I am 5'7 and weigh 170 pounds, which are distributed pretty evenly throughout my body. I am naturally strong but tire easily because I do not get out often and probably because I am slightly overweight. Wearing a ~40-50 pound knee-length and long-sleeved steel mail hauberk, ~5-6 pound helmet, ~1-2 pound gambeson, ~2-3 pound mittens on both hands is physically taxing, and since I plan to also buy mail chausses, I should expect to add ~25-35 pounds too. The mail is not perfectly fitted and sags slightly without tapering on the arms, but it fits well enough to use without embarrassment in my opinion. I wear a belt to help distribute the weight on my hips but I can't help but feel there have to be other ways to make the armor feel lighter on me.
What I can't do:
- Remove or add rings of mail
- Order a new/custom fitted mail hauberk
- Ignore it (I bought the armor for reenactment fighting, and currently I can barely raise my arms to swing a sword after 10-15 swings)
What are things I can do to feel more nimble and energized in my armor? What exercises? What are some extra tricks to distribute the weight?
