Exercise

Personally I have a Reebok step platform, a 35lb weight vest and a set of dumbells I had with me when I was OTR. I typically would wear the vest and walk 10 laps around the truck stop parking lot after I parked the truck for the night and before my shower. Any live load or live unload I did the stepper for about 10 minutes followed by some stretches, bicep curls and tricep presses. When taking a midday break in a rest area I would stretch and knock out a couple sets of pushups. This only takes about 10 minutes so there's no excuse to miss it.

Also you must avoid just about all truck stop food. Not only will truckstop food make you overweight and give you high blood pressure it will also make you broke. If you absolutely have to eat at a TS go for a good salad.

Try to swing by Walmart either late night or early morning when there are few customers and plenty of spaces to park the rig. Load up on fruit, water and low sodium canned vegetebles (collard greens my favorite). Better yet rinse any canned food before heating to get rid of the excess salt.

You can stay reasonably healthy on the road but you have to plan for it and have to make the effort and the commitment to stick with it. Good luck. Realize most drivers fail to do the steps neccessary to stay lean and healthy. You set yourself apart if you can succeed in this endeavor.

I actually get a cheap thrill when I run up steps two at a time while the porkers are panting and holding onto the rail for dear life.

 

I got a curling bar with 50lbs of weights. I do curls, upward row, and shoulders. You can also do squats. I do this most days for about 15 minutes. Store the bar with the weights behind the passenger seat. The bar weighs 15 lbs for a total of 65 lbs. You can do alot more then curls with a curling bar. Its shorter then a regular weight bar, so ideal for the truck. Now get busy!

 

as a driver, the most exercise i would get is when i parked towards the back of a truck stop, forcing me to walk.when i'd be at a customers and had no responsibility to the trailer, i'd walk around the perimeter of their property..some truck stops do (or did) have work out rooms, but i never used those. just a "brisk walk" at least once per day (when i could) or the very next day i was able to. then of course too, no high sugar/calorie/salty snacks...pop corn, corn chips, tortilla chips, every snack as low as possible on the carbs and etc..that put on the weight.

 

Anybody that has ever worked with there hands has a bigger problem sitting on there butt all day drivin' truck. I get real bored out here sometimes.

 

I always thought truckers and exercise went together like hookers and church?

 

And a tricep bar is shorter yet;and many variables can also be accomplished with that..Just tryin to help..

 

Well, with otr i don't think you are going to have much time to exercise. Get in shape before you start OTR.

The other thing is that i'm thinking that all the sitting just isn't going to jive too well health-wise. So it's not so much the lack of exercise or the junk food, it's the continual sitting the could wreak the most havoc. So maybe after every 150 or so miles, stop and get out and take a mile walk or something. Yes, this takes a little time, but not a colossal amount of time.

 

You can do alot more(variety) of exercises with two dumbells and they are easier to store. IMHO

 

Another option as far as resistance training goes is a kettlebell. In case you're unfamiliar with it, it's like a cannonbal with a handle. There are 5-6 good exercises that you can do that will give you a great full body workout in a very short period of time. The kettlebell takes up even less room than any bar and can work more muscles simultaneously than dumbells.