Nerdy expat getting back into fighting shape

[Livgardist]

Hello, y'all

 

About me. My name is Henrik. I'm Swedish, living in (ugh) Missouri, thus I am an expat. I came to the US under a marriage visa to marry my now wife. In Sweden I served in the Swedish Army for several years. My final stint was a year plus with His Majesty's own Royal Guards Company. I was in terrific freakin' shape.

 

Flash forward five years and I'm living in Missouri, working a boring job as a plumbing salesman. While it involves physical work, I'm nowhere near in the shape that I used to be.

 

However, I aim to get back into that shape now.

 

About my routine. Used to, I'd prop my feet up on my bed (My high, American bed), and start doing pushups. With a bit of effort, I'd do 200 of them in a row, no breaks. That's the shape I want to be in again. I begun working out again a few days ago. Propped my feet back up on the bed, because I like to run head first into these things and let my self discipline do what my muscles can't. I managed a hundred, barely. My pecs and arms ached like hell for four or five days after. Today they didn't, so I did it again, and the hundred pushups was slightly easier. AND, after a short break, I (barely) managed another 15, with my feet on ground level.

 

So that's my starting level as far as that goes. I know it's more than a lot of people can do, but it's not enough to me.

 

Anyway, the 200 pushups thing is just one of my goals. I'm wanting to vary my workout routine, with the feet on the bed pushups being the only regular routine I want to do. I'm going to try to do something every day, whether it's just lifting heavy shit at work, doing random pushups throughout the day, burpees in the back yard, or a random crossfit routine I find online. Whatever. As long as it's something. I'm also going to try to go out jogging every weekend, either Saturday or Sunday.

 

So, anyway... Goals. Mine is to get back into Army shape. I joined up here, a) because you guys seem like a great bunch, b) because I want people I can actually talk to about this, and c) because I feel like I can bond with you guys and become part of this commuity. It'll be fun!

 

Thanks for reading my ramble! To infinity and beyond!

 

 

Attached. Me during my fighting days. How I miss the Army. Sigh.

[WhiteGhost]

Hi, welcome!  Getting back into the shape I was when I was in the military was a goal of mine when I first joined NF.  Fast forward a couple of years and I still don't have the shape I envisioned, but I am actually stronger now than I was then (although a lot slower on the running).

 

Will you be participating in the 4 week challenge that is just starting up?

[Scaly Freak]

Hej och välkommen!

 

And now switching to English as a courtesy to the forum moderators...!  

 

I live way northwest of you, but if you are a coffee drinker and a fan of Algrens Bilar, we can swap stories of nostalgia for Swedish food. I moved to the US on a K1 Marriage VISA in 2004, and the closest I have ever come to being in the army was visiting the Royal Palace in Stockholm, where I did the tourist thing and watched Högvakten and of course visited Livrustkammaren (where I pouted and wished they would let me at lest test swing the swords).

 

After roughly 14 years I am finally starting to get over the culture clash. It's fun to constantly discover the very small differences I could never have anticipated until they actually happened. (Bacon is finger food?!? That still throws me off!)

 

So it sounds like you're planning to do a mix of body weight exercises and cardio?

[Livgardist]

8 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Hi, welcome!  Getting back into the shape I was when I was in the military was a goal of mine when I first joined NF.  Fast forward a couple of years and I still don't have the shape I envisioned, but I am actually stronger now than I was then (although a lot slower on the running).

 

Will you be participating in the 4 week challenge that is just starting up?

 

Probably not. I prefer to not be too rigid in my workouts. More like 'make it up as I go along'. 

 

I will look into it though! Maybe I will join after all.

 

I think the biggest problem with getting back into military shape is, unlike in the civilian world, you're constantly active - carrying heavy shit, walking, running, doing micro workouts... So I'm going to try to emulate as much of that as I can in my daily life by doing random pushups throughout the day. :O

 

 

8 hours ago, scalyfreak said:

Hej och välkommen!

 

And now switching to English as a courtesy to the forum moderators...!  

 

I live way northwest of you, but if you are a coffee drinker and a fan of Algrens Bilar, we can swap stories of nostalgia for Swedish food. I moved to the US on a K1 Marriage VISA in 2004, and the closest I have ever come to being in the army was visiting the Royal Palace in Stockholm, where I did the tourist thing and watched Högvakten and of course visited Livrustkammaren (where I pouted and wished they would let me at lest test swing the swords).

 

After roughly 14 years I am finally starting to get over the culture clash. It's fun to constantly discover the very small differences I could never have anticipated until they actually happened. (Bacon is finger food?!? That still throws me off!)

 

So it sounds like you're planning to do a mix of body weight exercises and cardio?

 

Hey, fellow Swedish expat! How fun! I spent a lot of time guarding Stockholm Castle. It was one hell of an experience, but it gets real old real fast. XD Livrustkammaren is amazing though!

 

I'm actually slowly sublimally brainwashing my wife into embracing the idea of moving to Sweden myself. She's quite taken with the idea, but we're waiting for my stepson to grow up. After that, I'm hoping to go head first back into the Army.

 

I am planning to do both cardio and body weight exercises. The only regulars I'll have is probably the pushups and jogging. I'm going to use some exercise regiments from the excellent app 8fit, too. Those always got my heartrate up! Other than that, I'll take it day by day and see what I feel like doing, but always something!