Getting into hunting shape

[ScottinPA]

Same here but without the running.

The Two Factor Model of Sports Performance makes sense for mountain hunting just as it does for competitive athletics.

To be honest my runs are short and slow. Keep HR 130-140ish. Due to health issues my days of 10+miles at 9min/miles (still slow) are in the past. Runs are also the first thing I'll drop if I feel a tweak of any type.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

To be honest my runs are short and slow. Keep HR 130-140ish. Due to health issues my days of 10+miles at 9min/miles (still slow) are in the past. Runs are also the first thing I'll drop if I feel a tweak of any type.

Luckily there’s plenty of other ways to get cardio without running. Running is great if you like it but if you’re not into running, there’s no need to do it, find another type of cardio that works for you.

 

[ScottinPA]

Luckily there’s plenty of other ways to get cardio without running. Running is great if you like it but if you’re not into running, there’s no need to do it, find another type of cardio that works for you.

True. I like to mix it up with biking and some swimming too.

 

[mtwarden]

I’m not very young (but would like to think not very old at 63 ) and in the last couple of years have transitioned from a lot trail running (several mountain trail ultra a year) to almost exclusively hiking (including snowshoeing and backcountry skiing). My mileage hasn’t changed a heck of a lot though (I’m closing in on 1900 miles for the year) and when I hike (almost daily) it’s all trails with a lot of elevation gain/loss.

I strength train twice a week concentrating on deadlifts/squats/bench/overhead press - with a lot of core work thrown in (check Wendler for a good strength program).

I agree with zap that regular recovery periods are an important component in overall fitness, one that a lot of folks ignore.

Every year, in addition to hunting, I try to get in a half dozen “adventure” trips. These trips are typically high mileage, fast paced, lots of climbing and with a pack on. When hunting season comes around, it’s another trip and I know I’m up to it physically and mentally.

Once you get going, it becomes more and more routine and less and less work

 

[seldomseensmith]

As I get older I value diversity in workouts. I ran marathons but due to nagging injuries related to running mostly, I picked up a few other things like mountain biking and I manage to stay injury free way more.
Find something sustainable for your lifestyle/time and be diverse. If you find something you enjoy and that's sustainable you will succeed. And most importantly, you can't outwork a poor diet. At least I can't.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

 

[NYbuck]

Squirrel hunting! Gear up like you’re going for a full day elk hunt, load up your pack to a similar weight and head out for the day. Put in the miles.

 

[ElMuercielago]

Great stuff mentioned above, but one thing I plan on starting 2021 will be more stretching. I've never done yoga but I know my flexibility needs to improve and so i'll be including this to my workouts.

Yoga was a game-changer for me. I have always been in pretty good shape but yoga was definitely a key missing piece. One surprising benefit I noticed is that my breathing, the basis to all movement, saw the most notable improvement.

 

[ElMuercielago]

Squirrel hunting! Gear up like you’re going for a full day elk hunt, load up your pack to a similar weight and head out for the day. Put in the miles.

Same but substitute squirrel for rabbit, quail and chukar

 

[JATails]

Yoga is definitely worth considering adding to your daily routine. I started doing Yoga daily at the start of this year and spend about 10 to 15 minutes each morning following along with YouTube videos. Its a great way to wake up and loosen up for the day. I subscribed to Yoga with Kassandra. She has lots of content and adds videos periodically. Easy to follow along with as well.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing and I really need to make this push.

 

[JATails]

Yoga was a game-changer for me. I have always been in pretty good shape but yoga was definitely a key missing piece. One surprising benefit I noticed is that my breathing, the basis to all movement, saw the most notable improvement.

Thank you for this, I didn't think about it helping with breathing, that's a major bonus! I find that I tend to hold my breath in tense moments, not sure why but its something thats followed me with sports so I hope this will help that as well.

 

[ianpadron]

Consistency is definitely the key, but you can consistently show up and do work in a manner that isn't the most efficient means to your goal. So I'd add a caveat, that consistent precision is key.

I've got a degree in Exercise Science, so I nerd out on this kind of stuff. I could get into the nitty gritty physiology of it all, but at the end of the day it really is pretty dang straightforward.

Specificity means training the systems you are trying to improve. If you want to be a beast in the mountains, you need to spend time in the mountains humping a pack. Period. Your legs, lungs, and heart work in synergy while backpack hunting, prioritizing training volume here will pay dividends.

Biking, running, sprinting, etc. are all fantastic tools, but they still don't have a 100% transfer rate like a good old heavy ruck in the hills. I like to plan on one overnighter a week during the summer to scout and pound out the miles, it's incredible how much of a machine the human body becomes with a technical approach to training.

During the winter, your focus should be on adding/maintaining horsepower (depends on where you're at already). Avoid "junk volume" like the plague and focus on heavy compound exercises with a full range of motion and textbook form. No one has ever thought to themselves "man, I wish I wasn't so damn strong" while solo packing a deer out of the wilderness.

I always describe performance oriented fitness like building a really fast car. You need an engine with enough horsepower and torque (strength/muscle) but you also need to be able to get that motor enough fuel and oxygen (cardio). Put the two together in the right ratios and the human body really is an impressive machine.

Last bit, don't neglect to put AT LEAST as much time/energy into your nutrition and recovery protocols as your training. Can't tell you how many folks spend years spinning their wheels and making minimal progress, blaming their training, when the culprit is really what's going on in the kitchen and in their sleep routine.

Good luck!

 

[OJ_Juice]

good info on this thread...thanks for posting. I need to get an altitude mask this year, damn altitude hurt this past Elk hunt!

 

[ianpadron]

good info on this thread...thanks for posting. I need to get an altitude mask this year, damn altitude hurt this past Elk hunt!

Those masks are gimmicks and have no place in an exercise program, save your money.

 

[mtwarden]

Those masks are gimmicks and have no place in an exercise program, save your money.

Agreed

 

[ElMuercielago]

Those masks are gimmicks and have no place in an exercise program, save your money.

However with that said...there are definitely some altitude training options that are worth their weight. Hypoxico Altitude Systems are one example. I have alpinist friends that guide the tallest mountains in the world which swear by them.

 

[Dragonfish]

squats/deadlifts/bench/overhead press or some variation of those exercises in some combination three days a week. ruck twice a week with 30-40 lbs is what works for me. i'll increase rucking, and decrease lifting 6 weeks out from hunt.

 

[Ffjmoore]

I like the idea of squirrel hunting fully loaded!

 

[raskgc]

Thanks for all the good info gonna start getting ready for next year

 

[Justdecent]

I feel like I’ve tried everything when it comes to getting into shape for season with varying results. I’ve narrowed it down and I believe that stretching daily (2x a day is best for me) and walking uphill on a treadmill work the best. This builds my leg strength, and it’s what I will actually be doing in the field. Lifting weights just weighs me down and kills my air. Stair stepper is too repetitive. I like to take advantage of scouting in the spring and summer, kill two birds with one stone. Throw in some push-ups and sit-ups and that really should be all you need.

 

[Coues123]

Enjoy the easy life when you are young. Having lived to see 60 it is not as easy as it once was. Many great ideas here. Now days I find myself walking up hill on lion hunts not to rest the horse but to keep me in shape. I find cycling either out on the road, on a mountain bike or a trainer is a good replacement. The better the cardio the easier it is to adjust to altitude. Our old cross country coach lived by the saying, A greyhound travels better than a pitbull. The slimmer you get the less work to get over the ridge.