Cardio Equipment on Board

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Adamante

Deconditioning happens surprisingly fast, even in very fit athletes. Studies have shown that during a forced layoff of up to two weeks, a well-conditioned athlete will lose about 10% of his aerobic conditioning. In three months, about 50% of aerobic capacity is lost. And unless the individual is very genetically gifted, it takes much longer to get it back than to lose it.

A couple of years ago I cracked some ribs in an accident and couldn't run at all for three weeks. A month after returning to running, I ran a race and found I lost one minute in my 5K time. That's huge. Took me another three months to get that minute back. I guess I'm not that genetically gifted...

BTW, weightlifters tend to decondition more slowly than endurance athletes.

For sure on the deconditioning, but it's just a reality that I think anyone competitive needs to embrace. Whatever you bring, you're not going to be able to match a full featured gym or outdoor running area. Your diet won't be as clean, and you'll be more sedentary.

As much as it sucks to go backwards a bit, it's not like you're going to step off the boat in Tahiti try to PR a marathon (or squat 600lbs). You have to re prioritize a bit and not beat yourself up that you're only 75% of what you could be, because to be in top form it's not going to have anything to do with a boat.

To me full barbell back squats are one of the most important things in my life and form the foundation of all my physical fitness work, and they simply can't be done safely on a moving vessel (or a moored one for that batter). But I can't get to Tahiti staying in my gym in top form either so one of them needs to give a little bit.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

To me full barbell back squats are one of the most important things in my life

Strippers are mine.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Strippers are mine.

Mark, it really is time you got yourself female partner!

[zeehag]

sailing IS a cardio event in itself. so is rowing, kayaking, chasing the (wife) around the boat......what more could ye want? unless ye have a boat large enough for STUFF that has only one use, why .....

[svpattyd]

Our son is a personal trainer and he brought his TRX aboard. He lost a leg to a DUI accident and on a trip to Block Island it helped him continue to rehab.

[niel12]

Simplicity and no corrosion no maintenance up and down the companionway is really enough to overwork the ticker. Nice thing about this is you can determine when and how much the where came with the boat!

[Katiusha]

Thank you all for your replies. They gave me a few things to think about and check.

If anyone has any other setup on their boat for use during *long passages*, would love to hear about it as well.

From my side one more exercise (strength not cardio, but fun) you could do while motoring is the following: get your partner to stand at the wheel with one hand on the throttle; get mask and snorkel and undress; put the transom swimming ladder in the water; grab the bottom step with your hands and get your partner to accelerate the boat until you have enough pressure on your body. Then you can do leg raises, pull ups, push ups, twists, etc. Water gives you resistance (thus the need to undress - otherwise you have a very good chance to lose or terribly stretch your clothing) and massage. And, as a side show, you have a sliding view of the bottom with sand, coral, fish, etc. To communicate with your partner develop a series of hand gestures, maybe similar to diving signals. I do 5.2 kn resistance, my partner 5.8 - 6 kns
It's fun, it's exercise, you get to swim, you get to "super-snorkel", and it's a bit of a thrill. Of course the same can also be done while hanging on the line off the aft cleat or two lines tied together - that gives you more of a swinging effect.

One thing that's not fun while doing this exercise is if the boat goes through a cloud of stinging jellyfish during jellyfish season, but that's part of the adventure, right? [we always have vinegar for cases like these]

[niel12]

Wow that sound like fun, bigtime at that! Some would say i'd like to be a fly on the wall ... i wonder what others would say ...

[simonmd]

For me, polishing the grp and stainless is all the cardio I need!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Buy (or make?) a Scull.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Adamante

As a competitive endurance runner I also dread the prospect of compromising my fitness during long passages. Ten minutes on companionway steps is not really enough for a meaningful cardio workout. You need a minimum of about 20 minutes at relatively high intensity, such as running at a moderate pace (8-9 minute miles) to be of much benefit to the cardiovascular system.

I agree that a treadmill might be too unwieldy and difficult to use with any wave action. The bike-on-stands is probably the most reasonable option, but I also would find pedaling boring. If I had the room in the cockpit or in the main salon, I would seriously consider an indoor rower. The best one I had ever used was the Concept2 rower. It’s fairly expensive, but it’s the only machine-type exerciser I can tolerate for any length of time. And unlike a bike, it gives a complete workout for both the legs and the upper body.

On a largeish catamaran, it could be deployed in the cockpit. On your boat you might have to somehow lash it to the deck. Or maybe you could use it as a reason to get a bigger boat?

Adamante, Katiusha:

I stand by what I said. You are letting the media and other athletes scare you to death with little basis. I was a very competitive cyclist in college (1979-1983), logging many intense hours of cardio each week. I then suffered a career-ending knee injury that took me off the bike for over 25 years. I was not a couch potato during the interim; rock climbing, hiking, ice climbing, mountaineering, and sailing all contributed to my maintaining my weight and some base of fitness, but it was not at all the sort of cardio base I maintained before.

8 months ago I suddenly realized I could get back on the bike, that my knee had recoved enough. At first I took it very slow--I didn't want to risk injury--I was pitiful and thought I would never really recover, but I liked riding. After 6 months of carefully increasing work load, I find only dedicated 20-somethings and masters riders can stay with me, on rides at a sharp pace of up to 4 hours. I haven't been passed or dropped in months and I chase a lot of folks down. That's not bad recovery, after a 25-year lay-off. A great 50th birthday gift!

Yes, you will see some temporary effect. But when you consider periodization of training and over training issues, the only thing a passage is really going to do is allow micro-injuries and overuse injuries time to mend. Just consider a passage to be "off-season" and train hard on either end. It also allows the mind to develop other prioreties. More of this is in your head than your legs, particularly if you sail the boat activly--no one said you have to set the autopilot and never trim a sail for hours.

No worries and have a good adventure.

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by thinwater

...

Yes, you will see some temporary effect. But when you consider periodization of training and over training issues, the only thing a passage is really going to do is allow micro-injuries and overuse injuries time to mend. Just consider a passage to be "off-season" and train hard on either end. It also allows the mind to develop other prioreties. More of this is in your head than your legs, particularly if you sail the boat activly--no one said you have to set the autopilot and never trim a sail for hours.

No worries and have a good adventure.

Thanks, thinwater for the advice. It's been well received

Happy sailing!

[Adamante]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

For sure on the deconditioning, but it's just a reality that I think anyone competitive needs to embrace. Whatever you bring, you're not going to be able to match a full featured gym or outdoor running area. Your diet won't be as clean, and you'll be more sedentary.

As much as it sucks to go backwards a bit, it's not like you're going to step off the boat in Tahiti try to PR a marathon (or squat 600lbs). You have to re prioritize a bit and not beat yourself up that you're only 75% of what you could be, because to be in top form it's not going to have anything to do with a boat.

So what are you saying… that boating might actually involve some compromises?

But that’s just the thing, I’m not sure I am willing to compromise on this one. I stubbornly believe there must be a solution. My generation wants to have its cake and eat it too (well, maybe not cake - too many carbs).

I’m sure you are aware that there’s something called “specifity in training” that says that you should train in the sport you intend to compete in. Just as there is really no substitute for working-out with free weights, if you want to get good at running, you can’t bike, swim, or play volleyball - you must train by running. So by proposing to use an indoor rower I am already compromising to a great extent.

And as far as getting off the boat in Tahiti and setting a marathon PR – well, I just want be able to run it without keeling over. And not necessarily in Tahiti, but the Easter Island marathon is definitely on my list. I just wish they had better anchorages at Easter Island…

[zeehag]

funny thing--cardio exercises do not need equipment. there are many things do able without the need for extra stuff on board.

[Billy Higgins]

I like TeddyDiver's realism about rowing. Here's a strategy for you to use when sea conditions won't let you over to row.

Get rid of your roller furling jib and replace it with just a wire jibstay. Now buy a nice new set of hanked-on genoas and jibs. A light 150%, a heavy 150%, a heavy 110%, and a really heavy small yankee. Plus the storm jib. Stow nicely bagged and all below in the forepeak - if your boat has one, otherwise in a quarter berth - and haul them up and down at each sail change. Now if you can change jibs singlehanded per each wind change, you'll have your fitness delivered directly to your arms, back, and lungs.