Weight Training FNG

[BackcountryMT]

I need to start working out. Joining a gym tomorrow. In highschool I ran track and have always been in shape from a cardio standpoint. I have no problem going for miles in the woods and enjoy running. That being said, I want to work on a few things to make my packouts and shooting the bow easier. I am not a big guy to begin with (5'10" 170#) so I am not expecting much but just want to be better prepared for the hills. What exercises both upper and lower body should I focus on? Thanks for any input.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Put weight in your pack and start hiking hills then just shoot your bow a lot.

That is the best way to train for hunting imo.

Edit:
Remember that you can be in great shape and very strong but if your body (hips mosty) isn't used to carrying weight, you will struggle when packing out heavy loads.

 

[fulldraw1972]

Since you are joining a gym. There are a lot of good exercises for upper body workouts. These are a few of what I like.
Chest - Bench press
Back - Seated rows
Shoulders - Standing barbell row
Triceps - Skull crushers
Biceps - Alternating dumbbell curl
If its winter I hit the treadmill with my pack on with anywhere from 40 to 70 lbs in it for an hour at 30% incline. If its nice out I hike with the same pack weight.
Also riding a bike at the gym with some resistance will help the knees a lot.

 

[Darren Best]

One legged squats
Hill sprints
Farmers walks
Turkish get ups
Stair sprints/climbs
Heavy sandbag carries
Pull ups and push ups
Weighted hikes

Take your pick

 

[lintond]

It was always a love hate relationship for me on the stair master. I would do about 30 minutes and occasionally throw on the pack.

Get out during the spring and summer hiking in the hills with your pack loaded with 50# or so. Packing out meat isn't something you really prepare for. Just grit your teeth and get er done. In my opinion its the hunting part you need to prep for, so then you'll be able to hunt harder and farther. With that said loading up your pack heavy a couple times and making sure you've got it set up correctly is good.

A couple lifts/excersices I like for legs are squats to build power, or do light weight high reps to work on the endurance and get the heart pumping. I also like to cleans and lunges seem to hit the butt muscles that the other exercises don't get. Get your lunges in shape too because when you get to elevation you are already dealing with low oxygen levels before you even leave the truck.

 

[Bighorse]

Consider the ultimate goal here, you want to get a heavy load to your transport without injury. Your not in a race. There is no sponsorship waiting for you upon completion.
If your in mountainous terrain I'd say do whats possible to work on your core strength. Maintaining safety in off camber positions is important. To do this your gonna need a rock solid core. Learn to use hiking sticks, the idea is that your distributing the load to maintain strength for the duration, think 10+ hours potentially.
Get your ass strong! It's that simple.

Get flexible too. You need all the range of motion possible to prevent injury and move great in the mountains.

I swim, run, bike, lift, paddle and climb. I generally avoid small lifting movements. You want to match big body movements like demanded in the woods.

Good luck and stay strong!

 

[PhillyB]

I am a believer in lifting heavy weights to prepare for the mountain in the fall.

I set goals at the beginning of each year for the major lifts (deadlift, bench, and squat) and try to accomplish them before June 1.

I lift one body part a day (chest, shoulders, arms, back) and legs twice a week. Once the weather warms up, I usually do some cardio and hiking with a loaded pack.

But I switch everything up come June 1... I focus on cardio, lift legs three days a week, and stick with the major lifts for my upper body... push exercises one day, pull exercises the other.

Some will say that is too late to start a regimen to prep for hunting the hills, but it is what works for me. By the time I hit the hills in August, I am usually at 185 lbs and running 6 min miles or averaging 9 min miles with a loaded pack on level ground.

For actual exercises check out bodybuilding.com... they have a section where you can look up different exercises depending on what you are trying to accomplish and what equipment is available. Also, if you are just looking to add some strength and size, I would recommend the Starr 5x5 program or DC Training. Both are meant to build raw strength, which in my opinion is what is needed for the hills.

 

[jmez]

From your description I'd concentrate on legs core and back.

Squats are king! Don't have to get crazy with the weight but these should be a staple. Would also do weighted lunges, box step ups holding dumbbells and straight legged deadlift. All should help leg and core strength and are good exercises for hunting applications.

For back you can't beat pull ups. Would also do some sort of clean, power clean or hang clean, will get legs back and shoulders. Bent over rows are good for strengthening the bow muscles.

Hike as much as you can with a weighted pack.

 

[fredmb]

I am prone to get bored at the gym myself, so changing up the exercises is crucial for motivation (at least for me). I add this one in about every other week. It can really crush you, but I think it hits a lot of the muscles you're going to need out there.

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/muscle-building-11

 

[Poser]

Hard to beat deep squats and Olympic lifts for strengthening the legs and hips. There is no replacement for the real thing, but the gym definitely lets you target some specific conditioning that is difficult to replicate any other way.

Running is a good endurance foundation, but its doesn't really prepare you much specifically for what you do in the mountains. Awhile back, I spent a long stretch of the summer alpine climbing in the Tetons and Wind River Range. Back then, I was doing a lot of distance running and was kind of obsessed with it. I wouldn't waste time running any distance shorter than 10 or 12 miles. Usually 18-25 mile runs. I did spend time with a pack on on the stair climber, trails and stadium bleachers, but not near the amount of time I spent running. My partner, on the other hand, spent the early summer climbing fourteeners with a pack on and that's it. That's all he did. I could keep up with him, but his pace flat wore me out. I felt like I was working 20-30% harder than he was and I had to constantly expend extra effort just to keep up. We were carrying packs with our camping and climbing gear (pretty heavy loads) into the backcountry and then doing technical routes out of spike camps for 2-4 days at a time.

 

[marc]

I will second everything PhillyB said except I run 5 days a week as well. I live 3.2 mile from my gym so its easy to just run to and from the gym everyday. The run home on leg days sucks!!! Core work will help your stability on the trail with a heavy pack. Just remember to switch up your routine every 4-6 weeks.

 

[bmart2622]

My workouts are similar to PhillyB. I do lots of crossfit, squats, cleans, deadlifts etc, and then around the beginning of june I focus more on cardio, hike with a weighted pack as much as I can and focus more on muscle endurance with lifting. I back off on the weight and increase the reps to get my body used to working anaerobically and pushing through that lactic buildup.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Get out during the spring and summer hiking in the hills with your pack loaded with 50# or so. Packing out meat isn't something you really prepare for. Just grit your teeth and get er done. In my opinion its the hunting part you need to prep for, so then you'll be able to hunt harder and farther. With that said loading up your pack heavy a couple times and making sure you've got it set up correctly is good.
.

I think that you can totally prepare for hauling meat and that is how I train.

You just start with a lower weight and work your way up. I regularly carry 100 or more lbs when I'm training.

 

[Mudd Foot]

Look up gluteal training exercises for your entire hip structure. Youtube has number PT related videos showing the various exercises. 6 weeks of these exercises have allowed my pack weight to go from 30 to 100 pounds. Use the PT method of building stability which involves a 3-5 second hold at full contraction followed by a slow descent. You will be amazed at your new found load-hauling capabilities.