Physical Fitness and Airsoft

[BigRedDog]

Fitness to me, is very very important. But to others, it always isn't at the top of their priority list, and that's fine with me. Sure, I'd like everyone that I play with to meet military standards, but that will never happen. If you are overweight, underweight, that shouldn't stop you from playing the sport of airsoft that you know and love.

[SgtBojangles]

yeah, US is pretty dersprate to get some recuits huh?

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What is that supposed to mean?

 

Whether or not you're in the military, I still suggest being fit. And when I say fit, I mean having a reasonable body composition, not a ridiculously low body fat percentage.

 

If you can jog a mile without stopping, then you're fine. That's not all that easy in the Florida heat (yeah yeah, I know there are hotter places in the world).

 

And Dark Lite, hurray for tall people!

[craftiest]

I like being a bit heavier - I'm in HK people - with my 6 foot 4 hieght and my 230 pounds I scare the ###### out of other players when I appear.

 

Does make it a *badgeress* when we have to do the trench arenas though.

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next yao.

 

If you can jog a mile without stopping, then you're fine. That's not all that easy in the Florida heat  (yeah yeah, I know there are hotter places in the world).

 

And thats why I love San Francisco.

[H&K]

Physical fitness in airsoft is one of those things that is not absolutely necessary, but is highly useful. It allows you do do things that those without fitness cannot do. For example run like £$%* to get to positions as quickly as possible.

 

If you are not as fit as that you need to work your game tactics around it. For example. My accuracy is nowhere near as good as some of my friends. I make up for it by getting close to the other team quietly and popping up for quick bursts.

This would be different to other members of teams i have been on who take shots I would never dream of attempting and scoring hits, because they have the accuracy.

 

Fitness is one of those things that can aid your airsofting. Just as patience or stealth or accuracy. If you don't have much of it you must work a bit harder on the other areas, or not get into the situations where you may need a lot.

 

H&K

[aznsk8s87]

If you are not as fit as that you need to work your game tactics around it. For example. My accuracy is nowhere near as good as some of my friends. I make up for it by getting close to the other team quietly and popping up for quick bursts.

This would be different to other members of teams i have been on who take shots I would never dream of attempting and scoring hits, because they have the accuracy.

 

you could always get a longer barrel or a tightbore...

 

Even as a 16 year old kid, i can see the benefits of fitness. In fact, because I've decided I need to be more fit for airsoft I'm starting up my own lil exercise thing once school starts up. 800m in the pool or 2 laps around this road we run (it's approx 2K each lap) per week, and this way I'll be able to mix it up, IE 400m in the pool and 1 lap one week, 800m if it's cold outside (the pool's heated) or if the weather is good, then 2 laps. I don't know. I wish to encourage this with my teammates but somehow I don't see them taking to it very kindly... any suggestions?

[dwade32]

I like being a bit heavier - I'm in HK people - with my 6 foot 4 hieght and my 230 pounds I scare the ###### out of other players when I appear.

 

Does make it a *badgeress* when we have to do the trench arenas though.

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haha I'm also from HK: 6 foot, 230 pounds. THe only problem is that I'm only 13.

 

My workout when school is not in seccsion is run a mile, play basketball for 1 1/2 hours, and use my Abe Lounge for 15 min.

[craftiest]

You heard it from me, ab workouts dont give u 6 packs.

[lostsheep]

As other people have said so before, airsoft isn't life-or-death so you really can't MAKE people work out to be more in shape for it. However, you could say to your teamates it could be benefecial for your team? After the football coaches uped the ante on our practices, I found it easier to navigate through our local airsoft field.

I really should heed my own advice. In spite of football practices/workouts everyday, I'm starting to see my bellly fat come back again =P

[El Ornitorrinco]

you could always get a longer barrel or a tightbore...

 

Even as a 16 year old kid, i can see the benefits of fitness. In fact, because I've decided I need to be more fit for airsoft I'm starting up my own lil exercise thing once school starts up. 800m in the pool or 2 laps around this road we run (it's approx 2K each lap) per week, and this way I'll be able to mix it up, IE 400m in the pool and 1 lap one week, 800m if it's cold outside (the pool's heated) or if the weather is good, then 2 laps. I don't know. I wish to encourage this with my teammates but somehow I don't see them taking to it very kindly... any suggestions?

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You ever hear the difference between accuracy and precision? I have a friend who can nail me at well over 100 feet with his UHC USP where I wouldn't be able to hit him for the life of me with my Benelli. My Benelli is far more precise than his USP, however. Heaven knows what he could do if he was using my Benelli.

 

To get teammates to excersize:

 

step one: get said person outside

step two: set your airsoft gun to automatic

step three: follow said person and enjoy the run!

[Frangible]

You heard it from me, ab workouts dont give u 6 packs.

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They certainly help though! However, if you want a visible 6 pack the best thing to do is lose body fat..

 

I'm the proud owner of a 12 pack these days

[SgtBojangles]

Six or eight packs are made in the kitchen (through clean dieting...).

 

However, ab workouts, much like cardio, burn calories. Burning calories is the first step to losing body fat! Just remember that you CANNOT spot reduce fat stores.

 

Another thing that will help your abs jump out is using weights while working them. They're just like any other muscle, so stimulating them with heavy weights will make them grow (as long as you're providing your body the essential muscle building blocks), which will help them shine through layers of body fat.

 

...

[Harmless]

This has turned into Mens Health.

[evilhippy]

AFAIC it really helps to have high levels of stamina rather than to be toned or have stupidly little quantities of fat on you - I find that being a bit overweight doesn't stop me from putting a lot more effort than anyone around me into a day's skirmish, mainly because I've been well trained in my last few years into working well over the limits of respectable effort due to a very old-school attitude to manual labour at my workplace, so a couple of pain barriers to work through is the norm, rather than the exception.

 

I find that helps a lot, and if I'm running up hills at the start of the day I'll be running up them still at the end, and I'm 5ft 11" and weigh 200lbs and I always seem to be the only bugger really running about the place, most of the time

[airsoftfreak14]

Well, I usually run 45-50 miles a week, and it pays off when it comes to airsoft. So if you even run 2-4 miles a day or 30 min jogs 5 days a week, you will be pretty fit in about a week or two.

[DarkLite]

To all the 6, 8 and 12 packers:

 

My 1-pac is bigger than all of your pacs put together, so nyah.

[Calcifer]

Funny thing with the guys we play with the overweight guys are bloody good players.

 

The skinny 16 year old that can't hold a gun is the ones I am annoyed at.  They complain about the weight of empty webbing and a 3kg rifle.

 

But more annoying are the spammers, who stand in the open and spam because their guns can reach those who can't hit them and doge incoming BBs.  But thats not the issue in this thread.

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Your saying that overweight people can be fit. Yet you can't seem to accept that skinny people can be aswell.

 

 

+ This is the airsoft forums. Not the CS ones, you cant spam in real life.

[navymp28]

Here's the rule on my team: if you slow down the team, regardless of gear, you’re out. That means that SAW gunners have to move just as fast as pointmen, who have to move just as fast as snipers (standing up, of course). This means that the entire team will be as fast as the fastest person. This also means that the team's fitness level will only increase.

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You know that is all good and dandy but it is a little funny, in SEAL teams the M60 gunner's set the pace for the squad, they move as fast as the 60 gunners can. As for fitness in Airsoft it is important to a degree. I mean you simulating a military unit and conducting a game that is similar. Therefore you would need some ver base level fitness to make the skirmish manageable with all the gear. Run three times a week and do some puch ups and sit ups. You might not be arnold from doing this but you will be stronger, faster, and a little trimmer. I know plenty of guys who may not have six packs and have a little chub on them, but they can run for days and hump a ruck forever.

[genata]

ok lets not be silly here and dont hate me for saying this, but being an airsofter all you need to do is workout, and run on a regular basis. Its not like your preparing for football or soccer (since the conditioning for those will want to make you collaspe)

[paradigmsk8er]

i agree with navymp...i know plenty of fellow candidates that outscore me on PFTs (and i score pretty high) and you would never guess it. that "physique" doesnt always mean good shape.

 

 

its been said before, but ill say it again in my version

 

 

airsoft is open to everyones interpretation. i think being physically fit is a plus certainly, but not a necessary tool for the sport. I personally think more people should make it a necessary tool but thats not my call. for me its a necessary tool for airsoft and other things in my life. and no one can deny that being fit doesnt pay its dividends in life in general--being healthy is never a bad thing

[TheRabbit]

I play with a wide spectrum of people in all types of shape. I think the important part of playing airsoft is playing to your role that your fit in. No i am not talking about machine gunner or navy seal. I mean in a squad you don't use the big(larger) members as runners, assualters, or point men. You use them to provide cover fire while the in shape guys cover ground and then they provide cover fire for the others. Its just a matter of knowing what you and the others are capable of doing, but its more a game of manuvering then it is of fitness, granted you might be able to move faster but you have to know where you are going.

 

One thing i am reading here is that everyone is saying that the military requirements are too low. I have not talked to one person in the military that looked at the minimum requirements as a goal. Yes many people can do them, but how many people can get a 275 or above on the marine pft. takes a lot of work. I would discredit those in the service as being out of shape. I recently took a marine pft after hardcore training for about 8 months and i still couldn't get a 300.

 

Another thing to remember is that the military is a microcosm of life, hence you will find some people who are in worse shape and get fat and slow in the fleet, but that is not the norm. As for airsoft, its that same mircocosm, just skewed more towards the computer programer types

 

Also airsoftfreak: running over 25-30 miles a week unless two weeks before a marathon is a great way to hurt your legs from overuse. I know i got it band syndrome and had to not run at all for 3 months. I think reccommended is 12- 15 miles a week in 3 mile runs. no more as your body and knees won't rest enough.

[craftiest]

45-50 miles a week? Your *fruitcage* insane.

[Hudabon]

I dont think those requirements are all that hard(I actually just tried all of them except the running, could only get to 37 pushups but I havent been doing those for very long and Im only 15) but if I was on a team I certainly would not turn away a person who is willing to play but are not in the best of shape. I think it can sometimes be demeaning in airsoft for people to have team's with set limits on their members fitness levels, this is a sport and really more than that it is a way to enjoy yourself and meet people with common interests. The military has their limtis inplace for a very good reason, if in battle half your force drops dead from fatigue you have quite a problem, but I really would be dismayed to see soemone turned away from and event or team for their fitness level.

[TjM2147]

I think being fit is very important...also everyone that is talking about running 30 miles a week to get fit in 2 weeks..how about you do that with 50 pounds attached to you? or just put 20 pounds in a backpack and run. Guarantee you'll be fit in 1 week instead of two well thats what i do anyway and i'm in top physical shape. Although you cant put down the non physical fit people because it just isn't fair..this isn't the real military here. We aren't going to die here. So just relax and have fun with it. Thats what airsoft is about right?

 

P.S. Proud owner of a 12 pack

 

EDIT: Spelling

[TheRabbit]

adding weight while running is a great way to add more stress to your knees and hips and leads to injury.

[craftiest]

Lets face it, my 13 pack owns all of you.