Questions answered?

CoachChris

CoachChris

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Aug 28, 2008
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809
Location
Hoback, WY
I just want to put this out there
I'm a scientific evidence based Strength & Conditioning Coach based in Jackson WY.
I work with some of the best endurance/ultra-endurance athletes in the world, mountain guides and former Olympians.

If any of the fraternity here has fitness questions they would like answered from a sports science perspective I will gladly answer them.

FWIW - Stuff like Crossfit, P90x or any "general program" with a name, isn't science based.

I'm not interested "well it works for me" debates and they're purely a waste of my time.

"Everything has a cost. Not everything has a benefit. If it doesn't have a benefit. It ONLY has a cost"
 
I've got a few questions if you don't mind answering them.

I've just started exercising for a 2017 Colorado elk hunt. I've been putting a 50 pound sand bag in my pack and simply walking through my neighborhood, which is flat. After 3 miles, I feel like I'm just spent or physically exhausted. It reminds me of when I inadvertently skip a meal because of unforseen circumstances. So my question is this. When I get exhausted, is this because I didn't eat the proper food before walking or just because I'm not in in good shape? I had this same problem when going to the gym. I just seem to run out of steam. Will this get better the more physically fit I get. This exhausted feeling is very discouraging.

By the way, I'm 5'10" and 190 pounds. I know I could lose about 10-15 pounds and that is part of my plan as well.

Thanks for any insight you might have.
 
maninthemaze how old are you?

"I've been putting a 50 pound sand bag in my pack and simply walking through my neighborhood, which is flat. After 3 miles, I feel like I'm just spent or physically exhausted."

What else are you doing besides this walk? Are you lifting weights? Do you have a physical job?

"When I get exhausted, is this because I didn't eat the proper food before walking or just because I'm not in in good shape?"

Are you tracking your food intake? Do you know how many Kcals you need a day?

"I had this same problem when going to the gym. I just seem to run out of steam"

What were you doing in those session?
 
I'm 44 years old and have a desk job. I'm fairly active in my personal life. I'm always tinkering in my garage and I have two yards to push mow. The yards are about 75x125, minus the house and driveway of course. This is only once a week though.

I quit lifting weights about 6 months ago. I just couldn't keep up the motivation to go when it didn't feel like it was helping. I went 3-4 days a week for about 3 months straight. I guess it takes longer than that.

Anyways, I know have a goal of an elk hunt in 2017. It has been a pretty big motivator. I guess I'm just curious how you tell the difference between exhaustion because you didn't eat enough, and exhaustion because your out of shape. I guess this is where tracking my intake would come in handy??? I guess when I think about it, it should be self-explanatory. But any insight you might have would be appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my stupid questions. I'm just a novice at this health thing.
 
These 2 calculators will help you figure out your nutrition
#1 The WeighTrainer - Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, Strength Training, Nutrition

#2 The WeighTrainer - Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, Strength Training, Nutrition (You're "Lightly active")

If you take the time to calculate your meals for a couple of weeks it will pay off huge in the long run
SELF Nutrition Data | Food Facts, Information & Calorie Calculator
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5U4NDQ/?tag=lrhmag19-20


Everything we do is based on a percentage of absolute strength.
The stronger you are the lower the percentage of your absolute strength is necessary to accomplish a given task.
This is the Absolute Strength <----> Absolute Endurance Continuum
Absolute Strength<>Endurance-Strength<>Strength-Endurance<>Absolute Endurance

Absolute Strength
Programming doesn't have to be complicated, arduous or brutal.
It does have to be consistent and constant. You need steady, progressive overload to make progress.

For folks over 35 I recommend 1 of these 2 books
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583335137/?tag=lrhmag19-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003334Y26/?tag=lrhmag19-20

Endurance-Strength
Your sandbag walks are a form of Endurance-Strength training. They're important! You're on the right track with those.

Strength-Endurance
You also need Strength-Endurance. You need to get out with a day pack and put in some serious miles. You need to be in the mountains dealing with the terrain.
You need to climb Everest to climb Everest. You do need to go uphill.

Absolute Endurance
Endurance is built the process of increasing capillary density in muscle fibers. It has far less to do with your cardio-respiratory system than most believe.
You need to get out for some long walks on relatively gentle terrain. This doesn't need to be in the mountains. You can mow those yards back to back and then go out for a long walk around town right after.

Zero Days/Recovery
You can only train as hard as you can recover. This means you need days where you do nothing. Full rest days. Come home from work, go to the range, watch some TV, read, reload and hit the rack.
You also have to plan to have weeks where you back way off on everything ie "Deload weeks". Deloads allow your body to recover and supercompensate. You want to back off, say, every 6th week by 60%.

Active recovery
Short walk around the neighborhood, easy bike ride, swimming, etc... Active days with low stress. Doesn't need to be long, 45-60min.

The most important part to making progress is patience. You have to manage fatigue in your training. You can't beat the crap out of yourself in one of these and expect to make progress over time. Moderation is key
You need to slowly increase the loads in your strength work and slowly increase the time out in your endurance training.

Sample schedule
Mon - Weight training
Tue - Sandbag walk
Wed - Zero day
Thurs - Weight training
Fri - Active recovery
Sat - Day hike
Sun - Mow lawns + long walk

Keep a journal!!! Write everything down!!!
You can't get to your destination if you don't know where you are.

It's a journey!! Enjoy the journey!!
Hope this helps?
 
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wlfdg, I have a question.
I see the 'new rage' of everyone doing the interval training in the gym. They claim it builds 'cardio'. I have always been of the opinion that weight / resistance training is to build strength. Cardio / endurance improvement comes from continuous extended time (20+ minutes ) aerobic type activities such as running, swimming, cycling, etc. My opinion is that when it really starts to get uncomfortable and begins to suck, this is when you are building cardiovascular capacity and increasing your ability to hike / hunt difficult mountain terrain multiple days in a row.

What does your experience and research say about this approach?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
 
LaHunter endurance is built over time.
Pushing yourself when it sucks will build mental toughness.
Mental toughness doesn't have a physiological effect.
That doesn't mean it doesn't have its' place.

Intervals improve lactate threshold. It's an important component if your sport demands it. I haven't done a whole lot sprinting while hunting.

"Cardio" is a marketing term. What people mean when they use the term "cardio" is metabolic demand.

If you want to hunt hard day after day you have to build up your absolute strength and milage through out the "off season"

You can't rush fitness. If you try to you're likely to get injured.
 
Wlfdg, thanks for bringing up this topic! Nothing is worse than going on a trip with your buddies and worrying if one or more are going to make it. Every year "we" get older and more sedate the more I worry over my buddies.

A couple decades ago I went through a health crisis and we did not have the scientific approach that is generally available now with good trainers like Wlfdg. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but we did not have the science down like it is now.

I will reinforce Wlfdg on what I was taught me then by my physical therapist. A couple of self-evident truths that are applicable in all aspects of life 1) You can only achieve improvement on what you measure. 2) the accuracy of your measurement will determine how much you can achieve. Think of it as ballistics for the body:) We measure the heck out of those.

Guys, did deep into the resource Wlfdg is giving us. How often do we get a body science guy? Thanks Wlfdg!
 
wlfdg, what is the best way to train for altitude (8,000-10,000 feet) when I live a lot closer to sea level (about 700 feet)?

I'm in reasonably good shape. I run regularly and do some strength training, but not as much as I'd like. Family and work always has priority of course. I eat reasonably well and maintain my weight.

Thanks!
 
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