Strength training with an airline schedule

The rotations I fly now on the MD88, are to the same places I used to fly on the E120, back when I started in 1995. Granted, the pay has improved, but the quality of hotel and length of layover, not so much.

Not complaining though. This is the end result of taking back flying.

I did a third leg on the bus last month in the same day. I never got an answer for the grievance that I filed. So mean. So mean. :)
 
I did a third leg on the bus last month in the same day. I never got an answer for the grievance that I filed. So mean. So mean. :)
First month out of the box, during IOE, day one had 5 legs. 5!!! Damn near kilt me! After the first leg, started packing my bag. LCA asked where I was going, cause we had to go back to Atlanta. Told him, "I'm a one and done dude. Eat til you're tired, sleep til you're hungry, land, and go to the bar!"
 
I've had some good success staying fit. Like was said before, you have to be dedicated, but also mostly creative. The good thing about traveling and having different access, to things on a given day is that it forces you to vary your workouts. I have a membership to a gym at home that has a heavybag, so thats what my workouts on days off are centered around. I do mostly bodyweight exercises for strength building which I usually combine with shadowboxing which you don't even have to leave the room for. Some places have hills so those are good for running. All I travel with are a jump rope and hand wraps. I've also recently adopted the Ido Portal Method of movement training. It's very creative, and all you need is your environment. I just turned 43 and was starting to feel myself becoming more restricted. In about a week of using his method, I have the mobility I had when I was in my 20s. Looking forward to seeing how far I can go with it. I also promised my fiance that I'd do yoga with her once a week.
 
I know there's probably a few of you lurking around here. Any of you guys into weightlifting fairly seriously? Just curious how you guys handle making any kind of progress or keep to your diet/macros with an airline schedule. I got into it about a year ago, worked my squat and deadlift numbers up to fairly respectable numbers, and then airline training/schedule got back into it and I'm at about half of where I was and struggling to even maintain that with having to start and stop all the time.

I know you know this Jordan but squats/DLs are irreplaceable exercises. Most halfway decent fitness rooms at the hotels we stay at in the ORD system have freeweights up to 50 pounds. You could do weighted lunges for your squat and dumbbell RDLs for your deadlift. There are a few that have full gyms with powerracks where you can squat/DL. (CID, MKE, BGM) But you're ERJ so you probably stay at the Four Seasons with jacuzzis and personal weight racks in every room.

My strategy has always been to remember the good gyms and factor them in my bid. If I can't get them, I usually just do upper body. Because of this, all my days off are leg days.
 
But you're ERJ so you probably stay at the Four Seasons with jacuzzis and personal weight racks in every room.
Psh yeah man, I just have our limo driver take us to 24 hour fitness on one of our 36 hour SBA overnights. :P
 
I'm headed to class for SKW in May and am wondering how difficult you guys found it to stay in shape during training? I'm less worried about staying healthy once the month of training is over. I believe the hotel I'm staying in has a kitchenette in it.
 
Also curious to know how many guys on here who are into serious lifting that are able to at least maintain strength levels with an airline schedule. Is it doable for most? Weight lifting is something I used to do all the time, pretty much ever since I played football in high school more than 10 years ago. I loved it. It was like my drug. Kept me out of trouble.

Recently I started flight instructing and its very challenging trying to muster the energy to start going to the gym. I think being out on the flight line and in the airplane most of the day in the summer heat is what saps the energy right out of me. Also working 12-14 hour days at the flight school 6-7 days a week limits the time available for it. This is the first job I've ever had where I work long hours pretty consistently. I miss going to the gym. I love flight instructing, its a lot of fun, but I also love exercising. Some days I'm just like, damn, can I just get a break from aviation to go workout for once? Lol. I love airplanes, but I also love barbells, dumbbells, and squat racks.

I've heard that airline schedules are much easier than your average CFI schedule. Anybody on here able to stay in really good shape, particularly with strength training/serious lifting as an airline pilot? I'm not talking about bodybuilding. Not into that kind of lifting, just more like a blend between bodybuilding and powerlifting.
 
Also curious to know how many guys on here who are into serious lifting that are able to at least maintain strength levels with an airline schedule. Is it doable for most? Weight lifting is something I used to do all the time, pretty much ever since I played football in high school more than 10 years ago. I loved it. It was like my drug. Kept me out of trouble.

Recently I started flight instructing and its very challenging trying to muster the energy to start going to the gym. I think being out on the flight line and in the airplane most of the day in the summer heat is what saps the energy right out of me. Also working 12-14 hour days at the flight school 6-7 days a week limits the time available for it. This is the first job I've ever had where I work long hours pretty consistently. I miss going to the gym. I love flight instructing, its a lot of fun, but I also love exercising. Some days I'm just like, damn, can I just get a break from aviation to go workout for once? Lol. I love airplanes, but I also love barbells, dumbbells, and squat racks.

I've heard that airline schedules are much easier than your average CFI schedule. Anybody on here able to stay in really good shape, particularly with strength training/serious lifting as an airline pilot? I'm not talking about bodybuilding. Not into that kind of lifting, just more like a blend between bodybuilding and powerlifting.

It's absolutely possible to stay in shape/ big at the airlines. You'll figure out a routine that works for you. Everyone is different so what works for me doesn't necessarily work for others.

You won't be able to do a traditional 3/4 day split. You just have to lift when you can. I know where all the gyms are on our layovers so I plan my workouts accordingly.

It just takes some motivation sometimes. You'll figure it out.
 
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