Tips for getting in shape for backcountry

[genesis273]

Cardio for sure! One of the biggest hurdles to hunting mountains is being able to control your breathing and heart rate. Mountains will knock the shit out of everyone, but if your heart isn't trying to pound its way through your chest and you can get to the top of a hill without hyperventilating its all doable.

I agree with cardio. I started running, and ended up loving running which went to running my first marathon. Once I went on the next elk hunt, it was so much more pleasant and much easier than my previous elk hunt. I do hike a couple miles with a heavy pack a couple days a week, which i usually starting around March.

 

[Bigjay73]

Easy on the weights. Im 6'2" with 210lbs of lean body mass, and carrying around that weight makes hiking wilderness much harder. Honestly, the best exercise to ready yourself for hiking, is hiking. Nothing can replace the physical readiness of hauling a pack uphill. If no mountains are in your area, find a tall building and walk the stairs wearing a weighted pack. Keep your pace as fast as you can without stopping, and it's a good mix of cardio and muscle training.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Diet and hiking.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Focus on cardio. I know for most dudes its easier to lift weights and do a lot of resistance training, but the increase in elevation coming from the Dallas area to anywhere in elk country is really going to be something to overcome. I promise you wil have a better time if you start focusing on jogging and elliptical now. Core strength can come in time but good cardio cannot be replaced.

 

[genesis273]

https://youtu.be/j5sk7rGxExE

Nothing simulates an elk hunt like doing pull-ups and getting tapped with a stick by a teenager boy!

 

[Bigjay73]

https://youtu.be/j5sk7rGxExE

What in the actual hell???? I have seen it all. Lmao

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

I prefer this video over Cam Hanes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V9AJiokRm4

 

[TheJason]

Nothing simulates an elk hunt like doing pull-ups and getting tapped with a stick by a teenager boy!

That would be so much more entertaining if the kid went all Mickey Mantle on him. Now THAT would be working through pain....

 

[plumber1969]

Look up what a plyometric box is and build a couple of them for about $60. Put your pack on and up and down while watching tv or put it outside and watch your neighbors. I live in the sticks and thats what we did months in advance for our trip. Our legs felt great in Colorado but you will in no way be able to simulate the lack of oxygen. Every 100 yards you will be sucking air, that gives your legs time to recover

 

[Bigjay73]

Look up what a plyometric box is and build a couple of them for about $60. Put your pack on and up and down while watching tv or put it outside and watch your neighbors. I live in the sticks and thats what we did months in advance for our trip. Our legs felt great in Colorado but you will in no way be able to simulate the lack of oxygen. Every 100 yards you will be sucking air, that gives your legs time to recover

They actually make a mask that limits your oxygen. Looks goofy as hell, but if it works, it may be a good option for you flatlanders.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01D...nning+mask&dpPl=1&dpID=51PUOPlsHWL&ref=plSrch

 

[TheJason]

Those masks are an absolute joke. They do not limit oxygen, and you can achieve the same affect by merely going out and running hills so hard you want to puke. Save your money and buy something worthwhile.

On the subject of plyometric boxes, they are great. Just be sure you’re being damn careful on your box jumps and step down off of the box. Nothing will put a damper on your hunt more than a blown Achilles tendon.

 

[GlockZ]

I too am a flat lander, this past September I was lucky enough to go to Wyoming on a fall black bear hunt. Here is what i did to get into shape. I went to the gym a couple of times a week and jogged, walked and ran on the treadmill with varying inclines, also went to the local high school football field and walked or ran up and down the the bleachers, went on hikes with a pack on,( i weighed my pack with all the gear i was taking with me, which weighed 26lbs.,rifle included, then filled my pack with feed corn that was put into ziplock bags, each 1 gallon bag weighed about 8lbs.,each week I'd add a bag until I had at one point close to 60 pounds in my pack.), weight wise, I did a total weight lifting/strengthening regimen, but concentrated on core, back and leg strengthening excercises. I only had a few weeks to get ready, I did the best i could under the time constraints, but it paid off. The only thing I had a problem with was the dry thin air, but adjusted quickly after a a day or two. The biggest thing to remember is to get a good pair of boots, cheap boots will ruin a hunt more than anything else will!

 

[WIbiggame]

Lots of great information above. Do lots of walking with your pack and weight in the pack. Lift weight concentrating on Legs, back/core, and than work in some intense cardio, talking puking when you are done atleast once a week. Tabata training/workouts are awesome for this.

One thing I have not seen mentioned but have seen first hand both happen to myself and others I have hunted with is Mental Strength. The mountains are big lonely place at times and can start to play tricks on you. Your mind goes every where and a couple days of bad weather, not seeing or hearing any game can make even the most physically strong really questions themselves. The first year I went out west I was physically ready but the mental challenge where something I never thought about or read about. I found that writing in a journal everyday helped a bunch with this. Also when the going gets tough in the way of weather or lack of game just remember you are in some of God's most beautiful country just take 5 minutes sit down and take in what is around you it will recharge you.

 

[PennDude]

Lots of good tips here for workouts. Depending on your physique, you will probably want to drop some body fat. Cut out all alcohol and limit complex carbohydrates. If I need to drop weight then I'll cut out all booze and eat a Whole30 diet, which is basically all meat and vegetables. This diet, paired with physical activity, will melt fat off of your body. Reducing your body weight is one of the best things you can do to help you climb hills and hike longer. Your feet will thank you too.

 

[genesis273]

One thing I have not seen mentioned but have seen first hand both happen to myself and others I have hunted with is Mental Strength. The mountains are big lonely place at times and can start to play tricks on you. Your mind goes every where and a couple days of bad weather, not seeing or hearing any game can make even the most physically strong really questions themselves. The first year I went out west I was physically ready but the mental challenge where something I never thought about or read about. I found that writing in a journal everyday helped a bunch with this. Also when the going gets tough in the way of weather or lack of game just remember you are in some of God's most beautiful country just take 5 minutes sit down and take in what is around you it will recharge you.

You're 100% correct! I never had thought about this, until about day #2 on my first trip, and I thought I was going to go crazy! I never had heard anyone mention it or had read about the mental part of being in the mountains for two weeks, but it does take a toll of you if you're not careful. My second time going, I had put it in my mind to stay focused and keep busy during the slower parts of the day, and I keep thinking about how there are countless hunters who would love to be sitting on that same lonely mountainside right then looking for elk, and just how beautiful God's country really is. I also take something lightweight to do, like newspaper cutouts of crossword puzzles to keep my mind thinking. You have to take a break from looking for critters every once in a while, especially if you don't have any service and your phone is useless.
It's not always like on those "action packed" hunting videos with the intense music playing in the background!

 

[Brian in Montana]

Good point on the mental part of it. I backpack hunt a good bit. I'm very particular about shedding unnecessary weight but I always take a paperback and\or a Bible - I actually have a waterproof New Testament for just such an occasion. I've done the journaling thing, but I find that reading gets me through the downtimes a little better. Helps when sitting over a water hole or something too.

 

[MT Bound]

There’s no substitute for hiking w your pack and 20-40# of weight for a few hours or more. Find somewhere there are hills and do it.

 

[Irrelevant]

If you drive a desk for a living like I do, here's a tip. Set an alarm on your phone and every hour or two knock out 40 air squats and 10-20 pushups. It only takes a couple minutes and over the course of the week it adds up. You do look pretty ridiculous but who cares.

 

[SPDSpappy]

Anyone incorporated an altitude mask into their training? I received one for Christmas and have been using it during my workouts. I’m curious what other people’s experience has been who have been hunting after training with one.

 

[npaden]

Anyone incorporated an altitude mask into their training? I received one for Christmas and have been using it during my workouts. I’m curious what other people’s experience has been who have been hunting after training with one.

They don't work. All the research you see supporting them are studies done by folks directly benefiting from the sale of them.

Link to unbiased article on them - https://runnersconnect.net/altitude-masks-running/