Squats

[*zap*]

Eight sets of ass to grass squats last evening, 8 to 3 rep range. Finished out with 3 sets standing calf raises and 3 sets seated calf raises......8 reps per set.

 

[*zap*]

I thought the high rep stuff would help me for elk hunting, but I find myself not really progressing like I do with lower rep ranges. As long as you are getting stronger, shouldn’t you be better with the lighter stuff than you were before you started lifting?

I believe that if your doing squats with what I consider proper form and you just starting out the progression to heavier weight will take a while.....what I would do is concentrate on doing the exercise with proper form and the max weight I can handle without the proper movement suffering. Eventually you will be able to add weight and still get the maximum benefit that the squat exercise when done properly provides. If you start limiting the range of motion or leaning forward you will never get all the benefits that a proper squat gives your body. Personally, I like the 8 to 3 rep range for my squat workouts.

 

[Jpeezer]

Squats are King...

I'm a big believer in the Stronglifts 5x5 system where you incrementally increase the weight with each workout. You start at lower weight to develop form, but get strong massively fast. There's an app to help guide the program making it a no brainier.

 

[307]

Consider squatting single leg or rear foot elevated...

Less risk of back injury, can load enough to be PLENTY strong unless you're competing as a powerlifter, and improved single leg stability which likely improves mountain performance due to the specificity.

No reason to barbell backsquat for the majority of people.

 

[*zap*]

Bulgarian split squats are very good as are behind the neck squats. It is my opinion that keeping proper form will mitigate injury issues and the behind the neck will be a better full body exercise that a split squat. I believe that the split squat is good for knee rehab/strengthening.

 

[Bigjay73]

I'd you can do 6-8 reps of 405, you're pretty close to elk hunting shape.

JK, like stated do whatever weight you can comfortably, and PROPERLY perform the lift with. 5-7 reps is what I personally like to do, but I'm a strength and mass guy, so go with what fits you. Want some good tips and workouts, check out Athlean X on YouTube. I really like that guy and he focuses on proper movements for true strength, not looks.

 

[Racethesunset]

Squats are King...

I'm a big believer in the Stronglifts 5x5 system where you incrementally increase the weight with each workout. You start at lower weight to develop form, but get strong massively fast. There's an app to help guide the program making it a no brainier.

Only time I ever got hurt with squat was “too much too soon”.

I’m not talking about too much weight on the rack. I’m talking about recovery between big workout days and big sets.

Squat, if do it in the wrong time frame, frame of mind, or health (overtraining), will put you horizontal for a bit.

This isn’t squats fault.

 

[lkwoolsey]

What amount of weight and sets do you think is good to stay in general mountain hunting shape, from a legs perspective?

I am 41 yrs old, weigh 200# and am 5'11". Last year in preparation for my first sheep hunt I regularly did 2 sets of 135# (one plate on each side), and then did a last set of 185#, and did fine on my sheep hunt, but could have been stronger. Now I am doing sets of #185 to start out. Is this OK or should I be going for 2 plates on either side?

For mountain hunting shape, I'd stay light and lots of reps, generally speaking. Think 3-6 sets of 12-16 reps. Always do a rep range, so you don't get to a number and quit. You want to be pushing to failure, just make sure you're using safety bars or straps. And like *zap* said, make sure you are dropping all the way down.
Mix in heavy sets once a month or so, think 5x5 or 4x2-3.
I'd do that squat routine, doing legs 1-2 times per week, obviously mixed with other muscle groups and cardio, and it's kept me in pretty good shape throughout my military and law enforcement careers, as well as a lot of western/ mountain hunts. Just my .2

 

[beeflomein]

For "hunting shape" I'd say max strength isn't really your goal, so most powerlifting programs that focus on high weight and low volume aren't really congruent to hiking in the miles. The biggest benefit that squatting gives you for your purposes is general leg strength and injury prevention, so ideally your squat program would be more of an off-season strength building shifting to an in-season strength maintenance system rather than something that's the same all year round.

Also, I'd say that you'd probably be better served working either off of percentages of your max squat or percentages of your body weight, instead of looking at absolute weights on the bar. Like a couple of other people have said, a 155 lb guy squatting 315 is much more difficult than a 255 lb guy doing the same squat.

If you're looking for a program to follow, wendler 5-3-1 and 5x5 are really popular and effective programs that you can find quickly via google. Both involve a little bit of basic math and dialing in your max lifts but it's not too much of a pain. Both would serve you well in your off-season strength building phase.

As you approach your hunt I'd recommend tapering off your volume and shifting your leg workouts to something more specific like trail running or hiking with a pack. That will get you better prepared for your hunt than anything in the gym will. You could also transition to more single leg work (step ups, lunges, split squats, their variations, etc) as you're probably never really pushing with both legs at the same time in the field, it'll help you work out any imbalances you may have too.

Like others have said, your form is key. Depth of squat is often lauded, but you'd be better off doing partial squats with light weight and addressing any mobility and positional strength issues than ramrodding your hamstrings to your calves and losing your core position in the process.

 

[justinspicher]

Dudes with big quads have generally suffered in the high country in my experience. It’s cool to lift big weight, but it’s rough when your legs and lungs are trying to compete for the same oxygen at 10k when you’re used to sea level.

 

[BeaverHunter]

Dudes with big quads have generally suffered in the high country in my experience. It’s cool to lift big weight, but it’s rough when your legs and lungs are trying to compete for the same oxygen at 10k when you’re used to sea level.

Until it comes time to pack out a big bull, then they are the guys handling 100 pound packs for miles without complaining. And I'm the skinny legged guy so maybe I'm just jealous.

 

[justinspicher]

Until it comes time to pack out a big bull, then they are the guys handling 100 pound packs for miles without complaining. And I'm the skinny legged guy so maybe I'm just jealous.

Not any of the dudes I’ve been around. In fact, the heavy loads needed to be carried really jacked them up. Of course, this is just my experience, I know that there are always exceptions and some guys are just genetically gifted.

 

[Clarktar]

All about the hammies

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[Bigjay73]

If you think having large leg muscles is a detriment when hunting, you're not reading the right studies. When it comes to hiking steep terrain,especially with heavy loads, mass is a big positive. Any big guys struggling in the mountains may have neglected cardio pre hunt

 

[Poser]

If you think having large leg muscles is a detriment when hunting, you're not reading the right studies. When it comes to hiking steep terrain,especially with heavy loads, mass is a big positive. Any big guys struggling in the mountains may have neglected cardio pre hunt

I wouldn’t go so far to say “mass” is important since that implies hypertrophy training for muscle size (aka “bodybuilding”), which doesn’t necessarily translate directly to strength, at least proportionally. BUT, there does seem to be a general misunderstanding about strength in that it is a general adaptation not a specific one. Strong legs are strong legs. You’re muscles don’t get strong only for an individual activity, they just get strong. You may have to adapt the capillary density of those muscles to doing specific repetitive activities like hiking up steep hills or pedaling, but strong is strong and if you are weak and off the couch, often times building sufficient strength is the slowest process to “getting in shape.” For that reason alone, you should be developing and/or maintaining (or attempting to maintain as much as possible) strength if you do things that require strength (like carrying heavy loads, though you will still need to do some rucking to get in proper shape).

Since strength is a general adaptation and barbells allow for you to develop strength in a progressive way by adding small, incremental amounts of stress to the bar, and since they generate the most amount of stress on the body (the body responds better to systematic stress: a barbell squat of 300# is more stressful than a 150# lunge) using effective range of motion, and employ the most amount of muscles (barbell squats involve more muscles than leg press machines, low bar squats involve more muscles than front squats etc) it is the most efficient way to develop strength. There are other ways, machines for examples or Dumbells, but they are less effective and less efficient because they are less stressful and less systematic. Not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t use them, but it is less return on investment of your time when it comes to developing strength.

Having “mass” and training in the hypertrophy rep ranges is more productive for aesthetics, which is fine if that is your thing, and some “bodybuilders” are impressively strong, but being that big or, better yet, having muscles that big, isn’t generally considered to be “functional” from the stand point of pure strength. There are guys who weigh 185# and squat north of 500#. Also, it’s not uncommon to see “big” guys who just aren’t very strong at all. For example, if you’re 250 lbs and you can’t squat 300 lbs, you’re not very strong for that size. Not that I’m attaching minimum strength numbers to Bodyweight (though I do tend to believe that it is completely reasonable to expect most any male athlete of any type to be able to squat the equivalent of their body weight for 5 reps, at least in their off season but that’s a whole other conversation), its more that people tend to assume that “big” guys are “strong” guys and that just doesn’t tend to hold true when put to the test. So, from my perspective, when I hear or read, “I hunted with a big guy who blew up on a pack out, squats don’t mean shit”, I tend to think, “yeah, that guy wasn’t actually very strong, you’re just equating size with strength”. Just because some “lifts weights” doesn’t mean that they are effectively strength training nor does it mean that they are categorically “strong” and, because of that fact, I’m suspicious of people applying individual observations to draw general conclusions about of topic of which there exist a metric ton of data, both scientific and antecedent in nature.

If you show me a 200 lbs guy who squats 300 lbs for a few reps to just below parallel and who did a appropriate amount of uphill rucking leading up to hunt and you tell me that he had a complete meltdown on the packout, I’ll eat crow, but I don’t think anyone can produce this example. Rather, it’s more like you know a big guy who happens to go to the gym to “lift weights” (translation: doesn’t squat or deadlift and if he does, it’s shit form with light weights), didn’t prepare appropriately on his uphill conditioning and he had a meltdown on the pack out. I’ll bet my money that’s where these stories originate. (Also, **** that guy because he’s a weakling meathead).

Can I get a amen?

 

[justinspicher]

I absolutely love your posts Poser. Sure they are long winded, but they provided a solid explanation to the topic. You’re absolutely right, the last dude I hunted with was a gym rat, plenty strong but a five mile day in the hills around our neck of the woods broke him off. Our four day hunt turned into a one day hunt.

There’s more to being in shape to hunt than just hitting the gym, but that’s just my opinion. I rarely go to the gym, I would rather be in the mountains. I also understand that you work with what you got, not everyone lives in the mountains.

I would invite you to take a look at the sherpas that climb Everest, they carry some incredible loads way higher than we ever will and I’m pretty sure they don’t do shit for squats in any sort of gym.

 

[LostArra]

Only time I ever got hurt with squat was “too much too soon”.

I’m not talking about too much weight on the rack. I’m talking about recovery between big workout days and big sets.

Squat, if do it in the wrong time frame, frame of mind, or health (overtraining), will put you horizontal for a bit.

This isn’t squats fault.

Lifting weights doesn't make you strong.
Recovering from lifting weights makes you strong.

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[Cant hit em]

Amen

 

[Poser]

I absolutely love your posts Poser. Sure they are long winded, but they provided a solid explanation to the topic. You’re absolutely right, the last dude I hunted with was a gym rat, plenty strong but a five mile day in the hills around our neck of the woods broke him off. Our four day hunt turned into a one day hunt.

There’s more to being in shape to hunt than just hitting the gym, but that’s just my opinion. I rarely go to the gym, I would rather be in the mountains. I also understand that you work with what you got, not everyone lives in the mountains.

I would invite you to take a look at the sherpas that climb Everest, they carry some incredible loads way higher than we ever will and I’m pretty sure they don’t do shit for squats in any sort of gym.

Yeah, those guys have a genetic advantage over the rest of us though. They are able to convert oxygen into energy unlike any other people on earth. They have successfully adapted (“evolutionary mutation” is probably a more accurate description ) to the environment in which they live and have a different mitochondrial process than any other group of people. In that environment, even the best acclimated non-sherpas are going to perform in an inferior manner due to the inability to efficiently convert oxygen into energy, particularly above 26,000 feet, which will always be the “death zone” for people like you and I unless we move to the Himalayas, put down some roots, start popping out babies and stick it out for a few thousand years in order to complete the genetic mutation.

 

[BeaverHunter]

I absolutely love your posts Poser. Sure they are long winded, but they provided a solid explanation to the topic. You’re absolutely right, the last dude I hunted with was a gym rat, plenty strong but a five mile day in the hills around our neck of the woods broke him off. Our four day hunt turned into a one day hunt.

There’s more to being in shape to hunt than just hitting the gym, but that’s just my opinion. I rarely go to the gym, I would rather be in the mountains. I also understand that you work with what you got, not everyone lives in the mountains.

I would invite you to take a look at the sherpas that climb Everest, they carry some incredible loads way higher than we ever will and I’m pretty sure they don’t do shit for squats in any sort of gym.

I agree with this 100%. The best way to get better at any activity is to do said activity. But hiking 20k foot mountains with 80 pound loads isn’t practical for most people. So the gym is one of the next best things done properly.