Elk Workouts

[elkhunter94]

So after getting my ass kicked on the mountain for a week I am wanting to get in better shape for elk hunting next year. What are some of your favorite workouts that you do year round to prepare?


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[mike.adams.467]

In the gym, squats and deadlifts, do burpees, use the stair machine without holding on. Ruck outside, and I hike long distances for endurance (15-20 miles).


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[AaronMColeman]

I do a lot of HIIT workouts throughout the year. Just keep moving and working hard for about 30-40 minutes a day. Nothing else has helped me as much. I've been very active my entire life and HIIT is the best thing for me. Best part is it's all body weight so I can do it anywhere anytime.

As the season gets' closer I do more workouts with a 20lb pack on to get used to extra weight, and then a couple weeks before the season I do only low impact yoga so I don't get hurt. Treat it like your a half assed amateur athlete and you'll be fine...just do something!

 

[Poser]

Take this off season to get strong AF.
Start rucking (uphill and down) in the late spring to build your muscular endurance.

 

[MTSasquatch]

I concur with interval training. You’ll need a good mix of endurance and power. Endurance will help you find elk. Power will help in getting it to the truck. I do cross training type workouts 3x per week, focusing on shoulders/ upper body, legs, and core. Then I’ll run at least 1-2 times a week. 1 run will be under weight with a small bag or vest, the other for longer distances with no weight. Don't forget to stretch, and close to your hunt dial it back, and focus on flexibility, hydration, and nutrition. That’s worked for me anyhow. Good luck!

 

[Scoot]

You'll get a million answers, most of them good. But... the truth is... do SOMETHING. Something is infinitely better than nothing. Walk, bike, hike, play basketball, play pickel ball, swim, eliptical, rowing, lifting, chasing your dog, run a marathon, do anything! It all matters and all adds up. Stay active and get a cardio workout at least 5x/week. It'll be a huge deal come September!

 

[SonnyDay]

I stay fairly active all year mountain biking, hiking and walking (I’m 48, so I have to these days!). But come early summer I start rucking 50-60 lbs uphill for about 2 miles (and then back down) 3x a week, with push-ups, sit ups and arm/shoulder weights on the intervening days. There are lots of little muscles and ligaments in your feet, legs, torso, etc. that need to get tuned up for packing a load… I need a few months to get them back in hunting form.

But yeah… just do something!

 

[Werty]

Wall squats help me a lot

 

[houghton_hunter]

Buddy of mine came up with the 6 X 6 workout (for the elk we want to kill). Consists of 6 exercises of your choice for 6 reps for 6 rounds. Between each round run a 0.5 mile.

I made a 50 lb sand bag (duck tape and a bag of play sand).

Example:
Shoulder presses
Pushups
Squats
Alternating lunges
Curls
Russian twists

Do each exercise with the bag (I do 50 lb now, but start lighter).

- I have a goal of 20 miles running per week from March-June, then 10 miles from July-September.

- I like HIIT as well, I do a lot of tabata style workouts for 80 rounds.

- Rucking with the above mentioned sand bag, never hurt, I try and get my hunting boots on and cover a minimum of 10 miles per week from March-June, then I try to get in 20 miles weekly from July-September.

-Basically alternating steady state cardio (runs or rucking) with HIIT or 6 X 6 workouts.

I wake up at 4:30am to get the workout in and shoot my bow when I am tired and my arms are shot, before work. Not saying you have to, but I find time like all things to be the biggest limiting factor, and I have more of it, if I get up before everyone else. Helps me take the good advice everyone is suggesting, "do something.."

 

[Gerbdog]

All of the above are great, i do the usual strength stuff to stay fit but for elk hunting specifically i like: Running for cardio, Rucking with heavy packs to get the joints used to that kind of punishment, and then biking. Biking seems to crossover the best for me into hiking, that repetitive leg pumping motion with high knees for going up steep crap.

 

[Bl704]

Mix it up. I focus more on endurance, cardio and mental... If you want butt kicking workouts, check out some of the free content from mtntough...i hear their subscription workouts likewise, are very good.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

2 months before the hunt I ruck daily 2-3.5 miles. 53 lbs. I don't do it all year b/c it is a lot of wear on weight bearing joints. Rest of the year I road bike, not to train for elk, but I just try to stay in shape all year.
I have never felt unprepared for the mountains.

 

[tuffcrk14]

If you’re looking for a program that’s all laid out for you and doesn’t require you to have a gym membership to perform certain workouts, MTNTOUGH will be tough to beat. It has awesome workouts that pay dividends on the mountain. They also incorporate a weighted pack in some of their workouts I believe. It’s an awesome and difficult program, but it will feel extremely rewarding seeing how it strengthens you physically and mentally. If you need more motivation to stay physically active, sign up for a local fun run and build off of that. I think it helps with motivation to get to the gym or perform your workout if you have that proverbial carrot dangling in front of you to work towards. Best of luck to you!


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[bradyhunt]

Follow little orphan Annie's secret instructions and don't forget to drink your MTN OPS!! With that and a flatbill on, any workout you do will have 10x the effect.

 

[cnelk]

Whatever it is you do, be sure your enjoy doing it. Or you won’t do it.

 

[HighUintas]

Best advice ever for getting in shape ^^^^

If all you enjoy doing and would do on a regular basis is beating on a tire with a sledge, do it. Anything consistently is better than nothing or just occasionally doing something. I mention the tire and hammer because I wish I had a tire to beat on for upper exercise and stress/aggression relief.

 

[sahunter06]

So after getting my ass kicked on the mountain for a week I am wanting to get in better shape for elk hunting next year. What are some of your favorite workouts that you do year round to prepare?


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Check out Wod thread. You’ll get all kind of ideas. Lots of elk shape workouts

 

[Marble]

So after getting my ass kicked on the mountain for a week I am wanting to get in better shape for elk hunting next year. What are some of your favorite workouts that you do year round to prepare?


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Besides regular gym stuff, put on your pack and hike. Do it all year.

30 pounds is plenty occasionally, very occasionally, do more. You are training your body for the activity, not the heavy weight.

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[Hootsma]

When I first started elk hunting I did HIIT/Bootcamp type workouts. That worked great with 10 days of camp gear weighing upwards of 55 lbs. However, when it came time to pack out meat loads pushing 100 lbs, I found that the cumulative stress from several days of meat packing really added up and took its toll on me. I’d wake up feeling very run down and very sore.

My training evolved to try to correct for that. I now try to get myself as strong as I can using a modified version of the Starting Strength program which involves barbell squats, deadlifts, dumbbell bench press, barbell overhead press and chin ups.

My endurance program is rucking around town with 50 lbs building to just under 6 miles and climbing on the stair mill with 50 lbs building to an hour non-stop. A couple of weekends before my trip, I’ll go out to a local state forest on the bluffs of the Mississippi that has a 3 mile loop with about a half dozen steep climbs about 100-200 yards long and do 2 laps building to 3 laps (9 miles) before I leave.

I turn 50 next weekend and I live just outside of Memphis, TN which is about 400’ ASL. My hunting partners live in CO at about 7,000’ and are younger than me and they get after it in the back country every weekend year around. This weighs very heavily on my mind throughout the year and greatly influences my motivation in training. The last thing I want is to hold them up or be a burden. So far I’m able to hold my own with this fairly simple program.

In addition, I arrive in CO usually a week and a half before the permit dates and do very little as far as exertion the first two days. I’ll end up walking without a pack a few miles around town between the first two days at most. Then I’ll head into the backcountry by myself to get acclimated on my own schedule. I’ll do some hiking/scouting at my own pace to allow myself to get settled a bit before my hunting partners show up. By the time we meet up, I’m good to go.

 

[Owens]

Lots of good suggestions already. I would just add start now and be consistent. Consistency over time pays off.