Hi, I'm fairly new to this sight but I love what I see so far. Health and Nutrition are a very important too me and I've studied these subjects in-depth for the last 5 years. I have extensive knowlege in weight training and have participated in several bodybuilding competitions over the years. I've also driven commercial vehicles for 15yrs. A licensed personal trainer and a truck driver, what a combo ehh... Most poeple don't think about their health until there is a problem and then it's usually too late. Here's just a few tips that may help you to get started towards reaching your fitness goals. I always give myself the 1st 30min too 1hr in the morning or whenever I wake up. Regardless to where I am or what I'm doing my day does'nt start until after my morning excercise, thats my time for me. 24hrs in a day. If you can't give yourself 30min to 1hr out of 24 you are done anyway. 1st thing in the morning because you can manage that time, once your day starts you know how chaotic it can get in a hurry and before you know it your day is gone. It also relaxes you and gives you a sense of well being ...get it done early and forget about it. Eat a good nutritious breakfast oatmeal and fruit is my favorite(quick and easy). Never ever ever skip breakfast. When you do it wreaks havoc on your body. It tells your body to store fat and sends your body into survival mode. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it literally jumpstarts your body and it's the only meal of the day that you can pig out on and not gain fat because its all consumed/burned quickly for energy. Drink water like a fish. It cleanses your body and flushes alot of toxins out of your body, fat too beleive it or not . Drink a gallon a day if possible. Loose the soda. It does more damage to your body than you will ever know. I know its hard but try too get at least 8 to 10 hrs of un interuptted sleep eveyday, this is a big one. Sleep depravation causes all types of health issues. Your body releases certain hormones that heal and repair your body in stages of sleep. This process begans only after about 6hrs of sleep so any less and you are depriving your body of its natural healing process. Also instead of 3 meals a day, try to eat 5 or 6 small meals, this will speed up your matabolizm and in turn your body will burn more calories. Lean chicken,fish and beef...more fruits and vegggies(raw is better more nutrients) nuts like almonds and whole grain whole wheat bread and brown rice. Stay away from the white bread and rice(all of the nutreints are bleached out. I hope these few tips will help, just a few of many. I will browse here frequently so if you have any questions about fitness and nutrition I will gladly help/respond. Good luck toward reaching your fitness goals.

Thanks for the info, I myself have been working out again for the last 9 months. I am going to start school soon to get my CDL and do worry about my health . My last job I sat at a deskk reading blue prints to do bids on for contractors . I would eat fast food for lunch everyday ,I only had 1/2hr lunches . I did this for a year and that was all I could do . I know driving will be alot of sitting again but I have it in my mind to do as you said and get some execise. At least something. I will get help from my trainer for ideas and exercises to do on the road . I look forward to more post from you . Thanks.

Thanks, here are just a few excercises that you can do in the truck everyday with relative ease. Push ups on your bed, sit ups on your bed(In smaller trucks the bed gives you enough space to manuver), crunches, dips(sitting facing the cab place hands on edge of your bed and lower your body and push back up). Stretching your muscles daily also helps alot. These few are simple and you should start out trying too do at least 3 sets of 10 or 2 of 15. Push yourself. Daily excercise is a major stress releiver. There are many many more excercises that are more complex and involve weights but these should give you a starting point. Good luck

I just started riding with a trainer in trucking and at this point shadow box and do karate ricks for the cardio. I have problems with push ups on my shoulders (52 YO male) and am thinking of the use ofdumbells (one at a time only)for a strength program. DO you have any further ideas for strength or cardio? Thanks.

I had one of those Bull Workers to use in my sleeper. They make generic ones also. I always ended up working my arms more swinging the fridge door open tho.

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My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

I do carry 2 50lb dumdbells in my sleeper and I workout with them everymorning. You don't have to go that heavy in order to feel the workout, I'm used to doing alot more and the 50's work fine for me. Maybe start out with 25's until you get used to the movements to avoid injuries. Go to Walmart and purchase an excercise ball as it will allow you to do more strength training excercises. Shoulders: sit on the bed with the dumbbells at your feet. At the same time lift each one in unison to shoulder height and proceed too press each one extending your arms fully above your head. These are shoulder presses, at least 3 sets of 10. Arms: Stand up with db's(dumdbells) in each hand and slowly do alternating curls(one arm at a time until you have done 10 with each arm). 3 sets......... Chest and upper body: Place the excercise ball in the center of your bed and towards the back of your bed, sit in front of it with a db in each hand again at shoulder height. Slowly lean back until your back is comfortably rested on the excercise ball. This should have your upperbody at a 90% angle. Extend your arms above your head and slowly bring them down until your elbows touch the bunk if you can, than slowly extend your arms back above your head. This is an in-clined bench press. Again 3 sets of 10 is your goal.Don't get discouraged if you can't do 10, your body will get stronger with time. You can also do bent rows for your back ,squats for your legs. Keep a tennis ball handy as you drive. Squeeze it from time to time(keeps your hands and forearms strong). Flex your calfs(extend your feet to your tip toes) while driving to increase blood circulation to your legs. These are some of the more advanced excercises that wil help you stay fit and loose weight. Soon I will post my daily diet here and I can almost promise weight loss and more energy if its followed to the T. Fitness can be an enjoyable journy and I will gladly help anyone to reach there fitness goals if I can. Thanks

Some very good ideas. I will benefit from this advice. Thanks.

You are what you eat. No truer words were ever spoken. You can't constantly eat crap and feel like you are going to be okay, you may not drop dead tomorrow but over the coarse of time eating junk will kill you. Ever wonder why cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure affects so many people? Years of eating the wrong foods will sooner or later catch up with you.I'm not saying that you can't enjoy food, but if you want to eat healthy and stay fit you have to eliminate certain foods from your diet. Cakes,pies, pastries, honeybuns,doughnuts,cookies, ice cream and other sugar coated goodies are a no no. Fried foods: fried chicken, fried fish, fried porkchops, country fried steak, squash,okra, onions and any other fried concocktion you may be temted to eat are all a no no. Pizza, whitebread, burgers and fries, sodas, chips and doritos, cheese, sauces and dips, white rice, most canned veggi's(they are loaded with sodium and preservatives) are all a no no. If you continue to eat these foods you will continue to gain weight and do all sorts of harm to your body. Drasticly cut back on your salt and sugar intake. Now I know most of you are like "my god whats left to eat". Plenty of good wholesome foods. The foods you need to be eating are as follows: Meats boiled, steamed or grilled chicken breast, lean fish(salmon,tuna), lean beef steaks(sirloin tip,loins) london broil, lean ham(not country ham), fresh veggi's: brocolli, spinach, sweet potato's, peppers, green beans. Fresh fruits: apples,pears bannanas, blueberries, palmagranites,oranges,mango's. Fresh fuits and veggi's are a must. Drink water like a fish, at least a gallon a day. Brown rice,oatmeal, whole wheat whole grain bread. Fat free yogart is also a good source of calcium. Stay away from whole milk, if you must have milk drink fat free or 2%. Forget the old adage of 3 meals a day. You need to eat balanced meals every 2.5 hrs a day(this speeds up your metabolism and turns your body into a fat incinerater)at least 6 meals a day. Green tea instead of cofee and honey instead of white sugar. If you have specific questions about certain foods ask and I will respond. If you don't already have a refigerator or electric cooler than you will need to invest in one. Walmart is a god send for truckers who want to eat right, most are easy in and easy out all over the country. As I promised heres a break down of my daily diet: 1st meal flaxseeds, oatmeal, 46grams of whey protein...2hrs..........2nd meal apple and hand full of almonds......2.5hrs.... 3rd meal Chicken breast sandwhich on whole wheat bread with a pear or bannana........2hrs.. 4th meal Green tea and protein bar.........5th meal whole wheat wrap with spinach almonds and tuna............6th meal another chicken sandwhich with piece of fruit and fresh brocolli. Sometimes its salmon or lean steak instead of chicken. During the course of the day I also drink a gallon of water(flushes fat and toxins out of your body). On occasion I may eat a sub at subway, mostly chickenbreast or turkey on wheat. Hope this gives you a guide to healthy eating. Everything that I eat has health benifits. Questions, ask and I will answer. Good luck

I carry ALL my food in the truck with me. I have a power inverter which runs a 600 watt microwave I got for $25 on sale at Menards home store. I have a coffee pot, electric cooler. I usually am gone for 4 nights and I carry everything for that time for $60 a week. compared to the $150+ I used to spend in the restaraunts eating garbage. I have a california run coming up and 10 days without a good home cooked meal may be too much I may have to stop and have dinner sometime on that one

What I do is grill 6 or 7 chicken breast(sometimes salmon and steak) at a time before I leave home. I hard boil a half a dozen eggs and buy the pre-cooked turkey breast from walmart. Also the rottisourie chicken at walmart are very tasty and good for you. I only eat the breast and give the rest to my dog when I get home. Good quality protein is premium for sustaining any good diet and supporting a healthy metabolism. The fresh fruit and veggi's keeps your digestive track clean and gives you sustained energy.