Off-season Training for a Mountain Hunt

[SwampLander]

I watch an listen to a lot of hunter Q&A between here and the Meateater crew and one thing always asked is how to train for one of these mountain hunts. I think I have figured out a good way to train for a hunt and just felt like sharing. I was stationed in California for about 5 years and there its a good day to hike about 360 days a year. Sadly where I live now and am from in Mississippi that is not the case. Here in the summer we contend with super high humidity and stiffening temps that can make it out right dangerous to get out and perform rigorous cardio training. Not to mention the mosquitoes and gnats that may carry you away and defeat the whole point of training. I say all that up front to stop the keyboard commando from getting on here and rambling about getting out and hiking. If that is you this info is not for you just walk away. I agree nothing replicates the real thing but in some places like here in the Mississippi Delta, there are not any topographical features available and its down right miserable. Call me a pansy if you want I dont like spending my leisure time miserable and being consumed by mosquitoes, I am sure I am not alone on that.

With all that I have come up with what I think best stands in as a training method for when being outside is down right miserable. What I have been doing to prepare for a Colorado hunt is utilizing the stare machine at my gym. From my quick search is appears that what these machines reads as a "floor" or "flight" in reference to steps climbed is usually programmed to be between 10 to 12 vertical feet. I go with 10 because it is easier to do the math, 100 flights is 1000 vertical feet. Thinking of it in vertical feet climbed also helps me make goals and feel like I am training for a hunt. Just help the mental game of doing cardio. As I progress I will start carrying my hunting pack on the machine and adding weight. I plan on using bags of concrete as its cheap, heavy, and compact. To further you simulation of mountain hunting you can add in the use of an altitude mask https://www.trainingmask.com/traini...Tut4rSVtB7g3OuOyBxXAg6eQrbNCD5R7IkRoCzTzw_wcB This is just one there are several mask and prices vary.

I would love to hear others input and fitness protocol geared to mountain endurance, as the same old thing gets old. I am sure many could benefit, myself included.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Just my opinion, but I think people over do it when training for hunts. It's not a race, and I don't care how great your cardio is, if you ruin your knees and have no cartilage left, you are not going any where fast. Go on a diet, trim your waist line down, stay active, hike some hills (or stair machine) when you can, give your body time to acclimate, pace yourself, get adequate rest, and drink alot of water....you'll be fine. No need to kill yourself or stress about it, besides this is supposed to be fun

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

OR you could just do crossfit and take selfies. But then you'd never shut the F up about crossfit.

What you're doing will work great and should help. Lots of guys here use weighted packs to train, me included, whether it's hiking, treadmill or whatever. Keep your diet clean and your weight won't be a problem in the fall.

 

[Heff]

I probably have no place to say anything here, granted Im overweight and haven't hiked in many many years. However, I am planning on archery deer and elk this year in the mountains of Idaho and need to get in shape. I started a while ago since the hunts are coming up quickly. My plan: I follow a workout plan called Shortcut to Shred (which includes better eating), shooting my bow multiple times a week, and every Saturday put on my pack loaded up heavy and hit the hills. IMO there's no better way to prepare to put your boots on the ground like putting your boots on the ground. Plus, it allows me to scout some areas as my hunts get closer. -Heff

 

[kurtm2323]

Hey John, I too have the same issue of being a place that has no mountains to go out and play in. What I have found that works for me is weighted lunges. Whether it be with your pack on or holding a kettlebell in each arm. Personally I think it's more challenging going downhill than uphill. These lunges have helped me with the downhills tremendously.

 

[pabearhunter]

Hmmmm, How about just walking up and down a stairway. It is a lot cheaper then a stair machine.

 

[Redman]

I am a flat lander too. Don't have the bug issues to bad but the heat can be oppressive. I run mornings or evenings around the back roads. When I worked in the city I had a gym membership and would work out there in the air conditioning. I would do cardio on the stair machine as well and it worked! Those machines make running easy! My opinion keep up on the cardio, cut out junk/processed food, and add weighted squats. Squats builds core strength and helps you manage balance while having extra weight on your body. I have found the better shape I am in the better time I have in the high country.

 

[npaden]

The altitude masks are a gimmick. They don't actually get your body to do more with less oxygen, they just restrict your breathing. No physiological improvement.

Training on a stairmaster sounds good. Like others said just about any cardio you can do and getting to a good weight will help.

My solution was to take up running, but somehow I ended up with another hobby.

 

[Sytes]

Endurance activities vs strength building. Once outdoor activity is eliminated due to whatever reason(s), the gym is a good alternative.
With that said, the elliptical is the least physically 'damaging' of equipment, top endurance and the most 'all in one' unit to capture the focused areas.
Granted, I've been out of the awesome backcountry world since 2012. I get out though far from what I did... My body is recovering more and more and from all the equipment related to rehab, the elliptical was the best all around endurance builder...

Carbs are a killer if trying to reduce body weight. Paleo, or a modified version may be something to look into.

 

[Hatchie Dawg]

Originally from MS but now living in West TN. I'll tell you what I do and give a couple of opinions. Fitness is very, very important to me where I hunt out west. There is really no way I can entirely train for it where I live, but getting in the best shape I can is important to my success. Not sure what you have gym wise in your area. I have several options locally but attend a Gold's Gym. I have come to prefer some of the group fitness classes at Golds those being Body Pump...1 hour low weight high repetition work out combining cardio and strength, Body Attack....1 hour hi impact aerobics, spin...45 min aerobic conditioning on the bike, then an occasional different class Body Combat etc. I make 3-4 classes a week starting as soon as duck season closes here at home. The biggest thing I try to do when restarting is try to avoid injury and really could say this throughout my prep. I am 49 and have learned to push only so hard. DO NOT GET HURT.

Nothing can really duplicate time under the pack. I am fortunate to have some topography around home but nothing like middle and east TN. Around home I regularly spend some miles under the pack and increasingly so as my hunt time nears. I take one trip to the Smokys and hike Leconte, Alum Cave route, which is steep and demanding. You could find some challenging hikes closer to home, say somewhere along the Cumberland Plateau. Surprisingly NE MS and NW AL have tail end Appalachian Chain hills and could be an option but I don't know much about it. It is often hilly around the TN River. You are doing good with your stepper plan, climbing is what sucks, but you can't beat the ground. One way or another get some miles under the pack on the ground.

Good luck

HD

Finally when you get out there, remember to eat and drink plenty. I kinda lose my appetite and don't drink enough also. These two mistakes will ruin your fitness regardless of how good a shape you are in.

 

[TheJason]

A few random thoughts on this.

The altitude masks are a complete farce. Don't waste your money on them, they don't do anything to help other than lighten up your wallet.

Diversify your training if you can. A couple days of strength training a week will do wonders for you. Not only will it help you maneuver around with a heavy load, but it will also help prevent injuries in the off season. Think compound lifts such as pushups, pull ups, squats, deadlifts, lunges, kettle bell swings to name a few. Heavy is good if you have access to weights. Body weight and light kettle bells is fine if that's all you have.

Stairmaster and elliptical machines are okay if that's what you have access too. However, the biggest issue with these is the greatly reduce the impact (which can be good during rehab or if you have joint issues) and load absorption. If you are healthy, impact exercises help maintain your bone density and the strength of your tendons/ligaments. You don't want to eliminate this! You are far better off climbing stairs/bleachers or doing step ups onto a weight bench. When you step down, you are forcing your legs to stabilize your weight in a eccentric contraction (a braking motion). This is very important for your legs and also helps maintain your knees.

Interval training is outstanding in terms of bang for your buck in developing your cardio fitness. You can do interval circuits that incorporate body weight exercises and kill two birds with one stone.

Eat clean and train hard. There are no gimmicks and no short cuts. Have fun while you're doing it. Remember, you aren't just training for this hunt, but to stay healthy so you can have many more hunts in the future.

 

[BlakeA]

A few random thoughts on this.

The altitude masks are a complete farce. Don't waste your money on them, they don't do anything to help other than lighten up your wallet.

Diversify your training if you can. A couple days of strength training a week will do wonders for you. Not only will it help you maneuver around with a heavy load, but it will also help prevent injuries in the off season. Think compound lifts such as pushups, pull ups, squats, deadlifts, lunges, kettle bell swings to name a few. Heavy is good if you have access to weights. Body weight and light kettle bells is fine if that's all you have.

Stairmaster and elliptical machines are okay if that's what you have access too. However, the biggest issue with these is the greatly reduce the impact (which can be good during rehab or if you have joint issues) and load absorption. If you are healthy, impact exercises help maintain your bone density and the strength of your tendons/ligaments. You don't want to eliminate this! You are far better off climbing stairs/bleachers or doing step ups onto a weight bench. When you step down, you are forcing your legs to stabilize your weight in a eccentric contraction (a braking motion). This is very important for your legs and also helps maintain your knees.

Interval training is outstanding in terms of bang for your buck in developing your cardio fitness. You can do interval circuits that incorporate body weight exercises and kill two birds with one stone.

Eat clean and train hard. There are no gimmicks and no short cuts. Have fun while you're doing it. Remember, you aren't just training for this hunt, but to stay healthy so you can have many more hunts in the future.

^^^Preach JLS! Good stuff right here.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Train with your pack on! Put some good weight in it ( work up to heavy weight). Your body uses different muscles with a pack on than when just walking.

Maybe my experience is a one off but in 2015 I still lived in ABQ NM, right at a mile high. I walked 5 miles a day, 5 days a week 2.5 miles down an arroyo, and 2.5 miles back up. I worked up to 65 pounds of tire chains in my pack. My legs felt great, back felt great, shoulders great, etc.. when it came time to hunt elk in October up in the Pecos Wilderness.

We walked 5.5 miles in loaded with 70-80 pound packs ( I overpacked.. I can admit that now). I dropped my elk at 11,400 feet and 7.5 miles from the truck. We were able to pack all the meat to within 1 mile of the truck and hung it in a tree, then back up to camp. All in all that day I hauled meat from 11 am till midnight and hiked just under 16 miles total that day just hauling meat ( 2.5 miles empty on second trip up to meat). I was whooped at the end of the day, but my body was in pretty good shape. Took a couple advil, slept in till 7am and then hauled camp down to the truck.

I guess what I am getting at is I never did any cardio. I was 41 years old, 5'10" and 206 pounds the morning I left for the hunt. My partner was 34 years old, 6' and 160 soaking wet and lived in the mountains 5 days a week ( Game and fish officer NM) and while I needed to stop and catch my breath a little sooner than he did while hauling weight, I kept up. The greatest compliment I received was from him.

" Most guys don't really train properly for a pack in hunt, they all think it is just cardio. You did really well and trained your body to haul weight, which is where most guys don't. I have hunted with guys alot younger than you and in better cardiovascular shape, but you can outpack them all". That made me pretty darn proud of myself. In fact we are again heading up to the high country together in September, this time in Colorado and I am following the same regimen now. One downside is I now live in Missouri, so I am not as acclimated to elevation anymore. I plan on drinking a lot more water, taking some ginko ( some say it helps) and slowing it down a bit.

 

[TheJason]

Hiking with a weighted pack is great, but I would still encourage diversity. Doing the same thing, day after day is what leads to chronic injuries like Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

When coming from low elevations to the mountains aerobic (cardio) is going to be the biggest key to being able to function in the mountains from a physiology stand point. Even more specifically power to weight ratios are a big determining factor. You can climb a stair master all you want at sea level loaded but your heart rate is going to be significantly higher at 10,000 feet with grade significantly higher at times than the 10-20% that is a very steep hill in most of the country. Following the exercise principal of specificity, the best thing to train for hunting/hiking in the mountains is doing exactly that, so anything you are doing beyond that is cross training. Its the same as running to make yourself a better biker in that it helps train similar systems, but will never sharpen your fitness to a fine edge for an activity different than what you are doing but you will bring up your general aerobic fitness.

The issue with stair climbing machines or really any machine exercise is that it removes the balancing muscle effect of trying to step side-hilled on the mountain the same way. Also any stationary exercise settings or feedback are very approximate and prone to calibration errors giving you a false sense of feedback. You will also rarely see people on such a machine with their heart rate north of 85% of maximum.

On a time value basis nothing beats running for calorie burn or average heart rate all while being load bearing and helping improve balancing muscles in your legs. From an athletic perspective modern runners have the body type best suited for hunting. Running removes the need to do large muscle group leg lifting, though most people need to do some support muscle leg exercises to avoid over use injuries brought on by repetitive use. Running cost basically nothing in the scheme of exercise requiring only a new set of $100 shoes every few months. To elaborate with running higher intensity workouts a few days a week whether that be tempo runs or intervals are critical to getting the level of fitness you need in the mountains. Regardless of activity the biggest mistake people make in aerobic training is doing things at too low of an intensity. Running helps most anyone loose weight as well as any activity and if you are training consistently and at intensity your body won't tolerate a poor diet. Nothing ruins a good run like a heavy meal or a mid afternoon soda before an evening run. You will get back from workouts hot and not particularly hungry. Cycling and swimming often have the opposite effect and cycling in particular lets you eat some pretty horrible stuff even mid-ride and you often finish hungry.

Cross fit type workouts and lifting have some utility in hunting, but not to the degree that running does. For most of us time is a restricting factor so picking the best use of time is critical. Cross fit and lifting really focus on explosive motions of the anaerobic variety. Those 10 second to 3 minute motions don't train the same systems that an hour run does. A 3 hour pack out very similar to an hour run compared to wind sprints across a basketball court. Lifting and cross fit do tend to add muscle which helps some body types burn more calories and lose weight. Cross fit is social and that keeps some people consistently working out which is great. I know for me having a training partner is very critical to my fitness year over year.

Altitude simulation masks are a silly gimmick.

Regardless of fitness you have to know how to pace yourself and be mentally strong. People do overthink the fitness for hunting, but I think it comes from a legitimate issue that certain hunters need a lot of work and guidance to be fit enough to mountain hunt. Instagram fitness isn't the same as usable real world fitness and that is where a lot of people get off track.

 

[SwampLander]

Great responses keep them coming. I am a fitness nut, if you will, and mostly stick to body building protocol but try to force in the cardio. I like the stair stepper and find it replicates the hills well which is why I put this post up. Just trying to help some people. I keep seeing the exercise questions come up on the pod cast and stuff. I don't own an altitude mask and cant weigh in I just put it out there as an option. I don't plan on getting one myself, but its there if someone wants to.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Hiking with a weighted pack is great, but I would still encourage diversity. Doing the same thing, day after day is what leads to chronic injuries like Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis.

Man I had a bad case of Plantar fasciitis about 5 years ago from being on concrete every day. Took forever to get rid of and tons of stretching. That is what prompted me to buy some Meindl's and superfeet insoles. Just the mention of it causes me to grimace.

I agree and the reason I said mine was probably a one off. Coming from darn near sea level this year is going to be a challenge. I ran so much in college ( baseball coach was a cardio freak) I swore I never would run again

 

[TheJason]

Great responses keep them coming. I am a fitness nut, if you will, and mostly stick to body building protocol but try to force in the cardio. I like the stair stepper and find it replicates the hills well which is why I put this post up. Just trying to help some people. I keep seeing the exercise questions come up on the pod cast and stuff. I don't own an altitude mask and cant weigh in I just put it out there as an option. I don't plan on getting one myself, but its there if someone wants to.

I completely understand your challenges of heat, humidity, and bugs. Do this though, and watch the majority of folks on a stair machine. Watch how they use their hands and arms to actually support their body. That is why using a bench or a box is so much better, is because it forces your legs to bear all of your weight AND stabilize you at the same time, which is exactly what they must do in the mountains. Not dogging on you, because anything is better than nothing. However, the eccentric contraction on the step downward is really important and is completely lost on a stair machine.

I will reiterate, the altitude masks are a complete waste of money. They do absolutely nothing from a physiological standpoint.

 

[Scrappy]

A lot of good info here guys, thanks. Now to go run some hills in this heat.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

If you can not hike hills, even the flattest counties have outdoor stairs bleachers
at the local high school football field. Hiking up and down stairs with a pack
will help strengthen muscles needed for downhill packing as well as uphill,
plus help with balance as the pack gets heavier each week.