We live in an obese society driven by processed fast food and have drinking liters of soda a day and barely any water if at all. I have seen hundreds of people “preparing” for some sort of catastrophic event that can barely walk and some cannot even see the bottom of their shoes they are so obese. I am not trying to be harsh because I am by no means perfect I am just trying to point out something I see wrong with the prepping community today. We also rely on certain stimulants to get us through the day whether it is coffee, soda or any other form of caffeine. If something bad is to happen that would drive us from our normal lifestyle we need to not be so reliant on those things to get us through the day.

Those preparing for a disaster whether it is man-made or a natural disaster should find time somewhere in their schedule to exercise at least thirty minutes a day. As a prepper I find myself thinking when I look at my Get out of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) bag wondering how far I could really get with it if there was an EMP or some other disaster that left me and my loved ones walking. It weighs around thirty pounds and I am in decent shape (trying to get in better) but, I honestly do not know how far I could get with it. That is why the group of people I am preparing with we have started exercising with are bags on anytime we can. Granted it would come off a little strange being at the gym with an ALICE pack on however, everyone should practice it once in a while to get a feel for it and know what they would be carrying. Below I will lest the exercises that everyone in my group has to be able to maintain and we practice once a month to be sure we are still in shape and we can keep each other in check. (Keep in mind this without gear.)

• Dynamic warm ups and stretching
• A mile jog in under nine minutes (I know this is not fast but not everyone in our group is young we just want everyone to be in decent cardiovascular shape.)
• Fireman carry’s with a partner
• Pushups: 50
• Sit ups: 50
• Finally squats with a partner

This is just a basic workout to make sure everyone in the group is doing their part and we can work as a team. Everyone in the group is required to stay physically fit because it is not fair for some people to be busting their tails to stay in decent shape then have one out of shape person slowing the team down and possibly putting them in danger. Do not misunderstand me we are a team and we will always work to encourage each other when we are working out and strive to better ourselves. Every person in preparation community needs to take every measure to be in great (not good) physical shape in case there is ever a SHTF situation. If there is such a disaster there will not be a doctor or anyone to help you with your heart problems or give you the blood pressure medicine you need. Some people astound me because they are willing to put away thousands of dollars in supplies but, they are not willing to take the time to secure their lively hood and chance of survival by staying in shape. Another way to prepare physical for this type of situation is to do they type of labor you see yourself doing in whatever scenario you foresee. Gardening, working on your house or various chores could also provide the muscle memory your body may need.

I am not an expert in kinesiology or exercise and no one in my group is and we do not claim to have the perfect workout routine but we are at least trying to hold each other accountable in the actions we take. Since we only meet once a month to exercise we make sure at our preparedness meetings that the other members are preparing in all areas, especially fitness. If you are out of shape and cannot do everything on my list try and do some research on what you can do there are hundreds of routines on the internet and even more for beginners.  No one can be able to do all these things in a day but everyone preparing for a disaster should consider staying healthy another step on the road to preparedness.

The word addiction in the title of this article pertains to many things. I will do my best to cover everything that encompasses the word “addiction” in the second part of this article. Our world is driven by convenience we want things and we want it as fast it will come no matter how horrible it could possibly be for us. I can remember always waking up to the smell of coffee at my parents’ house and I wonder how people would deal with not having their comfort food or drink in a survival situation.  The society we live in has people addicted to things all around us cigarettes, caffeine, video games, candy, fast food, and the list goes on and on. We prepare food, water, shelter but how do we prepare for our lives to be stripped of the things we have become so accustomed to having handed to us.

I am writing this article to encourage people to make a change to their lives and that will help the keep their cool in a SHTF scenario. I have recently given up soda because I know that it may someday no longer be available to me. If that day comes I do not want my caffeine withdraws to affect my judgment or those around me. I know that caffeine is an endergonic aid and can help some focus however it is a stimulant. I have also tried to stop eating out except for on weekends and have stopped eating fast food completely. We live in a fast paced world but I encourage others to really take a step back and look at your diet and how it will affect you if someday there are no doctors to help you.

Cigarettes and alcohol addiction are the scariest addiction to me when thinking of a survival scenario. There are many adults who have beer with their dinner. There is nothing wrong with that and it by no means is wrong but how will that affect them if they cannot have a beer every night if there is an economic collapse? Many people have seen the way addicts act and what they are willing to do to get what they are after no matter what it is or who it effects. When my Aunt quit smoking it changed her personality for a while, she seemed like a completely different person. The thing that bothers me the most is she wanted to quit so how would it affect someone who didn’t?
If we really want to prepare ourselves for a disaster we need to start cutting the things out of our lives that we know would affect us the most in the heat of the moment. I hope that every prepper would do their best to start cutting out certain things out of their life. Whether it is unhealthy eating choices or smoking we need to make a healthy life choice. If we really want to prepare we need to do ourselves a favor and start dealing with things that could cause us problems in the long run. As an individual you know what you need to change and if you need help doing it I recommend finding a group within your community or even someone in your preparedness community.
In my short time of preparation I have come across many different types of people. We should all strive to make better life choices and cut out things in are life that will drag us down. As a person you can only do so much to prepare for a disaster mentally but if we all do ourselves the favor of shedding a little baggage and changing our lifestyles we would be that much more prepared for something to happen. I suggest that everyone give something up and do it step by step possibly wean yourself off of whatever you think you are “addicted” to or could not live without in a collapse of society.

Conclusion:
We live our lives day by day in hopes that nothing bad ever happens to us yet we prepare for it. We put away food, water, ammo, and supplies keeping our fingers crossed that nothing ever happens but, if something did in the future and we made lifestyle changes now it would better prepare us for anything. Instead of drinking coffee in the morning I now try and exercise and it has completely had the same effect as coffee for me. I feel alive and ready to go in the morning and I would suggest it to anyone that feels tired in the morning. All I hope for with this article is that anyone who is preparing makes a lifestyle change, whether it be to exercise or give something up I know that it would benefit you and your family in the future. Also freeing yourself from the financial burden of an addiction could be very beneficial and aid you in preparing.

Authors Note: About me, I am a college student in his senior year engaged to a beautiful woman who “preps” with me and is the one who encourage me to do this. I go to school full time and work full time. I hope everyone enjoys this paper as I have enjoyed many written by JWR and other amazing people on SurvivalBlog.com.

My family is the most important thing in my life. I sometimes ask myself, what will I do if there is some event that will leave me stranded away from home? Maybe the event is minimal and my vehicle works, I just drive home. What if it is something more serious like an EMP disables my vehicle and I have to walk home, would I be able to make it home to take care of my family. This is why I have a Get Home Bag (GHB) and I try to keep myself physically fit. My main concern is the gear, the route selection home and more importantly the physical fitness that would get me home in one piece with energy to spare.

Gear

The things that are always on me when I am at work are a good pocket knife, a quality multitool, flashlight, money and a good pair of boots. What I have in the vehicle that I always drive to work is my get home bag, 1 gallon of distilled water changed out monthly, a blanket and a good pair of running/ walking shoes.  The gallon of water goes in my canteens; I drink the rest to get me hydrated before the journey. The running/walking shoes and the blanket go into the GHB in case I need to change shoes as a result of hot spots on my feet and the blanket is to keep me warm. My get home bag is a backpack that blends in well with a population that may be migrating home, not one that is camouflaged or tactical looking. I want to blend in with the sheeple so that an opportunistic predator will not give me a second look but one that is subdued so that if I need to hide someplace dark to avoid people, I will not stick out. The clothes that I wear at work are ones that are a dark color, durable and that you can work in without them causing too much discomfort. The gear I carry is in my GHB is very basic, the idea is to get home as quickly and down and dirty as possible, without too much weight but that still will still keep me alive if I have to hole up for a few hours up to a day.

• 1 dark earth tone or camouflage-pattern 8x10 tarp
• 75’ roll of cordage(the inexpensive kind that you can get for less than $5),
•  Hank of 550 paracord (≈25’)
•  Shemagh,
• Butane lighter(goes in pocket when I start moving)
•  Magnesium fire starter,
• Rubbing alcohol,
• Penny stove,
•  Small roll of duct tape,
•  1 qt military canteen with cup, stove support and cover,
•  Military grade chemical lightsticks (2),
• Small first aid kit in a 1qt Ziploc type bag
• Two 1gal Ziploc type bags and a 55gal trashcan liner,
• Fire resistant aviator gloves,
• 2% tincture of iodine,
• A sack that used to hold drums of linked 5.56 ammo for the M249 SAW that will conveniently hold a 1 qt canteen with cover
• 2qt canteen with cover and carrying strap
•  Some granola bars, peanut butter and crackers packets, cliff bars or power bars
•  Map of the area
• Some seasonally appropriate clothing( Jacket, gloves, hat, extra pair of socks, etc)

I know that some of these items are tactical or military based but those items stay in the bag until needed and what can I say, you go with what you know and the military items are all high quality, durable items that are inexpensive and that you can get nearly anywhere. All of this including water weighs approx 15 lbs. This is a good weight because I know for a fact that depending on where I work I may have to travel between 15 and 25 miles to get home. For me that could take as little as 4 hours at an uninterrupted pace to days if I have to hole up or take the long way around to avoid trouble. That is why gear selection is so important but so is physical fitness.  You can have all the best gear in the world but if you cannot carry it two miles then it is doing you no good in getting you home. This is not a 72 hour BOB, this is an ultra light no nonsense pack that is to get you home in one piece. The items that I pack into the bag are intended to be a onetime use and inexpensive, (purchased at stores like Harbor Freight with coupons clipped from magazines or newspapers) so that if I lose them or have to ditch en route, it would not be a big loss. The other thing to consider when you are thinking about spending a lot of money on the kit that if you are in a foot race with someone who wants to hurt you, if you drop your gear as a diversion you might make a clean get away.  If it is inexpensive, you can laugh at how mad they will be when they find out that they only got a canteen of water and a pack of crackers. It is important to remember to keep your most valuable items on you or in your pockets.

Preparing to get home starts days, weeks or even years ahead of time. This comes in planning the route or routes home. How the roads are laid out?, do you anticipate many people on the roads?, where are there creeks or rivers in case you need to refill your water supply?, are the creeks or rivers crossable if bridges are out or blocked?, what are my alternates if any of your roads are blocked?, can you go cross country if needs be?, will I need to pass through bad neighborhoods?, what are some hole up areas if I do need to hunker down? What are some resources that I can utilize at work? Am I physically able to make the trip and will I be able to fight or think clearly when I get to my destination?

Fitness

There are four components of physical fitness with relation to getting home in a SHTF scenario. Endurance, speed, agility and strength. All of these can be accomplished with family in one way or another. This helps to build strong bonds and gives everyone an idea of the physical capabilities of the others in the family. Now the legal disclaimer: Your should not start an exercise program without consulting a doctor and you should discontinue if you feel faint or short of breath. You should also start an exercise regimen slow and gradually build up to where you want to be. If you try and do too much you increase the possibility of injury and then you are no good to anyone WTSHTF.

ENDURANCE. Being able to travel long distances over varying terrain with or without gear and with the possibility of little to no water or food. This is one of the things that will occupy the most training time because it is not something that you can build up twenty minutes a day, three days a week. This requires you to dedicate some real time, hours sometimes. One good way to incorporate a long walk or run a week is to involve your kids. Get them on a bike and let them ride while you walk. I recommend when you get to a decent fitness level that you start bearing weight and workout with more than you would carry in your get home bag. If your get home bag weights 15 lbs, carry 20-25 lbs, because if you can carry 20-25 lbs over long distances, you can carry 15 lbs over the same distance with less effort. If you intend to carry a sidearm while getting home but you may not want to draw attention to yourself while training, take a 2.5 lb weight plate and run your belt through the center home to simulate the weight of a sidearm. You can also take another plate and put it on the opposite side of the simulated sidearm to simulate magazines. Walk for time or distance, if you have an hour to spend, see how far you can go. If you only want to go 2 miles, see how fast you can do it. Build up until you get to a point where you can walk 75-80% of the distance hat you would walk if you have to walk home. If you require a 2 day walk to get home, cut the distance from work to home in half and use that as your goal.

SPEED. Being able to get to top running speed quickly when the need arises. This is a lot more fun to work on with your kids. Try having foot races with them; give them a head start if you are faster or start even if they are faster than you. It can also be incorporated into your endurance training, in the middle of your long runs or walks, pick a point in the distance and break into a dead run until you get to that point then resume your walking. It simulates getting away from a human predator, family dog or angry bull if you decide to cross the wrong pasture. Speed training is one of the most taxing forms of exercise; it requires a lot of energy and makes you work with more intensity. The good thing about this is that it gets easier as you build up your lactate threshold. Lactate threshold is that limit where your bodies can no longer remove the lactic acid as fast as it is producing it. This is the stiffness you feel in your legs when you are doing wind sprints. Speed training is an important factor in getting home because you may have to evade a human predator while on your journey. The quicker you can get to full speed and the longer you can sustain it, the better your chances of getting away. This type of exercise should be done no more that 2-3 days a week because of the toll it takes on the body.

AGILITY. It is being able to start, stop, turn and jump quickly. This is an important aspect of getting home because you may have to dodge a human predator, jump over a wall or log and move in and out of tree lines or around obstacles. The way to incorporate this fitness aspect with your family is play tag or a similar game with them. This is a great way to keep you and your kids quick and nimble. Other ways to get more agile is the exercises that you did in middle school gym class, suicides, run sideways, run backwards, box jumps or jumping rope. Agility training is also very hard on the body so you need to do this in moderation and like I said before, start off slow and build up.

STRENGTH. This is being able to lift or carry heavy objects possibly over long distances. This is the one thing love doing with my kids. I do pushups with the smaller ones on my back. Do squats with the kids on your shoulders or carrying them piggy back. Teach them to do a proper pushup. Core strength is very important and can be worked on in front of the television. Assume a modified pushup position but stay on your elbows and hold your body in a plank position. These can also be done on each side so your work your oblique’s. Another great place to go with your kids and get a workout is at the local park. Although these are usually designed for children, they can be used creatively to get some exercise. Monkey bars are great for pull-ups, varying types of pushups can be done on the apparatus, and reverse pushups can be done on a low bar; climb up and over rock climbing walls. Your kids will love doing this with you and you will have fun doing it. Once again start off slow. If you cannot do pull ups start off with negative pull ups, meaning, step on a box to get you to the high point of the pull up and lower yourself slowly. Also you can use a friend to hold your feet to assist you in doing regular pull ups. Over time you will be able to do pull ups without assistance. Another good way to gain strength is frontier skills. Cutting, splitting and stacking wood by hand will make you strong in a hurry. The feeling of strength or power you get when you can split an oak log with one shot cannot be beat. There is no gym out there that will get you in shape like digging post holes, splitting wood, and carrying odd shaped objects, or hoeing the ground by hand. These last few exercises are not just for getting home but being able to work for an extended period of time doing manual labor in a TEOTWAWKI situation.

The last thing to address is being able to think under pressure and when you are tired. When you finish a physical task how is your thinking? Is it clouded from the effort or can you put the physical exhaustion aside and think clearly? I have come up with ways to train yourself to think under pressure. The physiology of adrenaline pumping through your body and the after effects of exercise are similar. What I try to do when I have done something exhausting like exercise is to do something that requires a higher level of thought, and I do not mean philosophy. What I mean is after exercising do an easy crossword puzzle, field strip your weapons or do simple arithmetic. These activities will help train you to keep your thinking clear when you are tired, during a high pressure situation or when the fog of war sets in.

The question that you need to ask yourself when judging when you are physically fit enough to get home is, will I have the energy to fight when I get home? Will I be able to chase someone or a group of people away when you get home or if you get home and there are roving bands of looters in the area, will you be able to pull an all night guard duty after traveling from work a great distance? The crux of determining whether or not you are where you should be in your physical fitness quest, are you able to go to the limits of your mental strength and fitness for 24, 48 or 72 hours?

The last thing I want so mention about getting home is that there are going to be a lot of people on the road trying to get home, help those that you can, but if there are people that mean you harm and you cannot get away, then strike first and with violence of action.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave or forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6

JWR,
After reading the recent MBR article by Zorro, it seems that all the amateurs still fuss over the 5.56/7.62 or 9mm/.45 debate. At our police agency here in the Southwest, we focus on increasing our trigger time via the SIRT laser training pistol, practicing fundamentals through live and dry fire, working through scenarios (lessons learned) and practicing "range fitness".

A great resource for range fitness is www.militaryathlete.com. Rob Shaul speaks of high percentage shooting positions based upon the experiences of combat veterans, as well as developing the fitness needed to put the gun in the fight.  It seems that whenever I'm selected to attend firearms training courses it's at the worst possible time of year. The temperature for my shotgun course in February was 20 degrees with howling winds. I had to decide between wearing gloves that got stuck in the elevator of the weapon when doing slug manipulation or just letting them go numb. Now I will attend a Rifle course in August as the temperature is officially 110 degrees in the shade. Hydration, heat effect, and laying on the hot ground to zero or practice prone positions are all on the menu. In other words, when we find ourselves in need of deploying the main battle rifle (MBR), its usually at the worst time with factors like weather, visibility, and fatigue affecting our ability to utilize the weapon.  So before a person picks a side in the great ammo/rifle debate, can you run a half mile, do 20 burpees, assume a firing position with your main battle rifle (MBR), acquire targets, squeeze off accurate fire, "change your return address" (i.e. move off the line of attack to better cover), change magazines, and then put the gun back in the fight? I still can't and yet I train for it. I'm considered a reliable shot. I practice, watch videos, and seek out the help of others because I know my life depends upon it. 

My advice is to find a good rifle in a caliber that's readily available. What's a good rifle? (I can hear people leaning in as I write this), Any rifle from a reputable company (Remington, Colt, Winchester, etc) in a caliber you can find at a stocking sporting goods store (.223, .308, .30-06, .22 LR) at a price that you can live with.

Inevitably, you'll purchase other firearms in other calibers as you gain experience (trust me). Seek out competent instruction in your area and practice firearms safety religiously. Improve your level of physical fitness as you improve your firearms skill set. For example, today I will go to the range on my way to work and practice "snapping in" on a target with my AR. I won't fire a single shot [in these particular drills]. Just bringing the weapon up, on target, and acquiring a sight picture. Yesterday I practiced drawing, acquiring a sight picture, and speed reloading with empty magazines for 10 minutes.  Live by the four firearms safety rules, improve your skills, and have fun.

In response to Zorro: Yes the M1 Garand is a great rifle compared to the AR/M4, but I'm partial to the 1903 Springfield because the US Marines wouldn't be known as "Devil Dogs" without it. Just had to say it! Thank you, - Bretmail 

James:
After reading the BYU Kid’s excellent article on physical fitness for TEOTWAWKI, I had to respond.  I had to take exception to his statement that Crossfit wasn’t recommended because it’s “Metabolic conditioning is not conducive to the ultimate goal of being useful, functional and simple.”

The heart of Crossfit is in fact functional fitness for Law Enforcement and our Military.  I’ve been involved in fitness all my life due to my chosen occupation as a police officer (now retired) and my current occupation as a protection specialist which is what most people refer to as a bodyguard.  I’ve been a competitive long distance runner, power lifter, triathlete etc.  You name the fitness activity and I’ve tried it.  I am now 56 years old and discovered Crossfit about two years ago.  I’ve never been so fit, strong and lean as Crossfit has made me.  Crossfit would work well for any prepper searching for a better level of fitness.  All of the exercises described in BYU Kid’s article are either recommended as Crossfit exercises or are very close to a version Crossfit recommends.   Crossfit is completely scaleable to your current fitness level so that you can work at your pace to improve yourself.  I would urge any SurvivalBlog readers interested in making huge strides in improving their fitness level take a look at the Crossfit web site.  You’ll find drop down menus listing all of the crossfit exercises complete with videos to demonstrate their simplicity.  I’m not a crossfit gym owner, I don’t even belong to a crossfit gym.  I viewed their videos and tried the workouts and got results.  That is what’s important to me, results.  It is not even necessary to purchase expensive equipment.  Most of what’s needed involves dumbells, barbells, pullup bar and a place to run.  You can spend as much or as little as you like to build your own home gym.  Try it you’ll like it! - Carl L.

There are some no nonsense, low-cost hands on things that we can do right now and daily to become more prepared in a slow and steady, simple manner. I recommend using Regularly Unavoidable Training Triggers (RUTTs). Getting in a RUTT could save your life.

We all know people that are in a rut.  Some people like to smoke their cigarettes and some spend hours a day in front of the television.  Some people without even thinking about it pick up a little bit of candy or junk food when standing in line at the grocery store.  The truth is that ruts are very easy to get into.  Our quality of life and our very survival will depend on the RUTT that we are in.   Lets talk specifically about how you can get into a RUTT that affects you physically.   Like most people, hitting the gym has never worked for me.  First, you pack a bag, then drive to the gym, change, and work out.  Someone is inevitably using the equipment you want to use.  Then you need to clean up and head home.   

What a huge drain of time and energy.   I would rather be in a RUTT.  Instead of going to the gym, I would rather use quick five minute exercises at many different Triggered intervals during the day.  This has the benefit to allow me to relieve stress, mentally switch gears between daily tasks, and allow me to clear my head as I go about my day.   Here are a couple of things that I do and the Unavoidable Triggers that initiate the action.  

Near the entrance to my home I have an inconspicuous string that is dangling such that the bottom most part is just out of reach for me to jump and smack it.  Every time I go in to or out of that door (almost), I jump up attempting to contact the string. The idea is do this often enough such that eventually you get good enough to actually hit it.  At that point where I actually hit it, I immediately find something to stand on and trim 1/4 inch off of the string. (wash, rinse, repeat)  How high can you jump? Easily 30 attempts a day (approximately 5-10 jumps at each passing of the Trigger) , over a month definitely pushes the 1,000 attempt mark.  Could that whole body explosive jumping action benefit you on occasion?  Would it come in very handy in a survival situation?  I set one up for each of the nieces and nephews at their homes,, and made it a game.  

 The Regular Unavoidable Training Trigger that initiates this exercise is merely passing through the front door.  Get in a RUTT and do it every time.   What would be the benefit if you were to place a punching/heavy bag  just inside a child's bed room door, such that they could not enter without giving it a bit of a shove.  Would it benefit that child physically to push that bag out of the way 10 times a day for years?  Could you do the same thing for your bedroom/ den/ office/ man cave?  This exercise is Triggered by entering and exiting the room and is Unavoidable.    

What would it do to a child's (or adults) agility and ankle strength if the middle of their bedroom floor from a young age (It has just always been that way) J had a large section covered by a piece of wood or thick carpet with a random array of tennis ball half's attached to it.  Would agility improve over time?  Here the Training Trigger is Unavoidable and is always present when walking in this room.   If there was a pull-up bar above the bathroom door. Every time you finish using the bathroom do a pull up or two on the way out.  As most people use the bathroom a few times per day, this Regular Training Trigger is Unavoidable.  

A 2x4 on the floor (or laying in the garden if the spouse will not tolerate it in the home) makes an excellent balance beam. Get in the habit of always traveling along it when you come to it. When you get to the point where you are doing it without even thinking,,, turn it on edge and screw a couple of supportive "feet" to it. Now walk the narrow edge from then on. It will soon become second nature and brainlessly easy. Have you been able to do this for a while without thinking about it?  Place or screw a stable block under one end to create a 1' incline. The balance beam is right there whenever you approach this area.   It is in your way, Unavoidable and it is just easier to play along with this game you have made for yourself.  You could even disguise it as decorative landscape edging.  

Is there any way that a Tarzan rope could be incorporated into your daily comings and goings?  Would you and your kids benefit if the Tarzan rope was the only acceptable way to leave the front porch.  If there was that and a balance beam coming up the stairs into the home, kids would come and go using them every time.   

A personal hero of mine, J.J. Armes, is said to have turned all of the stairs in his home into high traction rubber inclines to benefit the physical abilities of his family.  How is that for a Regularly Unavoidable Training Trigger?  As a bonus, this would also seriously confuse a burglar and slow down the uninitiated.  

Almost as drastic, a couple of well placed boards or commercially purchased climbing hand holds could become the only acceptable way for the kids (big and small) to go upstairs to the bedrooms or to enter their tree house.   Although not complete, I am currently working on weaving a stout climbing rope so that at multiple times of the day I can take a moment and climb it as I pass.  A regular thick rope is climbable; however, a proper "fast-rope" is much easier on the hands and will result in more frequent use.  If you ever find yourself feeling unmotivated to climb the rope, just attach a small sign that reads “Do NOT Climb Rope - By Order of a Large Government Agency.”  You will soon find that the urge to climb has returned.

I like to frequently have a look and see what is in the refrigerator.  On the main shelf , front and center and sideways, I place the water pitcher.  Now, whenever I open the refrigerator, I have a glass ready to fill with water.  It is usually the case that after having a drink of water, I am not thinking so much about getting a little snack.  

What kinds of things do you Regularly do as you go about your day?  To what positive things can you attach a Regularly Unavoidable Training Trigger?   

Is there a BB gun trap target on the back wall inside of the wood shed with a BB training pistol standing by such that each and every time you fetch wood you can have a couple of practice shots?  Is this proximity to a safe backstop also a good time to practice retrieving your pistol from your concealed carry?  Yes, I know, the wood shed is often cold.  But is that not the point, to practice in all conditions?  What about practicing after you have split a few logs?   Does the screen saver on your computer show a different intricate scene or series of objects and when a button is pushed, does it block you from proceeding until you put check marks in the box corresponding to the items that were actually in the scene? Would that help improve your recall and situational awareness.  Can you set the level of difficulty?   Can others upload expansions and new scenes?  (Well, mine certainly cannot.)

Do you without fail play the "situational awareness game" when out in a public setting like a restaurant?  It goes like this:  Everyone but you closed there eyes, and you ask them three questions about the surroundings. For instance: What color are the drapes?  Does the room have fire suppression sprinklers installed?  How many exit signs are visible?  How many people are wearing hats? The players can answer with a show of fingers and the winner leads the next round.  My Trigger for this is all dining out occasions.  

When traveling home never travel the same path twice.  It is a proven brain stretcher and allows you to familiarize yourself with what is currently going on in the area around you.  Attempt to use unconventional paths such as through parking lots and behind shopping centers.  This simple exercise could really be a life saver in a bug out situation.   It is easy to fall into a habit or a RUTT, why not set yourself up, and create a few that would really benefit you and your family.  Just like food preps, slow and steady, simple and stupid, can win this race also.

JWR Adds: One good RUTT is positioning pull-up bars at the top of two or three doorways inside your house. Get in to the habit of doing four or five pull-ups each time that you walk through that doorway when you aren't carrying an object. This can be turned into a fun game for the family. If you have teenagers, it can even be made a bit competitive--in a friendly way, of course.

Sir:
I noticed the great recent piece by B.D. on the importance of training. Here is a follow-up to that:

All too often as Americans we tend to focus first on the material side of things. That is, "I have to have the right gear to train with." No, not necessarily.

Proverbs 1: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Even for the non believers this is the best place to start when it comes to training and learning. A haughty spirit hinders proper learning. Unfortunately you see this all too often in training. Ego and pride issues in both men and women preclude many from getting the most they could get out of the instruction available to them.

Proverbs 15:33 says "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility." Humility. Interesting word you rarely see in our day and age. We want to be so "proud" of all of our achievements and accomplishments. Yet Scripture teaches us that God "resists the proud" and brings Grace to the humble.

I can't tell you how many times in the last 2 and 1/2 decades of training that I've seen people hampered by their pride and ego issues. Certainly I have not been immune to it at times also. Yet we don't learn with a closed mind. Yes, those new ideas might seem odd to you. Yes, they might be different from what you learned 40 years ago in the military. Yes, they may be different than what the police academy taught you. That doesn't mean they don't work!

Don't be afraid to "lose" in training. This one is going to be a real blow to the pride and ego'ites. You can afford to lose in training. Getting shot with a simmunition or plastic BB isn't the end of the world. Getting knocked out or having to "tap out" to a choke isn't the end of the world. Should you set out to lose? Obviously not! But my point is that it's training and -with the proper attitude- training is about learning - not competing. That's a different realm.

When you lose in training you should learn from that loss. Certainly their is going to be a "learning curve" with any new skill. Would you rather experience that learning curve in the gym or in the force-on-force shoot house or would you rather experience that "learning curve" out on the street in a real encounter?

However when your main concern is only winning, then often times you miss the important lessons being taught. Yes, some techniques you can "muscle through" with a smaller adversary. Often times when you fight someone your size or larger, that won't work. Meanwhile you've missed learning how to properly work the technique because you did it your way. Here again- pride and ego issues.

In training, allow yourself to get into a bad position or situation just to practice getting out of it. How often do you start a force on force drill on your knees with the opponents Airsoft or Simmunition weapon pointed at your head? How often do you start hand-to-hand practice with your opponent in back mount with a choke already sunk in? Impossible situations? No, just really tough situations. This is where the person that doesn't really want to face reality says "I'd never let myself get into that position in the first place." Yep, you and the tens of thousands that have already experienced it. Yet limiting your training to only the "best possible scenario" is like saying "well it will never rain so I don't need an umbrella."  You need to know how to react in unpleasant situations like this. Like Sonny Puzikas, a renowned trainer says "you can either think that you know, or you can know."

Training shouldn't be easy or set up in such a way to make us "feel good about ourselves." If your leaving your training sessions like that, I would submit to you that you need to bump it up a level. You should leave training saying "I need to work on (fill in the blank)." Now is the time to push yourself. Now is the time to get in shape. Now is the time to learn.

Back in high school I remember their was a lot of talk about "on the job training." For us as survivalists, "on the job training" won't always be an option. Learning how to most efficiently manipulate your weapon under fire is not very conducive to learning- or survival for that matter! For serious survivalists, we want to learn and experience as much as possible before hand to avoid "on the job training" during bad situations.

Good luck and good training! - Robert (from the Survival And Preparedness Forum)

We all have taken the time to discuss here the importance of making preparation for the the bad times to come, in the realm of food and water storage. We have picked our defenses carefully, planed routes of egress, but how many of us have prepared ourselves from a physical perspective? This in my opinion is really the cornerstone of any prepping, after all our mobility and endurance is seldom tested in the confines of modern society. Now I realize that not all people are at the same starting level of fitness, starting level of health, or other factors. That being said, let us look at what we can do to take each member of our family to their optimal level. This will not, unfortunately cover every possible unique situation, there after all too many variables. This is intended rather as a primer, a place to start out and for each person to progress as their situation, and abilities dictate.

The reasoning behind my motivation for this part of preparations, is that it seems to be the most under covered and a fundamental for survival. This is one of the preparations that will cross all situations. This covers more then just the mobility effects of being in better shape, but the host of other benefits for the body as a whole. The immune system will work better, you will be more alert and focused. The release of endorphins from this can stave off depression and will help with the manual workload that will be if things get really bad. So where to begin, start with taking a look at your current level of activity, If you run marathons as a hobby, congratulations, not only are you in superior shape but a bit crazy too. However if you sit and play video games all day long your thumbs are in shape, but maybe not much else. So lets start here with the people that are the least active.

1. Get moving. This is the start, even just getting out and walking will improve your base fitness.

2. Skip the elevator. This goes with point number one.

3. Skip the drive through. Fitness is more then just being active, its a way of life, plus when the end comes Burger King will be out of order.

4. Push yourself. Not too hard, but you want to make progress, if you start at only walking a few blocks, try to add to that each week.

Now this is just the beginning, but you have to start somewhere, and you have to push even just a little to make some progress. Talk to your doctor of course before you begin, just to be safe, they will probably be overjoyed in your interest in this kind of self improvement, and can direct you how to begin.

When you’re training, your main goal should always be to improve tactical and technical proficiency.  Combat is a contest of skills and abilities, and without tactical & technical proficiency you’ll surely lose this contest, going from survivalist to speed bump before you know it. 

Let’s start by defining these terms.  Technical proficiency is obtained from the experiences you gain from training whatever equipment you plan on using, whether it be an AR-15, a field dressing or a compass, to name a few.  Tactical proficiency is best gained through experience training with your team, such tactical movement exercises, drills for reacting to enemy contact, and so on.  To attain a level of proficiency that will sustain you through a life or death fight, you need to train.  Proper training will help you to overcome the small problems that can compound and cripple your ability to kill your enemies and protect your loved ones.

But how do you train?

While at the range, a good approach would be to go into your range drills the same way a professional athlete would go about his or her workout; with a well thought out plan that details what exercises you’re going to perform and how much time or ammo you’re going to devote to each activity. This approach will help you train more efficiently, instead of just going to the range without goals and a well thought out plan.  Poorly planned training wastes both time and ammo, and can quickly get expensive while building poor form and weaknesses.  A wide variety of range drills are out there on the internet for you to take and implement in your own training program, on web sites like www.vikingtactics.com and www.pistol-training.com to name a couple.

Don’t forget about how beneficial it can be to practice dry firing your weapon against a safe backdrop.  Army Special Operations soldiers have been known to spend their first 2 weeks of weapons training only dry firing their weapons, because this is a very effective way to develop the muscle memory to bring your weapon up on target quickly.  As a sniper, I dry-fired my M110 a lot to remain familiar with the feel of the trigger and to practice my marksmanship fundamentals. While deployed to Iraq I was able to keep up on my marksmanship skills just by dry firing.  A 70% dry fire / 30% live fire ratio during weapons training has proven to be a good, cheap, and low profile way to maintain and refine your skills as a firearms operator.

Training blocks are a great way to manage your time and help your training program transition from one fundamental element to another, while maintaining accountability of what skills you’ve practiced and what skills need practice.  For instance, in my group’s carbine training plan (We have different training plans for each weapon system we train on, as well as different aspects of operations, such as first aid/self aid and land navigation), Block 1 is a simple loading/reloading drill. We break Block 1 down into different sub blocks, because there are different methods to how we reload our weapons, depending on what type of environment you’re in, e.g., Admin loading is done before range training, patrols; tactical reloads are used when there’s a lull in the gunfight and you have an opportunity to top off your weapons; and speed reloads are used when in a time-is-life situation, such as when there are bullets snapping past your head and your bolt locks to the rear. 

Our next block would be Basic Marksmanship, since that would logically come after loading your weapon, and so on.  So when you look at it on our training plan it looks like this:

RIFLE/CARBINE TRAINING PLAN
Block 1- Load/ Reload and AR-15

• Administrative Reload
• Tactical Reload
• Speed Reload

Block 2- Basic Marksmanship Drills

• Prone Supported
• Prone Unsupported
• Kneeling
• Standing
• Short Range Marksmanship
• Intermediate Range Marksmanship

Block 3- Advanced Carbine

• Weapon Transitions
• Offhand Marksmanship

Block 4- Malfunction Correction Drills

• Immediate Action Drill
• Remedial Action Drills

Of course there are many more aspects to employing an AR-15, but, for all intents and purposes, you should develop your own training program that best suits you and your team’s needs.   

After you’ve designed enough training plans you might wish to combine them and have a team field training exercise, if you have the resources to do so.  Not only are these fun team building events (when done right), but your team can focus on a wide variety of different skills, and can evaluate individual members to diagnose areas that need more training, like first aid, marksmanship, or land navigation. 

Okay, some things to think about when actually employing your training plan:  I like to keep records on my skills as they progress, and when I don’t see the type of improvement in a certain area that I’d like to see, I’ll focus on that problem area by devoting more training time to it.  It seems pretty obvious, I know, but if you don’t keep tabs on your progression you’re not going to know what skills need attention.  Keeping a training journal will pay off big time in the long run. 

• Buy a shooting timer.  I use a PACT-III Timer and it is awesome for working on your Balance of Speed and Accuracy (BSA) Drills.  Training with a shooting timer will help you get rounds on target a lot faster, and they’re especially good for short range marksmanship training.
• Dummy rounds are excellent training tools.  You can randomly put them into your buddy’s magazines to help build better immediate action skills.
• If you can, try to video tape your training.  If you’re trying to learn how to do a dynamic team movement, video is a great tool to help you see who needs work, and to show that person what they’re doing wrong. Sometimes you have to actually see what you’re doing wrong to understand how to improve.   Video is also a good way to help improve the mechanical aspects of drawing your handgun or transitioning to your handgun from your carbine, because you can actually see and identify where your excess waste movement is coming from and can better eliminate it.
• Lists are your best ally if you hate leaving things behind.  Pretty straightforward, but a lot of people don’t think to take the time to put together a quick list and do a quick layout of everything you want to make sure you have, before you leave for the range.  (When I was in my company’s sniper section, our training coordinator would always forget something important when we went to conduct training, and it would cost us hours of valuable training time.  One time, we were going to conduct a stalking exercise, and when we got out to our training area he realized he didn’t have the table that the guys on glass needed, so he had to go back to get a folding table.  When he got back, we went to go grab our blank rounds that we would be using, and we realized nobody remembered to bring the blanks that we needed.  The next time we went out training we made sure we had detailed checklists for everything we needed, and that helped immensely.)
• Research and develop your own creative drills to train with.  Go take classes if at all possible.  Training weighs nothing, you can take it anywhere, and you only have to pay for it once.  If you can’t make your way to a course at OnPoint Tactical or Magpul Dynamics, you can watch Magpul Dynamics DVDs, which have a ton of great information on them, and it’s also easy to find a lot of good tips on YouTube for free from some tactical training schools, like Viking Tactics.
• A good way to induce stress into training is to put the shooter under some sort of bodily exertion, maybe by knocking out 25 pushups or some sprints before the buzzer goes off, and using a stopwatch to time the shooter. 
• My favorite way to practice reloads for both my primary and secondary weapons is to take several magazines and have a buddy load only a few rounds into each one, and to speed reload/ tactical reload after each magazine runs out, until I’m “rounds complete.”  You can also do weapons transitions between reloads with this drill, and this is also a great way to stretch a small amount of training ammo.  You can incorporate dry firing into this exercise to get even more mileage out of it.

All in all, training should be the first thing in your mind when you’re prepping.  This article focuses mostly on weapons training, but a good technical proficiency is absolutely needed with all aspects of your self reliance, and without a good technically and tactically proficient team when the horde comes or while bugging out, you’re sure to be dead in the water.  Remember: All the cool guy gear in the world means nothing if you don’t know how to use it, and when things go south it’s already too late to start learning.

About The Author: "I’m a B4 qualified Army Sniper with two combat deployments to Iraq under my belt; one as a Sniper and the prior one as a Rifleman and SAW Gunner. I gained teaching experience as an instructor for my battalion’s Squad Designated Marksman program and by training Iraqi National Army (INA) soldiers on numerous occasions, and have been an avid shooter since age 10." 

With all the many choices and ways of how to prepare for a natural or man induced and instigated crisis, one detail that is critical and mostly overlooked is being relatively physically fit.  Yes it is time to face your fear of physical activity, but that is why I am writing this article, so you can have a better understanding of the amazing creation know as the human body.  Having spent most of my life in some form of sport or physical job situation, I want to share what I have learned about ways to regain and maintain a healthy you.  First of all, our bodies are designed in such a way, that with consistent exercise, yes I used the E word, you will see positive results.  Hey, if things get as bad as folks say they will, the least of your problems right now is taking that half hour walk or bike ride or stair climb or hike or, well whatever you do, start out by doing something that raises your heart rate to around 70% of your maximum heart rate.  Oh, you say you don't know what your maximum heart rate is. 

Here is a basic way to estimate your maximum heart rate:  Anyone in their 30s, you can use 180 as your max heart rate.  It doesn't matter right now as much as how close this is in reality because it will simply give you something to find the 70%, and for people in their 40s, for you folks let's use 170.  Now for anyone in their 50s, you use 160 safely.  For anyone older, you can see I lower the max by 10 points for every 10 year span.  Alright now, once you have your max, times it by .70 or 70% on a calculator and you should come up with the heart rate you need to maintain for at least 30 minutes.  An example is of a man 45 years old.  He would start with 170 X .70 which comes to 119 beats per minute and maintains this heart rate for 30 minutes or longer.  The important thing is that your heart and your muscles and ligaments and tendons need time to adjust to any physical activity.  This level of intensity will give your body the ability to begin the way back to a better fitness level and not over work it so not to end up tearing those tight tendons or ligaments that need to be reminded how to work longer than the walk from your car to the couch in your house. 

Here in our wonderful United States, it is a sad but true fact that the majority of Americans are out of shape, and I am not referring to having "6 pack" abdominal muscles or less than 10% body fat.  That is not the type of conditioning you need to be for better survival, when in fact. having between 20% and 25% body fat is better because there is the possibility you may have to go without eating your 3 meals a day, and your body will thank you for those fat reserves.  What is important is your inner body fitness level, namely your heart and lungs.  These two organs play key roles in circulating the necessary blood, i.e. oxygen to your muscles and every area within your body, so it can function as efficiently as possible.  Now back to your workout schedule.  After four weeks of exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes at least 3 days per week at 70% of your max , you should notice some positive changes taking place in your body.  I will warn you, hang in there because after starting your exercising program, the first week or two your body will realize there are stored up toxins that it wants to get rid of and the symptoms can cause a sense of nausea.  Hey, you don't want to be having to walk 10 miles to the nearest water supply in a time of crisis, and not be in better condition at that time, so keep exercising now, and you can be the one to volunteer to go get that water and enjoy doing it too.  Those first two weeks are usually the hardest, so stick to the program and you will be glad you did, I know. 

Now that you have finished your 4 weeks and now that you completed your "base" or foundation for exercising, you will be ready to increase your heart rate to 80% of your max.  Multiply what your max heart rate with .80 or 80%.  To make it easier, for someone in their 30s, your exercise heart rate is 144 beats per minute.  For someone in their 40s, yours is 136.  For someone in their 50s, yours is 128.  These numbers may seem low to you but they are in the range for your body to continue to get fitter.  Exercise at this level for another 4 weeks but add an additional day so you are working out 4 days per week at a minimum of 30 minutes each day you hit the road or the treadmill or whichever form of exercise you have chosen.  You will find that some days you will feel strong and refreshed and other days it may be a challenge to do this, but again, NOW is the time to invest in your health and not when your car runs out of gas and you still have 15 miles to reach your home or local "community" center.  The benefits of exercise can be better sleep, more energy because of your body receiving more oxygen more efficiently, and a better mental attitude.  Finally, to give you a sense of accomplishment, in two months time, with this plan,  you will have exercised 28 days, almost a full month.  How many of your friends will be able to boast about that? 

The foregoing basic plan should give you an excellent start to regain and help you with becoming fitter.  After your first two months, you should continue to find ways to give your body what it needs to be prepared for the physical demands you may face in a crisis.  If you are wanting to gain strength after having a base of conditioning, remember to start with the mindset that Rome wasn't built in a day and our bodies won't grow stronger unless you stick to a program longer than 2 weeks out of the year.  You can be creative on what type of ways you gain strength.  It doesn't take 30 minutes to build strength but you have to find something that puts stress on your muscles without damaging them by trying to lift something that you might be able to lift less than 5 times in a row.  I suggest you use a weight or object that allows you to raise it or lift a minimum of 10 times in a row or in one "set".  If you think you need to lift like "Arnold", you are incorrect.  Your body and muscles will respond to being worked and if you develop a routine you can enjoy, it will become a part of your life and you will see positive results. 

The number of days typically to work on strength exercises is 3 to 4 days with alternating days of upper body and lower body workouts.  Your body needs time to rest and recover.  The basic understanding is that taxing your muscles requires time for them to respond by the muscles fibers thickening to accommodate the increased "workload".  It is pretty amazing how our bodies can adjust in order to gain strength and endurance.  So are you ready to begin?  This is not a contest.  You as an individual only need to focus on yourself and not make the mistake of comparing how good or how bad of conditioning you have with someone else.  Take that first step towards a better you.  Remember to pray for God to guide you and to send forth His truth and mercy to our land.

Dear Mr. Rawles:
As a devoted prepper, I have been trying to be diligent in practicing what I preach.  This past weekend was a bit of an eye-opener for me and should be for most of my fellow travelers.  In anticipation of future gas shortages and the impossibility of maintaining reasonable security while running a chain saw, I recently purchased a one-man, 36 inch, made in Germany, crosscut saw.   Saturday morning, I spent a couple of hours building a sawbuck.  Then the education began.  

At this point, I need to interject that I’ve been burning wood for the past 30 years and typically cut (chainsaw), split (hand maul) and stack 12-to-14 face cords of hardwood per year.  I’m in good shape and used to hard work.  In fact I also put a truckload of hay in the barn and went horseback riding before putting the new saw to work.   I went into the hedgerow next to my pasture and took out a fairly small ash tree and a section of a dead cherry tree with my trusty Stihl gas chain saw. 

I then cut them in sections which would yield three or four stove-length logs and sawed these lengths by hand.  After an hour, I had produced maybe three armloads of wood.  My arms were sore and my grip was shot.  I woke up pretty stiff on Sunday morning but finished sawing up my “pile” later that afternoon.  The soreness worked out and I felt fine on Monday.  I also found that if I cut every third log with my left hand that I could keep from over fatiguing my arms.  Still, it became abundantly clear that supplying my home with heat in this manner will occupy an hour a day year round! 

Sawing firewood, in addition to gardening, caring for animals, hauling water and providing security will be more physically taxing than most people can imagine.   I don’t find many truly committed preppers as it is, but of those that I have encountered (mostly in tactical weapons training), I’ve only met one or two that would be up to the physical rigor.  This is no joke.  I would estimate that not one percent of the general population is doing anything to prep for TEOTWAWKI while maybe 10% of preppers are fit enough to see it through.  Gear and even knowledge will be of little use to the ones that collapse from exhaustion.  As Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”  That is truer for us than for the NFL players for whom he intended it. - F.M. in Western New York