Training Regimen for mountain hunting...Whats Yours?

[Tookeymonster]

Just put in for my tags and bought some arrow shafts today. I go to my local CrossFit Gym in a couple minutes for an intense workout and come home to build some arrows.

Here in a couple weeks I will add in some hill training along with the CrossFit work outs and then add a pack to the hill workouts, this summer along with scouting trips to test myself.

What is your work out plans to get ready for the mountains?

 

[RosinBag]

Tookey, if you are committed to CrossFit you will be fine. I do CrossFit 3 out of 4 days, add in running and training with my pack all year round. I am generally good to go anytime for hunting. Sometimes I feel CrossFit gets to many olympic type lifts strung together and I find my legs get bigger. When I see this, I will cut back on those CrossFit days and do more cardio.

 

[a3dhunter]

Starting January 1st I start trying to get to the gym 3-4 days a week, work up to an hour of cardio (elliptical and treadmill- jogging and walking on incline) -during the first month and then up to an hour and a half during the second month. After cardio will hit the weights for about 15-30 minutes depending on how much time I have and how hard the workout was.

Starting 3 months before hunting season, I switch most of my cardio to the stairmaster and really attack the legs.
With one month to go I will ease of just a little and focus on working more with a pack on my back.

I will say I am a big guy, and am able to get down to 280lbs for hunting season most years.
I am really trying to lose the weight right now, have dropped 10 lbs and am at 290 right now.
Workout 3-4 times per week, hold diet under 1800 calories most days now, at most 2200. Just waiting for the weight to come down and staying consistent.
Would like to get down under 260 this year.

 

[chiefhoyt]

running 4-5 times a week.
lifting in the gym 3-4 times and week
TRX straps on days i dont make it to the gym.
Gotta love training and keeping a hunting mindset 24/7 365

 

[Broken Arrow]

Right now lifting 5 to 6 days a week running/jogging twice a week and hiking/treadmill on an incline
4 times a week with 25 to 70lbs for at least 2 miles. My goal is the lifting running/jogging and 15 to 20 miles of hiking/ incline treadmill with at least 100lbs in my pack a week.

 

[marshrat]

I have been doing Crossfit daily WODs from the Brand X forum. The nearest box is an hour or more away. I also do my own strength workouts and cardio in between. I will run a little, but I hike with a weighted pack anywhere from 50-80 lbs for 5-8 miles, but that is flat land. I have just started taking 50 lbs uphill on the biggest hill that I have access to. I am sucking bad at that. I do like my CF workouts. I feel stronger and have more energy and range of motion, but I am trying to add more cardio.

 

[Kevin Root]

I hike at lunch when I'm at work and haul a 50 pound weighted pack when it's not raining. In the last year or so I've done P90X so I can do something with my wife at home as we have kids with homework and such. She is doing P90X now but I've yet to start again but should.

 

[les welch]

I train in some way shape or form every day of the year....even while on vacation. Lots of days are 2-a-day workouts. Don't understand the sense of only working out to get in shape for season.

 

[Brock A]

Gym before work 4 days a week (4 -10's)
Hike with weight on Friday mornings and sometimes Sundays.

 

[Ross]

Currently hitting the weights 2 times a week, 2-3 days of cardio on the treadmill with a 15% incline and one day of 6-11 hrs shed hunting and 1 day of total recovery doing absolutely nothing The old body can hardly walk after a fun day of shed hunting!

 

[Broken Arrow]

Les my thought process now. Before I decided I'm not getting any younger and I want to do what I've always wanted (hunt elk) I did nothing but drink, smoke,party and eat whatever when ever. Haven't completely stopped the drinking but I eat much better stopped smoking and exercise 6 days a week. I will be able to keep up with you mountain boys when I go on my first elk hunt, cause I am changing my life style. Honestly I can hike a hell of a lot farther than I can walk on a consistent speed (3.5 mph) on the treadmill inclined to 12.

 

[les welch]

Les my thought process now. Before I decided I'm not getting any younger and I want to do what I've always wanted (hunt elk) I did nothing but drink, smoke,party and eat whatever when ever. Haven't completely stopped the drinking but I eat much better stopped smoking and exercise 6 days a week. I will be able to keep up with you mountain boys when I go on my first elk hunt, cause I am changing my life style. Honestly I can hike a hell of a lot farther than I can walk on a consistent speed (3.5 mph) on the treadmill inclined to 12.

Nice BA! Better today than yesterday.

 

[a3dhunter]

Starting January 1st I start trying to get to the gym 3-4 days a week, work up to an hour of cardio (elliptical and treadmill- jogging and walking on incline) -during the first month and then up to an hour and a half during the second month. After cardio will hit the weights for about 15-30 minutes depending on how much time I have and how hard the workout was.

Starting 3 months before hunting season, I switch most of my cardio to the stairmaster and really attack the legs.
With one month to go I will ease of just a little and focus on working more with a pack on my back.

I will say I am a big guy, and am able to get down to 280lbs for hunting season most years.
I am really trying to lose the weight right now, have dropped 10 lbs and am at 290 right now.
Workout 3-4 times per week, hold diet under 1800 calories most days now, at most 2200. Just waiting for the weight to come down and staying consistent.
Would like to get down under 260 this year.

Down to 278 lbs now, just bought a Kona Mahuna 29er mountain bike to add to the workout.
Did 10 miles in 40 minutes tonight the first night on the bike.

 

[Broken Arrow]

Great job 3d and thanks Les!!!! 3d the only one that can beat you is U! You are the competition. If u need a beat down someone to call u weak a wimp or loser give me a shout that's how I push myself the only one that can beat you is U!!!! Pain= weakness leaving the body

 

[marshrat]

Down to 278 lbs now, just bought a Kona Mahuna 29er mountain bike to add to the workout.
Did 10 miles in 40 minutes tonight the first night on the bike.

Glad the weight is coming down. I started competing in the TBH forum's weight loss competition to get ready for the elk hunt, and my training has taken on a life of its own. I am down between 35-40 lbs since Jan. 1, and I started CF a month ago. I can hike a good ways, but with very few hills, it is hard to train for the mountains. Hopefully during the summer I can step it up on the incline stuff, but I just don't have access to it very much, unless I walk the highways. I usually find the highest hill I can, strap on 50 lbs and do it as quickly as possible. Either that or I sprint up and walk down. This provides a better workout than 7-8 miles of flat land weighted hikes, and I'm done sooner. I would like to be under 230 for September, but I have been struggling with the diet, and I'm super impatient.

 

[dotman]

Les my thought process now. Before I decided I'm not getting any younger and I want to do what I've always wanted (hunt elk) I did nothing but drink, smoke,party and eat whatever when ever. Haven't completely stopped the drinking but I eat much better stopped smoking and exercise 6 days a week. I will be able to keep up with you mountain boys when I go on my first elk hunt, cause I am changing my life style. Honestly I can hike a hell of a lot farther than I can walk on a consistent speed (3.5 mph) on the treadmill inclined to 12.

Oh just wait fellow flat lander your legs may be in shape but your lugs you cannot train. Try a bite guard while you train that will help but still not replicate 11k.

Try your best but don't let the whole exercise thing make you think you are not ready, you just have to go no matter if you feel you have trained enough or not.

 

[barmar65]

Apparently, I am not doing enough right now. I am walking 3 to 5 miles 4 to 7 days a week depending on work and weather. I walk either in town or at the local nature center which has some very steep terrain for around this area. I plan to start with the ellipitical and hopefully the local gym shortly. I started light jogging for short distances but my back and knees didnt hold up very well to it.

 

[rye_a]

I live in Colorado like you, so I am getting into the high country with a backpack. Last weekend the wife and I dropped off the kids at my parents' house and headed to the Lost Creek Wilderness for a 27 mile loop. We plan to get out for 1-2 night backpacking trips as much as possible, and to do day hikes with packs when we can't get away that long. I also get up at 5:00 4-5 days a week for an hour (combined) of cardio and weights.

 

[Becca]

As soon as the snow clears, I try to get in as much actual hiking as possible. Not big on packing weight just for training sake, but I will carry whatever the trip calls for...on day trips that isn't much, maybe 3L water, raingear and snacks, but on summer backpack or combo packraft trips it can be up to 60lbs of stuff (keeping in mind that 70 lbs has been about my max carrying capacity, at least thus far, but that is over half my body weight). I don't mind carrying heavy weights long distances, but haven't felt the need to stress my knees unnecessarily just to train. I guess I must get enough Training in with weight just doing our regular activities, because I don't usually have much trouble by the time August rolls around.

On days that I don't have several hours to climb something, I try to get in at least 4+ miles on an uneven trail around our neighborhood...I can usually walk/hike it in around an hour. I also bicycle or lap swim once in awhile to mix things up, as I get bored easily. In the winter I walk at a 10% incline for an hour at at least 4mph. A previous lower leg injury discourages me from running, but I can walk quickly without problems.

You will all probably laugh, but one of the best Indoor activities I have found to train for hiking is step aerobics. I like it because you are actually climbing, and it builds similar endurance to what i need in steep terrain. I have taken classes in-person in the past, but find that doing videos or using the EASports Active program for our Wii works just as well. 35 minutes with a 12" step, and I am breathing hard and sweating up a storm. Not a substitute for actually getting out, but for off season training, or days when I can't squeeze in a longer work out its great.