Preseason Workouts

[KYHILLJACK]

Dang Timber ! When do you eat ?

 

[Timber338]

Dang Timber ! When do you eat ?

Constantly. I'm a big guy so I burn a whole ton of calories. And like others have mentioned, diet is just as important as exercise. Actually, I think more important.

I also lose a lot of weight on a backpack hunt... just can't pack in enough calories. But no time to eat when you're hunting all day anyways! I do keep a ton of food in the truck for every pack out with meat. pre-baked potatoes, pasta, and a whole pile of fruit. And cook elk meat in camp... but gotta shoot an elk before any of that happens.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

Im in ky and going on my first elk hunt in oct with the group hunt here. Been doing crossfit to get ready. Lost about 25lb so far. Unfortunately I'm still pretty over weight but at least its 25lb better than it was

Congratulations!!!!! Keep it up. I just turned 54 and 268 lbs. At 5'8" tall I'm kinda round but I always have been kinda husky. . My career as a timber faller has kept me pretty tough and strong even tho I'm built like Santa Claus
I can still spend 7 hours a day in the spurs up trees doing arborist work. But. Because of back and hip injuries throughout my career I am not a good walker. I don't seriously trophy hunt but sometimes there can be a lot of work in meat and fur hunting. Especially on snowshoes in deep snow.
IMO, the single best way to get in shape for hunting is to put your hunting frame pack on your back with 80 lbs in it. Carry your rifle in your hands and walk thru the timber up a mountain. When I was packing for Jim Harrower in Unit 19 B I got in the best walking shape of my life.

 

[KYHILLJACK]

Hear you on the weight loss. I dropped 10 lbs in 5 days last year. Friday before opening day I almost forgot to eat. Downed a whole chicken that evening.
Like the trail mix and dried fruit in the woods. First 2 days last year forgot my sandwiches in the atv. Must be getting older than I thought.

 

[backyardsniper]

I still have about 4 months till the hunt and im about to turn up the intensityon the workouts . I'm 6'0"and I was 313lb when I booked the hunt and I'm down to 275. I would like to be about 250lb by hunt time. Im a big guy anyway 250lb is not a bad weight for me. I played football and oower lifted for years so I kind of have a large frame anyway. I'm not much of a runner but I used to love ruck marching in the army. Ha ha think more like pack mule and not so much gazzele

 

[Timber338]

IMO, the single best way to get in shape for hunting is to put your hunting frame pack on your back with 80 lbs in it. Carry your rifle in your hands and walk thru the timber up a mountain. When I was packing for Jim Harrower in Unit 19 B I got in the best walking shape of my life.

I completely agree with you on this. If I could only do two things it would be eat healthy and hike with my weighted pack.

 

[Timber338]

Hear you on the weight loss. I dropped 10 lbs in 5 days last year. Friday before opening day I almost forgot to eat. Downed a whole chicken that evening.
Like the trail mix and dried fruit in the woods. First 2 days last year forgot my sandwiches in the atv. Must be getting older than I thought.

10 pounds sounds about right. we must have similar styles of hunting.... HARD!

 

[dmj]

I am a backpack hunter so I make sure I am in plenty good shape to hunt hard, cover lots of miles and pack lots of elk.

Here's how I split up weights and cardio within a given week.

strict weights 2 times/week. Think packing and quartering an elk and hiking up and down steep mountains. mimic those motions with weights.
squats. lunges. Lunges are key to hike/hunt hard in the mountains.
kettle bell snatch. work up to 50# avg weight of a rear elk quarter. think quartering an elk and lifting the rear quarter with one hand and cutting with the other.
The following is specific for archery (drawing a bow)
pullups, 5 sets 10reps/set. dumbell pulls, 4 sets 80-90#. dumbell press, 4 sets, 75-90#. biceps/triceps with dumbells.

high-intensity crossfit workouts 2 times/week.

Cardio 5-6 times/week.
during the work week: swim 30 minutes, run 6 miles twice a week. bike 20 - 30 miles twice a week.
saturday run 10-15 miles & swim 30 - 45 minutes.
sunday bike 50-80 miles.

starting in mid august, 60 - 75# in backpack and go on a couple hikes each week. Usually drop a mid-week run and bike to get in two early morning hikes each week.

Then hunt hard all season long. gun)

I'd like to train with you. Sounds like you've got it figured out. I use to train hard and actually really enjoyed it, because I knew how much it was going to pay off in the end. I'm 6'2" would start out the hunting season at about 180 lbs and end up at about 160 lbs. Now I know I need to work harder at it but the knees get to hurting so back I've had to back off. I work on the tread mill and lift weights 1 to 1 1/2 hours 5 days a week all winter. Cut fire wood for about 2 weeks early summer, then hike and work with our horses until hunting season. If I worked out with you I'd at least feel that if you took pity on me and when I keeled over you might pack me out to the nearest ambulance. Ha Ha!

 

[FurTaker]

IMO, the single best way to get in shape for hunting is to put your hunting frame pack on your back with 80 lbs in it. Carry your rifle in your hands and walk thru the timber up a mountain. When I was packing for Jim Harrower in Unit 19 B I got in the best walking shape of my life.

I too agree with this! Only problem is we flat landers don't have this option, the mountains around here are just over sized terraces

 

[Timber338]

I'd like to train with you. ... Now I know I need to work harder at it but the knees get to hurting so back I've had to back off. I work on the tread mill and lift weights 1 to 1 1/2 hours 5 days a week all winter. Cut fire wood for about 2 weeks early summer, then hike and work with our horses until hunting season...

I think hunting requires a good balance between strength and cardio fitness. Sounds like you've got it covered. And for me it's kind if like hunting with a big magnum... Do you need a 338RUM to kill an elk? No. But is it nice to have if a grizzly is charging you? Yes. 338 is nice if that elk is real far away too. Fitness is the same. It's nice to have if a situation arises that needs some hard work. And the mountains are never short of dishing it out. And when you are in good shape it just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. So many friends try and backpack hunt with me, and they just get beat up. They are done after a couple days and pack out early without an elk. I've shot elk every year since I've started elk hunting simply because I never quit.

 

[Marble]

I am a backpack hunter so I make sure I am in plenty good shape to hunt hard, cover lots of miles and pack lots of elk.

Here's how I split up weights and cardio within a given week.

strict weights 2 times/week. Think packing and quartering an elk and hiking up and down steep mountains. mimic those motions with weights.
squats. lunges. Lunges are key to hike/hunt hard in the mountains.
kettle bell snatch. work up to 50# avg weight of a rear elk quarter. think quartering an elk and lifting the rear quarter with one hand and cutting with the other.
The following is specific for archery (drawing a bow)
pullups, 5 sets 10reps/set. dumbell pulls, 4 sets 80-90#. dumbell press, 4 sets, 75-90#. biceps/triceps with dumbells.

high-intensity crossfit workouts 2 times/week.

Cardio 5-6 times/week.
during the work week: swim 30 minutes, run 6 miles twice a week. bike 20 - 30 miles twice a week.
saturday run 10-15 miles & swim 30 - 45 minutes.
sunday bike 50-80 miles.

starting in mid august, 60 - 75# in backpack and go on a couple hikes each week. Usually drop a mid-week run and bike to get in two early morning hikes each week.

Then hunt hard all season long. gun)

This is a good workout regiment. I don't go at it this hard, as I think I'm a little younger than you. But my goal when working out is doing what you said, mimicking motions you do while hunting. My ultimate goal is to be able to hunt each day weather permits and not be sore from the day before. If I get winded going up a slope at 10,000 feet, that's ok. I just want my heart to catch up to my muscles as quickly as possible so that instead of taking 5 minutes between each push going up the hill, it only take 30-45 seconds for all that rich O2 to get to your muscles.

Nobody has mentioned nutrition while in the field. It is just as important.

 

[Marble]

I think hunting requires a good balance between strength and cardio fitness. Sounds like you've got it covered. And for me it's kind if like hunting with a big magnum... Do you need a 338RUM to kill an elk? No. But is it nice to have if a grizzly is charging you? Yes. 338 is nice if that elk is real far away too. Fitness is the same. It's nice to have if a situation arises that needs some hard work. And the mountains are never short of dishing it out. And when you are in good shape it just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. So many friends try and backpack hunt with me, and they just get beat up. They are done after a couple days and pack out early without an elk. I've shot elk every year since I've started elk hunting simply because I never quit.

I think this is key! I figure I have got two days of driving to get home from Elk camp to let my body rest and recover.

The only time we don't go up on the mountain is when weather is too bad and impairs vision or is dangerous.

 

[Cullboss]

Check out Train to Hunt. They have awesome workouts and you shoot during the workout so that you are shooting with an elevated heart rate. The shooting is geared more to bow hunting but I shoot my rifle while working out also. We train to shoot under stress at work also, and you would be surprised how bad you can shoot with just a little stress.

 

[Marble]

Check out Train to Hunt. They have awesome workouts and you shoot during the workout so that you are shooting with an elevated heart rate. The shooting is geared more to bow hunting but I shoot my rifle while working out also. We train to shoot under stress at work also, and you would be surprised how bad you can shoot with just a little stress.

Been there done that! Try doing up downs and push ups then laying down and getting into shooting position. Teaches you too wait for your heart rate to stabilize, and also how to breath to calm your heart down. Works well for adrenalin or cardio induced heart rate spikes. Practice practice practice! It becomes second nature.