Looking for a workout that incorporates weights and running for archery!

[Sam Averett]

Im a freshman in college and am wondering if anyone has a workout that involves both running and lifting that would be helpful for hunting steep country for extended periods of time that would also help with archery fitness. Also looking for suggestions for protein and supplements that could also help. I would appreciate any insight!

 

[Hike&Hunt]

Sam,

Do research here and other hunting sites like bowsite.com. You will find more reading material than you have time for. Personally, I am currently using a subscription service at traintohunt.com. The workouts are tough and some incorporate shooting arrows into the workout. Not to mention I dont have to take the time to plan a 4-6 week routine like I have in the past..

In the past I have used a mix of multijoint exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press, pullups with isolation exercises. I followed that up with cardio: high intensity intervals (30-45 min), long steady state (60 min), low intensity/active recovery (30 min) with the intensity determined by heart rate. I would mix it up between a stairmill, incline trainer and bike. Just keep your body guessing.

As far as suppliments go, at your age you shouldnt need anything to get you going and a good chunk of whats on the market is hype anyway. Creatine will help some, no boosters will to but the biggest thing is eating right and training hard. A quality whey is worth getting, I use optimum nutrition, you can get it online with little to no shipping. Stay out of gnc type stores, they are expensive and will try to sell you crap you dont need. good luck

 

[shaun]

Personally I would reccomend some type of crossfit program or a HIT class to help with muscle endurance and cardio. I also hit the step mill for a few miles in between taking classes. Like Hike&Hunt said it is best to keep your muscles guessing or else you will plateau out. My favorite excercises for "Archery Fitness" are single arm cable rows (keeping core tight), Lawn mowers, and Pull Ups. They all incorporate the muscles utilized to draw and shoot your bow. As far as supplements go Protien (a quality one), Glutamine for joints, and a good Multi Vitamin. I am a big anti creatine for many reasons as I have stated in other threads. I am a huge believer in results come from diet wholesome foods such as whole grains, Proteins, good fats etc.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

What the other guys said. Compound lifts like deadlift, squat, cleans, jerks, snatch, press. Throw in exercises like pullups, pushups, kettlebell swings, burpees, box jumps, etc to create high-intensity intervals. I do crossfit workouts in my garage year-round and it has worked well for getting me into mountain shape. For balancing running and lifting, I would recommend checking out Crossfit Endurance. It is a really good program.

That being said, nothing gets you more prepared for the mountains than actually being in the mountains. If you have the time, put a pack on and start hiking.

 

[trkyslr]

Crossfit!

 

[ohhiitznik]

As a crossfit level1 coach I would suggest looking into that. If you cannot afford crossfit, look into training in your school's fitness area. They surely will have bumper plates and a pullup bar. That is all you really need.

 

[Sam Averett]

Thanks for the responses! I'll definitely take a look into crossfit and a good whey protein.

 

[rpm4463]

One thing I suggest is using a HR monitor watch. When I started using one I could pay attention to how many calories I burned, keep my HR up, and monitor my workouts on the computer. I found keeping my heart rate up when I'm in the gym helped me loose weight and have better endurance. I started to concentrate on keeping a very fast pace with lighter wieght. In a 1 hour gym workout I will burn around 1,000 calories. I usually burn about 1250 calories per hour when I'm running 10 and 15k's.

 

[Snake]

If you're wanting to incorporate running and lifting for functional strength while hunting following the Crossfit Endurance website would be close to perfect. The use of the site is free and prescribes basic strength (ex squat, deadlift, press), stereotypical Crossfit workouts (3 rounds for time...or As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes...), and endurance training (running, cycling, swimming, rucking). If you want to train specifically for hunting I would suggest you follow the site's running workouts and do one of the ruck marching workouts once per week. Word of warning: If you've never been trained on how to do certain lifts you should either get some training or at least join a crossfit gym for a couple months. Crossfit incorporates some technical lifts that you should know how to properly do in order to be safe. If getting training isn't an option you can find lots of tutorials online for how to do different lifts. However, be very careful with that method of teaching because you won't have a coach critiquing your form. Lastly, don't be afraid to scale the workouts. You need to scale the weights down, especially as you are starting. So in other words, if the workout says 3 rounds for time of 10 155 lb power cleans, 25 pullups, and 50 pushups, you will likely need to scale down if you're starting out to maybe 95 lb cleans, 10 pullups, and 20 pushups for each round. Proper, safe, form is far more important than how much weight you use.

 

[Ross]

Lots of good stuff here Sam.........find something you enjoy and can stick with. The key for me is finding something that you can fit into your schedule and are consistent with. Good Luck 9 months and counting, as if anyone is counting until next years opening day!