MTN TOUGH Backcountry Hunting Postseason Program Thread

[Matt Cashell]

Week 2 Day 4: series of superset “quarters”

Just like last week, this day wasn’t quite as rigorous. Still a solid workout, but 15 calories on a machine goes pretty quickly.

Feeling good and ready for Day 5 cardio tomorrow.

 

[Jordan Budd]

Week 2 day 4.

4 quarters again. Definitely got through this one stronger. Tomorrow is a 40lb ruck day for 3-6 miles, our choice.

Excited to get my into week 3 where the workouts change a bit.


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[robby denning]

Looking good Matt/Jordan

I'm gonna interrupt your thread with an email Dustin from MTN TOUGH sent me. Has a good story and an explanation of how the post-season program you two are doing combines with their 4-month "preseason program" for a total of 8 months of training to be ready for fall. Here's the email (I also made this a separate thread just fyi):

• He almost didn’t make it off the mountain... from Dustin Diefenderfer
  

Back in 2013, I took my buddy Joe on one of his first backcountry elk hunts in Montana. It was almost his last.

He was a diehard passionate bowhunter from Mississippi who dreamed of hunting out west.

Mid 40’s. A hard working, busy family man.

I tried to tell him to start training early… but he was convinced he could just crush the elliptical machine everyday in August and be alright.

Our trip finally arrived and we went to this awesome high country spot. We kept pushing deeper into the backcountry looking for elk.

Joe was on an adrenaline high, feeling good, soaking up his first hunt in the high country.

It was a good hunt, we got into elk, but no shot opportunities.

Eventually, it was time to start working our way out. Because we had pushed hard all day, we were deep into some remote basins and the hike out was going to be tough.

Mile 11… that’s when it him.

Mentally and physically, Joe went to outer space.

He was confused about where he was. Mumbling things.

He kept stopping and pulling out his phone, trying to text his wife.

I could see the fear on his face.

That’s when I finally got scared for my friend.

He had hit the wall. His tank was on empty.

And I started to worry about how I was going to get this guy off the mountain and back home to his wife and kids.


**
We have a name for it… it’s called “Bonking”
------------------------------------------------------------
It’s that moment when your mind and body completely shut down.

It’s hard to explain to someone if they’ve never experienced it.

It comes out of nowhere. One minute Joe’s good and the next, he’s convinced he can’t make it out.

What scares me the most about bonking is that it’s not really a conventional medical condition that can be treated like heat exhaustion or dehydration. We’ve all had training to handle stuff like that.

Bonking is different.

It’s some kind of dangerous combination of muscle fatigue, exhaustion, and calorie depletion… but the most unique aspect is the paralyzing mental failure that comes with it.

Confusion, fear, and a burned-out body all come together to bring a regular guy like Joe to his knees and convince him he won’t make it out.

This is the kind of thing that can put a guys life at risk. Or send him home off the mountain early, ending his dream hunt.

It’s not something many guys are prepared for. And Joe had no idea what hit him.

I spent hours talking to him trying to get his head right and calm him down. It was hard to get him to eat a snack or drink any water… but I finally convinced him to take down whatever he could to refuel.

After that, it was miles of baby steps.

5 steps then a break. 5 steps then a break.

We got back to the truck in the middle of the night and Joe slept for the next 12 hours.

I don’t mind sharing his story because Joe’s a helluva guy and good friend. I still hunt with him to this day.

The next year he started training way earlier… and incorporated more types of training instead of just cardio.

He hasn’t bonked since. A few years later he harvested an awesome bull in some of the nastiest country I can think of.


**
How to Avoid Bonking
------------------------------------------------------------
When you’re short on time, short on energy, and short on specific knowledge you’re just going to gravitate to what you’ve done before to prep for hunting season.

But what’s familiar isn’t always the best...

Bonking can happened to anyone, but the guys who properly prepare their bodies for the backcountry have a much lower risk.

Joe did something so many guys have done, waiting until August to start training for hunting season.

It’s a common mistake… and one that can put you at risk in the mountains.

Don’t wait until August to start training for hunting season.

Sure, any training is better than no training at all… but the mountains are unforgiving.

When we sat down to start developing our Backcountry Hunter Programming, we looked at how long to make the program.

Six weeks? Nine weeks? Go to a full 12 weeks or more? We debated this topic for months during our team meetings...

Based on the 32 years of combined training experience and the science of what we were up against, we came to the conclusion that we needed at least 12 weeks to put together an effective and long lasting program for a backcountry hunter.

But the truth is, that’s just the beginning. And the primary reason we’re so focused on being “Always Ready” and changing your mindset to instead be thinking: “Train All Year.”

Here’s why...

Neural Recruitment

It takes at least 2 to 4 weeks of a new type of exercise for your body to get past the neural recruitment phase when you start.

Neural recruitment is basically the waking up of dormant muscles and getting them activated.

The first few weeks are really not necessarily you getting stronger, but your body and your neuromuscular pathways are becoming more coordinated.

So you're using muscles better in groups and you're really lifting more weight because you're coordinated better, not necessarily because you're a lot stronger. And it takes about 2 to 4 weeks for those adaptations to really develop fully.

After that 2 to 4 week point, we can start putting on muscle mass and strength. That requires at least another 4 to 6 weeks to get the muscle gains that are repetitive enough to build the foundation that we want.

Muscle Endurance

Once you have the neuro recruitment down to where it needs to be, and you body has put on a good base of muscle, then you can start another 4 to 6 weeks of building the endurance with that muscle.

In other words, we want you to be able to lift all the weight you're going to lift with a lot less effort than you used to lift it, for a lot longer time than you used to lift it.

This is going to give you things like leg endurance for a multi-day hunt.

To do that, we need to make you strong so you're looking at about 4 more weeks training your body to carry weight over a long distance of time.

So those are the muscular reasons why we need 12 weeks.

Cardiovascular Training

Cardiovascularly, you have a similar process.

It will take your body a week to start manufacturing more red blood cells and hemoglobin levels should rise within three weeks, so that requires some adaptation time.

It takes at least 4 to 6 weeks for your heart rate to grow and adapt.

This is what you need to recover fast, for example feeling recovered in 30 seconds versus 2 minutes after a big climb or sprint. Which is crucial for when you need to calm down and be steady for a shot.

That gets you into the phase where you're now ready to start expanding and building on your cardio training.


**
The Bottom Line: Change Your Mindset to “Always Ready”
------------------------------------------------------------
Any backcountry hunters we train at MTNTOUGH, we now start training right after hunting season is over with our4-month postseason strength program (MTNTOUGH Postseason Program - Buy[UNIQID]) .

It’s starts the process of recovery and rebuild after a long season.

This is the ideal training program for the winter months.

They see good gains in the first six weeks. They can make some incredible progress in six weeks, there's no doubt. But to really get permanent, lasting gains, we need to push them over to 12 weeks for those things to start taking effect and staying in their system.

From there, we transition them to the 4-month preseason prep programming, which is ideal for spring and summer.

As you start doing this kind of work, your body composition is going to change. And that also requires time for your body to now adapt to the new oxygen requirements it needs.

In other words, you're going to have more muscle mass, more lean mass, and less fat mass. It's going to change how your body utilizes energy. All those systems now have to learn to adapt and your body has to deliver more oxygen.

That's why it takes a little longer for you to adapt on the cardiovascular side because you're pushing more muscle now than you used to.

You also need to make sure that your cardiovascular system is having time to adapt to your new body composition, as your body composition changes.

Additionally, you need to boost your mobility to prevent injury and increase durability.

So all those things come together inside a dedicated 8-month training system.

A period of preparation that makes the transition to hunting season feel seamless. That way you’re not getting in and out of shape each year… instead, you’re Always Ready for hunting season.


**
Don’t Start Training Too Late
------------------------------------------------------------
We have people approach us all the time to prepare for hunting season or BUDS or a big race and by the time they approach us we’re bearing down on the date with very little time to train.

Training to reach a goal requires time – you truly want to get stronger, faster, and better (and we want you to get there too) – but you want to do it in a way that doesn’t hurt you or force you to sacrifice other things you value, like spending time with your kids.

The science is pretty solid that you need at least 12 weeks to prepare your body for hunting season… but that’s just the basics.

To be truly ready for whatever the mountains are going to throw at you, the time to start training is NOW.

Whether you end up taking advantage of our 8-month Backcountry Hunter Bundle (MTNTOUGH Backcountry Hunter Bundle - Buy[UNIQID]) or working with a personal trainer, start now.

Not in August.

Many hunters wait until the last minute to get ready and don’t prepare their energy production system, core, and legs sufficiently to handle the demands of the mountains.

A "trip of a lifetime" can quickly turn into a nightmare or dangerous bonking situation without proper conditioning.

That’s why we crafted the MTNTOUGH Backcountry Hunter Bundle (MTNTOUGH Backcountry Hunter Bundle - Buy[UNIQID]) to transition you into the mindset of “Train All Year”… to take you through all the necessary body transformations to best prepare you for the demands of the hunt.

And now is the time to start, so come fall, you’re not “that guy” that bonks and has to rely on his buddies to get him out… all because your body wasn’t prepared.

Here’s the rundown:
* It’s a full 8-months of backcountry coaching, right from your phone.
* You get $100 off normal price, for two specific 4-month programs.
* You get 5 in-depth video workouts each week, delivered through our private MTNTOUGH app.
* You will get a daily workout for your fitness level: beginner, intermediate, or elite.
* You get access to the MTNTOUGH community for support, accountability and motivation from like-minded peers.
* You have lifetime access to the material, so you can use this program to prep for hunting season every year, with free upgrades as we improve it over time.

--> Click here to start training today (MTNTOUGH Backcountry Hunter Bundle - Buy[UNIQID])

NOTE: because this bundle is for those people committed to training all year, enrollment is only available until FRIDAY January 25th.

MORE AFFORDABLE: The number one question we have received is if there is a way to access the MTNTOUGH training via monthly payments. We heard you! We are excited to announce you can now pay via monthly installments. It is quick, easy and is now live and available for only $70/month.

- Dustin

P.S. - Here’s more feedback from other hunters that have been through the program:

“The one year I decided I wanted to lift heavy and set some big numbers in traditional power lifting, I found I was the worst in the mountains. My lungs were good but my muscular endurance and functional strength seemed to lack

This program makes me get more mentally prepared for the workout because I know it’s going to be a grind every time. What helps the most for me is knowing there are other people out there slugging it out everyday too. Competition breeds success and it keeps you accountable for doing the workouts everyday.

I feel better at work, at home, playing sports.

My functional strength and flexibility are what I notice most.”

- Darren Cropley

“I used to focus on either strength or cardio, without a good balance. Flexibility and agility have also received back-burner status.

The most impact received was from the MTNTOUGH program was not focusing on one muscle group or area at one time. Approaching the training in a more methodical way provided (incorporating multiple muscle groups at once) helped maximize gains, and improve overall stability and recovery time.

If you want to be challenged, be pushed farther than you ever expected your body and mind to go in a short time, give MTNTOUGH a small part of your day.”

- Derek M. Burns

 

[[email protected]]

Im new to forum and interested in changing my conditioning routine for 2019. I am interested in the mtntough but I would like to know what type of equipment is required to complete program.

 

[Jordan Budd]

Im new to forum and interested in changing my conditioning routine for 2019. I am interested in the mtntough but I would like to know what type of equipment is required to complete program.

Basic gym equipment. Treadmill, bike, stair stepper, dumbbells, bench, weighted ball, bar, box for step ups, etc. I personally am doing everything from my home gym. I have a treadmill, home gym machine, dumbbells, bench and pull up bar I can put on a door frame. For the cardio activities I can just switch between the treadmill running and walking at an incline plus running the stairs in my house. Any gym should have all you need. If it’s limited there are alternatives for about every exercise. Like instead of using a kettlebell I do my swings with a dumbbell. I’ve purchased a few things they use that I didn’t have for fairly cheap also, like some bands for your legs.

It doesn’t take much but basic equip is needed.


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[[email protected]]

What type of home gym machine do you have. What are your like/dislikes. I too will have to work out at home due to my schedule and I live in a rural area where the closest gym is 30+ minutes away.

 

[Jordan Budd]

What type of home gym machine do you have. What are your like/dislikes. I too will have to work out at home due to my schedule and I live in a rural area where the closest gym is 30+ minutes away.

Same situation here!

We got the Marcy 150lb. It was on sale for like 190, I think it retails around 300$. So far we like it a lot. I wish the hamstring curls could be done sitting instead of standing but it works fine. I’ll let you know this week what equipment is needed for this next phase.


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[ellsworb]

Well. . . i wish there was an incomplete button. W1D1. . did not complete the entire Pushup set or the Military press set. I'm smoked. . . but not surprised. Upper body has always been my nemesis. . and because of it, got less training.

It's bookmarked to come back to. Me at the 22's aren't over yet.

On to workout 2 tomorrow!

 

[Matt Cashell]

Week 3 Day 1:

Strength supersets.

Awesome awesome workout.

The suitcases burnt me.

Gonna be sore tomorrow for sure.

 

[Jordan Budd]

Week 3 day 1 just completed this morning. Hit chest, triceps, core and legs between 6 exercises. Superset 2 at a time, 4 rounds each. Like Matt, the suitcases burnt me but I don’t mind them!

Like most, I’m suspecting, I got to where I hated leg day. But this program incorporates legs everyday so really breaks things up. Probably works legs more efficiently than 1 leg day a week... for me anyways.

Loved this workout. Feeling great. See what tomorrow brings!


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[twall13]

I keep hearing how these workouts are killer. I think it's time for some video evidence from Jordan and Matt.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I keep hearing how these workouts are killer. I think it's time for some video evidence from Jordan and Matt.

Whaaaa?

I don’t feel great about filming the 5:30 AM me at my gym ...

 

[Jordan Budd]

Whaaaa?

I don’t feel great about filming the 5:30 AM me at my gym ...

Agreed! Haha.


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[krausejmk]

There is a $100 discount for the 8-month program going on here: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/ann...gh-backcountry-hunter-bundle.html#post1090647

Thanks for the link! Going to have to take advantage of this

 

[ellsworb]

W1D2: The Long Haul. 41:45. 15lb presses, 20lb dumbbell cleans. I wasn’t sure on the weight so that’s just what I picked. I need to work on my dumbbell cleans... I’m not sure I was getting them correctly. Burpees suck. Mtn Tough burpees suck worse (especially after that ladder of sadistic release pushups yesterday). Assault bike should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. I’m really sore. and what is really scary... I can’t wait for tomorrow.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Week 3 Day 2:

The Olympian.

Skier, squat press, wood chop balls, hang cleans, and farmer carry.

6 rounds for time

I went a bit light on the weight.

Great workout though!

 

[Jordan Budd]

I’m confident this will improve next week. Took me a second to get the correct form and technique down on a couple of these. The 5th and 6th rounds were really tough to get through for me. Pretty sore from yesterday. See you all tomorrow!



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[ellsworb]

Not happy with my level of soreness. . I struggled to hold my 7 week old baby and walk him up and down the stairs... taking a rest day today. Some simple foam roller pain and walk outside. Trying to get the blood flowing. Back in for day 3 tomorrow.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Week 3 Day 3:

More strength supersets.

I am getting really sore this week.

Today went well until the core workout. That hurt.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Did you guys complete W2 D5 outside or inside with the rucksack training? I am thinking I am gonna go with a 50lb weight vest on a treadmill for 6mi.