Why cardio ain't enough for the backcountry

[robby denning]

Good article from Dustin at MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab that was in Backcountry Hunter Magazine.

Preseason Training for Backcountry Hunter Magazine

Hunting the remote areas of North America will challenge both your physical and mental strength like never before. To be ready for these hunts, it is important to train your body so you don't put yourself in a dangerous situation in the mountains.

mtntough.com

 

[Shedking55]

Good read!!!

 

[Hefe1980]

This makes sense to me!! Good read!!

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[sk-co]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Newtosavage]

Strength is important, but training glamour muscles will make you slow and miserable in the mountains

It was nice to see him write this. I think his assessment is spot-on based on my experience, although I am sure I don't do 1/2 what he does on a typical hunt.

 

[ILIKEBEARS]

Great read. I've found no use for strong biceps in the backcountry, but my legs are my wheels.

 

[bozeman]

Good, straight forward article.......'glamour muscles', I like the term.......get functionally fit and it will go a LONG way in your daily energy levels......squat, deadlift, pull ups, v-ups, push-ups.....doesn't have to be complicated. and build you a step up box.....not glamorous, but HIGHLY effective.

 

[Johbran]

How high of a step up box ?? I live east of Mississippi and there are no mountains to train on. So box step ups seems to be the best option for me.

 

[Dinglebottoms]

How high of a step up box ?? I live east of Mississippi and there are no mountains to train on. So box step ups seems to be the best option for me.

You can also find sets of stairs and walk them with a pack on too.

 

[jmez]

How high of a step up box ?? I live east of Mississippi and there are no mountains to train on. So box step ups seems to be the best option for me.

Build a rectangle. 20x24x30. Then you have 3 diff heights. You won't want to go over 30.

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[CountryAsACoonDog]

The mountains whooped me this year

 

[danimalrx]

For step ups, don’t go over 16 inches except on rare occasions. For most step volume work, such as anything over 20 minutes with a loaded pack of 50 lbs, stay under 16 inches. Rarely are you continuously stepping up that high when climbing. If you want to do
Some sessions at a 20 inch box, go for it, but getting past 90 degrees with your hips sets you up for a hip injury.

 

[danimalrx]

Another good idea is to wear your hunting boots or ankle weights, if you want to re-live the 80’s. The muscles in your hips that flex your legs will drive a good deal of fatigue if you wear very light running shoes for step ups

 

[pkelly000123]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[JD Jones]

Thanks for sharing! Balanced training seems to be the ticket…. Kinda like balanced diets

 

[Dea7]

Thanks for sharing about to start setting up a more specific training program for myself to get ready for some deeper backcountry hunts

 

[OXN939]

Interesting article. One part specifically I think deserves a little more attention:

"The bottom line is: Running, biking or the StairMaster just doesn't translate well to the backcountry."

I'd say this is kind of correct. Marathon training isn't enough by itself to prepare correctly for a backcountry hunt, but A) it takes years of training to become a specialized endurance athlete, and B) only a tiny percentage of people do *too much* cardio. Even if someone does overdo cardio a little, that hunter is still much better off than a guy who threw weights around 4 times a week but can't complete a mile without walking.

Also, endurance athletics, from a physiological perspective, do translate to the backcountry pretty well. Distance running increases your VO2 max, which helps you deal with altitude and recover more quickly. Specifically, it's one of the most efficient ways to increase hematocrit- literally the same end goal as blood doping. Pretty sure everyone who's ever packed out an animal uphill would agree that is helpful.

Proper training for the backcountry involves a balance of strength and endurance, but the vast majority of hunters would benefit from doing a bunch more cardio with a lot more consistency.

 

[Poser]

Interesting article. One part specifically I think deserves a little more attention:

"The bottom line is: Running, biking or the StairMaster just doesn't translate well to the backcountry."

I'd say this is kind of correct. Marathon training isn't enough by itself to prepare correctly for a backcountry hunt, but A) it takes years of training to become a specialized endurance athlete, and B) only a tiny percentage of people do *too much* cardio. Even if someone does overdo cardio a little, that hunter is still much better off than a guy who threw weights around 4 times a week but can't complete a mile without walking.

Also, endurance athletics, from a physiological perspective, do translate to the backcountry pretty well. Distance running increases your VO2 max, which helps you deal with altitude and recover more quickly. Specifically, it's one of the most efficient ways to increase hematocrit- literally the same end goal as blood doping. Pretty sure everyone who's ever packed out an animal uphill would agree that is helpful.

Proper training for the backcountry involves a balance of strength and endurance, but the vast majority of hunters would benefit from doing a bunch more cardio with a lot more consistency.

I disagree with this. Backcountry hunting and moving in the mountains is largely muscular endurance, not the “cardio” pathway. Cardio tends to produce very specific training effects: running makes you more efficient at running, swimming makes you more efficient at swimming, cycling makes you more efficient at cycling etc. (remember that triathletes must train all 3 of these separately as the crossover training effect from one discipline to the next is insufficient by itself to be competitive). while muscular endurance does require a cardio base, it’s doesn’t require much training to achieve that base so long as the trainee does not have to improve their strength (this takes a good while) to perform the task at hand.

Going uphill with a pack on, be it 30,49,50,60+ lbs and doing this for hours on end is pure muscular endurance and the heavier the pack, the more strength is required. If you move into a “cardio” zone associated with running, cycling or other forms of “cardio”, then you will red line and blow up due to the demands for muscular output due to the steepness of the terrain and the weight on your back. This being said, you can increase your muscular endurance zone over time so that you can go faster more efficiently, but there is still a clear delineation between muscular endurance and “cardio” for all individuals.

Living in the mountains, doing lots of backpacking and skinning uphill for backcountry skiing, I only concern myself with muscular endurance zone outside of the gym. I haven’t done “cardio” for training purposes in years. The biggest issue that flatlanders seem to have with this type of training is that it is “too slow” to feel like it is effective, but that’s how you move efficiently in the mountains for hours on end: you set a pace that you can maintain for that terrain and you don’t stop. Even mountain runners and fast packers tend to break out the trekking poles and “power walk” their way through sustained climbs where they cannot maintain a running pace.

Muscular endurance: this is the zone of mountain athletes. The “cardio cardio cardio” crowd is either wrong about efficient movement in the mountains or they do not understand the difference between the 2 zones.

 

[Vandy321]

I disagree with this. Backcountry hunting and moving in the mountains is largely muscular endurance, not the “cardio” pathway. Cardio tends to produce very specific training effects: running makes you more efficient at running, swimming makes you more efficient at swimming, cycling makes you more efficient at cycling etc. (remember that triathletes must train all 3 of these separately as the crossover training effect from one discipline to the next is insufficient by itself to be competitive). while muscular endurance does require a cardio base, it’s doesn’t require much training to achieve that base so long as the trainee does not have to improve their strength (this takes a good while) to perform the task at hand.

Going uphill with a pack on, be it 30,49,50,60+ lbs and doing this for hours on end is pure muscular endurance and the heavier the pack, the more strength is required. If you move into a “cardio” zone associated with running, cycling or other forms of “cardio”, then you will red line and blow up due to the demands for muscular output due to the steepness of the terrain and the weight on your back. This being said, you can increase your muscular endurance zone over time so that you can go faster more efficiently, but there is still a clear delineation between muscular endurance and “cardio” for all individuals.

Living in the mountains, doing lots of backpacking and skinning uphill for backcountry skiing, I only concern myself with muscular endurance zone outside of the gym. I haven’t done “cardio” for training purposes in years. The biggest issue that flatlanders seem to have with this type of training is that it is “too slow” to feel like it is effective, but that’s how you move efficiently in the mountains for hours on end: you set a pace that you can maintain for that terrain and you don’t stop. Even mountain runners and fast packers tend to break out the trekking poles and “power walk” their way through sustained climbs where they cannot maintain a running pace.

Muscular endurance: this is the zone of mountain athletes. The “cardio cardio cardio” crowd is either wrong about efficient movement in the mountains or they do not understand the difference between the 2 zones.

The beginning of the "cardio zone", which you failed to define, is pretty universally accepted to be 50-60% of one's max heart rate. So let's take '220 - age' for the rough max HR of say a 30 year old...that's about 190 for a max HR...now 50% of 190 is 95...are you saying that ruck training at a HR of 95 is not beneficial nor sustainable? I've taken my HR on multiple heavy pack in/out...its between 90-130 all day...right smack in the middle of ths cadio zone...yet you say maintaining the cardio zone in the mountains is impractical? How so?

 

[OXN939]

I disagree with this.

Living in the mountains,

Most of the country does not live in or near the mountains. The most efficient tool to prepare yourself for altitude is to improve your VO2 max, which is best done by a combination of running, cycling and other endurance training.

I haven’t done “cardio” for training purposes in years.

Not saying it doesn't work for you, but if there were a guy I liked and a guy I didn't like both going on backcountry hunts, this would be the training plan I'd give to the latter.