Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Gerber Prodigy Tanto Knife

For a lot of years, Gerber knives was a major player in the cutlery field. However, some years back, they fell out of favor with a lot of consumers, and their line-up of knives really shrank quite a bit. Honestly, it’s been at least 15 years or longer since Gerber sent me any knives for articles. I don’t know if it was a change of shifts or powers-that-be, but they stopped sending me knives to write about. That’s okay; there are more than enough knife companies that do send me samples for testing and articles. One of the best fixed blade knives that Gerber made, in my humble opinion, was their BMF. It was a huge 9-inch fixed blade, Bowie-style knife, perfect for camp chores or survival purposes. It’s no longer made, and I regret not having one in my meager knife collection.

Today, Gerber is on the rise once again, and many of their knives are being produced overseas, which is something I thought I’d never see from Gerber, as they were making all their knives in the USA at their plant in Portland, OR. However, with the global economy and global market, you either jump on the wagon train or you are left behind and will more than likely go out of business. Today, Gerber has a huge selection of knives and other gear to choose from. Keep in mind that you usually get what you pay for when it comes to knives made overseas. If you want a cheap $2 knife, they will make that for you. If you want a high-end $500 knife, they will produce that for you as well. So, don’t let “made in China” or “made in Taiwan” scare you off.

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Last summer, I was cruising the Amazon website for something when an ad for the Gerber Prodigy fixed blade Tanto knife kept popping up for some reason. You know how those “cookies” work on computers; if you once look at something, cookies picks this up and ads will pop-up for weeks with that product. I was more than a little intrigued with the Gerber Prodigy that I kept seeing, so much so that I finally ordered one. The price was right, too. Gerber advertises this knife on their website for $73, and I got my sample for $37.97 with free shipping from Amazon.com. Wait, that can’t be? Yep, it was $37.97 with free shipping!

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Surely, this Gerber Prodigy wasn’t going to be up to my high expectations in a good survival blade, but it wasn’t that much money to lose if the knife wasn’t all that good. A close look at the Prodigy shows that it has a 4.75-inch Tanto blade; for deep penetration, it’s hard to beat this style of blade. The blade is made out of 420HC, which is a fairly common stainless steel and a good steel, too. The handle is made out of some sort of green synthetic rubbery-type of material that is called FG504, and the sheath is really sweet, too. It not only locks the Prodigy into it with a loud “click” from the design of the locking portion of the sheath, it also has a strap to further lock the knife in place. This hummer is jump proof, for those of you in the military airborne. The sheath also allows you to attach it to your belt, with an added strap that wraps around your leg, but you can also secure it to military MOLLE gear. (The sheath that came with my sample is the military ACU camo color.)

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The Prodigy came in that pain in the rear blister packaging, and I needed a good sharp knife to cut the packaging open. It was obviously designed for sale in the big box stores, where it can be hung on a counter or display rack, making it easy to see but very hard to shoplift without removing the knife from the blister pack. On top of it all, the Prodigy is made in the USA! Huh? A knife of this quality and at this price is made in America? That couldn’t be! However, I checked it out on the Gerber website, and sure enough the knife is made in America. I also elected the partially-serrated blade that is serrated for approximately one-third of the blade. A serrated blade is great for cutting rope, especially wet rope or poly rope, and rips right through it. It’s nice for survival purposes, too.

The blade is blackened. I don’t think it is TiNi coated but just a black, tough powder coating for that subdued look that is great for military use. The cross guard is also black, and it appears to be made out of aluminum. It is non-magnetic. Then we have the FG504 hard rubber handle. The pummel is pointed with a lanyard hole on the end of it, and a piece of 550 para cord was attached, which is nice, real nice! The rubberized handle also has some friction grooves molded into it for a very secure grip on the knife in any weather conditions. That’s another great touch, if you ask me.

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To be sure, Gerber makes this style of fixed blade knife in several different blade styles, as well as with several slightly different colors and other variations. Some are called a “military” knife; however, they are all basically the same knife. So if you don’t like the Prodigy, though I don’t know why you wouldn’t, you can easily find a similar style from Gerber. There is actually quite a selection to pick from. I’m thinking about getting another one with a different color and/or style of blade for the money.

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Over the course of a couple weeks, during our super-hot summer in Western Oregon, I put the Prodigy through its paces, slicing and dicing all manner of material. The Prodigy came hair-popping sharp from the package, too. It could easily slice through a blackberry vine, and if you’ve never tried to cut this material you’d be surprised how super-tough it is to cut through with a single swipe of the blade. I also easily sliced through poly rope and hemp rope was no challenge. Much to the dismay of my German Shepherds, who love to tear apart boxes that UPS and FedEx bring me, that chore was reserved for the Prodigy. I cut through a lot of boxes, slicing them until there wasn’t nothing much left, but my “boys” still had plenty to fight over and chew apart when I was done.

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I did some knife throwing, never expecting the Prodigy to stick in a tree, and it never did. However, the point of this part of the testing was to see just how tough the knife was. Yeah, the blackened blade got scuffed up a bit, as did the rubberized handle, but it was only cosmetic. The knife wasn’t damaged. During all of my testing, the knife never needed to have the blade touched-up. It stayed sharp, even during some kitchen chores like cutting meat and veggies.

In my knife testing, I do not test to destruction. Any knife, no matter who makes it, can be broken. Any knife! I’ve received e-mails from some SurvivalBlog readers over the years asking me why I don’t try to break knifes I get for testing. Well, as I said, any knife can be broken. Nothing is U.S. Marine-proof, if you ask me. However, if you use a knife as a cutting/chopping tool, it will serve its intended purpose as a tool. If you use it as a pry bar, you will break the blade eventually; count on it. The guys at the gun shop I haunt are always using their pocket knives as a screw driver, and sure enough they are always walking around with a folding knife with the tip broken off. It’s so much easier to carry some sort of multi-tool that has screw drivers built in, instead of breaking the tip off of a folding knife and then get mad when the maker doesn’t warranty the knife for this sort of abuse!

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As I sit here and type this article, I’ve already convinced myself to get at least one more Prodigy just to have around. My current sample is attached to my Bug Out Bag on the outside using the MOLLE attaching straps. This way, I know I’ll have a fixed blade knife with me when the time comes to actually Bug Out. I have “that” much confidence in this blade that it will serve my survival needs when I might have to bug out.

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Be sure to check out this knife on the Amazon.com website and find the best deal you can on it, even Walmart carries it on their website as well but for a bit more money than I paid for my sample. This is one tough knife for the money, and I highly recommend it. And, remember, this wasn’t a sample; I paid for it out of my own pocket. Way to go, Gerber!

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Times Are Getting Tougher, But Women Can Thrive and Not Just Survive!, by Sarah Latimer

There are hundreds of thousands of women among the SurvivalBlog reader community and their households, and most of us are feeling stressed beyond what has been “normal”. If you’ve been reading SurvivalBlog and watching the news for anytime at all, like me, you’re probably concerned on a macro level about the blatant disrespect of human life, the trampling of our liberty and privacy, the moral decline of society in general and in what the children in schools are being taught, the economic crises around the world, the pressure pot of international conflict on multiple fronts, and more. Then, on a local, community, and possibly even in your own family, you are seeing those around you hurting and you may also be struggling with personal economics, relationships in trouble, unstable employment, health matters, not to mention the daily struggles that all women have to superbly provide a well-run household for their husband, children/grandchildren, themselves, and maybe even parents and/or a group, if you are working in the direction of community living. Like my husband and I, you may also be regularly hostessing survival training and/or religious training/worship in the form of a home church/congregation, too. Hopefully, you and your family are also, at least on a part-time basis, working out of your home, which is the goal of all preppers so that when SHTF you can continue to provide goods and services while working and defending the homestead. Of course, each of us has our own personal challenges, too. With all that burden, ladies, we are feeling a lot of pressure on us, aren’t we!?!

In our culture of fragmented families and with so many families in disagreement over the value and necessity of doing anything that resembles “old fashioned” ways, many women find themselves isolated and without family support. The Lord has prompted me to step forward to write a weekly column just for you.

You are not alone anymore. Join the SurvivalBlog women. We’ll be talking about issues that preparing women have to deal with– faith, family, food, emotions, relationships, gardening, homeschooling, childcare, pregnancy, and much more– in a very personal and biblical way.

Just so you know a little about me, Sarah, I’m Hugh’s wife and a mother of “more than” four (because for various periods of time, some weeks and some many years, I’ve “mothered” in my home other children, who have my heart and prayers like my own) with two still in the household, and I’m also a grandmother with precious grandchildren, who are delights to my heart. I’m a daughter with wonderful parents and parents-in-love, including one I’m helping care for who’s challenged with the harsh symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Almost two decades ago, I made a conscious decision to leave the high pressure, high dollar career life in the city for the simple, homesteading/family life in the country, and my only regret was that I didn’t do it sooner!

There are just some things in life that money can’t buy and that do not rust, decay, or lose their value with economic downturns. Sisters, what you do for the LORD obeying Him and in serving your family and community (and the blessings/rewards that come from doing those things) is beyond valuation! You can do this! You can thrive and not just survive.

So, I’ve learned a thing or two and see the signs of the times heating up. I want to extend a hand of help to my sisters. It’s time to speak to the women of SurvivalBlog! Pressures in this world (and our households) are mounting and we are feeling it. While many of the readers are men, there are a great number of women in the SurvivalBlog households too, and we are needing some encouragement. As such, I believe the Lord has prompted me to step forward to be a voice of encouragement and practical help specifically for the weaker, gentler, more sensitive, yet intuitive, resourceful, creative, powerful, and vital half of the marriage union.

Hugh says he will charge hell with a bucket of water if he knows I’m behind him. That tells me that my support is pretty important and that I have the power to give him courage (or to take it from him). Did you hear that, ladies? We, women, have a lot of work ahead of us; some of it is for us to “do” ourselves and some of our “work” is merely as en-couragers to our men and our children in the harsh times ahead! That encouraging part with our words, touch, and attitude is as important if not more so than what we do with our hands! Let’s keep our hearts and heads in check!

We can do this! Let me just get started with a couple of simple reminders of things to help boost your spiritual, mental, and physical health this week:

  1. Get prayed up and fed up! Take a few minutes to read your Bible each day. God’s Word is so full of instruction, encouragement, and guidance. However, before you read, remember to pray and ask God to speak to your heart through His Word for personal application. Then, go about your day remembering that you (if you are a repentant believer, trusting in Jesus and His Promises) are a princess– a daughter of the King of kings– and you should conduct yourself accordingly with honor, kindness, diligence in your work, and dignity. Listen to His Word and talk with Him throughout the day about everything and then take time to “be still” and listen for His voice to speak to you.
  2. Eat healthy greens, leans, and calcium-rich foods. Green leafy vegetables provide great vitamins plus fiber to keep your body functioning well. Lean meats are the way to go, and as women we need to get lots of calcium-rich foods. Even as young women, that is the time to stock our bones well for the later times in life. It’s simple economics; you invest calcium in your youth for withdrawal in your later years. However, we need to continue to supplement all along the way with plenty of calcium-rich foods. (Unfortunately, chocolate milk only counts as half a serving of calcium, as I understand that chocolate hinders calcium absorption. Boo!)
  3. Get a dose of sun, whenever the sun is shining, whether you go for a walk or run or work in the yard (if weather permits). Alternatively, you could go for a drive or sit inside in the south-facing window if it is just too cold to spend time outdoors. Just remember that some of your skin needs to be exposed to absorb the rays, but we need to wear some UV protection when outside or in the sun for much time to avoid sunburn or skin damage. It seems crazy to think about getting a sunburn in February, but it happens, especially on those first days at the end of winter that we venture outside to work in the yard after having been couped up indoors for months. Sunshine provides us with Vitamin D and helps us process calcium. It helps our mood in the process of making us healthier, and getting out to get some fresh air and enjoy God’s natural beauty does too. While you’re at it, look for things/reasons to give Him thanks. They are there, but you have to look.
  4. Get moving, especially outside in the fresh air, weather permitting. If you can’t, then exercise indoors, but try to get a good aerobic exercise in at least three days each week. Brisk walking is excellent. The best form of exercise is swimming, but in the winter that is not often available to us. Do what you can, but keep as active as your body allows! When times get tough, we need to already be fit and able to hike, pack, and physically work all day long. Now is the time to get in shape, not later, and it is more about endurance and health than muscle-bound strength, ladies! Get started today with a little improvement every day! While you’re exercising, listen to something encouraging. Whether it is inspirational music or a teaching, use this time to boost your thought-process towards truth, get some peace, or to learn a new skill through an instructional audio/video. If you have young children at home, get them involved in your exercise activities, too. Take the ball outside and you run soccer drills where they kick and you chase and kick the ball back to them. You’ll get a lot more running in than they do, but that’s the point. Make it family fun whenever possible!
  5. Take supplements to boost your immune system and provide for womens’ health. I’ve been taking a multi-vitamin blend that I’m quite happy with this past year, but here’s what I recommend as a minimum for immunity boosting and women’s health (based on what I’ve taken for many years to quite successfully prevent colds and illnesses):

    Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist, doctor, or nurse. Healthcare advice provided here is merely a recommendation. Please check with your doctor for what is best for you and your particular health needs. The advice shared here is based upon my experience and needs; your needs may vary widely.

Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups dried elderberries
  • 4 1/2 cups filtered water
  • 3 Tbsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups raw, local honey
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Simmer berries, water, cinnamon, and cloves for one hour.
  2. Cover, and let set on counter overnight or at least eight hours.
  3. Bring to a boil again, adding ginger root. Let simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat.
  4. When warm but not hot, add lemon juice and honey; stir until honey is well dissolved and mixed.
  5. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and funnel into clean, glass pouring bottles.
  6. Seal bottles tightly, and store in refrigerator for use.

Note: If you prefer to can this for long-term storage, cut honey to 1/3 of recipe and add remaining honey only after canning jars have been opened so as not to cook the raw honey in canning process and diminish its health benefit. Be sure to mark jars that need honey added after opening.

We like the taste and take it straight, but it is also great in smoothies or yogurt, too. Even our pre-school granddaughters take it straight without a problem or bribe.

Warning: Do not administer Elderberry Syrup containing honey to children under one year of age, due to the risk of botulism poisoning in infants! If you want to make syrup for infants, substitute liquid agave or granulated sugar cane.

Sarah’s Scripture suggestion: Psalm 4

Recipe of the Week: Turnip Au Gratin with Greens by OkieRanchWife

A retired co-worker visited the other day and brought two huge feed sacks of his homegrown turnips. I happen to love them and put them into almost any soup or stew or pot roast. I have made turnip and potato mash but wanted to do something a little different. This is a casserole that pairs with just about anything. Use fresh greens though, because canned ones just won’t have the correct texture and flavor. At first this may seem like a not-so-friendly SHTF dish, but most everything in it can be grown in a home garden. Powdered dry milk can be used instead of fresh whole milk, and there are work arounds for the cheese, too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 2 cups small dice sweet onion
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 2 teaspoons dry rubbed)
  • 3 cups chopped fresh turnip greens
  • 1½ pounds turnips, peeled and sliced in 1/8 inch thick rounds
  • 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/8 inch thick rounds
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour or Wondra
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon (or to taste) black pepper
  • No-stick cooking spray (I use Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil; it has no propellants or soy in it.)
  • 4 ozs (or more) shredded Gruyere cheese (or any king of creamy melting cheese you might have)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large skillet heat EVOO over medium high heat. Sauté onions, thyme, and sage. Cook about 5 minutes until onion is tender.
  3. Add greens and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Combine 1 cup turnip slices, 1 cup potato slices, water, milk, and garlic in sauce pot. Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put the milk mixture in a blender. Blend until smooth. Be cautious mixture will be hot. Set aside.
  5. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with the no-stick spray. Arrange half the remaining potatoes and turnips in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with onion and greens mixture. Cover the greens with ½ of the cheese. Top that with the remaining potatoes and turnips. Pour blended milk mixture over that. Cover tightly with foil. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the gratin with remaining cheese and put on top rack of oven. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Reader J.N. sent in this link: Very good book on using simple food storage items. Free download.

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: EMP Question

Hugh,

I’ve asked Matt Bracken this question, and he didn’t know. I’ve read all of your EMP-related data, but none of them answer the question of whether batteries, particularly the small D, C, AAA, AA types need to be shielded to protect them from EMP. All authors make much of electronics in devices but never mention separate stores of batteries or the dangers of batteries stored in electronic devices like radios, sights, et cetera. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. – S.D.

Hugh Responds: There is much FUD in the online world (and in books) about EMP. Some of it is well deserved, and some of it is simply because of ignorance about how such forces work. There are two interrelated factors that are critical in determining how destructive an EMP would be towards electronics:

  1. Peak impulse energy
  2. Length of the reception antenna

The peak impulse energy is determined by how large the EMP device is (how much energy it produces) and how close the device is to “ground zero”. The antenna is determined by the length of conductive material attached to the device you are wondering about (and to some extent, the orientation of the antenna in relation to the energy burst). Both of these factors determine how much energy from the EMP makes it into the device. Most small electronics (handheld radios, cell phones, calculators, ipods, GPS, et cetera) have very small antennas. In the case of handheld radios, you can often store them with the antennas disconnected as well. All modern electronics have some ESD protection built-in because they are so sensitive to it, and because of this built-in protection and the small antenna structures small devices are not likely to be affected by an EMP. Of course, what good is your cell phone when the cell tower is non-functional? The batteries themselves have virtually no effective antenna as well.

The established infrastructures are a different story. Power lines are very long antennas as are copper phone lines, non-fiber cable TV, and other things that have very long conductive surfaces. How does this affect you? If you are charging your cell phone or hand-held radio when an EMP hits, it will probably be toast. If it is simply in your pocket, it will probably survive. (Remember, proximity to the burst is important. If you’re at ground zero, it probably won’t, but you have other things to worry about then… or maybe not.)

The path to ground is also important. Things that are isolated from ground will not be affected the same as things that are grounded. You can think of it like a bird landing on a power line: As long as the bird does not complete a path to ground, it is pretty safe. However, if it bridges a ground (like landing on a power transformer) it’s “toast”.

Faraday cages work by keeping the EMP energy on the outside surface of the cage, thus protecting the electronics inside. They do not need to be grounded to do this either. The better the cage, the more energy is kept outside and the safer the inside is. Since there are so many variables that are at work here, it never hurts to keep at least some of your backups in a Faraday cage to be sure. Given that the largest antenna structure on a small device is the charger, you should also unplug your chargers from the wall when they are not in use.

Economics and Investing:

Adidas’s $600-a-year subscription for workout clothes is testing the limits of a big shopping trend. Several observations here:

  1. Have we really reached a point in society where we have more money than time? Then we have become a slave to money even more so. Back in the day, people valued their money over their time; they typically tried to fix broken things or would innovate with what they had or could find. Find a Popular Mechanics from the 1930’s and see how it’s full of ideas of how to fix or make things. In the process, we were a whole lot more self sufficient than today. We were a nation of thinkers and doers. Follow the trend line on this one and see where we are headed– instant gratification in all matters of all things. Someone else can do the thinking for you.
  2. BattlBox…What in the World? You can research that one…

Again, when new markets rely upon folks who are so disconnected from reality that they have to have someone else do the shopping, what does that say about us?

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Currency and Collapse of the Roman Empire (Visual Capitalist) Excerpt: “With soaring logistical and admin costs and no precious metals left to plunder from enemies, the Romans levied more and more taxes against the people to sustain the Empire. Hyperinflation, soaring taxes, and worthless money created a trifecta that dissolved much of Rome’s trade. The economy was paralyzed. By the end of the 3rd century, any trade that was left was mostly local, using inefficient barter methods instead of any meaningful medium of exchange.

International News

For Many in Greece, the Economic Crisis Takes a Major Toll: Their Homes (CANMUA) This article is written about very real people in very real crisis. Excerpt: “Steady work disappears. Meager savings drain away. Welfare program administrators shake their heads. And then, finally, a confrontation with shattering reality.”

EU Lenders Working on Plan for Gradual Greek Debt Relief: Greek Paper (Reuters) Excerpt: “Negotiations between the heads of the EU/IMF mission reviewing the country’s progress on a pensions overhaul, fiscal targets and the handling of bad loans, took a break earlier this month. It was unclear when the lenders will return in Athens. Without their positive first assessment of the reforms, Greece cannot start relief talks it is seeking to show austerity-weary Greeks their sacrifices are paying off.”

Oil Didn’t Wreck Venezuela’s Economy. Socialism Did. (The Week) Excerpt: “But while the oil price drop may have been a proximate cause, and an aggravating factor, Venezuela’s economic woes predate the current oil price drop by many years, and were going on even while the oil price was high, under President Hugo Chavez. The culprit is clear and obvious: The problem is Venezuela’s authoritarian socialism.”

Venezuela is Out of Food: Here’s What an Economic Collapse Really Looks Like (Activist Post) Excerpt: “Many people expect an economic collapse to be shocking, instant, and dramatic but, really, it’s far more gradual than that. It looks like empty shelves, long lines, desperate government officials trying to cover their tushes, and hungry people.”

Fears Grow Over Possibility of Banking Crisis in Italy (The Irish Times) We often turn to macroeconomic models and statistical overviews to understand the mechanics of financial crisis, but we should be ever aware of the terrible toll it takes on individual human beings and their families. Excerpt: “It was a Saturday afternoon and Lidia stepped out of the house for a few minutes to water the flowers in the family’s garden. When she came back into the house, she found her 68-year-old husband, Luigino D’Angelo, hanging from the balustrade of the stairs leading down to the cellar.”

Italy Unveils Most Bizarre Bank Bailout Yet (ZeroHedge) Excerpt: “And this being Italy, where the phrase “political circus” is redundant, things just went uphill from here….” Warning: Commentary following article may contain bad language and/or inappropriate avatar images.

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Self-Reliance Weekly Report: Planning for Spring (Organic Prepper) Excerpt: “It’s here: that time of year when it’s still winter, but the anticipation of spring is in the air. (And possibly on the table in the form of seed and nursery catalogs!) One of my favorite parts of self-reliance is the planning and the dreaming. Right now, I’m figuring out my garden and my livestock for the year. The Self-Reliance Weekly Report is a collection of strategies, made up of the articles, books, DIYs, and products that I found useful on my own little prepper’s homestead.”

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

By way of Tam at the View From the Porch blog, I heard about a thought-provoking piece in Joe Huffman’s The View From North Central Idaho blog: Culture changing concealed carry

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‘Open-carry’ in Texas causing confusion for law enforcement. This law is a legal gymnastics exercise: Not only does it only include handguns, but it also requires a permit. And no carry is allowed at sporting events.

JWR’s Comment: Whenever someone must buy a license or pay a fee to exercise a right, then it is something less than a right. It is in fact a mere privilege, subject to the whim of petty bureaucrats. Fundamental rights are not abstract tokens that are given or sold by other men. They are in fact primary liberties bestowed upon us by God, our Maker. Rights are not substantially secured by asking, “Mother may I?” of any government agency. Rights are more properly demanded or boldly seized and then conspicuously exercised regularly. This secures the liberties that have legitimately belonged to us since birth. If need be, lost rights can and must be restored through proscriptive use. If you live in a land where your rights have been marginalized into privileges, then it is either time to change your government or to change your address. Much like a muscle that atrophies with disuse, any right that goes unexercised for many years devolves into a privilege and eventually can even be redefined as a crime.

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Homemade Caramel Syrup for Your Coffee: Make it with high quality sugar and honey, avoid the corn syrup and enjoy the excellent flavor for about half the price of the store bought version! – Submitted by K.F.

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Cost Of Defecting From The Grid “Some residents may see their electricity bills spike by 300% above what they likely would have been had they not purchased solar in the first place.” What? You’re paying the utility company to use your solar power? – JustCallMeAnn

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Want United Nations Assistance? Eye Scan Required. Excerpt: “An eye scan payment system has been launched by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Jordanian supermarkets to help Syrian refugees staying in migrant camps to conduct purchases at local shops using their eye instead of credit cards, cash, or vouchers.” – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“Now the Senate is looking for moderate judges, mainstream judges. What in the world is a moderate interpretation of a constitutional text? Halfway between what it says and what we’d like it to say?” – Antonin Scalia

Notes for Sunday – February 21, 2016

February 21st is the birthday of Zimbabwe’s President For Life, Comrade Robert Mugabe (born 1924). Despite the 2011 revelations of the apparent murder of at least 640 political opponents, Mugabe was elected again in 2013 to a five year term in office. Mugabe and his ZANU-PF henchmen must be driven out of office and sent to prison, where they belong!

February 21st is also the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany. Since the Luftwaffe ran its own POW camps, he became a celebrity with his captors. The Germans would lock up his hollow metal prosthetic legs each night to prevent him from escaping. Bader’s autobiography Reach for the Sky is a must for those studying aviation in World War II.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 63 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Fitness for Success When the SHTF– Part 4 by J.P.M.

Pacing for the Out-of-Shape

If you are out of shape and trying to lose weight and build strength, start with small increments that you are able to handle, such as doing only ten sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and jumping jacks. Then rest until the burning sensation subsides but no more than a minute. Then do another round until you have completed your workout time. Dedicating 15-30 minutes is a good amount of time for a balanced workout. If you have a pull-up bar (make sure you have one at your SHTF retreat; good plans for building one exist online), do as many pull-ups as you can manage, then immediately switch to chin-ups, and do the same. Also, pump out a few dead lifts. Try to complete at least two of these sessions per day. One long one (20-30 minutes) with a short one (10-20 minutes) is a good plan. Three work out session (one long and two short) is excellent.

For running, going two or three times a week is good. Run incrementally, meaning run until you can’t and then walk until you’re breathing well. (Don’t continue running if you’re forced to start gasping for air with your mouth open. Slow down until you’ve recovered and your heart rate is slower; then resume running.) As for speed, don’t sprint at top speed. Start out at a jog, and increase your speed as you become more fit. At first, it may seem you aren’t moving much faster then walking, but don’t rush. You’ll get speed (and endurance) with patience. As for distance, start with half a mile and see what you can handle. Ideally for practical maintenance fitness, your distance should be what you can complete in about an hour or so. You don’t want to spend the whole day running.

Continual/Maintenance Fitness Training

You must practice “continual fitness training”. What I mean by this is, instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs. Walk those couple of blocks instead of taking a taxi. Instead of ordering in that pizza from a few blocks away, walk to pick it up. Don’t sit at your desk on break; go down to distribution, and see if you can help lift boxes. If you’re out in the country (sweet!), carry those couple of five-gallon buckets of water instead of pulling out the ATV. Walk over to get that shovel. It’s really not that far. Here, those who live in the country have a distinct advantage, as their daily occupations usually require a lot more physical activity. Consequently, they don’t have to do as much dedicated exercise. The country rocks!

Persevere, continually increasing the amount and intensity of your workouts, until you have reached your maintenance point!

Rough Idea of Your Maintenance Point

The maintenance point is the point where you are merely exercising to maintain your current fitness, not trying to increase, varies widely by person. There is no reason, unless you are a professional athlete, to say, “I should spend more time working out, just because I can.” Remember, the point of practical fitness, which I would venture is the best form of exercise, is to enable you to live a productive, healthy life aside from your dedicated exercise; it’s not that you live to workout. Some factors that determine your personal maintenance point will be age, activity level, gender, build, and metabolism. Needless to say, if you don’t do much physical activity in your daily occupation, you’ll need to devote more time and effort to working out. (I don’t think that office jobs are the healthiest. We are designed for physical activity. But, do your best!) Also, you will slow down with age, but let your body dictate that rate, not you. By maintaining a high level of activity, you will live longer and age more gracefully. There is no reason why older men cannot be strong and fast too.

Determining Your Maintenance Point

Here I will throw out standards of fitness excellence and you can determine your maintenance point with them in consideration.

To complete 50-75 sit-ups, 30-65 push-ups, 30-50 non-weighted squats (if you add a barbell and extra weight, the number of reps reasonably decreases), and 10-15 pull-ups and chin-ups each in a continuous set is superb. If you can accomplish these figures in continuous sets of their respective exercises, you are in excellent shape, for an average six foot 180-210 pound male. The standards for females will be proportionally less. Go for two sets of these proportions a day, so you complete 100 push-ups a day and 200 sit-ups. These are military standards of excellence, which is all you would need for practical fitness. If you are in this good shape, spend the rest of your time elsewhere. There is no need for spending more time working out, without leaving the realm of practical fitness.

For running, to pass the Basic Training fitness exam, you must complete two miles in 16 minutes (for the 17-25 age group). If you can run two consecutive miles in roughly 20 minutes and five or six miles in an hour, you are in excellent running shape. Of course, your times may decrease proportionally with age, but with constant effort and work you should still be in fighting shape into your 50s. Once you can complete these run times, try to be able to do so carrying a pack with at least 25 pounds in it, or if you’re really brave do it in full kit. If you can run good time still, you are ready for TEOTWAWKI. Running in local 5k races also gives you good practice of running under pressure. Your performance will be markedly different when the pressure is on, as opposed to the daily jog.

So, Now…

It was a long one, but you’ve finished this article, and the S hasn’t HTF yet. That wasn’t the point. We don’t want to wait for that. The information I have tried to provide you here is for you to get in shape now so you’ll be ready for the moment of truth. That way you won’t be one of the people in a daze, saying, “How could this happen!?! What will I do?” It most certainly can happen. We live on the edge of a knife. When things go over the edge, you will be physically able to take charge and chart a course for victory through the chaos. Who will people be more willing to follow, to work with, to band with: someone who swaggers about bellowing, or someone who can take the end of the rope and pull the hardest? With strength, courage, honesty, charity, and nerves of steel, we will leave Captain Sofa and his beer bellied looters in the dust and be on our way to rebuild civilization. I hope I’ve been able to help, by this humble contribution.

Letter Re: How to Prepare a Refugee Bug Out Bag

HJL,

There are some good ideas in here, but a few items that may be easily overlooked. First, denim should be avoided for your clothing. While durable, it will perform horribly if you get wet. It’s better to go lightweight with some good synthetic materials. I would suggest convertible pants that can zip out to shorts because you may not know what kind of weather you will bug out in.

When you are looking at your base layers, you can’t forget to start with underwear. Materials that don’t wick sweat away or chafe will spell disaster. Compression shorts and a stick of body glide is a must have if you are going to be hiking any distance.

Camping can help to flesh out what works and what doesn’t, but I would encourage everyone to make sure that their camping experience is closer to a bug out experience than car glamping. There is a big difference between camping out of your car, or backpacking in somewhere. If you are not backpacking some distance with your gear, then you are not really testing it.

JK in CO

Economics and Investing:

The Chilling Ways The Current Global Economy Echoes The 1930s Depression Era – Sent in by B.B.

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Music to my ears! The War On Cash Is Irrelevant If You Own Gold And Silver – D.S.

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Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

Lawmakers Ask Treasury to Probe Chinese Purchase of Chicago Exchange (Washington Examiner) Excerpt: “It is outrageous that a communist Chinese company — a front for the communist Chinese government — will be given access to trillions of dollars in the struggling U.S. economy and secure information about U.S. businesses. I strongly urge the Obama administration to investigate this firm and stop this purchase….”

It’s February, and China’s Already Broken the Annual Record for US Deals (Wall Street Journal) Excerpt: “The value of the 24 acquisitions of U.S. companies by Chinese buyers is up 15% from the previous record, set last year, when Chinese companies announced 115 deals valued at a total of $20.5 billion.”

Political Backlash Grows in Washington to Chinese Takeovers (New York Times) Excerpt: “As Chinese companies try to snap up American tech businesses, they are setting off ripples of unease in the Obama administration and in Congress, inciting a backlash that has stopped the latest acquisition attempt.”

US Food Chain Safety To Be Scrutinized After ChemChina-Syngenta Deal (Market Watch) Excerpt: “U.S. officials are likely to give the proposed takeover of Syngenta by China National Chemical Corp. scrutiny over food-security concerns, experts said Wednesday, after the Swiss seed and pesticide company said it agreed to a takeover offer from the Chinese government-owned firm.”

International News

Eurozone Crisis IMMINENT as Debt-Ridden Italy and Portugal on Verge of Being New Greece (Express) Excerpt: “Both countries are heavily laden with huge piles of debts and struggling to register any growth amid global market turmoil. Recent figures showed Italy’s economy grew by just 0.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2015, while Portugal’s was only 0.2 per cent.”

UK Ministers Warn of “Domino Effect” If Britain Leaves EU (Financial Times) What would a Brexit mean for the remainder of the European Union?

Multiple Crises Fence in Greece (The Corner) Excerpt: “This creates a dangerous mix that Tsipras has to handle carefully. The impressive factor about recent protests is not necessarily their size or intensity but the breadth of society that they cover. Never before during Greece’s never-ending crisis have farmers, engineers, lawyers and doctors stood side by side.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

Scammers Score Payday on Craigslist, According to Study (Clark Howard) Be careful. Excerpt: “A study done by researchers at the University of Maryland, New York University and Cornell University found that over half of fraudulent real estate rental ads were not flagged for removal by Craigslist, which means these ads were available for unsuspecting victims to happen upon them – doing great damage to them, and their wallets.”

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Oregon was just a sample: The War on Western Working People – Thomas Jefferson changed John Locke’s phrasing when he wrote the Declaration of Independence from “property” to “pursuit of happiness”. Although the reasoning behind this change is well argued, one of the prime reasons was that “private property” was easy to come by in the new world. Now we find that, yet again, that very concept is endangered. – RBS

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SurvivalBlog reader H.L. sent in this article by Mac Slavo; useful information for all of us: Using This Phone Passcode Strategy Will Take The FBI 127 Years To Crack Your Encrypted Data

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D.S. sent in this article detailing how the IRS is your worst enemy in more ways than one: IRS Fails To Follow Basic Web Security Procedures, Increases Risk Of Taxpayer Identity Theft

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Reader MVR sent in this link: Arizona Passes Bill to Stop Federal Gun Restrictions Excerpt: “What this bill does is gives the state of Arizona a protection from Federal infringement of its citizens’ Constitutional right to bear arms. This places all law enforcement in the state in a stable position to refuse, legally, to take part in breaking the Constitution.”

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Showing the increasing dissatisfaction of being tied to a sinking ship: Britain’s EU referendum to be held on June 23 (Warning: autostarting video)

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – February 20, 2016

Today, we present another entry for Round 63 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 LifeStraws (a $200 value)

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 63 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Fitness for Success When the SHTF– Part 3 by J.P.M.

The Dead Lift

Pulling is probably one of the best movements for overall leg and lower back growth, plain and simple. Dead lifts hit your quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, abs, traps, and upper lats. This exercise does require a barbell.

Walk to the bar. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Don’t touch it with your shins yet. Stand with feet at hip width stance and toes out 15°. Grab the bar, narrow, with hands about shoulder-width apart. Arms should be vertical from the front view, hanging just outside your legs.

Bend your knees and keep going until your shins touch the bar. Don’t move the bar. Keep it over your mid-foot.

Now, lift your chest and straighten your back. Don’t move the bar. Don’t drop your hips, and don’t squeeze your shoulders-blades.

Pull. Take a big breath, hold it, and stand up. Keep the bar against your legs. Don’t shrug or lean back at the top.

It is extremely important to keep your back straight throughout the dead lift! To bend your back could cause back injury, such as herniated disks. Since this exercise should be done properly to avoid injury and these are just the basics, you may wish to do further reading.

Links to illustrations of exercises follow:

Running

The essential piece of a strong fitness routine, running, builds strong legs, glutes, and abdominals, and it also is probably the best way to increase stamina and endurance. Why is it so important? Man has been running since the beginning of time, when he needed a faster pace to escape his enemies. Soon he learned that by running when he wasn’t being chased, he was able improve his ability to run when his life was on the line. The pushup will give you the strength to lift that heavy pack onto your back, but you need to be able to move your body as well as the gear you are carrying forward! Running can be difficult, especially for the beginner. However, with practice and forbearance, it can be enjoyable. There is no such thing as a person who isn’t “the running type”. Try not to forget, though, that we are talking about practical fitness here. Running a marathon may not be what every runner needs to do. This is probably going to be the most in-depth of these entries.

Clothing

Wear clothing appropriate to the weather. The last thing you want is to catch pneumonia! Modern workout clothing is fine, but it is somewhat of a racket; there is very little you actually do need. Here is what I would recommend:

For warm weather: (60-90 degrees F) No more than one layer is necessary.

For cold weather: (10-40 degrees F). These guidelines are assuming a moderate to high level activity run, which will contribute to keep you warm, negating the need for heavier clothing.

  • You will need a base layer, a lightweight one will do fine, coupled with a cotton/poly long sleeve shirt
  • pants (I run in my BDU pants, but sweats also work) between 30 and 40F.
  • Below 30F, you should add a thicker garment over the other two. A hoodie or fleece pullover works nicely. You can opt for a actual jacket, if there is precipitation. A mid-weight bottom base layer will complete your outfit.
  • Be sure to wear a good watch cap or other headgear. If there is cold wind, you may wish to add a balaclava type headgear to protect your face and neck.
  • Thick wool/thermal socks.
  • Boots may be called for, especially if there is snow. A waterproof combat boot, which is designed with elements of a running shoe, is a very good choice. Hiking boots tend to not flex for running as well, but footwear is a very personal item, so get what works well for you. Below 10F, well, do you really need to run? Working out in lower temps may just be foolhardy.

Hydration

Bring water! No matter what the temperature, hydration is key. A Camelbak type hydration system is the best. Be sure to bring enough, but on a workout too much will slow you down, and carrying a bottle is very awkward. It is very helpful to mix with plain water some citrus juice. Any squeezed citrus fruit will do; what I currently use is a grapefruit and two lemons mixed with about a gallon of water and a half teaspoon of salt and sugar (don’t leave out the fruit pulp!). Fill your water carrier with 1 cup of this mixture to every 3 cups of straight water. And there you have your own electrolyte replacing drink.

Running Form

Your running form is very personal. No two people run the same way. By trying to follow a textbook style, you will most likely only become frustrated and risk injury. Experiment to find your own unique style. However, there are some guidelines that are usually universally helpful, which I will state below:

Your torso should be kept straight and you should lean slightly forward, without bending your back . Except for the legs and arms, there should be no other movement. Such “flailing” will waste energy and throw you off balance. It is most important to move in a natural, relaxed manner. You (if you have done your warm-up!) shouldn’t feel tense or stiff or move in an awkward feeling manner. If you are, find the cause and eliminate it. Don’t worry; you probably won’t have any issue with this. It is hard to screw up something you’ve been doing since you were a toddler.

Don’t over stride; this is awkward and dangerous. When running, you aren’t trying to step out farther than when you walk; you’re only trying to take more strides. So, watch how you walk, and apply the same manner to running, only sped up. Your leg and knee should form a slight angle still; if your leg is stretched out straight, you are over striding. Land with your leg as close to the body as possible.

Move your arms. Don’t try to keep your arms still at all. They should form a 90 degree angle at the elbow and swing freely up and down, raising the arm opposite the leg currently taking the stride. However, don’t let your arms come across in front of your chest; they should move up and down only. Again, just let what is natural take place, and you’ll get it right. Don’t consciously try to raise and lower your arms to a certain level.

Don’t slam your feet into the ground. Keep some spring in them, but don’t land on the balls of your feet. Instead, land on your whole mid-foot. Then, make contact with your whole foot and start the next step, pushing off with your toes. Your landing knee should be slightly bent.

After your run, do some reps of warm-ups to gradually “cool” your muscles down. Remember that you will slow down based on the terrain you are running over. I do most of my running on gravel country roads, so they are pretty level and even throughout. Also, remember to slow down on hills. Until you have some practice up-hill running, just gunning it is an injury hazard.

As you run, try to concentrate on what you are doing. While you may be tempted to find a distraction, not paying attention to your running will slow you down.

Pacing It All Out

So, I’ve presented the exercises. Now how much should you do? This depends on your goal. If you’re out of shape and trying to come back, you’ll naturally start with less and build up. If you are trying to build more muscle, you’ll add more also. Once you are at the point you wish to be, you can “stay the course”. I call this maintenance. A maintenance workout is a daily (or several days a week) routine that shouldn’t take more than 15-30 minutes for each session (excluding runs and an additional seven minutes for your morning warm-up). Depending on your own ability, the amount you do will vary, but I’ll sketch out a rough idea in the next section. This pace is assuming you do this workout in your home or workplace. When at a dedicated gym, routine is different. Also, the running pace is assuming it takes place outdoors.