How does everyone keep in shape?

How do you prepare for the rigorous physical requirements of high elevation adventure? Strength and endurance are key, but are only part of a more complex equation. How do you prepare for changes in altitude, exposure, diet, etc.? How do you mentally prepare? Learn from others and share what you know about training in advance for outdoor adventures.
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KathyW

Post by KathyW »

It sounds like 2 days of weight training and two days of running stairs with increasing weight will be a good way to go. I'm going to have to wait until it cools down to run the stairs but I can start the weight training now.

Thanks for all the info everyone.
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Post by quentinc »

Although I think weight training is great, I don't think it's strictly necessary for backpacking. It does help with climbing.

My training strategy is simply to hike once a week in the Santa Monica mountains (a 20 minute drive, luckily), with 50 pounds on my back. There's a nice 5 mile roundtrip, with about 1200 feet of gain, and great ocean views. I'm about to push the weight up to 53 or so, which is about how much I carry on a 7 - 8 day trip (I'm a weight glutton).

Other than that, I walk on the beach a few times a week. When I'm inspired, I do some wind sprints, but I don't think that's needed for backpacking. (And I do a moderate weight workout 2 or 3 times a week.)
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maverick
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Post by maverick »

Hi Quentinc

I would strongly disagree that weight training is not necessary to include
in ones off-season regimen.
All professional athletes have weight training incorporated into there
training.
As you get closer to your in-season period your exercises will become
more sport orientated.
Strenght, power, endurance, flexability training paired with good
nutrition is the bases for a sound body that can function in the most
extreme conditions which may mean the difference between life and
death!
I try not to take an, I am invincible attitude when in the backcountry
because nature can bring me back to reality real quick.
The more physically prepared I am paired with 30 yrs of backpacking
experience the better odds I think I have of coming out of the woods
alive.
I will not go out if I do not think I well prepared, it wouldnt be fair to
my wife or to myself.
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Post by giantbrookie »

I too am a strong advocate of weight training. Now, there are few things that I'd class as "strictly necessary" for a backpack training regimen, and I suppose weightlifting isn't among them, but I would say that weight training is highly recommended. I know several "old school" outdoorpeople who hiked and jogged, but shunned the weight room. These folks faced increasingly unstable knees (and in some cases hips) with time and they had to give up their active pleasures and now have artificial knees. I know of other much younger people who didn't weight train but quit backpacking because of wobbly knees (quitting ages here are in the 30's, by the way). I'm not saying that weightlifting would have prevented or alleviated these problems, but there is a very good chance it may have.

Weightlifting can be used to strengthen all parts of the body, but as a multiple knee injury and operation person I can esepcially speak to its benefit on strengthening a weak knee. One big difference between weightlifting and simply doing natural repetitive exercises such as walking, biking, running, or simply more hiking, is that you can isolate and strengthen weak muscles. If you have a weak knee and you attempt to get it strong by without weights you will favor that weak knee whether you know it or not and your exercise will add muscle to the stronger side and not the weak side that needs it. I learned this the hard way following my first (right) knee injury in 1977. After a few months of running I had a massively powerful left leg and a skinny right leg. The next injury and subsequent operation plus the advice of some other injured athletes convinced me to hit the weight room, where I could isolate and concentrate on the weakest links that needed the rehab.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the older one gets, the more rehabilitative stuff one needs to keep doing in order to maintain anything close to one's accustomed level of activity--and weightlifting (along with flexibilty exercises) is the core of that rehab. I recall it was Nolan Ryan who once said something to the effect of "Sports from the late 30's on is one long rehab". Nolan Ryan for non-baseball readers is the Hall of Fame pitcher who pitched a record 7 no hitters, and had one of the most intimidating fastballs in baseball while pitching into his mid/late 40's, 10-15 years after the age most major league pitchers would lose so much steam off their fastball so as to become "finesse" pitchers. Nolan Ryan pioneered the use of weight training in baseball, starting it at a time when most baseball folks thought of it as a taboo--they feared weightlifting would get folks too muscle bound and slow (ie they figured weightlifting was good for football but not baseball).
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Post by Take-a-Hike »

I'd like to throw my 2 cents worth in on the pro weight training side. After witnessing my wife take a trip down a couple of stairs a few Decembers ago and then watch her rehab a torn ACL (she was 51 at the time) via therapy and the weight room I was somewhat impressed. Our first summer back to b-packing she was V E R Y slow...and she's slow to start with. One talus field going over Graveyard Lakes pass took us FOR EVER to get across...one small step at a time. Then after a year doing 24 Hour fitness routines of light weights and cardio, the following year, in her words, was "night and day" both in quickness and stability. My wife is terribly unathletic...but now with the help of her daughter's 24 Hour trainer boy friend, she's combining weights, balancing routines and cardio stuff to make her stronger and give her more stamina. We're not fast, plod along, but we usually get the job done...although my last planned expedition up the High Sierra trail, Kaweah Gap, 9 Lakes Basin and out via Tablelands, Pear Lake, raised her ire a bit and now I have to re evaluate about every trip I plan. I do admit after doing it, well, part of it, anyway....it may have been a bit aggresive.
I'm a fan of weights now more than ever as well. KW, I visit Redlands stadium about once a year....will be there 9/15/07 @ 7:00pm. I'll be the guy in the middle of the field in stripes wearing a white hat....I've found that as the years pile on it's tougher to keep the weight from doing the same, no longer can one "seasonally" get ready for anything, it's a year round effort, kids these days get bigger and faster, I just hope I'm smarter!! and can get out of the way.
I golf a lot too...always thought weight lifting and golf don't mix. Tiger proved that theory all wet. So now after about 4 years of increasing my weight routine along with constant variations of treadmills and elipticals, I hit a golf ball farther than ever and still can tote my bag 18 holes up 'n down a hilly course every Saturday a.m. to the envy of most guys I beat. Actually played this morning too...against my 26 and 24 year olds, they rode, I walked...they were over 100 in score, (don't play much), I shot 76.
There's plenty of trainers out there these days...some will come to your house to train, get one w/certifications. Belonging to a gym is ok, but the bottom line is...ya gotta do it. Trainers will give you good ideas, can spice things up w/variety so you don't get bored, and are usually up on the modern stuff. The beauty of those gyms is the variety of equipment. Much better than years ago.
Some specifics that work for me..intervals on the treadmill, increase the slope, speed, work hard a few minutes, back off a few, etc. I do some leg weights, try to work on flexiblity as well. I don't push things too hard, a lot of reps, not so much heft. I alternate days with legs and other body parts. Usually during golf season hit weights hard early in the week, tapper off to mostly cardio later, then vice versa in sports season (fall/winter), I hit cardio hard early in week, weights more toward the end of the week.
Like the old commercials said "Just do it"
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Post by quentinc »

Well, since I've been lifting weights almost my entire adult life, it's kind of silly for me to be arguing against it. But I will say that I don't do any leg weight workouts. I've had knee problems off and on since I was 20, but the thing I found most helpful was easy biking (or stationary biking) several times a week, for about 15 minutes -- the orthopedist told me that motion gets the synovial fluid (joint lubricating) production going, and it's really helped enormously. Some leg weight machines are actually bad for your knees -- the standard seated leg-raise, for instance, particularly if you bring your feet up all the way.

Again, if you want to do weights, I think they're great. But if the totality of weights, stairs, long distance training hikes, etc. is too much, the weights are what I'd drop first.
KathyW

Post by KathyW »

This thread has been very interesting. I'm looking forward to starting my weight training to see if I it helps me, but it will have to be next week before I start because I'm headed out backpacking on in two days and I need to pack my pack.
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Post by copeg »

Most of what I do has already been mentioned - running, weights, some biking. I've been known to also strap on a backpack and/or ankle weights to accompany me on my runs. Something that hasn't been mentioned yet that I also do - more so in the past than now given time constraints - is martial arts. Whichever one you find most interesting - karate, tae kwan do, kung fu, whatever, many of them provide fantastic workouts that rarely get boring, works on strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, and cardio plus you really do learn a lot in the process as well.
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Post by Trekker »

Wish I had seen this thread earlier! I have to say I'm fairly impressed with the advice given by some of the members. As an exercise physiologist and personal trainer for........let's just say a while, I can say that there is some very good advice in this thread.

A lot of early research on combinations of resistance training and aerobic training had to do with whether there was a negative effect of one on the other if done together. The consensus findings were that, while aerobic training had a deleterious effect on strength training, strength training (with a properly put together training program) did not adversely affect aerobic training.

As to the question of whether resistance training is necessary for backpacking; well, technically, no. All you have to do is check out the physiques of some of the individuals on the Whitney and Summitpost boards, such as Bob Burd or Rick Kent. Even though they are primarily one-day peak baggers, it's a fair assumption that they could probably backpack as well.

Climbing is a different matter, as there is upper body strength and endurance involved. Skill and placement, of course, can't be substituted for, but the upper body work is something you can't get from just hiking. If you do any class 3 or above, it can only help. Of course, many climbers join climbing gyms where they train on the walls, metolius board, etc. as well as standard gyms. John Long, one of the pioneers of Yosemite Big Wall climbs in one day, was a gym rat, and his onetime girlfriend credited him getting her to lift at the gym with making her a world class climber. That girlfriend was Lynn Hill, at one time considered possibly the worlds best climber, male or female.

Which brings me to who can benefit from resistance training in their backpacking; women as a group, since they tend to have less muscle mass than men; those with injuries, postural imbalances, muscle imbalances and/or weaknesses, joint problems, those who carry heavier packs, ie on week+ trips or winter trips, those who might be doing a lot of downhill, such as the Grand Canyon, weekend warriors, .........I'd say that probably covers many of the people on this forum who plan to do more than just day trips with a light pack, and quite a few of the day trippers, too. In my business I have done a lot of rehab, both post-surgery and post-injury, as well as postural correction, and I can tell you that a lot of what I see is preventable. As GiantBrookie and others mentioned, proper resistance and stabilization training can prevent most of those problems with hips and knees, as well as back problems, which almost always start as a muscle imbalance problem. And here's one for you old geezers over 50; you start losing muscle size in your 30's but can get it back or maintain or even grow with resistance training, but in your 50's, what you lose you will not get back! You will keep your aerobic endurance, but your ability to exert power will diminish. Pretty soon, you won't be able to power yourself over some of those difficult sections. As you get older, you will lose enough muscle that your aerobic power will start to diminish; it won't matter how efficient your cardiovascular system is if it has no muscle to supply, and, sorry aerobic animals, endurance activity, no matter how strenuous, won't maintain that as well as resistance training. So.................pretty much everyone can get some benefits from a resistance training program.

Kathy, if you do decide to look for a trainer, I can give you some pointers as to what to look for.

Mountaineer, Law enforcement has some of the best Powerlifting contests out there! Where ya been????

Maverick, read Steve's book, editions 1 and 2, a few years ago; good stuff! I sense a little bit of a background...............?

By the way, I hate cardio, which explains why I suck on long hikes and get wiped out on bp trips! There's no substitute for it, unfortunately!
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Post by Lightning Dog »

I swim at least once a week for an hour. Also one day a week on the elliptical plus weights, and one day with just weights. To take care of my balance issues (I'm not exactly coordinated sometimes) I take tae kwon do three times a week. Doing tae kwon do has helped a whole lot with coordination and also kept my knees in shape. Finally, I take a strenuous hike (minimum 7 and up to 12 miles) with my backpacking buddies every Sunday. As backpacking season gets closer, we add our packs to our Sunday hikes.
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