Your Workout Attitude?

[ElkNut1]

No doubt more & more hunters are seeing the need for a more serious workout routine these days with so many in the bivy mode! I see some folks working out just enough to get by & others who get after it diligently. What about you? Do you enjoy your workouts or are you going through the motions because you know without them your hunting efforts will suffer?

Some flat out enjoy the grind & cannot wait until their next one. Where do you fit in the scheme of things & what is your motivation? What's your age & how long have you worked out now. No doubt the older we get the tougher those workouts are! (grin)

ElkNut1

 

[Ross]

53.5 and enjoy my workouts 6 days a week some form of cardio about every day, does not have to be long can be a quick 20 minute interval and alternate weight routine every day. A lot of body weight stuff with some free weights mixed in. I like to sweat and get the heart going it is part of my life and have been at it 35 years, ouch I am oldOff to the gym for 60 minute cardio tonight l8tr! Oh and when I need motivation I just think about that next 6 point, steep mountains and a big grin tagging them

 

[airlocksniffer]

I run 25-35 miles per week. I don't really view it as working out-just part of my week.

 

[RoJo]

I "work out" year round and enjoy it. My workouts are probably not the norm. I forego the weight training because more bulk would be more weight to carry around and would not make me a better hunter, in my estimation. My workouts simulate what I do most when hunting...covering ground on foot carrying some weight...plus some pushups and stomach crunches. I typically do 6 miles (multiple laps up and down a very steep grade, part of which is rocky jeep trail) with a pack, 2 to 3 times a week. I have been doing this for years, many years actually, spring, fall, summer, and winter. I am currently 58.

 

[mtnrunner260]

If misery doesn't find you in your preparation, it will find you on the mountain.
I enjoy working out mostly. Some days I don't want to but once I get started I'm glad I did.

 

[Dos Perros]

I like to workout but also have a strong desire to be efficient with my time. So, if I were to say how often I worked out, some here would think I was lazy. But, both my lean body mass and body fat % are trending in the right directions after having made the active decision to work out less and differently.

I do think there is a mental edge to gain though and I will get back to grinding out tougher workouts in the summer before elk season.

 

[D_Eightch]

I really like hitting the gym. Some days it takes more to drag myself out of bed than the others.
Started a new routine of hitting the range before the gym. No snooze (was a very bad habit). 340am and im up wondering what the hell is wrong with me

I go 5 days a week with the weekends being my rest.

 

[Gumbo]

I hate working out and my do hunts suffer some because of it. But I am still in decent shape considering my age and desk/driving job. I also am a pretty patient guy when it comes to hunting, so I have strategies that allow me to be successful in spite of my mediocre conditioning. In fact, bivy hunting allows me to be in less than prime condition because I don't hike in and out every day.

 

[mtwarden]

I workout year round as well; I love to hunt deer and elk, but I also love to trail run, backpack, snowshoe, backcountry ski- anything that gets me into the mountains

I usually sign up for a half dozen trail races a year (15-30-ish miles) not so much because I love to race or compete, but it definitely helps keep my training focused and they are usually in nice settings and usually fun (but not always )

I'll typically run 4-5 times a week and strength train twice a week; weekends I typically get in a long run, but quite it's often a snowshoe trip or long day hike or backcountry ski trip in lieu of the long run- time on your feet, in rough country is what I find to pay dividends, also rewarding at the same time

I don't see myself veering much of this course, it's second nature now and something I enjoy immensely

 

[wncbrewer]

I'm lucky in that my job keeps me on my feet and active year round. I usually walk between 5 and 10 miles everyday depending on the day. I also get out and hike every chance I get year round just because I love doing it. Around June I start with the free squats and push ups 3 times a week and hate that part of it. I love mountain hunting but I also love cheese burgers and beer, and until I really feel like I'm suffering in the hills, my workout regiment will remain the same. Lots of respect for you guys that hit it everyday.

Cheers...Mike.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[justinspicher]

Despise working out. I would rather just be in the mountains.

 

[semperfidelis97]

I have worked out most of my life, and cannot imagine coming home with nothing to do other than sit in front of the tube. That being said I went through the meathead phase years ago, and like others said it really only slowed me down. I have since changed my workouts to make me healthier, and better performing overall while also shedding roughly 12-13 lbs of muscle mass. I workout 5-6 days a week consistently, I also try to get as much hiking in as possible to prepare my body for the rigors of mountain hunting.

 

[captchet]

Im 45. I enjoy hitting the gym. I go 5 days/week. I was doing normal workouts but switched to the stronglift 5×5 about 6 weeks ago. The gains have me even more motivated. I mix in cardio 2x/wk. Will add a day as the season approaches. Without getting into shape, Im not sure how a back country hunt could be fun. Unless you pay a guide or have stock to haul everything. For us eastern guys, the gym is especially important, as we do not have the mountains to train in. Keep up the hard work; one more mile, one more rep!

Chris

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[SWOHTR]

Train 5-6 days per week. 5 days on weights and 5 days rowing, running, hiking, etc.
I used to be fat; lost 40 lbs about 10 years ago and have been active since. I also used to be a cardio snob, but incorporated weights 5 years ago and love it! I also do my sessions in the early morning-better then than at the end of the day when I am drained (or something else came up).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[les welch]

42 in a couple weeks.

I enjoy almost all of my workouts. If I'm training for a particular workout there is the ocassional workout that can be a PIA, but for the most part they are all good. I do struggle once in awhile getting started but once I do I'm glad I did. If I lived in the mountains I would have a different routine, but coming from WI I have to simulate the best I can.

Weights 3-4 times per week
Spin 3-6 times per week (varies with season)
Swim 3 times per week in season, 1x per week out of season
40# pack hike once a week
Rower 2-3 times per week
XC ski 3-4 times per week in season
A mixture of other things sprinkled in here and there

 

[5MilesBack]

I am not a cardio guy......I hate it. Unless it's in the form of basketball or some other activity. It's that ADHD thing with cardio and I get so bored within 30 seconds of doing it that I move on to something else. But I never seem to have any issues with that in the mountains. At about 11k feet I can feel the adrenaline kick in before I even start moving.

I do lift weights, but at 51 not like I used to. Mostly just strength training and keeping everything toned up. I have long lean flexible muscles so it's generally not a problem during hunting season even with little preparation.

I have never been much of a "practice" guy (probably that boredom thing), but come game time it's game on.

 

[Hayguide]

I guide bear hunters in Northern Wisconsin- I start hanging stands in July and running about 30 baits-two 5 gallon pails most baits are about 1/4 to 1/2 mile in- so when I run them all its about 15 miles a day-in the woods. I'm 56 and its getting harder every year but I seem to always get through it-going on about 30 years of it. In Oct I treat myself to a solo drop- I have no problems in the San Jaun mountains at 10,500 ft. I like to get there 2 days early, last year I got my wind on the second day , just in time to kill a nice bull and process it for the wranglers to pick up the quarters.

 

[Cant hit em]

42 , Somedays love it somedays hate it. When i look back at were i was and were i am now physically , its rewarding and pumps me up to go. 2 years ago i began, no looking back


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

I just drink heavy through the winter and it keeps my guns in shape

 

[elkyinzer]

Despise the traditional workout. Can't run distance, never could, and don't want to. I just have a sprinters build and disposition.

My M.O. is staying active year round and combining it with things I enjoy. Hike, mountain bike, kayak, play several sports although that is quickly diminishing as I round the bend heading toward age 30. Hike some more. Supplement with moderate weight work in the dead of winter and sparsely throughout the rest of the year. Do a lot of bodyweight exercises whether just cranking out pushups while watching tv or messing around on my bar and rings. Stretching throughout the year. Eat healthy, try my best not to drink too much beer.

Starting at least 3 months before elk hunting, climb local mountains with 20-50# backpack, building in intensity. That's the only really focused hunting workout I do. 3-5 times a week, in the brutal humidity, usually waking up at the azzcrack of dawn to get it in before work, it's often miserable, but I know from experience it is invaluable come September. I've yet to find a remotely adequate substitute for climbing and bushwhacking through steep crap than actually doing just that. Really thankful we have steep 1000' mini mountains close by to train on, I know it puts me way above the curve compared to a guy living in the midwest.