So how do you get into shape???

[davkrat]

Normally I train weights one day (you can get some great full body dumbbell workouts you can do at home which don't really require much equipment) and then I put a pack on and hike some hills nearby the next day then have a rest day and repeat.

Yep, I haven't used a gym machine in years. A pair of 40 lbs. dumbells and a dozen different exercise will whoop your butt in to shape. I have about a 10'X15' section of rubber lock together pads in my garage and between squat/curl/overhead presses with the 40 pounders and lunges with a pair of 10's I have found my hill climbing has greatly increased this spring over mainly doing weighted backpack hiking. Combining both is the best I just need to find the time to get back in to walking. Easy to bang out 15 minutes of high intensity full body weights at 5am when everyone else is asleep compared to a 45 minute walk before work or being Mr. Mom to two little kids all weekend.

Using a FitBit tracker to compete with my friends and family for most steps a day helps get you up out of your chair durring the day too.

Eating right is the absolute hardest part for me. My wife owns a wedding cake shop so the days I'm home there is limitless access to extra cookies, cupcakes or cake scraps. I came across something called the 5:2 Diet which is a form of intermittent fasting. Been trying it the last few weeks and it seems to be helping. The weird thing is I go to bed rather hungry the two fasting days but wake up not feeling famished and my mind/attitude is noticeably better. I stumbled across it reading an article where wightlifters were touting the ability of fasting to kick start muscle growth. Seems counter-intuitive but many say it works.

 

[kevin mcconnell]

So my dad and I would really like to go hunting somewhere in the mountains. Thing is I don't think either one of us is in the best shape we could be.....so I had the thought how do you get into shape before a "out west hunt"????

No replacement for being in shape. If you can try to work up to 2 miles 2-3 times a week. Then find some bleacher stairs. High school ball field. Work running up and down the stairs with your work out. Closest thing to going up and down steep mountains. The stairs work those muscles in your legs that running barley touches. Do that and mobility in the mountains will be yours.

 

[DWill]

Mountain biking is a great way to keep your cardio up year around. For those of us over 50, a full suspension bike is key. I tried running but it's too hard on the knees etc, so the mountain bike has really helped. Plus it's a way to get out in the woods during the off season. With a good helmet light you can ride the trails in the short days of winter as well.

 

[Rick Richard]

Spinning is another excellent activity that provides cardio exercise and works the legs when simulating the climbs. That with hiking with you pack loaded should get you ready for the mountains.

 

[Dgd6mm]

tag for an out of shape guy.

 

[orchemo]

Stair climbers at the gym with a weight vest. Start at 120 flights of stairs and work up to around 200 flights. Make sure you keep your hands off the railing. Only do this 3 days per week and something else 2 days.

 

[Litehiker]

I turned 73 April 4th. I'm in better shape than 3/4s of the hunters I saw last year in Nevada's Jarbridge Wilderness area so my 'Vegas mountain hiking and in the blistering hot summer indoor higher angle treadmill work must be paying off. I carry a 30+ lb. backpack on any of these workouts.
For my upper body I use my Bowflex gym and free weights. I will say that I'm blessed with good genes and that helps a lot.

As a younger guy in my 30s through 55 I was a Nordic ski patroller and XC ski racer. In the summer I bike raced and sea kayaked. That fitness base has really paid dividends in later life.

I've had one shoulder surgery (left) and 2 screws to hold tendons in place. Now it looks like I may have to have 3 screws put in my right shoulder. Everyone has their "limitations. With some guys it's knees, with other it's hips.

My motto is "Better to wear out than rust out."

 

[RMulhern]

Walk 20 yards and blow!

Unless you're a native to the mountains....you'll find out what that comment means!

 

[Torian13]

I do a mixture of functional fitness/weight training and rucking. Try to do at least 8 miles a week with a 80lb pack.

 

[Litehiker]

(Re: So how do you get into shape??? (NO2 Red)

Let me add to my last post that I have used GNC's "NO2" since 2000. It is time-released L-Arginine, an amino acid that releases NITRIC OXIDE (hence the name NO2) into the bloodstream to dilate blood vessels - much the same as Cialis does.

I now use the latest version, "NO2 Red" tablets when weight lifting or skiing and backpacking at high altitude (7,000 ft. or more). It's pricey but require no prescription.

Before you phoo-phoo this remember that mountain climbers going into places like K2 and Everest use mainly the time-released Cialis and sometimes Viagara to aid in O2 uptake. It works, period.

And, of course, if you suffer from ED NO2 Red will be a big help. ;o)

Eric B.

 

[Muddyboots]

Ok, been a member for a while just as an observer and happened to see this posting which always has been an ongoing question for me even more so at 67. The best recommendation in addition to all the physical training discussed in this posting is to realize you just planned for a trip of a lifetime by some so here is my recommendation.
1 - weight training to some degree.
2 - find a really good park that has miles of trails and walk 7-10 miles 3-4 times a week (after you have worked up to it). I find it much easier to walk in the woods for miles versus a treadmill. I still hunt at 10,000 and walking 10 miles has been my prep routine for years.
3 - be prepared to hydrate twice as much as you think and carry twice as much unless you can find water and have bio filter.
4 - bring powdered Gatorade or similar to insure electrolyte replenish. I add in dried banana chips as well.
5 - you have set aside certain number of days for this hunt. The best way to hit the ground running on day one is to get to altitude at least 3 days prior to hunt to acclimate normally. Adding in more time to the hunt at altitude will get you more return on your training investment and allow you to hunt hard right on first morning. You will find that first day of hunt is ready to hit the ground hunting. Once we started to add in days at altitude prior to the hunt, our quality of the hunt increased dramatically since you were not fighting altitude on first day.
Muddy

 

[Rifleman97]

As a former cross country runner, the altitude masks work well for training. My high school cross country team took trips to Estes Park to train before coming back to Iowa at the beginning of the school year (we would go down for 1-2 weeks per year) and we found that the altitude simulation masks (where they have spring valves that restrict air flow) work surprisingly well, if you can get over the hot face you get from wearing them. They were $80 last I knew but they could've gone up or down since then. Squats and lunges are good for building climbing strength, as are running stairs. Get good shoes that don't make your feet/knees/back hurt. Exercise your ARMS. Our cross country coach got national coach of the year in track, and in cross country. His most famous words to us was "a pitcher doesn't go out when his arm is tired. A good pitcher is done when his legs give out on him. He works his arms to the point they're the last thing to give out. Same with runners. A runner is done when his arms give out on him. Work your chests and arms so they don't give out and you'll go further faster and use less energy doing it."
When you climb and walk long distances, your shoulders and arms get tired. Make sure they're strong enough it takes a lot to wear them down, and do some swimmers breath exercises. They train the bronchi in your lungs to take oxygen out of the air more efficiently, so when you go to the higher altitudes your lungs can handle it. If you get stomach cramps, eating half a banana will stop the cramp, as will a shot glass worth of pickle juice.
Get used to drinking a lot of water. Low pressure (from the higher altitude) wicks away moisture from your body so you dehydrated quickly. It's no fun when you barely drink enough water, and then you go up to the mountains and you can't get or stay hydrated because you get waterlogged after only one big glass of water.

 

[Opie1977]

My preperstion is a combination of light weight lifting (lots of reps) with a lot of time on the stair stepper. My knees are bad from multiple surgeries and this all helps me going uphill but I have issues with the descent. Any ideas on exercise for the downhill?

 

[Rifleman97]

My preperstion is a combination of light weight lifting (lots of reps) with a lot of time on the stair stepper. My knees are bad from multiple surgeries and this all helps me going uphill but I have issues with the descent. Any ideas on exercise for the downhill?

Just go slow, exercise won't help you downhill as all it is, is hard on your knees and lower back. In high school cross country we only ever practiced downhills to practice maintaining balance while letting gravity take us, and we didn't do it often as it is hard on joints.