Flatlanders workout

[92python]

Cross country skiing (both skate and classic) 5 times a week during the Winter. Usually 45 - 90 minutes each time.

Riding my bike into work and back 2 or 3 times a week during the spring and summer. That's a 25 mile round trip each time I do it and takes an hour each way.

 

[String&stick]

Take over the f#¢+!^g stair master at your local gym. . . Put your pack and desired weight on and start at 15 or 20 minutes as fast as you can go without using the handles. Slow down as needed and speed up when you can.

Once twenty minutes is easy, go to thirty, then forty.

If you can hit forty minutes of stair master with a forty pound pack at a even 70-80 steps per minute you will be in pretty good shape. It's a devil machine. If you go to the workout section you can see some insane amount of floors climbed in 20 min by some roksliders!

Just don't blow your heart up because it will Jack the heart rate if you're out of shape!

 

[Btaylor]

Take over the f#¢+!^g stair master at your local gym. . . Put your pack and desired weight on and start at 15 or 20 minutes as fast as you can go without using the handles. Slow down as needed and speed up when you can.

Once twenty minutes is easy, go to thirty, then forty.

If you can hit forty minutes of stair master with a forty pound pack at a even 70-80 steps per minute you will be in pretty good shape. It's a devil machine. If you go to the workout section you can see some insane amount of floors climbed in 20 min by some roksliders!

Just don't blow your heart up because it will Jack the heart rate if you're out of shape!

I call that thing the Stairmonster.

I right now I am doing a lot of rowing and some eliptical at high resistance and pace along with some stairmonster for primary cardio. For weight stuff I do a lot of body weight exercises like pullups, pushups and burpees. Other weight stuff is primarily dumbell and kettlebell stuff like swings, rows, cleans, presses. As much as possible I like to keep exercises to compound movement stuff like man makers, burpee pullups or burpee box jumps. By the first of june I will start adding a lot of pack work on stairs or just out hiking. Still going to suck wind at elevation but my body isnt wrecked like it was on my first trip to the point I had to skip a half day of hunting to recover. Like others have mentioned, legs lungs and core is what seems to be most important along with hydration. If you arent good at staying properly hydrated at home, I would encourage making that part of your prep routine now.

 

[OhioState84]

Ohio flatlander...... 36 push-ups every morning..... 3-7 minutes of planking...... 10 count - up - out - back leg-lifts...... 3-7 minutes of planking - with deep knee pull back stretches in between each exercise.
Have a park nearby with slight slope..... take the lab and my pack with 10 lbs (to start) 4 days a week for 30 minutes (to start)...... increase weight and time monthly from april till the week before the hunt.
One thing I learned the hard way...... practice with walking poles and focus on your feet height - the rocks in the logging roads out West are large - tall and SHARP!!!!!! You must pick your feet up much higher there then we are used to!!!!! Take your time - enjoy the workout - keep your eyes on the prize!!!!! Shoot a lot and feel confident with 200-300 yard shots....... If you can - get your heart rate up while shooting - it's more real world then you think!! Just a few thoughts - have a great time before - during - after the hunt!!
God Bless

 

[Lelder]

Being in Kansas I am with you. i also hate the treadmill. Mtn tough has a couple free workouts that are really good. 22’s and heavy pack workout Are the two i use the most. For the 8 weeks prior to the hunt i try to do each of them once a week.
My wife gets embarrassed of me but i will throw 60-70 lbs in the pack and mow the lawn, then take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood, anything to get the muscles stronger. I also like using the box step ups in the basement with the heavy pack on. Throw a hunting video on the tv for motivation.
that is in addition to lifting three times a week.

I mow the grass the same way and she gets so pissed lol !!!!

 

[*zap*]

For incremental gains a treadmill works very good, you can control a constant pace and incline along with duration and the amount of weight you carry.. Using the incline feature also minimizes heel strike when you stride. My buddy who is a marathoner uses the treadmill with at least a 2.0 incline for good ball of foot landing when he runs on one.

 

[NJDiverDan]

For the treadmill, 3.0 @ 15 is ok, but it is not working you hard enough to have the gains you want out hear. Interval the speed to increase your heart rate. You need to get into the cardio range. I am guessing it is more your lungs than your legs that are failing at altitude. You can back the incline to 10 but increase the speed to 4 and see what that does for your heart rate. Get it elevated 20% over where you are now, hold that for 5 minutes, then go back to your 15 / 3.0 for 5 minutes of recovery. Repeat.

Weight training and core training will also help significantly with pack outs. But if its the altitude that is kicking your butt, intervals really help.

 

[justin84]

Yea the gym I go to combines about 30 minutes on the treadmill with 30 minutes of resistance stuff, and I hate treadmills! Instead of running, I do varying intervals with 10-15% incline and 3-4 miles per hour. I feel like it's a good way to prepare.

 

[go4thegusto]

I go to the downtown public 5 story parking ramp and do stair repeats with a 40lb pack. Run, bike, some weights, all that goes without saying. I am usually in good cardio shape but it is the climbing bearing weight and altitude that kills us flatlanders

 

[mmcdonough]

I followed the Mountain Tactical big game preseason program last year and it worked really well for me. It mixes in a ton of leg strength and core stuff along with some long cardio days. Pretty repetitive on the workouts though, especially all the step ups that it requires.

I'm also in Minnesota, but I grew up in Idaho so I knew what it would take mentally and physically to get up and down those mountains. The workout didn't really help me much with speed but I could tell a huge difference in my overall endurance. By day 5 of our hunt last year almost everyone in my group was bushed but I still had plenty left in the tank. I'd like to try that mountain tough program but it's so dang expensive that I'm having trouble justifying it.

 

[JATails]

I like to do the stairmaster and vary speeds starting with a warm up, increases 1-2 mins with decrease for 1-2 mins (recovery) than increase and so for 15-20mins... once I get back into decent shape I put on a weighted pack with and do the same thing. I also do this with treadmill (walking) with a 13-15% incline an speed 3.0-3.3 mph. My time frame is whatever I can get in between work and new parent life. I do use a weighted pack for mowing the yard, yard work, walking the dogs/kids, working the dogs and I try in add lunges into the mix. I also like to keep a steady full body workout weekly regime too. Guess I need to look into more of these programs mentioned earlier on.

 

[sticknstringer]

Ya sounds like I need to step up the cardio and legs stregnth.

 

[Carr5vols]

If I do any yardwork the pack is on with 40 lbs, pushmowing, taking, blowing, weed eating, etc.. all that turning helps. Then other days I walk with pack minimum 2 miles in neighborhood. Also do steps 3 days a week with pack loaded up. Everyone in my town knows me as the crazy guy with the pack on. Lol.

 

[Novemberfest]

I manage my diet and count calories in an effort to lose 10 lbs. Treadmill hill workouts in the winter-3 miles over 30 minutes for endurance 3 times a week. Moderate weight workouts to keep muscle tone and build strength legs and core. 40lb pack hikes throughout the summer then treadmill weighted pack walks a few months out while wearing my boots. Worked out well for me last year and planning on doing more of the same this year. My major focus is endurance at incline and the best hill I can find thats 3 miles long is a treadmill . This is all while watching elk hunting you tube videos.

 

[Clarence]

When your lungs are beat on the mountain, you stop and gain breath. When you're legs are shot, it is hard to get them back together. Been said many times here. Legs, cardio and core. Bleachers are great. Go diagonally to simulate side hill. Walk drainage culverts on the sides of roads with a loaded pack to simulate side hill as well. I need to get a tire drag put together. Pulling that up and down my driveway will be a nice addition for leg work this year.

 

[7Bartman]

I tried running the first year I went out to ID, but I didn't feel it best prepared me for the mountains. Switched over to the stairmaster and found it much better for preparation. One tip with the stairmaster, once you get close to your hunt, put a pack on your back and have someone choke you while you workout.

 

[TColt]

Flatlander from Texas, Squats and deadlifts and lots of them. Usually when I am within a month of the hunt, I try to do sets of 25+ with 135. I figure thats going to be a little more than 2x pack weight for a 7-10 day hunt. Sets like this will help you mentally as well as physically. There is nothing you can do to replicate elevation, so the mental aspect seems to come in to play here the most for me. I hate cardio but have started to work it in just for my health, hopefully it will help on the mountian as well.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I, too, live in an area where you could watch your dog run away for 3 days. My strategy for getting into mountain shape involves a lot of weighted box step-ups and hiking bleachers at the high school football stadium with a pack on.

 

[Elk97]

All the above are great workouts, you have to pick what works best for you based on where you live and what's available. I"m at sea level but have some steep powerline roads with switchbacks that I hike with a weighted pack. 25lbs to start (now) up to 45-50 as the season gets closer. Also do a lot of push ups, crunches and some upper body weights. I'm old so I have to start slow and work up to it and try to stay in shape all year. The thing that helps a lot is getting to MT several days before the season opens and doing some scouting with a light pack and an easy pace to get acclimated.

 

[xziang]

Throw the pack on with about 40lbs in it and take the dog for a walk. Try to hit some of the hills around here too. Nowadays i get enough excercise and walking at work so I already get enough exercise that way. Closer to the season will throw the pack on to make sure ecerythjng still fits.