Getting in shape

[danielwofford]

How do you keep in shape or get into shape for the mountains??

 

[Songdog3060]

"LEGS" and "LUNGS"............ and eating clean, coming from the guy who just dropped 25lbs.

 

[Arcola]

Songdog is right. Work on those two, and the rest will follow. Cardio, lunges, and get used to a heavy pack on hills (or huge flights of stairs if that's all you have access to).

 

[nrpate05]

Nothing better than throwing a heavy pack on and logging some vertical. That can, however, get old during the dog days of summer. My main cross training in the summer other than hiking is mountain biking. Easier on the joints and really good for the legs and lungs. It's also really fun! Eating well also goes a long way in my opinion. Good fuel = good performance.

 

[Tradewind]

walking
lots of stairs... first month without a pack 2x day.
then add some weight. 20lbs will seem like a lot.
If that gets easy then you're almost there. But start slow, if you're over 40
otherwise you will spend/waste a month nursing injuries.
I have found if the knees can handle it all then the lungs are good for 7,000 to 7,500 ft
If you plan to hunt at 9 to 10,000 then you better do a lot of uphill sprints at your current elevation

If you are a runner, then do hill repeat workouts.
Or find some stadium steps and run those.
There have been years where I have been glad I put in the work. But
most of the time, like the past few years, i spend the week swearing that
I will be in better shape next year....:hump:

 

[TheJason]

Cross train. Good article on Sitka’s website that talks about the importance of variety in training. Mix some steady state cardio with high intensity interval training, and some body weight strength work.

Trail running, hiking hills with a weighted pack, mountain biking are all good universal fitness activities.

 

[JEL]

Running and hiking up and down these hills which I can access from my house.

 

[teej89]

Weight train in the morning(lifting is a natural hobby of mine), I always hike the dog after work, 3-5mi and now do it with a 50# sandbag in the pack. Makes the hike w/o the bag a walk in the park.

 

[westbranch]

I would echo all of the above. Hiking with a pack and lunges are great for me. 5-15 minute drive to some hikes with a decent elevation change helps. Also deadlifts to strengthen lower back are good to mix in, with a barbell for heavier or sandbags or lighter/more reps. Hip flexors were always sore and knees would hurt when I started exercising more 4-5 yrs ago. Started doing more stretching and some yoga poses and was amazed how the pain went away. Tight quads and calves seem to cause the knee pain for me. Amazed how much better I feel at 29 yrs old vs. when I was 24-25. Driving a desk all day at work did not help.

I have dropped from 235 lbs 4 yrs ago to sub 200 now which I felt was mainly diet, cutting back on carbs and beers during the week after work. Also switched back to more light beer vs. craft beers which was tough. But that also helped the $ available for other stuff.

 

[genesis273]

It's easier to keep in shape, than to get in shape.
I run every morning 5-6 miles before work, 10+ miles (long run) on a weekend morning, with one morning off. It helps with keeping the lungs and legs strong, which is critical for someone who lives at 650' asl. I hike with my loaded hunted pack (loaded=80 lb of rock) and push mow my lawn with it on too. Wife thinks I'm nuts, that is, until she's enjoying a nice elk steak! That makes it all worth it.

At 50, it's getting harder to stay motivated and to keep up with my routine, but if I stop, I'll never get back to where I'm at now. Plus, that cardio helps with keeping my weight down (5'7" 155 lbs)

 

[huntin24/7]

You kinda have to figure out what works for you. Running, lifting, hiking is all good. Ideally, do all 3 and try to work all muscles to some degree so there's no imbalance. When I went on my goat hunt almost 8 years ago, I did all 3 and ran twice a week. 4 years later on my friends goat hunt, I started having ankle problems from an old injury and quit running, but I worked,extra hard on making sure my legs were really strong. I didn't run for almost 3 months and still felt better in the mountains being 4 years older. Everyone is a little different. Make sure have a strong core. Your lower back needs to be strong to handle lots of backpack work. Good luck!

 

[HighDesertSage]

Diet and hiking. I helps that I live at 8800' though.

 

[BrentD]

Decrease the calories coming in.
Increase the calories going out.
Make all of those calories good ones.

How you do those three things depends on where you live and what your life style is (and how much you can truly change it).

I am not going to hike 5 miles after work everyday with a 50# pack, but I will do a bunch of sit ups, push ups, and then alternate between bicycling (often in my basement on a wind trainer, if necessary) and running 3-6 miles. I burned off 45lbs doing that, but more importantly, I got a whole bunch stronger as well. And it works with the way I live.

 

[Redman]

I hear walking to the nearest DQ works...

 

[Tradewind]

I hear walking to the nearest DQ works...

Almost like the Blamb workout regiment. :hump:

 

[Sytes]

I once involved myself in a semi Paleo diet... Jogged and other endurance based activities... Now? Mid 40's belly starter has me by the clutches of carbs... bacon cheeseburger with the carb filled bun. Pizza... How I missed my thin crust pizza... The occasional donut, on and on.
Now, back on the treadmill and morning or late afternoon jog, etc working a beginner belly that is a royal pain to burn off.

Long story short, endurance building. Elliptical, jogging, workouts with more repetition and less weight, good breathing techniques, and watch the crap food intake.