In a move that lacked any and all originality, I began a heavy workout program at the beginning of the year. I started with HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) and running and have brought together what I feel is a blanched workout routine that I stick to and enjoy. I’ve carried a gun every step of the way. After nearly 90 days of experimenting, carrying, and learning, I think I’ve figured out a few interesting ways to maintain my self-defense capabilities while improving my fitness abilities. For lack of a better term, I figured out how to keep packing a piece while packing on muscle.
I mostly work out at home. I’ve gathered a good bit of equipment through yard sales, and if you want a pro tip, search the Facebook marketplace around February for some barely used equipment.
I live in the country and I run down dirt roads. I’ve run down these roads on and off for years, and unfortunately, they’ve gotten a little more dangerous. Not by people but by roaming feral dogs. On one of my first runs, I got a great spring in when a rather large and rather aggressive dog began gnashing his teeth and giving chase. Hopping over a gate separated him from me, and I went about my day. After that, I figured I’d carry when working out and have done so since. I carry when I lift, when I run, and when I hike. Luckily, it’s been without incident…mostly.
The Problem With Carrying and Fitness
Carrying a gun often gets in the way of your efforts to improve your physical fitness. Traditional holsters are typically designed for traditional clothes and belts. They don’t work well with gym shorts or sweats. If they did, they are still very easily revealed during any kind of vigorous exercise and often aren’t great for rapid movements. Bringing your gun to the gym just to lock it up is silly, though.
Yet, doing crunches while appendix carrying a Glock 19 just doesn’t seem fun. With that in mind, traditional holsters are mostly a no-go. We need to look at creative options, and one of the best is the Phlster Enigma.
The Enigma
The PHLster Enigma system makes use of a traditional holster, but not in a traditional way. It’s a very clever design that allows for belt-free carry in sweats or gym shorts. In fact, it’s largely pants optional, but gyms aren’t, so keep them up.
The Enigma can effectively conceal your gun while you exercise. I will recommend getting a baggy cover garment if you are doing anything overhead just to avoid accidental reveals. The Enigma’s design makes it clothing-friendly and mostly movement friendly. Running with it is fine, but it gets tiresome against bare skin.
My Personal Favorite Option
The fanny pack! Specifically the Blackhawk Fanny Pack with a built-in holster and multiple pockets. There used to be a time when a fanny pack often meant a gun, but that’s now passed. No one wears a fanny pack anymore, but man, are they handy for working out. Unlike the Enigma, I could move the fanny pack easily to position the gun front or back or to my right or side. This way, it’s never in the way of a specific exercise.
I can do whatever exercise I want and not ever have the gun and holster in the way. Running with it is simple, and as long as it’s tight to the body, it doesn’t present a problem. The internal holster secures the gun nicely, and I don’t have safety issues to worry about. Obviously, drawing the gun is somewhat slow. I have to defeat the zippered compartment and retrieve the gun. With practice, it’s still slower than the Enigma.
With that in mind, it’s still nice because I can carry my keys, ID, phone, and gun in one convenient package.
Pocket Carry
Another option is pocket carry. However, you need a very small, light gun. I go with the KelTec P32 since it weighs 6.6 ounces. I cannot run when pocket carrying in my gym shorts. The gun swings everywhere, and it doesn’t feel safe. I can pocket carry while lifting weights, doing the stair stepper, rowing, and doing other exercises. This method is faster than a fanny pack on the draw but limits your workout.
Training Considerations
Beyond having a gun, we need to know how to use it. Gyms and working out present us with unique challenges that should be accounted for. I work out at home, but I’m lucky in that regard. If you work out at a gym, you have to account for other gymgoers in a self-defense situation. This means dealing with crowds. It also means identifying a wide variety of things, such as cover and concealment.
There are also situational awareness factors. Plenty of equipment isolates you and limits your vision, and loud music occupies your mindset. We also need to factor in earphones and music. Many of us enjoy our own music, podcasts, and audiobooks while we work out.
I’ve taken to using the Axil Ghost Strike 2 headphones. These are actually designed to be ear protection, but their Bluetooth capability makes it easy to turn them into phones. Plus, they work like electronic hearing protection and do not dim external noise. This way, my head stays on a swivel. The sacrifice is my music doesn’t sound as good, but I can deal with it.
Of course, we need to talk about shooting while tired. I’m sure most of us have done some burpees and jumping jacks to elevate our heart rates at the range. If not, it’s worth experimenting to see exactly how it affects your shooting abilities. I often hit a heavy bag and get a good workout in, then dry fire.
My heart isn’t just racing, but my body is exhausted. There is a difference between just heart rate elevation and being physically exhausted; enough so that it warrants familiarization.
Self-Defense Seriously
It’s kind of tough to take self-defense and self-preservation seriously when you have high body fat, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The likelihood of heart disease and medical malpractice outnumbers the chance you’ll be in a violent encounter significantly. However, getting those gains doesn’t mean losing your ability to defend yourself. Taking both seriously is the right route to walk.
