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Trivial_Trekker

Bear with me...

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Hey online crew!
I've been lurking this site for quiet a while now and finally decided to giver, n post.
I am currently a full time student, but this summer (2006)I'll be working full time and have plenty of time on my hands..... So im gonna try out the PPF program.

I understand this sport takes alot of nerve, fast thinking, pateince, and knowledge.
That is why im trying to learn and prepare as much as i can even before i hit the DZ.

My MAIN question.:)....
In terms of goign to the gym and working out, what do u find really helps u out while skydiving, what can i work on to prepare my self for this summer...

Any other advice on anything would be appreciated.
:D


thx.



[]DETE

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You don't *have* to be in great shape to skydive, but it helps. Anything that helps with flexibility and core strength is likely to be beneficial.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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dont' forget balance.

It's an often-overlooked and underdeveloped part of overall fitness.
There are some great excercises/positions to do using those large swiss-balls to improve balance.
When I used to swim competivly (years ago), it was a part of our dryland excercises a couple times out of the week.
I thought it was the dumbest thing i'd ever wasted my time on (Warning: you will look like a dork), until it actually started paying off in the pool.

I find, alot of the basic skydiving skills are reliant on good balance and coordonation.
Improving balance and flexibility would probably (IMHO) be the 2 best things to work on.
(strength is good too - chicks love strong guys :P )



Oh, btw, I find this quite ironic that I'm giving advice on fitness - just look at my wingloading - hehe ;).
not so much in shape anymore................ So, keep that in mind, you're taking advice from a fat-man!

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I've been a fat, out of shape POS for most my skydiving career. I am proof that you don't have be in good shape to become a good skydiver. If you are going the gym already, great. But you don't HAVE to start going to prepare for this sport. It's just a skydive, you're not running a triathlon or anything. But that said, you can help yourself.

As others the mentioned, balance helps a lot. I will add flexibility as a helpful thing to have. If helps prevent injuries, which is nice. But the act of stretching makes you more in touch with your body is any position. People like swimmers, gymnasts and wrestlers seem to be naturals in skydiving. They all have a keen awareness of what every muscle is doing. Pilates and yoga seem have best combination of balance and flexibility.

I also found that swimming, specifically the breast stroke, help me solve one get a good feel for what my feet were doing on a jump. I had a tough time keeping my feet in synch. I was dropping one knee or bending one knee more than the other...sometimes both. That put me in a slight spin all the time. The breast stroke forced me focius on where my feet were at all times. I made a effort to tap them together at the end of each stroke. My legs problems were gone in two weeks!

My other useful advice...from my experience. If you are going to the wind tunnel to train, inclined bench press helps a lot. I never noticed it when i made 5 jumps a day at the DZ, but getting in the tunnel for the equivilent of 30 jumps in a day...it was PAINFULLY obvious that I needed more inclined presses in my work out.

Best of luck to you...hope I helped.

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awesome!!, thx for the advice everyone. I'll continue to get in shape just because it makes me feel good, and theres not much to do in this dam town.:(

I look forward to becoming a member of this close knit sport, and I will continue to learn morebefore my first pff jump...

o ya drinking beer comes nautrally to me;), lets just hope so does skydiving.

Laterrr



[]DETE

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