The bunnyman challenge

[bunnyman666]

Weighted vest is definitely a game changer. I now even wear it on the bike. It is a passive means to work my core. Some of my “great in the mirror” muscles are showing through as a result of wearing this thing. Of course there will always be a cosmetic deficiency in my abdomen as a result of four surgeries in that area. My career as a bare-torso male model are well over

The challenge is beginning to pay off. Once I can get back on the ice in November, I believe that this new regimen will start paying in spades. My back does sometimes hurt as I keep upping the reps with my kettle bell exercises, but it feels vastly stronger. I will start adding fake ice workouts to go along with the other things.

Now that fitness is coming along, I can say for certain the following:

a) It is entirely possible to regain fitness after you are over the hill

b) hockey can be your only workout IF you play daily

c) off-ice support is NECESSARY in order to play well, PARTICULARLY in the aerobic/anaerobic phases of the game

d) daily exercise contributes to OVERALL well-being, both physical AND mental.

Of course your contributions are welcome! Please chime in!

[GoalieInTheDesertYT]

I’m not reading the entire thread so I’m not sure if this has been said

but the two most important things IMO is being consistent with your exercise/workout ( doesn’t matter if you miss one day just get back into it the next day bcs at the end of the day all that’s important is that you are moving), and your diet. Eat like crap you’ll feel like crap.

These two things are how I went from an underweight scrawny guy To someone who looks normal. I’m not jacked in anyway or form but I do feel much better than I used to. Physically and mentally.

[bunnyman666]

38 minutes ago, Goalieinneed said:

I’m not reading the entire thread so I’m not sure if this has been said

but the two most important things IMO is being consistent with your exercise/workout ( doesn’t matter if you miss one day just get back into it the next day bcs at the end of the day all that’s important is that you are moving), and your diet. Eat like crap you’ll feel like crap.

These two things are how I went from an underweight scrawny guy To someone who looks normal. I’m not jacked in anyway or form but I do feel much better than I used to. Physically and mentally.

 

Consistency is KEY. Diet is equally important!

[Bmats30]

I know you said kettlebells for upper body and core, make sure you mix in some resistance exercise like that for the legs. Obviously lower body strength and power benefit goalies, but will also help with balance. Also if you're looking for something spicy, add in some jump rope workouts. If you boxed I'm sure you've had some experience with jumping rope haha. Great to hear it is going well for you so far, keep it up!

[insertnamehere]

On 9/20/2021 at 4:42 AM, bunnyman666 said:

Consistency is KEY. Diet is equally important!

Yeah, but consistency and moderation isn't sexy enough to sell a workout program, diet coaching or bullshit supplements, etc. 

[bunnyman666]

17 minutes ago, insertnamehere said:

Yeah, but consistency and moderation isn't sexy enough to sell a workout program, diet coaching or bullshit supplements, etc. 

you’re NOT wrong!

[bunnyman666]

189# and declining! I am feeling pretty good right now!

[bunnyman666]

184.5 ish. 
 
Now I am mixing up the training. Morning workout will switch between treadmill and bike. Afternoon workout is a leisurely bike ride outdoors. My new machine has become a favourite steed in my fleet. I am going to gear her a bit more aggressively soon. More coloured alloy bits! But there are a few small  sections where there is a grade. I am flying up those. 
 
Winter will be admittedly harder only due to it being too cold to ride outdoors. This is where the fake rink comes in. 
 
I think I will celebrate 50 a lot fitter!

[insertnamehere]

12 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

184.5 ish. 
 
Now I am mixing up the training. Morning workout will switch between treadmill and bike. Afternoon workout is a leisurely bike ride outdoors. My new machine has become a favourite steed in my fleet. I am going to gear her a bit more aggressively soon. More coloured alloy bits! But there are a few small  sections where there is a grade. I am flying up those. 
 
Winter will be admittedly harder only due to it being too cold to ride outdoors. This is where the fake rink comes in. 
 
I think I will celebrate 50 a lot fitter!

I see people riding all winter, not too many of them mind you, in Manitoba. You can always add more layers!

[bunnyman666]

1 hour ago, insertnamehere said:

I see people riding all winter, not too many of them mind you, in Manitoba. You can always add more layers!

Just don’t want to take the time LOL I hate being cold on a bicycle!

[bunnyman666]

I overslept this morning. Instead of getting up at 3:30, I woke right around 4:45. I just got my tasks done this morning, and as we speak right now, I’m on the treadmill. There are always going to be these type of days. This is when you try to figure out how to turn into a positive.

[bunnyman666]

Just to tell the importance of eating right and doing exercise other than playing hockey: to make up for eight weeks of no hockey before the “league” (more like group) starts back, I have played 4 times in the last seven days, including twice on Monday. My legs are a bit sore, but nothing like they would have been had I not gotten into slightly better physical shape. My positioning may have sucked Monday night (subbing for a group), but I certainly didn’t feel gassed and actually started playing better as the hour wore on! 
 
Down to 180-ish. Only 40 more pounds to go, as I feel great at 10 stone (140 lbs.). 

[bunnyman666]

I can say with certainty that what you do off-ice translates DIRECTLY into how you perform on ice. It’s quite rudimentary; however- we tend to think muscle memory from years of goaltending will keep us in the game. News flash: nope.

[bunnyman666]

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an exercise expert. I used to coach duathletes, but I gave up my certification when I walked away from the sport. Feel free to check this with an exercise physiologist to see if it would work for you.
 

It would be reasonable to say that the times where play is intense at our end, you’d be in a state of anaerobic heart rates. But does anyone train for those times?

 I am experimenting with an old treadmill workout, which worked with devastating effects on my competitors on hills in duathlon. 

I warm up for five minutes at a comfortable pace, then I jack the incline to the max. I start at 3 reps, 30 seconds each with a minute rest between. After the set of three, click the incline down two steps, go 30 reps at :30, rest for a minute, then go to the next incline two clicks down.

The fourth set I start is :30 on, :30 off. Repeat at 3x, follow the same as last with clicking down incline. Go six sets. 
 
After the sixth set, set the speed up 1 mph higher at 0 incline. Go hard for one minute, rest a minute, then finish 1 mph slower for 5 minutes. 
 
I did this workout three times a week or at times where I had overslept. I now wear a weighted vest for extra intensity.

Edited November 2, 2021 by bunnyman666

[bunnyman666]

I played pretty well last Sunday. Whilst I believe that being on the ice seven times in 10 days helped, working to improve my fitness is starting to pay off in spades. Not wearing down through basic tasks is also a great by-product, as well as making my mental health meds work better. 
 
I mention interval work: I also feel that interval work helps reflexes somewhat, as you have to start when you see a number on the clock. I remember how I could mount up devastating leads on hills in time trials and duathlons as a result of interval training. I am certain that my training will evolve with time and needs that arise. This challenge will ONLY be over when I quit. 

[bunnyman666]

45 minute recovery on treadmill. After making several good saves last night, my defense quit on me. The bunnyman challenge does NOT address pylon defensemen.

Waiting for my recovery torch. More on that later…

[bunnyman666]

Worked late last night, so I didn’t get to read instructions on the recovery torch. 
 
Did an intense interval workout on the treadmill and currently cooling down on the stationary bike. The evil is dripping out and soaking the bike! 

[bunnyman666]

Firmly in the 170s. Only 40 more pounds to go. Interval training is starting to torch the fat, let alone the benefits where play is in your end for an extended amount of time. Since the outdoor bike season has essentially ended, the afternoon workout will end up being more intense. 

[Trepid]

This is inspiring. Well done. Keep going.

[bunnyman666]

8 hours ago, Trepid said:

This is inspiring. Well done. Keep going.

Thank you. 
 
My goal here is to help get some of those guys and gals who’ve been thinking about coming back or even starting goal at an advanced age or coming back after prolonged injury or infirmity, as I have. Many here already are in great physical condition, but there are more than a couple of us who let that go by the wayside. You can get much of it back. 
 
Again, thanks for the kind words.

[bunnyman666]

In the mid 170s, which is impressive despite the holiday weekend. 
 
The recovery torch is interesting. It subtly provides pain relief with high intensity red LEDs. I say subtle as it isn’t hot, and you don’t feel what it did until afterwards. 
 
I am signing up for a likely low intensity stick and puck tomorrow. Hopefully I can work on a few things and test the mods on my chesty tomorrow.

[bunnyman666]

Weigh in at 170.8, which means I have 30 more to go.

[bunnyman666]

I forgot to mention that my newfound fitness is transferring to better performance on the ice. 

[bunnyman666]

Weight is staying right between 171 and 174. It seems I have hit a plateau. Never to fear, I just need to change things up at this point. 

[Fullright]

I play/skate only once a week real life circumstances permitting but my "program" is pretty basic but seems to work for me. I skate on Fridays so my week goes like this. Sunday, 3 sets of pushups, 30 reps for each set for a total of 90. After each set of pushups, immediately into 28 jump burpees. Next is 3 sets of rows, two upright and one bent over with 12 reps each set. After each set of rows, immediately into 8 reps of squats followed by 18 jump burpees. All lifts are with 2 40 lbs dumb bells. Tuesday is 3 sets of presses, 12 reps followed immediately with by 28 jump burpees. Next is 3 sets of legs with 8 reps and first set is squats and last 2 sets is one forward lunge and one backward lunge.  Immediately after each set of the legs exercises is 18 jump burpees. Thursday is just the burpees as above. 

The work out is vigorous and has helped my endurance. On the non-work out days (Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays) I stretch and foam roll. At my age, my body needs more rest than when I was younger and I stay at the 40 lbs dumb bells because my joints cannot deal with heavy weights anymore.

My diet is pretty good (no sugar, miminal bread, etc) but I mess up with the 9 pm to 10 pm demon. He tries to get me to eat some ice cream or something else destructive. I try hard to resist and just have a yogurt but sometimes I fail. My weight is about 165 lbs.; below that number, I lack energy and feel weak. After I stopped playing for "real" at 34 in the 94-95 season, my weight shot up from about 150 lbs to 205 lbs. I was a pretty fat pig; I am only 5'5". 

Like @Trepid wrote, your thread, @bunnyman666, is inspiring. After your medical issues, pretty amazing how you're reclaiming your life. Best wishes  for your health and play.