Wondering what everyone’s favourite gym exercises are for mountain hunting

[505Wapiti]

I don’t have a “favorite” but F45 has been kicking my old man butt for a while. Feel better than I have in years.

 

[MD97756]

Kettlebell lunges, squats, and trying to make my old fat ass run again

 

[Sierra Hunter]

It’s out of the gym but I like to run stairs. I get the cardio I need to hustle on hikes when needed and then swap with a loaded pack for the other muscles.

 

[mtnbound]

I have been going to gym consistently for 2 years and have gained a lot of strength and discipline from it. I do a simple push/pull/leg split.

I have been focusing more on squats and core strength. But I am wondering what else everyone else does that translates to helping with mountain hunting and heavy pack outs


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Sled drags forward and backwards are something I add in, as are banded step-ups.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Burpees, core exercises, general strength exercises. Lots of running and walking.

 

[shomi]

Back squats and dumbbell lunges in the 12-20 rep range.

 

[Tperdue]

I’ve tried both. My gym has a treadmill that goes to 30% that I’ve used a few times. I’m sure both are equally great from a cardio perspective. On the treadmill, I felt more activation from the hamstrings and calves compared to the stairclimber, which seemed to work quads and glutes more.

The unit I’m hunting this fall doesn’t have much by way of hiking trails, but lots of steep hills that I’ll need to bomb straight up and down. That was part of my motivation to try the stairmaster.

Second all of this. As much as I hate cardio I’ve had to add it in to the routine since moving to a lower, flatter location. I’ve found alternating between the treadmill and stair master have helped a lot.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Lots of cardio and anything that builds stronger legs and back.

 

[hibernation]

Turkish get-ups have been great for core strength across multiple positions, helps me feel more stable in bad terrain with a heavy pack. Sandbag get-ups make for a pretty good endurance grind too.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Turkish get-ups have been great for core strength across multiple positions, helps me feel more stable in bad terrain with a heavy pack. Sandbag get-ups make for a pretty good endurance grind too.

Turkish getups are awesome, those are a constant part of my routine. I like doing them with my 70lb kettlebell.

Another exercise that seems to really help is slant board squats, they really help me hit the inner legs around the knees and have really my my beat up knees feel solid.

 

[3325]

Turkish getups are awesome, those are a constant part of my routine. I like doing them with my 70lb kettlebell.

For a while I did the Pavel program doing 10x10 single arm swings followed by 10 get ups, alternating arms on each set. I was rock solid at 24kg, and comfortable at 32kg.

Then I went to 40kg. I always felt like I was one momentary slip of focus and concentration away from something bad happening when using 40. I eventually gave it up.

Another exercise that seems to really help is slant board squats, they really help me hit the inner legs around the knees and have really my my beat up knees feel solid.

I haven’t done slant board squats, but I have recently gone back to squatting on balls of feet with a narrow stance, what used to be called deep knee bends in calisthenics. For years we were told not to do this, but as long as I go slow and don’t bounce out of the bottom (usually do a slight pause in the bottom while maintaining tension) my knees feel better.

It makes my knees feel even better to add an isometric hold by sitting in the “wall sit” or “invisible chair” for about a minute before each set of knee bends.

I don’t advise anyone to load balls of feet squats with a barbell on their back, but they load amazingly well with a dumbbell in the goblet position or a barbell in the Zercher position. Doesn’t take much weight to feel them either.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

For a while I did the Pavel program doing 10x10 single arm swings followed by 10 get ups, alternating arms on each set. I was rock solid at 24kg, and comfortable at 32kg.

Then I went to 40kg. I always felt like I was one momentary slip of focus and concentration away from something bad happening when using 40. I eventually gave it up.



I haven’t done slant board squats, but I have recently gone back to squatting on balls of feet with a narrow stance, what used to be called deep knee bends in calisthenics. For years we were told not to do this, but as long as I go slow and don’t bounce out of the bottom (usually do a slight pause in the bottom while maintaining tension) my knees feel better.

It makes my knees feel even better to add an isometric hold by sitting in the “wall sit” or “invisible chair” for about a minute before each set of knee bends.

AI don’t advise anyone to load balls of feet squats with a barbell on their back, but they load amazingly well with a dumbbell in the goblet position or a barbell in the Zercher position. Doesn’t take much weight to feel them either.

For sure, personally the 32kg kettlebell is my heaviest one and o don’t have any desire to mess with a heavier one. I know pavel talks about doing SS with a 48kg kettlebell but owning one of those isn’t something I’m going to do right now. I find the 24 and 32 kg ones give enough stimulus to build some muscle and endurance just fine.

As for the deep knee bend things, I’m sure the muscles used are different between balancing on the balls of your feet and having your heels firmly planted so you can push off of them. When I keep my feet fairly close together and even point my toes in slightly, I really feel it on the he muscles directly around my knees. For me it really helps.

 

[Stickmark]

Finished 40 mile plus Gila Wilderness trek, 6 nights.
Been much more focused at gym since June.
Exercises with carry over, and why, in my humble opinion:
Deadlifts, standard & Romanian, and squats: benefit from over all stability and strength in legs, glutes, and core. My glutes are not sore post hike. Plus, I really do feel that those compounds lifts are T-boosting at my 59.5 years of age.
Calf raises, done heavy: I couple the effectiveness of these with some walks, runs and two long, generally unproductive slogs searching for Arizona backcountry doves.
...and perhaps any back and trapezius exercises that help carry a backpack.

 

[hibernation]

Another exercise that seems to really help is slant board squats, they really help me hit the inner legs around the knees and have really my my beat up knees feel solid.

I'll try the squats. I started doing slant board step-downs, I think those have helped on long downhills.

 

[joehew89]

My vote is for anything that improves V02max. Our bodies can only maintain an anaerobic state for 90-120 seconds before it becomes dependent on oxygen. Condition your body to be more efficient at processing oxygen and your body will be more efficient at everything in the mountains. Benefits of a higher Vo2 max include: better endurance at higher elevations, improved stamina for longer treks, better recovery, improved ability to carry heavy loads, better focus and mental sharpness and better adaptation to stress.

 

[CMF]

Back flys are the only thing I do that I haven't seen mentioned already

 

[WstrnCP]

Like a few have mentioned I really like kettlebell exercises, especially heavy swings and get ups.

Saw someone mention leg blasters from MTN tactical, those and weighted step ups are good as well.

 

[Kenny Hart]

Honestly, the best way to train for a sport or activity is to actually do said activity. Your body adapts to specific movements rather quickly, which often do not translate to other movements well, regardless of your athletic ability.

For strength, any weighted workout that builds your leg and hip muscles efficiently is best. Regular A2G squats, Sumo squats, dead lifts, split squats, lunges, side lunges, and calf raises. It doesn't have to be fancy, or some "hunter-specific" gym workout...things that may actually delay the gains you could be achieving. You're looking to add a strength foundation, and be able to sustain the workout for a reasonably-long duration.

Pair that with hiking with your weighted pack through actual terrain and varied footing will get you the best results.

Simply rucking down a sidewalk with no obstructions, or on a stair stepper where your feet only have to clear the same level step each time certainly helps some with cardio, but does little to work your feet, ankles, legs, hips, and core in the same manner as having to adjust footing, constantly step at varying heights over obstacles, and shift weight from one side of your body to another to keep a proper base on uneven terrain...the factors that will burn you out far quicker than your body's ability to simply endure moderate repetitive activity for a few miles here and there.

To relate martial arms, simply because my family does it, there is no useful "MMA-specific" weight-lifting exercise. Meaning, you aren't going to pick up a set of kettlebells and do some dynamic thing that will appreciably move the needle for you. Pure weight lifting is far more efficient from a strength perspective, and time dedicated to any such program is better spent doing the thing you're trying to get better at for longer.

 

[SVF-LLC]

stop focusing on gym exercises. I have a decked out home gym and for the two months leading up to deer season and in hunting I let the squat rack and bar collect a bit of dust. I get out in the yard (or park if you don’t have a yard) buy yourself a Rogue sled and some plate weights. Start doing sled pulls for a good distance with heavy weight. You get really good at these and it makes dragging a deer Childs play. I’ve had guys make comments about it, my dragging that is. Personally squatting and deadlifting ( while really fun) isn’t very applicable to mountain hunting. You will build strength, but you need to build more endurance under load. I also made some 5 gallon buckets with concrete for farmers walks. Like long farmers walks. This builds up your arms, upper back, and traps and really simulates having that pack strain your shoulders. Heavy pack rucks too. Long distance dumbbell lunges across my property. Awesome. Then if you aren’t, start doing some zone 2 cardio at least once a week to build up that lung endurance. Core work and some light yoga for balance and to strengthen those stabilizer muscles that get no use in the gym so I don’t fall on a steep incline. I’ll still squat once maybe twice a month so I don’t lose the form but I back it off to about 70% maintenance weight and hit higher reps (15+). Then I also back off upper body to once or twice a week and I cut exercises down a bit. I’m not trying to put on mass, just keep what I have. Once the season is over I go back into a strength routine again. You do that and you will be superhuman in the woods.

 

[aks]

Typically a push, pull, leg split but sometimes full body and sometimes upper/lower.
Typical old school bodybuilding lifts and calisthenics. About a 50/50 split between the two. Then throw in jump rope, kettlebell swings and hiking with a pack.