Backpack Training

[Miflatlander91]

Heck yeah man. I see mtn tough's stuff. Got me thinking about trying it out. You like it? I do enjoy their content and podcast too

I like it a lot I’ve never been a runner and always enjoyed weights more and to me there programming has a great balance of cardio and strength building. I’ll continue with their stuff for awhile I do t think I’ll try anything else as long as it continues to work for me


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[HingleMcCringleberry]

Look up Performance First's rucking program. Very good program that will improve your rucking capabilities.

 

[Watrdawg]

At least for now I'm walking 4-5 miles twice week with a 30lb weighted vest on. I'm in NC so no real altitude anywhere near me. However, come August I'll be hiking with my backpack, and 30-50lbs, 5-10 miles on the weekends. Basically about 10 - 15 miles a week.

 

[doc holiday13]

Maybe its just me but front of the hips are getting a good workout while doing my weighted walks. I can't say i remember this happening before.. Maybe I'm getting old?

 

[chasewild]

For the last three years I've started rucking/hiking with weight and it's made the most significant impact on my overall endurance in the mountains. Running helps with the mental (one foot, two foot, three foot) slog.

 

[COJoe]

around in southern Lancaster and Chester counties

My family is in Kirkwood in Southern Lancaster county. I've tried to encourage them to hunt with me but they want no part of backpack elk hunting, lol. I'm getting one hike a week in around my neighborhood nature trails at 60 #s until sometime next month then I'll stay at 70 #s until elk season. Keep rucking gentleman.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

They're real close to me, I think my church has a kirkwood address

 

[HighUintas]

There are some military studies that show high volume rucking and running is not as effective as weight training mixed with running and once or twice a week heavy weight rucking (75lbs).

Best bet is to run 6-8 miles five times a week, weight lift a few days a week, and ruck with 75 lbs a time or two a week

 

[Ramem7mm]

A couple years I got back into working out and trying to stay in shape year round. In February started with step ups with weighted pack on leg days. June I will try and start making trips to the mountains and looking for some animals.

 

[westonhoma]

There are some military studies that show high volume rucking and running is not as effective as weight training mixed with running and once or twice a week heavy weight rucking (75lbs).

Best bet is to run 6-8 miles five times a week, weight lift a few days a week, and ruck with 75 lbs a time or two a week

I think an integrated system mixing in a little bit of everything like this makes the most sense. I like it

 

[Neckbone]

I stay in shape year round, but when it gets to be a few months out I load my pack down on the heavy side and start lugging it around. Being in coastal Florida we have no mountains. I go to the tallest beachside condo (24 stories) and go up and down the stairs over and over. I weight train with kettlebells exclusively so when it gets closer to season I lighten up the weight and train more for conditioning instead of strength or calisthenics.

 

[ThunderJack49]

There are some military studies that show high volume rucking and running is not as effective as weight training mixed with running and once or twice a week heavy weight rucking (75lbs).

Best bet is to run 6-8 miles five times a week, weight lift a few days a week, and ruck with 75 lbs a time or two a week

In a previous life I had to pass some rather aggressive ruck runs for work, and this was the kind of training schedule I followed. I didn't do as much mileage as suggested in your post, I preferred to mix up my cardio between running, biking and the stairmaster. The rower is also great. The convenience of the gym vs the trails after work is the main thing for me.
On the weekends I would "test"my hiking with a 60lbs pack and the steepest trails around town. Based on how I felt I would adjust my training in the gym.
This system worked for me, but a rising tide lifts all boats.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I stay in shape year round, but when it gets to be a few months out I load my pack down on the heavy side and start lugging it around. Being in coastal Florida we have no mountains. I go to the tallest beachside condo (24 stories) and go up and down the stairs over and over. I weight train with kettlebells exclusively so when it gets closer to season I lighten up the weight and train more for conditioning instead of strength or calisthenics.

I’ve been wearing my pack frame and a weight plate on the stair climber at the gym. Hands free. I really like the workout, but your method works muscles used going downhill as well. I like that. The pack gets some strange looks from people at the gym. Caught a few people taking photos. It’s also brought up some good conversations with people who instantly realize I’m training for a hunt.

 

[Miflatlander91]

I’ve been wearing my pack frame and a weight plate on the stair climber at the gym. Hands free. I really like the workout, but your method works muscles used going downhill as well. I like that. The pack gets some strange looks from people at the gym. Caught a few people taking photos. It’s also brought up some good conversations with people who instantly realize I’m training for a hunt.

It’s not quite the same but walking backwards on a full incline treadmill you will absolutely feel it in your legs


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[COJoe]

I really like the workout, but your method works muscles used going downhill as well

Just another view point here, I've found going downhill has it's own challenges such as the strain on your knees but I think the real downhill issue can be your ankles and the flex rating of your boots. I train with a flex three Crispi Summit GTX boot but use a flex five Crispi Colorado for hunting because they are so supportive for my ankles. A 60-70 degree downhill slope can be an exercise in using switchbacks then add in prairie dog/gopher holes you'll be glad for the stiffer boots as your weight pushes you down hill, oh, and hopefully the wind is blowing 40 mph at your back.......

 

[TaperPin]

It’s fun looking back at all the different strategies and situations that have been used and what the outcomes were. During my 20s all summers were spent on a fire crew so we were paid to work out specifically for working in the mountains and the consistency made hunting a piece of cake, but I’ve always felt my 30’s were just as good if not better.

On the fire crew we were staffed 7 days a week so to simplify workouts we ran 5 miles on odd days and lifted on evens. We had some specialized mechanical weight set ups for fire line digging muscles, and normal basic muscle stuff. Calf raises were essential, or that’s the first muscle to have issues. Same for lunges. Once in a while we’d throw on our overnight internal frame packs and head up a nearby hill for an afternoon.

Outside of a fire crew, life was different, but the ability to hike more was as good if not better than a summer firefighting. The best shape was the summer spent in Colorado - two old graduate students started organizing a 14er hike every weekend for the hiking club, and on Wednesday evening I took a group up a nearby 5 mile loop with a lot of gain that was essentially a great cardio going up and great high speed decent - 2 hours total. 20 year olds are always going as fast as they can and usually only bring absolute minimum gear, so it was all we could do to keep up. The 14ers were generally picked to be 4 to 6 hours of fast hiking with a lot of vertical gain. Longs Peak was a bit more, so it was saved for the end of the summer. We’d feel spent and hungover for 2 or 3 days, then have the easy Wednesday evening hike, a few days off, then another 14er. With no other gym work, by the fall I was lean, fast, and going to my normal hunting area felt easier than ever. Since that summer I’m back to hiking slower and placing feet more carefully going down, but if someone enjoys speed it does payoff with great cardio and tough tendons and muscles.

 

[Neckbone]

I’ve been wearing my pack frame and a weight plate on the stair climber at the gym. Hands free. I really like the workout, but your method works muscles used going downhill as well. I like that. The pack gets some strange looks from people at the gym. Caught a few people taking photos. It’s also brought up some good conversations with people who instantly realize I’m training for a hunt.

lol, yeah I look like a weirdo when I pass people in the stairwell, but whatever. If you know you know!

 

[Miflatlander91]

lol, yeah I look like a weirdo when I pass people in the stairwell, but whatever. If you know you know!

I get the same look in the gym with a pack and boots on


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[mtwarden]

I even get that look on our single track trails around town here; what the heck is that guy carrying that big pack for?

Occasionally I'll get someone say "training for a hunt?"

 

[ThunderJack49]

Training your technique is important as well. The steeper it is, the smaller my steps became. I learned that from some of the fastest hikers I ever met.