Physical prep for season

[nn76858]

I think eating clean and staying in shape has to be a lifestyle. As an Easterner, I don't think you draw an elk tag then decide to get in shape.

Agree with this. You need some extra help if u don't live in the mts. But train all year for you......I live in the east and do crossfit or run 4 to 6 days a week(when its not full blown hunting season). I've had 3 elk tags and have been pleasantly surprised at how well I've been prepared also just real happy with how I feel at 39. I hope to hunt elk or be on an elk hunt every year and will try and apply but either way its addictive once you start feeling good about your fitness and eating......I worked what I would have considered a physical job mating on charter boats 14 15 hour days on ur feet heavy lifting etc but I was 30 lbs overweight and not getting the cardio I needed(mental grr cannot be taught and will get u a long way but being fit u will never regret)......my humble 2 cents

 

[insanelupus]

After nearly 50 years, I've learned it is far easier to stay in shape than get into shape. I love hunting elk. And I ceartainly want to be ready to pack one out.

I try to be in shape too pack one out year round. I periodize my training for the year to try and peak training before season, but those programs all concentrate on building strength, endurance, agility, and speed. They are all important, but I prioritize them through the year according to what I think is important at the time.

When snow, ice, and mud are less of a threat, I'll do weekend trips to hike with a pack a few times a month.

And when it is time to pack an elk, I do my very best to pack it well, but taking the time I need to do it safely. If that means an extra trip, so be it. I hunt in areas where I'm conscious of time constraints to prevent meat spoilage best I can if packing solo, with a list to call for help to pack if needed.

Gone are the days where I train and then don't train for the season. I'm either training or I'm hunting.

Both are done with an eye to prevent injury best I can, with an eye toward longevity and sustainability, with enjoyment.

Elk hunting and fitness, like many other endeavors, has become a lifelong commitment, not a season by season decision.

 

[dirtshooter]

55lb bag of salt in the pack was what I did last year, actually killed an elk so now I guess I gotta add one more bag to make the weight realistic haha

 

[Marble]

55lb bag of salt in the pack was what I did last year, actually killed an elk so now I guess I gotta add one more bag to make the weight realistic haha

55lbs is a lot to train with. I've had friends that have added more than that and suffered injuries. So just be careful.

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[Westensee]

I am trying to be better at keeping my diet in line and letting that do what it needs to. Need to get myself smaller, which is harder to do after 40... Started Mtn Tough a couple months back and that has been really great. Had a discount code to help with cost. Best workout plan I have done in almost 10 years and would highly recommend.

 

[dirtshooter]

55lbs is a lot to train with. I've had friends that have added more than that and suffered injuries. So just be careful.

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Would you suggest just to keep it at 55 and just get used to that until it feels light?

 

[Marble]

Would you suggest just to keep it at 55 and just get used to that until it feels light?

It's kind of a subjective thing. If you think about it more like weight training, you train well below what your max weight is. The point is a blend of strength and endurance.

So 55 isn't crazy, but i would vary the weight up and down. I would also concentrate on downhill tracks. For me, most pack outs are downhill.

My legs tend to last longer than my core and back.

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[D_wit22]

We live in a culture that screams at us that there is a supplement for that, the right gear for that, and the correct exercise program for that. Makes you wonder how we hunted Elk 50 years ago???. I still say just to keep it simple. If I wanna get better at hitting a baseball, I will spend more time in the batting cages hitting baseballs. If I want to get better and stronger at hiking in the mountains with a pack on my back, I will spend more time in the mountains with a pack on my back. Plus, spending time in the mountains increases your hunting skills as well.

 

[mad_angler]

You might want to limit your bag of salt to 40lbs. You can add more miles, more speed, and more hills to increase intensity. But too much weight can lead to injuries...

 

[dirtshooter]

You might want to limit your bag of salt to 40lbs. You can add more miles, more speed, and more hills to increase intensity. But too much weight can lead to injuries...

The bag is sealed, I ain't gonna open it to have it risk spilling all over lol

 

[LongWayAround]

55lbs is a lot to train with. I've had friends that have added more than that and suffered injuries. So just be careful.

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No. It isn't. Your friends are soft.

 

[Scoot]

Not sure if LWA is joking or not. It's a bad plan to train with a bunch more weight than that- it's asking for injury. Can you? Probably yes. Should you? Depends what shape you want your back, neck, hips, and knees to be in after a decade or more of doing it. I don't train with that much weight anymore (I used to). I use about half that, or a little more. Once I am hauling an elk it doesn't seem to matter how much weight I trained with- it's hard. But it's the best kind of pain and I get it done without much fuss. 1-3x per year is a lot easier on my body that 4x per week.

Lifting more is a young man's and tough guy mentality. Also, I definitely agree with Marble-- hauling weight downhill is important too. Doing that with 50+ lbs is very tough on my knew, hippos, ankles, and feet. Finally, I benefit from frequency of hiking with weight far more than amount of weight per hike.

Good luck!

 

[Truck24hr]

It's kind of a subjective thing. If you think about it more like weight training, you train well below what your max weight is. The point is a blend of strength and endurance.

So 55 isn't crazy, but i would vary the weight up and down. I would also concentrate on downhill tracks. For me, most pack outs are downhill.

My legs tend to last longer than my core and back.

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Something I've been wondering is what difference is making these movements in the gym with weight, vs with a pack in the woods?

I did a slow 5 mile 75lb hike the other day here in the Ozarks. Trying to simulate downed timber, so I hit an area hit by tornadoes last year.

I was trying to think of excercizes to simulate the movements I made, but it also got me to wondering why the heavy bag was worse than other weighted movements.

Aren't we putting similiar stresses on knees and back in the gym?

 

[aachey]

I start my training rucking a 50 pound bag of concrete, then will up it with 10 pound weights till 80( I have an 80 pound bag of concrete). I won't train past 100 since I feel for myself it's too much strain on my knees. Practical terms, an elk hindquarter bone in weighs 50-80 pounds depending. My 5 day Backcountry pack weighs somewhere over 50 pounds. Paraphrasing Cam Hanes, "I train hard so my hard days are easy". We all know our own bodies and everyone has different "safety" limitations.

 

[LongWayAround]

Not sure if LWA is joking or not. It's a bad plan to train with a bunch more weight than that- it's asking for injury. Can you? Probably yes. Should you? Depends what shape you want your back, neck, hips, and knees to be in after a decade or more of doing it. I don't train with that much weight anymore (I used to). I use about half that, or a little more. Once I am hauling an elk it doesn't seem to matter how much weight I trained with- it's hard. But it's the best kind of pain and I get it done without much fuss. 1-3x per year is a lot easier on my body that 4x per week.

Lifting more is a young man's and tough guy mentality. Also, I definitely agree with Marble-- hauling weight downhill is important too. Doing that with 50+ lbs is very tough on my knew, hippos, ankles, and feet. Finally, I benefit from frequency of hiking with weight far more than amount of weight per hike.

Good luck!

Not joking. Seriously. Fifty pounds is not crazy heavy. Like the guy below you said, a backpacking load is probably fifty pounds and a decent sized hind quarter is easily 50+.

It's not being a tough guy. It's a realistic load for the task. Practice like you play.

 

[Marble]

Something I've been wondering is what difference is making these movements in the gym with weight, vs with a pack in the woods?

I did a slow 5 mile 75lb hike the other day here in the Ozarks. Trying to simulate downed timber, so I hit an area hit by tornadoes last year.

I was trying to think of excercizes to simulate the movements I made, but it also got me to wondering why the heavy bag was worse than other weighted movements.

Aren't we putting similiar stresses on knees and back in the gym?

Yes, my thoughts are along the same as yours. The difference of woods vs the gym is that you will get an all-around better workout, hitting everything by doing what you will actually be doing, hiking with weight, stepping over downed trees, etc... My argument is more surrounding the building of strength by repetition at lower weight. Most guys don't have access to regularly hit the woods and go through downed timber or hike trails. That's why I like the gym. Controlled environment with controlled movements.

So doing both is really the best. I also want to avoid injury. For people like me in the 40s, it can happen very easily. So I'm not soft...as stated above, but rather working smarter rather than harder.

Uneven terrain, slippery terrain, inclined or declined surfaces, overhead branches, all these create obstacles that help with conditioning, but also potential moments where you can hurt yourself. Which I do not want. I work really hard all year to stay in peak shape and avoid injury, in or out of the field.

I have really hurt myself in the past, and it takes years to fully recover, and even then, you'll never be the same again.

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[Marble]

Not sure if LWA is joking or not. It's a bad plan to train with a bunch more weight than that- it's asking for injury. Can you? Probably yes. Should you? Depends what shape you want your back, neck, hips, and knees to be in after a decade or more of doing it. I don't train with that much weight anymore (I used to). I use about half that, or a little more. Once I am hauling an elk it doesn't seem to matter how much weight I trained with- it's hard. But it's the best kind of pain and I get it done without much fuss. 1-3x per year is a lot easier on my body that 4x per week.

Lifting more is a young man's and tough guy mentality. Also, I definitely agree with Marble-- hauling weight downhill is important too. Doing that with 50+ lbs is very tough on my knew, hippos, ankles, and feet. Finally, I benefit from frequency of hiking with weight far more than amount of weight per hike.

Good luck!

The only thing I'll add to this is the importance of a set of hiking poles. Especially going downhill. They will absorb that initial shock when stepping downhill and create some extra balance.

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[Truck24hr]

Yes, my thoughts are along the same as yours. The difference of woods vs the gym is that you will get an all-around better workout, hitting everything by doing what you will actually be doing, hiking with weight, stepping over downed trees, etc... My argument is more surrounding the building of strength by repetition at lower weight. Most guys don't have access to regularly hit the woods and go through downed timber or hike trails. That's why I like the gym. Controlled environment with controlled movements.

So doing both is really the best. I also want to avoid injury. For people like me in the 40s, it can happen very easily. So I'm not soft...as stated above, but rather working smarter rather than harder.

Uneven terrain, slippery terrain, inclined or declined surfaces, overhead branches, all these create obstacles that help with conditioning, but also potential moments where you can hurt yourself. Which I do not want. I work really hard all year to stay in peak shape and avoid injury, in or out of the field.

I have really hurt myself in the past, and it takes years to fully recover, and even then, you'll never be the same again.

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Thanks for the reply. I'm late into the fitness game, and late 40's, so I'm also concerned about injury. I did the same hike two weeks ago with about 45 lbs and was noticeably sore from it, and it made me question what I was doing in the gym.

Maybe it was just an off day, because I had no issues after the 75lb pack.

My main focus though was to see what accessorial movements I needed to add over my strength training.

Obvoiusly step ups. The ducking under branches you mentioned seemed to make a great case for even more heavy walking lunges, and one I haven't been doing is heavy side lunges.

I never really noticed how many low sideways movements I made before.