There is something quite pleasant about going to a tournament with zero pressure to perform, other than within you to keep yourself happy… and perform (to a certain degree I did) 3rd place wasn’t all that bad.

Anyway, I spent a lot of the weekend talking to people about health and fitness, as I regularly find myself being drawn in to  over dinner, lunch, breakfast, snacks… pretty much any time! It seems that because I am a fitness professional, people are constantly curious about how and why I eat and drink what I do. Also how and why I exercise the way I do to.

Most of the time people are surprised by my response, as they seem to expect this monk like figure to tell them to abstain from the evils of all that we have been told which are evil.

In fact, when i am at an archery tournament, my nutrition sucks. You’re just as likely to find me stuffing my face with a piece of cake as the next guy… the difference being I look NOTHING like the next guy.

This weekends shoot is yet another example of why we should be fitter to participate in our sport, regardless of whether it is archery, golf, soccer, badminton or tiddly winks… The fitter and stronger you are the more likely it is you are going to beat the next guy.

I may not be the best archer on the field, although I beat a lot of guys who are technically more proficient than me. This weekend the course was really VERY long. I think we probably walked about 10km over the course of the weekend, in hot and humid conditions too. However, at the end of the 2nd day I was fresh and fit enough to keep performing if I had too!

My philosophy of being fit, is not about being dedicated to the steel in the gym, it is not pounding the miles wearing through 6 pairs of trainers a year, it is not sticking rigidly to a perfectly clean diet 100% of the time.

The approach I have is very simple, good health and fitness is PART of my life, not a strict regimeI do for a few weeks or months… I train because I enjoy it, I do it as PART of my life, I choose to be more active. I pick up some weights to hone my body from time to time… I go to the forest to do some sprint intervals to clear my head, I go out on my mountain bike because I just love the feeling of absolute freedom to everything else in my life… I eat healthy MOST of the time, but enjoy the pleasures of good food responsibly, but equally enjoy the feeling of eating foods that make my body work better.

I am not sure if I have got my point across here, but health and fitness is a lifestyle choice that I enjoy, it is not a regime, something to get stressed or up tight about.

I keep being reminded of the Yoda quote… “Do or do not, there is no try”

TRYING to live a healthy lifestyle is too much like hard work… Choose to eat better and exercise better, because it can be enjoyable, it can be fun….. NIKE

Well mine couldn’t be further from that ‘ideal’.

Most of my weekends involve getting up earlier and heading out to an archery tournament.

Much like last weekend my choice of coffee this morning is poor… Some boiled crap with a splash of white stuff that has never seen a cow.

The shoot this weekend is our national championships, which basically means a straight out contest between myself and my team mate Gilles Seywert for honors.

This is the field championships which rewards good shooting AND being fit enough to get around the course being able to perform the whole weekend. If i have any motivation for being fit for my sport, this is it. two days of climbing up and down hills shooting 72 arrows over the course of 6 or more hours.

If you’re not fit there is no way you can perform the same shot at the start and at the end of the weekend.

All those hill sprints I do at Forestfit pay off on courses like this. You kinda feel invincible and certainly way ahead of your competitors when you are not gasping for air at the top of each incline.

The other side benefit of all this training is your balance and flexibility. Many of the shooting pegs are on uneven ground and the angle of your shooting posture is not even close to the perfectly flat ground of your practice shooting facility. This makes it essential for you to have a strong stance and flexibility to contort yourself into the right position for the shot.

Outside observers of archery would think it is sport for the non athletic type of person. I know you can compete if you are some fat bloke, but you’d be far more competitive if you did some type of physical training, and I really know how much more enjoyable it can be when you are fit.

Train with a purpose, don’t just say you want to be fitter, or to lose ‘some’ weight. Train to be better at your sport it really gives meaning to your workout.

I’ve shot one end and decided to skip the next in favor of the dry porch and a particularly bad cup of stewed coffee.

I sometimes wonder why I do this.

Started me thinking about being fit gives you a sense of invincibility at times. When i look along the shooting line and see a lot of very unhealthy guys struggling with the conditions, i know that i have one up on all these guys even before we start scoring.

Good feeling.

I watch lots of sport, and participate in a fair bit too, those that are better prepared physically and mentally always come out on top PERIOD.

Talent kinda helps too, watching the two guys on my target, rarely scaring the middle of the target, i know that their talents lay in some other part of their life.

Physical preparation can come easy and is something anyone can do even with limited time and resources. Try the following simple exercises to be a better archer, sportsman, and maybe have less body fat too.

Leg Matrix Lite

Complete each exercise one after the other with little or no rest. Time yourself to complete the circuit. Rest for the same time it takes you to complete the circuit, then repeat. Do a maximum of 3 circuits

Exercise		Manual-Notes (if any)
Bodyweight Forward Lunge 1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. 2. Step foward with one foot and bend your knees into a lunged position. Your back knee should come close to touching the ground and your front leg should be bent to about 90 degrees at the knee. 3. Maintain your upright posture throughout the movement. 4. Return to the starting position and repeat. Once repetitions are completed then repeat with the other leg. Trainer’s comments: Alternating	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance 1 16
Bodyweight Squats 1. Start by placing feet shoulder width apart and holding your arms out in front of you. 2. Proceed to squat down like you are going to sit in a chair. Your upper body will lean forward slightly and your hips will shift backwards while going down. 3. Remember to keep your knees from going out in front of your toes while squatting. 4. Repeat according to your required repetitions. If you want to make the exercise more challenging hold your arms at your sides or behind your head. Trainer’s comments:	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance 1 20
Lateral Lunge on Box Start position: Stand with feet hip width apart. Place hands on waist or out to sides for stability. Step laterally 2-3 feet and place foot onto a box 12-24” high. Bend knee into a lunge. Pushing off foot, return to start position. Continue with same leg or alternate as prescribed. Remember to keep head and back upright in a neutral position. Shoulders and hips should remain squared at all times. Trainer’s comments: No need for the box, Alternate from side to side	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance 1 16
Lateral Leg Raise/Hip Abduction 1. Lay on your right side, resting your upper body weight on your elbow. Using your hand for balance, lift your left leg upward as high as is comfortably possible. 2. Hold for 5 seconds and slowly lower to starting position. 3. Repeat for the recommended repetitions and repeat with the other leg. Trainer’s comments:	Sets Reps Weight/ Resistance 1 12 Left 2 12 right

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