Exo Experience Challenge

[Stocky]

What are folks getting for their step up paces? My little clickers haven’t come yet but I think I was doing 1 step up every 4 seconds. Just did it timed tonight and will use time to guesstimate my progress until clickers come later this week.

I was in the 23-28 @step ups per minute. Which may have been a bit fast as I've had horribly tight calves the last couple days.

 

[P Carter]

Going easy, I did 900 in 57 minutes with 52-lb pack, average HR 126, 16-inch box. I did 500 normal, 100 lateral each side, 100 step-over each foot. No significant breaks, did take a drink of water when switching types/sides.

 

[P Carter]

Going easy, pace-wise, I did 900 in 57 minutes with 52-lb pack, average HR 126, 16-inch box. I did 500 normal, 100 lateral each side, 100 step-over each foot. No significant breaks, did take a drink of water when switching types/sides.

 

[Falon]

I did 750 this morning with a 42lb pack in 45 mins. On a 14” box because I’m short. Heart rate stayed between 128-135

 

[fatlander]

Built a platform to shorten my step ups to 15” on my 105 yeti. My daughter wanted to paint it. I added my thoughts on the challenge. What do y’all think?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bwidrick]

Did 5 sets of 100 the other night, 37# pack, 37 minutes, 3 min. break between each (longer break than I realized...the data don't lie).

Just finished the first of the strength workouts. Not bad, but the singleegs revealed weakness in my right leg. Got some work to do.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Ya I’m a regular gym rat but the step ups and the new workout movements brought out some soreness I haven’t had in awhile.
I’m going slow on step ups to prevent any aging knee and back problems.

 

[Hoosker Doo]

The EXO workout had some different movements than I'm used to but didn't seem like anything crazy. The single leg squats were more challenging than my regular squats, but 2 days later my calves and hamstrings are more sore than I've experienced with anything in a while. It was surprising. The calf burnout at the end probably didn't help haha

 

[ezwy]

The EXO workout had some different movements than I'm used to but didn't seem like anything crazy. The single leg squats were more challenging than my regular squats, but 2 days later my calves and hamstrings are more sore than I've experienced with anything in a while. It was surprising. The calf burnout at the end probably didn't help haha

Now I’m worried. Did the workout today and muscles above my knees are already really feeling it.

 

[Snowhunter11]

Finally built up to 1000 step ups this morning. 40lb pack. I can do better for time and weight.. just slowly building up. The last workouts have made my feet tender from those calf raises. Also sore in random small muscle groups. I like the workouts though. Many things I hadn’t tried before.

 

[bwidrick]

Finally got to 1000 stepups last week with 37# pack. Bumped weight to 50#and hiked 6.5 miles on Monday...umph, legs were ready for that jump. Started with 300 stepups at 50# last night and didn't feel too bad. Slowly working my way up. This Challenge has exactly what I needed to get my butt in better shape!

 

[Snowhunter11]

Soon here I will complete the backpacking challenge. I plan to do something similar to what I did last year with my three girls. Nothing like loading 7800 pack to the brim to haul in all the oversized sleeping bags, food, and gear for four people. My youngest was 4 last year and wore out on the way in and from playing. I carried her out as seen below for most of ~4.5 miles. This year I hope to learn from last years mistakes. Headnets for everyone and clothes soaked in advance with permithilin. Girls hair and ticks everywhere sucks. live and learn.. We saw a bear cub in front of us on the trail however so that made the trip for the girls!

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Did 1k last night with 35lb. pack. Kudos and thanks to @Mark at EXO for how they set all this up, it seems challenging enough for all, yet scalable for the super freaks and they seem to be setting us up for success for June by giving us May to practice and prepare as long as guys put the time and work in.

 

[ezwy]

Just pulled it off as well. I hate ‘em. The whole time I’m thinking “I should just be hiking” but I see the benefit.

 

[awcopeland]

June challenge details are loaded…

 

[limpet]

Anyone nuts enough to go for 5,000 step ups in 24 hours?

 

[Snowhunter11]

Anyone nuts enough to go for 5,000 step ups in 24 hours?

I am sure it can be done by some. For me personally at least I don’t think it would be worth the injury potential. I would need to build to 5000 continuous for sure. I personally hope to put together 5 days in a row to better simulate mountain trips. Good luck

 

[fatlander]

Anyone nuts enough to go for 5,000 step ups in 24 hours?

I’ve done well over the amount of vert that you’re gaining in 5k step ups in a 24 hour period, many times. I agree with others that the injury potential for the step ups isn’t worth the squeeze. It’s not the stepping up that’s the problem, it’s the stepping down. I’ve hunted a lot of steep country for a lot of years, and I don’t think I’ve stepped backwards under load a combined 1,000 times in all those years.

If EXO intends to carry this challenge forward, I’d really like to see them pick an amount of vert they want you to gain. 1,000 step ups at 15” is the equivalent of 1250 feet of gain. I’d be much more motivated to get out and do that than stepping up and down on a box for an hour. I get that not everyone has access to terrain where that’s feasible, but for us that do, I firmly believe hiking with a load is much better use of your time than box step ups.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Truck24hr]

I firmly believe hiking with a load is much better use of your time than box step ups.

I'm not so sure overall, and, everyone can do box step ups. Yeah, boring AF, but the mental gains should be as important as the physical.

I hike steep stuff heavy pretty often, and the step ups, and maybe more important step downs, really hammered me.

I'm out guys. Have had some family stuff come up, and no way I'd be able to make a trip this year. So no need to take up a chance for someone else.

I'll continue doing the challenge though.

Good luck y'all

 

[fatlander]

I'm not so sure overall, and, everyone can do box step ups. Yeah, boring AF, but the mental gains should be as important as the physical.

I hike steep stuff heavy pretty often, and the step ups, and maybe more important step downs, really hammered me.

I'm out guys. Have had some family stuff come up, and no way I'd be able to make a trip this year. So no need to take up a chance for someone else.

I'll continue doing the challenge though.

Good luck y'all

That’s kind of the point I’m getting at. They hammered you, but for what end? How often do you step backwards, down hill, under load in the mountains while hunting? Burpees will hammer you too, but how often do you do a burpee on a backpack hunt?

I think an either or is the best way forward: either 1,250 feet of gain or 1k box step ups is a better solution.

There’s always a place for musculoskeletal training in anyone’s overall program, but there’s no substitute for application specific training. At least that’s been my experience, YMMV.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk