Most efficient body "type"?

[dotman]

the first two posts on this thread are hilarious you guys forgot to mention how handsome Aron is...

Haha, we all know he has an ugly mug. No worries he can't ride a buffalo

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

the first two posts on this thread are hilarious you guys forgot to mention how handsome Aron is...

Lmao ya as much respect as I have for Aron I must say it's quite impressive at his young age that he has become the gold standard for all mountain hunters to be measured against. I wanna be like Aron when I grow up

 

[justin davis]

The big muscle bodies are for the beach not the mountains.

 

[JJHACK]

This is a great observation of endurance and fitness.

In my career, I have had a fair selection of MLB and NFL players hunt with me. The common problem I have seen with the NFL players was their thighs rubbing raw against each other. It's astonishing that a few of these guys have strength you cannot imagine, but at about 1000-1500 foot a mile elevation gain they are spent in an hour. There us a definite body type for enormous strength and incredible bursts of speed. That is clearly not the same body to climb for several hours.

The single most fit hunter of my entire 22 years of this work was a world class professional tennis player. SHE kept up with me no matter what I did or suggested. She was on my heals every time I turned around. Her poor husband stated at camp by the third day and said " have fun" he was a WA. Dc attorney 6'5" and slender. But no way he was in the same fitness as his wife. She was a climbing machine.

Funny...... NFL man VS pro tennis woman. Who woulda thought the 5'5" woman would kick the a$$ of a big powerful NFL player in the mountains!

 

[Arrowslinger]

If aerobic systems are the same, a light and lean person has a huge advantage over a muscled up one.

 

[kaboku68]

Then you gave the light and lean 150lb pack and asked them to bust through alders for 10 miles in horizontal sleet.

 

[Coyote Commander]

I really have to agree with this. My father is fairly heavy and I myself while not fat I'm certainly not lean. Took a friend of mine and his dad with us a few years ago Into the wallowa mountains for elk. These MTN's are not for the faint of heart. Both these guys were in great "gym" shape. And ran quite a bit. After the second day their feet, shoulders and backs were destroyed. They literally stayed in camp for 2 days when they finally just wanted to go home. Thank god we didn't kill anything. I had to carry my buddies gear out, he was embarrassed and never asked to go again. Being in good shape is always a good idea, but you need to be in the right shape and have the right mindset as well.

Haha! "Gym shape". I dont put much stock in "gym shape".

Watched my 100 pound sister work circles around "gym shape" football players on more than one occasion throwing idiot blocks.

 

[Coyote Commander]

When I was in the Army there was a couple dudes in my platoon that were bonafide "meatheads" (in fact, ones nickname was "meathead"). Spent a lot of time in the gym, no neck, bicep measurements bigger than my thigh, you know the type. They probably had easily 60-80 lbs on me, and nobody would call them out of shape looking at them.

In a contest of lifting weights, they'd kick my butt six ways from Sunday. Not even in the same ball park, hell, not even in the same universe.

But, when it came to push-ups, chin-ups, or cardio, the tables turned real quick.

None of them could run worth a crap either.


After seeing them in action with loaded rucks, I dont think the "muscle bound" physique is close to the "ideal" mountain physique. Sure, they'd be great if you wanted your elk tossed up in the tree tops to keep it away from predators or something, but otherwise, it seems to be a very inefficient build for locomotion.

They ate a lot too.

 

[kodiakfly]

36-24-36 ??

That was my first x-fiancé.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, let's not totally dismiss those of us built like Clydesdales. I'm 250 lbs and while I'm not a beach god, my weight comes from muscle and I'm built like a power lifter or a fat linebacker. Muscle efficiency going up hill like a gazelle is one thing for sure, and I do take the slow and steady approach. But there's also a lot to be said about a set of muscles that is used to heavy abuse and that have been worked to failure in a gym for 20+ years. They get tough and resistant to strain and work. I've packed hundreds of pounds of moose out and we get back to camp and I'm good to go the next day. My hunting partners are hitting the Advil and the Ben Gay and can barely move...but they're all built like triathletes and are in awesome cardio shape and can hike circles around me.

Another time muscles earn their keep is with a pack full of meat, coming down. Same thing, same guys and we're walking out and they're falling down, relying HEAVILY on trekking poles, tripping, complaining about their knees, asking for help up and down big steps...and I'm in the lead walking like a pack mule carrying the heaviest pack and my knees and back feel fine.

So yeah, the 145 lb wirey guy in the size 27 Attack pants and medium shirt is considered the Gold Standard for mountain hunting, and yeah my build may be on the large side. But to say that muscled hunters are inefficient or that muscle is a waste of space, I think is a bit off. We each shine at different points of the hunt, under different conditions and even on different types of hunts.

But we can all agree that mental toughness trumps all.

 

[OR Archer]

I don't think the build or body is more than 10% of the equation.

Mentally tough men will dominate in the mountains over just those that are physically fit. Men from the 30's, 40's & 50's were just plain mentally tough and fought through many issues. Most of our current population under 50 have had a fairly easy go of it compared to our previous generations.

I know fat guys that can demolish most fit guys in the woods, Roy Roth comes to mind. One of the most mentally tough mountain men to ever live.

I have been in the woods with superior fitter guys that fold when conditions get tough, because they have no mental preparation.

So my vote goes to a mentally tough bastard that won't give up when things are tough over the fittest guy I know who pusses out if things get tough.

Spot on.

 

[OR Archer]

There is a "beast" high profile hunter that they are using to argue. I argue back that he isn't really doing the hunts that we target. (DIY 10k'+ backpack style). He did a few years back when he was significantly smaller...

I'm assuming you guys are talking about Cam. I don't know where everyone gets the idea that he's "huge". He's only 5'7" and 175#. Not small but not monsterous like some would make him out to be. I'd put him high on the list of what a mountain hunter should be. He's mentally tough with drive and he's in great shape.

 

[Rick Leathley]

I'm assuming you guys are talking about Cam. I don't know where everyone gets the idea that he's "huge". He's only 5'7" and 175#. Not small but not monsterous like some would make him out to be. I'd put him high on the list of what a mountain hunter should be. He's mentally tough with drive and he's in great shape.

The dude ran 100 miles under 24 hours. Yeah he doesn't like shirts much, but whatever you think about the guy you can't say he isn't in shape or mentally tough.

 

[CritterGetter]

Obviously the mentally tough will always do better than the pussy... I'm surely not trying to take anything away from Mr. Hanes, but he is not the norm. The dude is basically a freak a nature. lol He's also not the guy I picture when someone mentions meathead either.

 

[5MilesBack]

I will say that at 6'6"/210 I have never had any issues with getting around in the mountains. On a hunt, I can hardly sit still ever so can cover a lot of ground and in a hurry if need be. I don't need much food while I'm out there, I have the rest of the year to take care of that......and I have an attitude that refuses to "quit". And that's when I'm not in shape......which has pretty much been the last 15 years. But I don't let that slow me down. I'll be the first one to kick my own ass if I start slowing down. For me, the mountains are like basketball........long lean muscles rule.

 

[RosinBag]

If you haven't met him or talked to him your perception is probably a little off. Cam is physically fit and mentally strong.

 

[ColoradoV]

True tests in the mountains if one is into such things are foot races such as the leadville 100 or badwater 135 as well as a host of others.

I have a couple of friends who have done both the above races. While one 9 finishes are the most for either I forget how many in under 24 - in the leadville race show one guys's toughness - the downhill sections will allow a larger frame runner 6'3"+ cover more ground on the down hill sections. First to the top does = first to the finish as one was first to the top in Badwater one year but got beat on the down hill.. Short legs = slower time and longer legs = faster time moving down hill it is you legs and not your height that make the difference. Longer stride lengths on the downhill in both races and the hills make the discernible difference when splitting hairs between endurance racers when they both got genetically set up with a Prefontaine type of hear and lungs... Long and lean with the big hear/lung combo with longer than normal legs is the Lebron James of the mountain world.

Just sayin the word Badwater 135 makes me scared..

 

[Shrek]

What's the point of worrying about someone else's body type ? I think Aron is on the right track to maximize his abilities both short term and long term. Train as you , hunt as you train. Mixing in some high intensity cardio and indurance weight training . Good diet. That will make you all that you can be . I've talked on the phone at 5am his time as he hikes with a pack in late December. Aron is a backcountry beast because he's a backcountry training beast.

 

[CritterGetter]

What's the point of worrying about someone else's body type ?

I'm not at all. This is purely a discussion on what we should strive train for. I am by no means bashing on anyone or their style.

 

[Shrek]

I wasn't referring to the best training methods posts but to the long legs or short legs ect. As far as I can tell we are all dancing with what we brought . I think the training discussion very relevant.

 

[Highcountry_Hellrazor]

You guys have man crushes. Get off the computer, and stop worrying about other people and TRAIN! Be the best you can be, and the rest will fall into place.