As the new year rolls in, many people are making resolutions. One of the most common resolutions is losing weight or getting in better shape. While losing weight is easy to track, “getting fit” is different. What does it even mean? What are the metrics you can use to gauge success? These are questions that most people can’t answer. However, we do have some baselines we can hit for those who live a personal protection lifestyle. These are baselines we should always maintain if we want to be effective. Let’s take a look at personal protection fitness.
Personal Protection Fitness – Run, Lift, Fight.
We hear it all the time. “I don’t need to be able to run because I carry a gun.” This specific philosophy and similar trains of thought permeate the firearms industry. While you may be exceptional with your handgun, there may come a day when it doesn’t stop a lethal event, and you will need to run. While this concept will still fall on deaf ears, it becomes more poignant when I say you may need to run to save a loved one. You may also need to lift a loved one or go hand in hand in a fight. All of these combine with what I believe is the core of personal protection fitness. The ability to run, lift, and fight.
Short Distance Running
Let’s break down how we can get to the point where we are fighting fit. Running is our first criterion, so we must work on aerobic fitness. If you are already active, then we simply continue to push ourselves. If you have been camped out on the sofa for a year, walking is a great way to start. Use a step counter and shoot for at least 10,000 steps a day. Once you crush that goal, try to speed it up and add more steps. It can genuinely be just a ten-minute walk but stay with it. We are not looking for marathon distances or Olympic speed. We are looking to be able to get you from point A to point B as quickly as possible.
Be Strong
Next up, we have our lift category. You may need to carry an injured person out of harm’s way physically. With that, resistance training is what we need. If you go to a gym, you can follow a simple strength routine. We are not concerned with your bicep size but rather your ability to use dynamic strength. Hundreds of websites and trainers can help you in your quest. If a gym is out of the question, make your own weight training routine. I have seen people set up some ingenious training equipment ranging from car tires to bags of concrete.
Personal Protection Fitness – Run, Lift, Fight.
Our last category is fight. The average response time for police after a 911 call is ten minutes. That means you could be in a hand-to-hand battle with someone for that long. If you have never experienced it, ten minutes will seem like an eternity. This is where I will directly say you need training. I know you think you have fists of iron and that rage will give you superpowers. But neither of those is true. You may never have the opportunity to get to a gun if you get your butt beat because you didn’t know how to fight. There are countless martial arts and combative programs out there. Find one that you enjoy and begin to train. The only criteria I suggest you use is that the program incorporates a little of everything. This means striking, kicking, and grappling. If you are serious about being a “sheepdog” or personal protection advocate, you must have the physical skills to accomplish it. It will be a challenge, but I encourage you to take your time and build yourself up. Do not let distractions or frustrations get in your way. Ignore cheesy fitness people who can’t seem to keep a shirt on. Write your information down and track your progress. Step by step and day by day, you can get there. Ultimately, this piece is not intended to beat you down because you aren’t fit. It is written to encourage you to decide today to get personal protection fit. It will take a while, but I’m sure you’ve got this.
