Working out during season

[rtaylor2626]

I have worked really hard tho get where I’m at physically for this hunting season and now that my first tag opens up this Friday I wasn’t sure what to do working out wise. Do you guys just continue your daily workouts as usual or do you scale back/focus on other stuff than strength training during season?


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[Poser]

I try and manage my cumulative fatigue levels as much as possible so, there are definitely some "light" days in there depending on how grueling of a week its been, but, for the most part, I stick with the same approach of heavy, low volume barbell training, but I drop the volume back and do more 3x3 vs 3x5. Deadlifts I will drop back to 1x3 and just once a week and find that I can maintain strength levels for several weeks.

There was a study at some point on deployed Marines that found they could maintain their strength levels for quite some time with a single 1x3 working set once a week on the big lifts. Obviously, those guys in the study were young and in their prime, but they were also likely getting a lot of physical and mental stress elsewhere and on insufficient sleep. I've found that study to be generally true as I have experimented with maintenance strength during hunting and ski season.

Otherwise, I still get in at least one mid week conditioning hike.

 

[rtaylor2626]

I try and manage my cumulative fatigue levels as much as possible so, there are definitely some "light" days in there depending on how grueling of a week its been, but, for the most part, I stick with the same approach of heavy, low volume barbell training, but I drop the volume back and do more 3x3 vs 3x5. Deadlifts I will drop back to 1x3 and just once a week and find that I can maintain strength levels for several weeks.

There was a study at some point on deployed Marines that found they could maintain their strength levels for quite some time with a single 1x3 working set once a week on the big lifts. Obviously, those guys in the study were young and in their prime, but they were also likely getting a lot of physical and mental stress elsewhere and on insufficient sleep. I've found that study to be generally true as I have experimented with maintenance strength during hunting and ski season.

Otherwise, I still get in at least one mid week conditioning hike.

I’ll have to look into that seems like an interesting study. That’s for the most part what I’ve been doing plus keeping my cardio up.


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[LCguy]

I usually try to line it up so my de-load weeks line up with my hunts. Doesn't always line up perfectly but taking a week off here and there outside your normal deloads isn't gonna ruin your gains/physique. Might feel a little flat but your muscles will bounce back quick.

As Poser said managing fatigue is also important. My elk and deer tags are usually back-to-back. Doesn't make sense for me to hunt elk hard for 7 days, then lift with my usual intensity in the gym the two days in between and then go hunt deer hard. I'd be too fatigued.

 

[alaska80]

I have worked really hard tho get where I’m at physically for this hunting season and now that my first tag opens up this Friday I wasn’t sure what to do working out wise. Do you guys just continue your daily workouts as usual or do you scale back/focus on other stuff than strength training during season?


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I think the answer depends on what your hunting season looks like.

I hunt all year round and keep my workouts the same except for August and September where I spend about 6 weeks in the mountains. These hunts are all very physically demanding and include a ton of cardio. So during that two month block I have found maintaining my strength/mobility is the most important thing for me to do. To do that I normally switch to a TB Fighter program and just hit the big 4 twice a week, keeping my normal training maxes. I do some occasional supplemental work if I feel like it and will throw in some mobility work throughout the week.

TB Fighter has a progression of 70/80/90 percent of TM by week, volume is relatively low 3-5 sets x 5 reps on 70/80 and 3-5 sets of 3 reps on 90.

If I know I am going on a particularly difficult hunt I will not do deadlifts. They take the most out of me and I will do minimal sets on back squat.

If I have done a really hard hunt, e.g. packing moose for 3-5 days x 10-12 hours a day then I will just take the entire next week off.

Muscle mass is very difficult to lose from my experience and strength goes slowly. Case in point, I did a 2 week hunt one time where I pulled a 600lb raft up a river for one day, we shot a 54" bull and drug that and my gear (about 1100-1200lb) another 2 days upriver. We then shot a 57" bull and did about 45 miles on foot, 12-15 of which was hauling that moose. After I got back, I took a week off then tested my maxes the following week (3 weeks from last lifting session) and easily set a lifetime PR on deadlift.

I only tell that story to highlight the fact that I think we get too caught up in the attitude of "if I miss a week or two I will lose all my strength/muscle mass." From my experience that has not been the case at all. Ultimately I would err on the side of training less during your peak hunting season so you are as fresh as possible for what life and the environment throws at you.

 

[mtwarden]

My hunting season is roughly 10 weeks; I’m retired so I hunt a lot of that 10 weeks, but certainly not all of it.

I’m pretty flexible as far as how much and how often I work out, basing it mostly on how I feel. Lots of tough hunting, very little training. Less tough hunting, some training.

I back off the weight some strength training and any aerobic training is typically lower volume and intensity.

I find hunting is usually a pretty good workout on its own