whats a good pre workout for the trail?

[Happy44]

6 -10 miles a day with a full pack? break in shoes , and soak feet in tea for 20 mins a day?

[Slo-go'en]

Go hiking You don't have to lug a pack 10 miles a day, but going out for a long walk every day does help a lot. I try to start a couple of weeks before I head out and do a couple of miles every day. Modern shoes don't take a lot of break in, but your feet do. So doing a lot of walking with the boots you will be using before hand can help a lot too.

[Praha4]

find a building with some stairs, do staircase repeats with a weighted pack... start out easy and increase the number of stairs over time. If you have trails with hills nearby that's even better, do hill repeats. Get out and hike, get your feet and legs used to doing long miles each day. Work on stretching to help avoid typical hiking injuries. Break in your shoes or boots. Avoiding foot blisters can be achieved by walking barefoot to toughen your feet, make sure you get the right size shoes and the right socks for your hike. Get some kind of dimethicone based blister prevention ointment like Hydropel or Sportslick.

[yellowsirocco]

I usually run 5K every weekday, then cross train on my bike on Saturday or Sunday. If I lived near the mountains I would hike instead of bike, but I live on the coast. Running sucks but it is worth it for what it does for you. With this workout schedule I can go on a hike when I can get to the mountains and not have to worry about the ups and downs.

[hikerboy57]

I usually run 5K every weekday, then cross train on my bike on Saturday or Sunday. If I lived near the mountains I would hike instead of bike, but I live on the coast. Running sucks but it is worth it for what it does for you. With this workout schedule I can go on a hike when I can get to the mountains and not have to worry about the ups and downs.

cardio is as important as carrying a pack, alternate running with hiking with a pack.also better to carry a pack on trails(if you can) rather than flat surfaces, as your ankles need conditioning too.most of the trail does not have neat even steps, so if you're climbing stairs up and down, vary the amount of stairs with each step, and you'll get a more realistic workout, same on the downs as the ups.
as far as breaking in boots, you're not really breaking them in, you're finding out if you have the right footwear. nowadays most shoes should fit correctly right out of the box. "broken in" generally means broken out- the shoe will no longer give you the support you need.broken in= worn out.if you have to switch out shoes mid hike, there is no opportunity for a "break in "period.they better work right from day one.

[MuddyWaters]

I try to stay in shape all the time, I lift weights and do cardio 4-5 days per week. Walk a few miles now and then too. I really have no issues at all when I get on the trail.

For this JMT this summer I will also add climbing stairs in my office bldg (20 floor bldg) wearing a weighted vest a couple days per week for the last ~2 months before .

[Alpha3168]

This is what i'm doing now for a feb 25 thru. My goals may be different than others so don't freak out. Im very experienced outdoors and avid trail runner. I actually live in northern utah mountains so it's easier for me than others. Doing 15 a day 5 days a week, the problem is time cuz it takes me 7.5 hours to do 15. Your day is shot, also my feet have become conditioned over time. This is with 30 lb Gregory baltro very comfortable. The reason for the hard training is because i want to be reasonably comfortable on the trail. Without ramp up time, the weather has been rough in Utah, im mostly in the snow. Again want to be adjusted to cold weather. Another reason i want to expose any weak spots, and not get any surprises on the trail.

[Blissful]

Pre workout? Well, you can do some cardiovascular. But the best work out is the mental part. Once you get on the trail, that is what keeps you going day after day, in which the conditioning follows.

[pnkwolfe]

Pre workout for the trail?

The trail.

[pnkwolfe]

Pre workout for the trail?

The trail.

Woops.

Forgot the " "

[Mags]

Anything that keeps you active and that you enjoy enough to do on a regular basis. Running, biking, weight training, hiking, skiing..it's all good. Just make sure you do it.

The mental part is important..probably the most important. But the mental part is a lot easier if you are not carrying 30 lbs extra on your frame for the first few hundred miles! :O

[Carbo]

There is a battle between what my head tells me and the need to satisfy what's in my heart. Staying in good condition helps, but there will always be this struggle.

[10-K]

One day a week walk on a treadmill for 5 hours so you'll get used to being mindlessly bored - that'll happen from time to time when you're hiking.

You gotta keep moving because no helicopter is on the way to lift you out.

[q-tip]

I use a 3-month program from the book-Climbing-Training for Peak Performance by Clyde Soles-best training program I have found for getting ready for the season...

[rusty bumper]

My thru-hike started on April 1st in 2011. For the 10 years prior to that I had been walking 3-5 miles almost everyday of the year that gave me a base of over 12,000 walking miles in those 10 years. After deciding to thru-hike, in August of 2010 I started to increase my mileage to the point where I was walking about 50-60 miles per week. Those miles were made up of 3 days of 13 mile walks, and 4 days of 3 mile walks. Most of the 13 mile walks were on the Buckeye Trail here in northeast Ohio with a full pack weighing 24 pounds. There were some modest ups and downs on the BT that helped build my climbing endurance.

I started at Springer with a 24 pound pack and limited my miles to 10-12 for the first few days. I felt physically strong right from the start and felt that my training routine had really paid off.

[fiddlehead]

To answer the OP, if you can't get outside easily, to go hike some big hills (steep),
Then the best thing to do is a step machine IMO.
That's the gym kind of step machine.
They will get the muscles in shape that you need.
(besides the love of hiking and camping skills)

[Duramax22]

I do all kinds of stuff daily to stay active, however when a longer hike is coming up i will add running bleachers or long sets of stairs at the local park, I ride my mountain bike on local trails with alot of ups and downs, and i strive to improve my cardio with longer runs and rides along with some gassers and 100 dashes to improve short time exertion. This makes hiking very easy an much more enjoyable for me.

[Malto]

To answer the OP, if you can't get outside easily, to go hike some big hills (steep),
Then the best thing to do is a step machine IMO.
That's the gym kind of step machine.
They will get the muscles in shape that you need.
(besides the love of hiking and camping skills)

agree with this, especially the love for hiking. As an alternative to a step machine, walking at a fast pace at a healthy incline on a treadmill will also go a long way to achieving fitness. (Healthy incline and fast pace will vary due to fitness level.)

[George]

I concetrate on 12 oz curls and cheezeburgers pre hike - once on the trail, I will get plenty of exercise

[Pedaling Fool]

My thru-hike started on April 1st in 2011. For the 10 years prior to that I had been walking 3-5 miles almost everyday of the year that gave me a base of over 12,000 walking miles in those 10 years. After deciding to thru-hike, in August of 2010 I started to increase my mileage to the point where I was walking about 50-60 miles per week. Those miles were made up of 3 days of 13 mile walks, and 4 days of 3 mile walks. Most of the 13 mile walks were on the Buckeye Trail here in northeast Ohio with a full pack weighing 24 pounds. There were some modest ups and downs on the BT that helped build my climbing endurance.

I started at Springer with a 24 pound pack and limited my miles to 10-12 for the first few days. I felt physically strong right from the start and felt that my training routine had really paid off.

The more I read about physical fitness, the more I understand the importance of developing a base. And contrary to what I use to think, getting in shape requires not so much hours and hours of nut-busting workouts; rather, simply just consistency, much like the poster I copied ^above^.

That's partly why I don't believe in physical preparations for the trail (unless of course you're planning on breaking a record, in which case you better have one hell of a base developed...among other things).

Me, I'm not about racing, to me it's all about fitness, i.e. health for life, which equals independence as you age. And if you want that then I recommend start thinking beyond the trail. Think of the trail as a "restart" to your physical fitness.

Personally, I would recommend to anyone that wants to be somewhat ready for the AT on a short notice to not worry so much about cardio; cardio is easy to build and you rarely (if ever) must leave the trail due to insufficient cardio. People leave the trail due to injuries to their skeletal system, i.e. connective tissue, joints, bones. I would concentrate on those things thru weightlifting, running, skipping rope, walking barefoot on pavement... Cardio comes with those activities, but it's the skeletal system you want to concentrate on. And of course, no matter how strong you feel when you get out there, take it slow.


And do practice hikes if possible. Stay away from elliptical machines and the like; hiking is not low-impact!