Is being too muscular bad for survival ?

[Moosez45]

I pull down 235lbs right now, as I type. Most of that is muscle, some of its fat. When I go on extended stays in the woods, can get by just fine on a pack of romens a day. Not ideal, but I don't get hungry, like I do at home. My metabolism slows with my lessened amount of food, and extra exertion. On a plus, the Bravo Mikes slow down to.

I think metabolism has alot to do with it in the short term survival game, which leads into the long term survival game. Short term being 3-14 days, long term after that. Most people can get by missing a few meals a day, but couple that with a high metabolism, and no or little food, they actually "feel" worse than they are. I have a slow to moderate metabolism, but I used to have a high metabolism, when I was rock climbing and power hiking alot. Also, 8hrs a week in the gym throwing weights around. I eat like crazy and drank milk a gallon a day. Now, I eat less, workout less, can still produce good physical results when needed, but I can be more sedimentary, and eat less.

I would say that a person with a spare tire would be able to "work" longer to provide shelter, fire, water, and food, than say someone with 8% body fat. Plus, the weight offers insulation from the cold. Take a hyper endurance runner, they will need more fuel to keep them in the fight, as their high metab requires more food more often.

Just my observations, I've always said its easier to carry a few meals around your waist, than it is to chase it down in the woods.

Moose

 

[stabman]

but I can be more sedimentary

Beats being igneous.

 

[JUST1MOR]

I've always said its easier to carry a few meals around your waist, than it is to chase it down in the woods. Moose

LMAO, Moose this is classic. Damn near spewed my tea on my keyboard once again. Your point has some good merits. Myself being 6'3" & 295lbs., I get the "Aren't you hungry yet" all the time when we are out. Great theory, greater quote . . .
Be safe.
p.s.: your post on the bow drill fundamentals was textbook, congrats.

 

[jackknife]

I think in a way, mother nature already made a choice.

Look at the Kalahri bushmen, the Aussy aborrigine, the Arabic people of desert wastelands, and the native people in the Amazon river area.

Not lots of big people around.

Small and lean seems to be the mold mother nature made for them.

Carl.

 

[Frostyfingers]

I think in a way, mother nature already made a choice.

Look at the Kalahri bushmen, the Aussy aborrigine, the Arabic people of desert wastelands, and the native people in the Amazon river area.

Not lots of big people around.

Small and lean seems to be the mold mother nature made for them.

Carl.

I agree with this. There was a great thread a while ago about how much of survival (at least for indigenous peoples) consists of doing absolutely nothing--which translates into conserving energy. In my opinion, small person should be able to do this more easily than a muscular person with a higher metabolism.

I also think that for a lot of indigenous peoples, survival means working smarter rather than harder--Using tools as a means to conserve as much energy as possible, rather than doing things by brute force. Plus, man has always relied on teamwork to accomplish tasks and defend each other from danger...No need to be a muscle machine if you've got thirty other skinny guys with spears backin you up!

Frosty

 

[Frostyfingers]

Whoops! Double Tap.

 

[Clang!]

I think in a way, mother nature already made a choice.

Look at the Kalahri bushmen, the Aussy aborrigine, the Arabic people of desert wastelands, and the native people in the Amazon river area.

Not lots of big people around.

Small and lean seems to be the mold mother nature made for them.

Carl.

Those are all warm climate indigenous peoples. Put then in the same environment as the Inuits or Lapplanders and the survivability drops. The colder climates seem to require a more mesomorphic build with a higher basal metabolism and more insulation.

 

[Incahiker]

The amazon people are not big by any means, but most of them are built pretty well and are very lean if that is any indication.

I think a person who is built with a lot of muscle (that has been gained without the use of steroids) is probably more likely to be better suited to physically endure surviving better then just some guy that goes home and sits on the couch drinking beer after a day at the office. The guy is just literally more physically fit. I think a balance of muscle and enurance is probably best. There are some guys that work out at the gym all day but can not walk a mile without stopping for a million breaks. I like to keep a balance of everything.

 

[Moosez45]

The amazon people are not big by any means, but most of them are built pretty well and are very lean if that is any indication.

I think a person who is built with a lot of muscle (that has been gained without the use of steroids) is probably more likely to be better suited to physically endure surviving better then just some guy that goes home and sits on the couch drinking beer after a day at the office. The guy is just literally more physically fit. I think a balance of muscle and enurance is probably best. There are some guys that work out at the gym all day but can not walk a mile without stopping for a million breaks. I like to keep a balance of everything.

I agree whole heartedly, what I was referring to was active people that carry a little weight on them. Not me, I'm a fatass. I'm carrying about 35lbs more than I should be. Dang nurse called me obese:grumpy:. I hear she's doing well, now, though.

Even with my added weight, I can still "get it" at work, home and woods, I generally stay up and busy, but I don't drink beer, I do eat alot of boneless, skinless chicken, and rice. Lots of pastas for lunch, and water throughout the day (2-3liters). At home, its iced tea and juice.

Either way, a guy toting 60lbs of hops around his ass will have a hard time surviving a trip to the mailbox, much less a woodland outing.

But survival depends on the most work with the least amount of energy involved, i.e. lazyness. Or to some fashion, not busting ass to get a project completed. I was always told work smarter, not harder. I'm a pretty hard worker.

Moose

 

[Gadgetaholic]

Same here. I knew a bit of beer gut was a good thing. It's survival, strictly survival!

Same say 'beer gut' I say 'emergency survival energy store'.

Apart from carrying a few pounds of emergency energy reserve I walk for an hour a day covering 6kms (about 4 miles). This means that my fitness is at least reasonable and I am able to cover some distance when needed.

Someone that is so fat that they have trouble walking more than 100 yards would not do well in a bad situation. A bit of excess fat shouldn't be a big problem, but a lack of fitness might be. A person that is extremely ripped with a body fat percentage under 5% is probably going to be in trouble very quickly in a survival situation. A person like Cody Lundin would probably do better than 90% of us due to being fit & healthy, having normal fat reserves and having the skills & experience that he does. I am more worried about me than Cody - I think Cody will be fine!

 

[lifterg]

I agree with this. There was a great thread a while ago about how much of survival (at least for indigenous peoples) consists of doing absolutely nothing--which translates into conserving energy. In my opinion, small person should be able to do this more easily than a muscular person with a higher metabolism.

I also think that for a lot of indigenous peoples, survival means working smarter rather than harder--Using tools as a means to conserve as much energy as possible, rather than doing things by brute force. Plus, man has always relied on teamwork to accomplish tasks and defend each other from danger...No need to be a muscle machine if you've got thirty other skinny guys with spears backin you up!

Frosty

And the indigenous populations of Iceland and Northern Europe are known for being big. Those are both climatic adaptations a not depend on the situation. Bigger is an advantage in cold. Smaller and skinnier in heat.

 

[Zombie Zeke]

And the indigenous populations of Iceland and Northern Europe are known for being big. Those are both climatic adaptations a not depend on the situation. Bigger is an advantage in cold. Smaller and skinnier in heat.

Amen.

That is a great point, look North to see what a big guy can do in a survival situation.

I don't know about shorter necessarily in relation to smaller though, there are tribes in Africa that are well over six feet on average.

On the whole nature has a way of making it's indigenous people just right for the area.

 

[Moosez45]

And the indigenous populations of Iceland and Northern Europe are known for being big. Those are both climatic adaptations a not depend on the situation. Bigger is an advantage in cold. Smaller and skinnier in heat.

Good point, very good point.

Moose

 

[not2sharp]

Here is an interesting 19th century story:

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Sea-Tragedy-Whaleship-Essex/dp/0141001828

The skipper of the Whaleship Essex, which is attacked and sunk by Sperm whale (the inspiration for Moby Dick), is overweight. Yet, when the crew finds themselves adrift 3000 miles away from the nearest land, the strong grow weak, while the skipper burns fat and gets stronger.

The same story tends to be repeated frequently. We see it happen again during the infamous raft of the Medusa disaster; where the ships doctors outperforms eveyone, including a large military detachment; and even during the 1939 expedition to K2, where an unskilled and out-of shape team member outlasts his much stronger teammates. Those who are best suited to survive are often not very apparent, it is not about skills, or muscle; it is about being fortunate enough to have the right combination of physical and mental stuff to meet the challenge.

n2s

 

[jw2n]

I always knew beer was a key ingredient to survival. Reading this thread only reinforces that belief.

 

[VictGerbSogCamill]

And the indigenous populations of Iceland and Northern Europe are known for being big. Those are both climatic adaptations a not depend on the situation. Bigger is an advantage in cold. Smaller and skinnier in heat.

I guess thats why I thrive in the cold weather.

 

[Barbarossa]

I have my own little survival saying. "When times get rough and times get hard, the fat get skinny and the skinny die". There is a lot of truth to this for long term survival and surviving cold exposure. It is good to have some fat and not all muscle for a survival situation. The very efficient fat(ter) person will simply go longer on stores of energy than the super in-shape extra lean (which translates into being an inefficient machine-more fuel for the same energy output) GQ boy or starved crack head model. This doesn't mean being in decent overall health is a bad thing for survival. Extremes on either end of the fat scale are not going to be as good as in the middle.

 

[idaho]

Being bigger and stronger definitely is an advantage during "fight" part of survival - no matter how the fight looks, whether it is opening a plane door, picking up a rock and so on. But during prolonged time more muscle needs more energy, water and and loses more heat.
But, after all - muscled people are in better shape than couch potatoes (no matter slim or overweight) and that makes a big difference.

 

[DennisStrickland]

the guys hit it on the head when they said hot climates mean skinny & cold climates means stocky. the inuits [eskimos] tend to be chubby & whether its true or not the vikings were always depicted as pretty stout fellows. you can be overweight but also carrying lots of muscle. some of the strongest kats i've known had some bellies on them but they were really strong & sometimes extremely fast.
dennis

 

[sykes3170]

I think it has a lot do with the individual, some people feel better very lean and others better with with more bodyfat.
I feel the best at right around 200lbs which where I am now. This is also a weight at which I can maintain the easiest.

By pitdog2010 at 2010-12-06

Such a frail specimen. No, you look to be in good shape. The way we are naturally built has alot to do with are ancestors. For example, the polynisians are typically big and strong due to their enviroment of plentiful healthy food, mild enviroment, and physical work. On the other hand people that come from inhospitable enviroments tend to be smaller. As far as a survival enviroment I think it has to do with overall fitness and knowledge of the enviroment. I know that I'm lacking in both. I'd probably end up as predator feces.