Training for a 5 month long hike where you walk roughly 84 marathons can seem a little daunting. Not only do you need to strengthen your legs, but also your core, shoulders, back, and endurance. So how do you prepare for all that? Well, here's what I have been doing.
***A little disclaimer before I jump right in: this is only what I've been doing. I am not a physical trainer and have figured out what works for my body. It is different for everybody!***
1. Cardio: Increasing your endurance to hike for 6+ hours is important and there are many ways you can do this!
-The best way to increase endurance is to hike at least once a week. Nothing is better than training for what you are doing by actually doing it! Find some local hikes and go crazy! (https://www.alltrails.com/?ref=header) is the best for finding hikes.
-Stairs: Whether it is the stair master at the gym, the stairs in your apartment building, or a local sports stadium. Stairs are super helpful in strengthening the leg muscles with a continuous upward motion. At the gym, I do at least 20 minutes on a setting of 8 or higher. Start small and work your way up!
- Walking on an incline: Again, this could be done at the gym or anywhere with a hill. At the gym, I walk on an incline of 15% or higher for at least 20 minutes.
-HIIT Workouts/Classes: If you don't know, HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Combining intense cardio with strength training is one of my favorite ways to workout. The Insanity program is great for this, but if you lookup HIIT workouts on youtube you will mind a surplus! I usually for 20-30 minutes depending on how I'm feeling that day.
2. Strength Training For Your Legs
-When using machines, squatting, lunging, or any other strengthening exercise, it is important to focus on every muscle group in your legs. What I have found for myself is when hiking, my hamstrings are the first muscle to get tired followed by my quads. Because of this, I do a lot of exercises that target those areas. Although that is what I focus on, every body is different. Pay attention to which muscles tire out first when you are hiking and focus on them! Here are some exercises to get started:
A. Dead Lifts
B. Single Leg Dead Lift
C. Weighted Squats
D. Weighted Lunges
E. Bulgarian Split Squat
F. Box Jumps
G. Resistance Band Exercises (https://www.outsideonline.com/2409738/freediving-mountaineering-altitude-research)
3. Strength Training for your Back and Shoulders
- Building your back and shoulder muscles are important because you will be carrying 20-40 pounds on your back everyday! In order to not injure yourself, use some of these exercises to strengthen that area!
A. Plank Up Downs (bonus: it simultaneously strengthens your core!)
B. Dumbbell Row
C. Lat Pull Down
D. Pushups
E. Burpees with optional pushup
F. Shoulder Press
4. Core Strengthening
-Your core helps with your stability and balance so it is important to not forget about it! You don't have to have abs of steel, but it helps to strengthen those muscles! I usually do between 10 and 20 minutes of core and use different workout videos. My favorite sources are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRQzn3w710&list=PLN99XDk2SYr4NATZeMxshFcg8JRn1-h1S and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi0AqmA_3DGPFCu5qY0LLSg/videos
What My Average Workout Looks Like
1. STRETCH!!!! Stretch before and after a workout to prevent injuries.
2. 20 Minutes on the Stair Master levels 8-10
A. 5 minutes normal
B. 5 minutes skipping a step with leg extension
C. 2.5 minutes left side
D. 2.5 minutes right side
E. 5 minutes hard
3. 30 Minutes Strength Training Arms or Legs (3 sets of 15 reps)
A. Basically Combine a number of exercises that target the muscles you want to and go for about a half hour!
4. 10-20 Minutes of Core
A. Make sure you are not just targeting your front core muscles but lower, upper, and obliques.
5. 20 Minutes Walking on Treadmill 3+mph on 15% or higher grade
6. Stretch!!!
7. Consume Protein
A. Within a half hour of finishing your workout, make sure to drink a protein shake, or eat something with around 20 grams of protein.
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