Exercise and healthy eating for the OTR truck driver

I was mostly teasing, RedFox. I actually had de ja vu a day after posting. I remember dreaming that very post in the very situation I am in a year or two ago. Very bizarre. So you know why that is? I think it may have to do with your mind predicting where you are likely to end up. My guess is your mind is usually wrong, but when it guesses right you only know after the fact. Anyways,

It is relative to conditioning, so your right on that. I'm afraid you have been misinformed on a simple principle of physiology, though.

Aerobic and anaerobic do not turn on and off like a light switch, but rather more of a spectrum on a wide scale. So while you say your 20 reps are "cardio" meaning aerobic (to use oxygen as part of the means to execute the exersize), it is actually much more anaerobic. In other words, your cardiovascular system is not benefiting as much as you may feel it is. Your hardly incorporating any aerobic stress on your system, and THAT is the actual reason the 20 reps feel hard in the first place.

The driver having a heart attack during unloading is actually dying not during the first 8 seconds, where weight training would help him most. He is under too much aerobic stress as his signs of serious fatigue will not hit him minutes, or tens of minutes later. In all scenarios you can describe regarding trucking, aerobic endurance would be a key component to fighting fatigue.

The scientific terms for different chemicals in your body are misused more than anything. "The burn" you feel from one exersize is far differnt from another type of burning. If you just refer to it as "the burn" everyone will know what you are talking about, and you won't have to worry about some smart-### that went to school for kinesiology correcting you.

Speaking of knee injuries, I don't do deadlifts. I do squats and lunges with a medicine ball at the gym. Really high reps. Occassionally heavy squats, although I don't have any weight worth bragging about. I rarely run less than 6 miles, but I thought the 3x10 minute miles would be realistic for a non-smoking, 130-180 pound male who has been slightly more than sedentary. i would recommend walking for 30-45 minutes before attempting a run like that.

 

Another good post, for sure, but you misunderstand me when I say it's aerobic because I left out the history: I stayed on the heavy end of a cycle for 3 months, expecting to get thru a truck school, get requalified, and find myself doing mosly bodyweight exerisizes on the road. Well, you know what happened: I lost strength going past my plateau, joints started hurting a little, and I got WAY out of conditioning. So jumping into 15-20 rep sets from 4-6 rep sets had me gasping for air. To me, that feels pretty aerobic!!!
I haven't had a Deja Vu for many years: no one knows what it is, even the explanations by psychologists and psychiatrists doesn't really hold water. I think it may be a cosmic sort of loop in the time threshold...like your radio waves bouncing back off of the moon and you hear yourself talking.

I tried those farmer's walks years back. Used a pair of 65lb. db's and no prob: easy stuff. After the DOMS hit a day later, I couldn't walk for a week! If I ever do them again, I'll just do a few minutes of it to start out.

 

Yea I am still not able to bend my legs too well. Reeeal smart of me to go to the point of cramping...then go some more. I did it with about 50lbs but I did about 300 reps. Only stopped about 5 times for 2-3 seconds. Now I can't run too far, but I think when they heal I'll come back stronger than before.

 

Grilled Chocolate Bars are very low calory.

 

But have you ever had Vuja De? George Carlin described it as the feeling that nothing like this has ever happened before...

 

You are right of course. There's no way to eat as healthy on the road than at home. Doesn't stop me from trying though.

 

My basic philosophy for eating healthy is to eat a wide variety of foods prepared a variety of ways... Having said that, eating on the road is a stuggle.

For fruit... bring bananas, apples, and oranges. I also bring canned fruit for the times I run out of fresh. Canned fruit is better than no fruit, but should be avoided.

For breakfast I eat Cheerios. I also bring homemade granola (when my wife makes it). I bring soy milk in the 32oz containers that don't require refrigeration until opening. That way I can bring enough along to last the length of my trip (usually 2 wks) but only have to keep one at a time in my ice cooler. A 12V cooler is good to have since you don't have to buy ice, but in warm weather liquids can get too warm, and in cold weather they may freeze. I use the 12V more like a backup for when I run out of ice. A fridge would be best, but you're talking a lot of $.

When I leave home I bring Ziplock Bags filled with washed and chopped vegetables (raw carrots, cabbage, green peppers, etc) which usually only lasts about 5-7 days. Then I start digging into the canned veggies (inferior to fresh).

I usually bring oat bread from home when my daughter bakes it. I also like to bring whole grain tortillas which I fill with canned veggies and canned tuna.

I also bring kefir, yogurt, and nuts (I rotate between cashews, almonds, and pecans) which I buy shelled and unsalted when possible.

When I eat out I either eat at Subway (free with Pilot's driver payback card) or I eat Chinese food. But for financial and health reasons I don't eat out often.

I never buy chips or candy for snacking. I bring nori (the only type of seaweed I like) for snacking, but I do bring cookies and pieces of pie with me when my daughter makes them before a trip.

I sometimes live out of cans (soup) and bags (micro rice) when necessary, But I try to make it to a grocery store to restock fresh once I reach that point.

I also keep a 1 gallon water jug with me which I keep filled for making coffee and tea, mixing spirulina (powdered algae) and EmergenC (a vitamin powder), and of course for filling the water bottle I keep in the cup holder.

Hope that helps.

 

VERY good post, Diego! As a note of merit, people can't eat on the road like at home because of what they're used to eating. A bodybuilder/athlete who eats "clean" wouldn't even notice the difference, having lived on broccoli, nuts, oatmeal, and several chickens a week...precooked at Kroger, Publix, Safeway stores for about $6-7.00, along with many of the things you mentioned.
Good diet man. You really brought something 'to the table'...! (pun intended)

 

I'd never heard of kefir before. I Googled it, and it's interesting how it's made. Reminds me of sourdough starter.

I might have to try a bottle of the flavored stuff sometime. Even though I enjoy most foods, fresh milk isn't high on my list. (Cottage cheese and yogurts are, though!) So I have to admit that I'm a bit skeptical of the taste of kefir.

Do most who drink it enjoy it right off the bat? Is it an acquired taste? Or something you drink purely for the health benefits? I'm curious.

 

I love milk in copious amounts, but don't like Kefir.
Side note: I tried Greek coffee yesterday: WOW! Jet fuel and don't drink the grinds in the bottom of the cup (not filtered). The most caffeine I've felt in a long time.