a week, which I have followed for years. E.g. today's workout was 800 meters run twice in 3:30 or less, followed by 400 meters run three times in 90 seconds or less. Three minutes of walking between runs. I end with pull ups and push ups. At least one rest day a week. Fortunately for me, I have an indoor track available.
Until my Racketball Club closed this Fall, I used racketball and basketball to help keep fit. This Fall it's been warm enough for outside workouts, I now belong to a Fitness Club with no ball courts. I have been working with a personal trainer (3 times) and doing a lot of interval training on the indoor track. I look forward to Texas and getting back on the pitch in January and February.
What is this "off season" of which you speak? I already have two games in January and three in February, with soccer meetings and my daughter's wedding taking up most other weekends in those months. And then track meets start in March, with every Saturday already committed. I might be able to work you in on a Saturday in late April.
I don't worry too much about it. I usually end the fall season at about 172, with a resting pulse of 55, but by then it's too cold to get on my bicycle, so by New Year's I'll be about 185 and a resting pulse of 65. Then I start making it to the gym three or four times a week to run three miles and stretch. And I play futsal once a week for a couple of hours. By the time High School soccer rolls around I'll be back around 180. When the HS season is over I'm on my bicycle riding fast for about 90 minutes a day, and am my normal skinny self by the fall youth season. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I bike to work. My least favorite part of High School season is driving to work so that I can drive to the game afterwards.
plyometrics, squats, deadlifts, lunges, sprints, intervals, flexibility, core training. the good stuff.
I was at my daughter's HS game a few years back. One of the refs had biked there. He was a serious rider. Clipped in, the whole bit. Unfortunately, his referee shoes had not jumped into his backpack at home. He did the match in his BIKE shoes.
I believe that would be one of those occasions on which I call my wife and cajole her into bringing me my shoes (something I've done more than once, but never more than once in a season - I think).
I have resolved that this winter I will get in shape. Luckily round is a shape, so 12 ounce curls will be the exercise of choice.
One of the (many) things I am thankful for is that we are now having our HS recert - including the running test - before the holidays rather than after, like we used to do.