Training for a Hike

[Graywolf]

I know this has been discussed before but it has been a while, so I want to start anonther..

How do you train for your hikes?? This past 2 weeks I began walking, alot.. 12 miles a day minimum along with using the stairs at work instead of taking the elevator. 6 floors in this building is a work out..

I also cut out beef, bread and other carbs (including beer..:() to get my legs back and to get back in shape..

How about you?? What do you do..

Graywolf

[leaftye]

I eat a lot of protein throughout the day to help my legs build. I carry more weight than I expect to really carry.

[Mags]

I don't train per se. I am active all year round.

I workout M-F (M,W,F are days for weights and core workouts, T,Th is very vigorous cardio that works the legs and core mainly). On all Saturdays and most Sundays, I try to do some form of hiking or backcountry skiing.

So, when I do a backpacking trip, I am able to hit the ground running to put in as many or as little miles as I want.

I don't think of training, I think of fitness. I love being outdoors. And when I am in shape..I enjoy it much more. :sun There are many ways to do it..the above works for me.

A good article from where on WB. (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=184425#post184425)

[sbhikes]

To train for hikes I go hiking.

[Tinker]

I just walk................:D

[Mags]

I just walk................:D

That's what a lot of people do...(or say they do!)

Then bitch and moan how "hard" the Approach Trail to Springer Mtn is. Or say how they you'll always put back on weight after a thru-hike. :rolleyes:

Then some of these people discuss how to shave weight off the pack while packing a spare tire around their midsection.

I just walk too...on weekends. :)

But, I it is kind of hard to hike everyday..as much as I'd love to. :banana

So, while all the people are bitching and moaning how hard the approach trail is, I'll be putting down my 25 MPD because I get off my ass and stay active outside of just a 5 month hike every two years. :D (I'm weird, I love being outside whenever I can)

[Graywolf]

That's what a lot of people do...(or say they do!)

Then bitch and moan how "hard" the Approach Trail to Springer Mtn is. Or say how they you'll always how you'll put back on weight after a thru-hike. :rolleyes:

Then some of these people discuss how to shave weight off the pack while packing a spare tire around their midsection.

I just walk too...on weekends. :)

But, I it is kind of hard to hike everyday..as much as I'd love to. :banana

So, while all the people are bitching and moaning how hard the approach trail is, I'll be putting down my 25 MPD because I get off my ass and stay active outside of just a 5 month hike every two years. :D (I'm weird, I love being outside whenever I can)

hey Mags, I agree one hundred percent..I am one who has a fat tire around the mid section, but my legs are like a rock..(fat tire came from a lot of curls at the local bar..)

Now that I have stopped the bar stuff and have become active again, oh how the joy of being outside is.I wished I had the option of soem members here, the ones who live close to some trail or mountains..I would never stay home..I love being in the outdoors, but nothing around here for that, so I make do with the local park/bike trails and use the stairs at work, (with pack on) to get the work out I need.. I hate gyms, I want to be out side..thats the life..

When I did the section hike last year, which was my first time on the AT I was surprised how easy the trail came to me.. The onlytough part was when the pack failed and had to stop early in the hike, which I am still lamenting over..But now with the new gear I am ready to hit the trail again, and am considering adding the approach trail into it this next time, if I dont go to Colorado instead, still debating..But i am ready for the next hike..

get me out of this Damn City,, Please,,,!!!!!

Graywolf

[stranger]

Just "walking" really isn't enough when it comes to training...unless you are hiking 12-15 miles, 3-4 times per week, with 25lbs on your back on a fairly rough trail. If you can do this, you'll probably be fine...however....

Assuming you have a job and other responsibilities, namely a life, friends and other interests, training will be limited, and you also need to factor in your environment, living in a city, flat country, working long hours, etc...

Lifting "light" weights and treadmill work is good for cardio, stairs and trails are great for impact and muscle building, assuming you have a pack on.

Running for 2 minutes, walking for 2 minutes, is a great way to build stamina, and to be honest all of the above will prepare you better for a hike than just hiking in MOST circumstances.

Roger Federer doesnt' just play tennis to get in shape, boxers don't just spar to get in shape for a fight. With hiking, it's much the same. If someone hikes the Long Trail prior to every AT hike, that makes sense...but that does not happen.

I agree with Mags, the more fit you are, the better it is. In 2008 I averaged 18 miles a day in Georgia, this year it will be over 20, easily...due to fitness.

[Mags]

hey Mags, I agree one hundred percent..I am one who has a fat tire around the mid section, but my legs are like a rock..(fat tire came from a lot of curls at the local bar..)



Hey..at least you are doing something about it.

I like the 16 oz curls on weekends myself. :)

[bflorac]

1) I shed as much weight as possible. Every pound of my "fat tire" I get rid of is one less I have to carry. It seems to be a yearly thing. Lose weight, hike and lose more weight, hold my own for the summer and pack it back on during the winter. Pushing hard this spring to loose 30lbs (15%).

2) I run, run, run. Try to run 3-6 miles per day (or as often as I can). Often I run in the grass or off the trail to strenthen my ankles and lower leg muscles.

3) Karate, 1 hour, 2-3 time a week (since I do this year round perhaps it is not just for hiking)

4) In the months leading up to my trip I hike as often as possible with a full pack (lead weights). Living in Wisconsin, there are not too many "long" up hills to practice but I do what I can do.

5) Work out in weight room. I don't have access to a stair master so I do what I can do with weights. I try to mimic what it takes to climb up hill.

After all this, on the first day of hiking, my legs feel like mud. There is nothing like hiking 8 hours for what seems like "uphill" all day. It takes about a week on the trail to get my legs in shape. I start out slow, 10 miles/day and work up from there to about 15 miles/day. Of course, since I'm a section hiker (2-3 weeks at a time), once I get my legs in shape I have to get off the trail and go back home.

[garlic08]

I'll paraphrase Mags and reiterate that the best way to get in shape for the trail is to never get out of shape to begin with. But an active, healthy, fit adult is, unfortunately, becoming a rare thing in our society.

I feel no need to get in shape for a long hike, because I'm always out doing something anyway. It's more a matter of getting ready to hike all day. For me, that's walking a series of 10-mile "sprints" with my pack as fast as I comfortably can, say 3 hours. Maybe do that four or five times a week, and do it twice in one day at least once before I take off. That way my feet get tough, I make sure my shoes feel good, my pack feels good, etc. I feel ready to hike, I know I won't get blisters, and am confident I can take what the trail has to offer. Like Mags, I also enjoy hiking 25 mile days, and that plan is tailored to my style.

If you need to get in shape/loose weight, the posts above sound like good plans. Definitely listen to Mags. Since I met him, he's put on some pretty impressive muscle.

[moytoy]

I don't train for a hike, I try to make my walking and hiking a life style 365 days a year. It's 6:00 in the morning now and at 6:30 I will do a nordic style walk for 1 hour. I am within 15 min. drive to the FT and so I go there sometimes but other times I just road walk. The nordic walking method uses walking poles to help give an upperbody workout. I make my own poles for this out of oak for the extra weight. I have much lighter poles made from willow for longer hikes. I'll do this same 1 hour workout tonight after work and dinner. I'll also try to walk 8-10 miles 2 times a week.

[Grinder]

I am now on the trail, at New Found Gap, section hiking to Hot Springs

For the past year I have walked a min of 5 miles 5 days a week.

From the first of the year, I have carried a pack with weight increasing to actual trail weight for the last 2 months.

For the last month I went to the gym with full pack and did stair master, building to one hour.

When I got to the trail, my muscles were pretty good, but the aerobics part was not there. I still need to use the "walk 20 steps, stop and breath, repeat method" on steeper climbs.

Next year I will concentrate more on aerobic fitness.

That's my 2 cents on the subject

[hellomolly]

I am currently out with a bum knee but this is what I did before my knee started giving me problems...


I work out regularly at the gym nearly every day doing the Stepmill. It's not a stairmaster - it's like a little mini escalator. While it does not simulate the unevenness of trails, it does a good job of exercising the muscles you will use going uphill.

Generally I do 25 minues at a relatively rapid speed on that (enough to get my heart rate up around 185) then run a mile at 6.5-7 mph on the treadmill, then walk at an incline (usually 12-15 percent grade) for 10 or so minutes to cool down. That takes about 40-45 minutes.

Afterward I do weighted muscle exercises (leg lifts, squats, lunges, pull ups, tricep extensions, etc) for about 40 minutes. Then it's on to abs for about 10 (crunches, reverse crunches, leg lifts, obliques, etc). Then 15 minutes of stretching. This is key - without it, my muscles would sieze up and be more prone to injury.

So all in all I do 40 min of intense cardio, 40-50 min of weights and ab exercises and then stretch. That's 3-4 times a week. I try to do a long run (5-6 miles) either Saturday or Sunday.

I found that after just a few weeks of incorporating the step mill into my workout, even without weight, I was able to comfortably carry a 25 pound pack over talus fields on the weekend. I generally go rock climbing every weekend at least once and that often requires a moderate hike to get to the crag carrying my rope and gear. I don't really see that as conditioning - more as just getting used to carrying a pack.

Then of course I try to hike as much as possible on the weekends too, but to be honest right now I'd rather be hiking to a crag to climb than hiking to the top of a mountain to eat lunch. :o That will change once I get the climbing urge taken care of in a few months.

I usually don't do rest days - like this weekend, my "rest day" was a 4 mile hike over varied terrain. Felt easy-peasy. That same hike a few years ago, when I wasn't working out regularly, felt difficult. So I know my routine is making a difference.

[kayak karl]

I am now on the trail, at New Found Gap, section hiking to Hot Springs

For the past year I have walked a min of 5 miles 5 days a week.

From the first of the year, I have carried a pack with weight increasing to actual trail weight for the last 2 months.

For the last month I went to the gym with full pack and did stair master, building to one hour.

When I got to the trail, my muscles were pretty good, but the aerobics part was not there. I still need to use the "walk 20 steps, stop and breath, repeat method" on steeper climbs.

Next year I will concentrate more on aerobic fitness.

That's my 2 cents on the subject
do you hit the nail on the head! tha's the same way i felt on trail. what exercises are you going to do to help with this? i would be very interested in hearing about it.
TY
KK

[Lone Wolf]

I know this has been discussed before but it has been a while, so I want to start anonther..

How do you train for your hikes?? This past 2 weeks I began walking, alot.. 12 miles a day minimum along with using the stairs at work instead of taking the elevator. 6 floors in this building is a work out..

I also cut out beef, bread and other carbs (including beer..:() to get my legs back and to get back in shape..

How about you?? What do you do..

Graywolf

run 5 miles a day and drink beer

[Darwin again]

When I got out there, the most shocking thing to my body is being unprepared to carry weight over uneven, rocky surfaces. The best training for backpacking or long distance hiking is to do more of it. I try to take my body through a few pain cycles leading up to my hike by going out for a few six mile hikes if possible with some weight in my bag, preferably around 30 pounds. Get your tendons and ligaments accustomed to bearing weight under non-sidewalk, flat, even-floored conditions, which is where most of us spend our time when we're not out there.

[Graywolf]

Hey..at least you are doing something about it.

I like the 16 oz curls on weekends myself. :)

LOL, After I started this thread, I went out and did 32oz curls..Then got up yesterday morning and did another 12 miles..OUCH..Head was spinning..Just got back from another 12 miles, and will do another 6 this evening..

On another note, Our executive Chef (Im a chef) told me I can bring the pack to work if I wanted to use it for the stairs..Yes, thats just what I need..

I am also riding the bike on some hills not far from me which is helping..Cant wait to be back out there again, this August..I HATE THE CITY...Errrrrrr.......

Graywolf

[fredmugs]

I ride an upright exercise bike. I generally try to do 30 miles in an hour 4 times a week. I do not walk, hike, or put on a pack prior to hitting the AT for my section hikes. I can start doing 20 miles a day right out of the gate. I could not do that before I started riding the bike.

I'll say again - an upright bike. Not a worthless elliptical. I just bought a real bike and it's harder and I plan to be in even better shape when I knock out NH in July.

[MelNino]

When I know I have a good hike coming up, I start to shed the post-holiday weight. At the gym, I go on the treadmill at 15-20% at 3.2-3.8 speed, for about an hour.

Once the weather turns nice (like now!) I hit a local trail...it very easy terrain, but I can play there for about 2 hours, and that is far more enjoyable then the gym.


My next hike is not a long distance one, alas, but a few friends and I are gonna hit Mt Washington and hopefully a few other summits end of May, so I've been trying to hit a decent peak around here every weekend....I do believe the best way to train is to hike!

[fiddlehead]

Hiking is the best training.
Following that, a step machine is great.

Right now, I am not training for a hike but for a marathon in June.
It gets so hot here that running for 2-3 hours straight is really tough.

So, I have been playing golf.
Carrying my own bag and playing 27 holes some days.

It is also a lot more fun than either running or a step machine (as long as i don't keep score)

I was going to try for 36 today but the wife needs the motorcycle.

[TIDE-HSV]

I'm lucky enough to live adjacent to a state park with some very steep and rocky trails. All I have to do is get off my butt and go train...

[Invictus]

Acadia National Park is in my back yard. Looking at cadillac as i type this. I am blessed with a training ground that can replicate any terrain i will face on most trails in the east. I am also blessed that I can take advantage of that year round. I know one way to get in shape for a long hike and that is to go on a long hike. I am active all year in the outdoors. I am fortunate in that I have the time to do what i love doing. The better we take care of our boddies, the better they will take care of us!

[TIDE-HSV]

Acadia National Park is in my back yard. Looking at cadillac as i type this. I am blessed with a training ground that can replicate any terrain i will face on most trails in the east. I am also blessed that I can take advantage of that year round. I know one way to get in shape for a long hike and that is to go on a long hike. I am active all year in the outdoors. I am fortunate in that I have the time to do what i love doing. The better we take care of our boddies, the better they will take care of us!

My backyard is not that impressive, but I am only two blocks from the nearest steep trail. In fact, I hiked it this AM, with a spritzer bottle full of herbicide for the poison ivy... :D

[Invictus]

My backyard is not that impressive, but I am only two blocks from the nearest steep trail. In fact, I hiked it this AM, with a spritzer bottle full of herbicide for the poison ivy... :D
Hello TIDE-HSV, I always try to remember that I am very fortunate to live where I do. This park's beauty is one of the things that keeps me in it so much. Baxter is 2:45 away and there are countless trails here. living where i do affords me very few excuses to not train and take care of my body. God bless~

[TIDE-HSV]

Hello TIDE-HSV, I always try to remember that I am very fortunate to live where I do. This park's beauty is one of the things that keeps me in it so much. Baxter is 2:45 away and there are countless trails here. living where i do affords me very few excuses to not train and take care of my body. God bless~

I know the beauty of your area. In fact, the "Throne of Ice" is one of my rotating wallpapers. Are you saying two minute, forty-five seconds or two hours, forty-five minutes?

[Invictus]

I know the beauty of your area. In fact, the "Throne of Ice" is one of my rotating wallpapers. Are you saying two minute, forty-five seconds or two hours, forty-five minutes?
2 Hours fouty-five minutes. get up there as much as I can. doing the 100 mile in may with a hopeful summit. depending on trail classification when I reach the mountain.

[TIDE-HSV]

2 Hours fouty-five minutes. get up there as much as I can. doing the 100 mile in may with a hopeful summit. depending on trail classification when I reach the mountain.

I wish I were that close to Acadia. In my case, without the beauty of the west, I'm six minutes from trailhead of the closest steep, rocky trail. At the bottom, it's steeper than the old AT coming up out of Stecoa Gap. I really don't have much of an excuse not to work my quads every day...

[Raul Perez]

Work and family as well as not really having good trails by me in Long Island NY limits my actual hiking training.

For my first 5 day 40 mile hike May 30th I've been preparing the following ways:

Decreased my base pack weight from 30lbs to just over 15lbs with careful gear selections and swapping out what I really dont need.

Began a new weight training routine including supersets between regular sets: Example squat 215lbs 5 times and then leg press 280lbs 20 times (repeat for 5 sets with little breaks in between). Selecting 2 major muscle groups each work out - Chest, Back, Quads, Hams, Biceps, Triceps, Deltoids

Increased my protein intake to equal my body weight in grams to build muscle fibers.

Added longer running distances and started doing 40 yard sprints at the end of 1.6 mile runs 4 times

And of course scheduling shake down hikes at least once a month covering from 6 miles to 15 mile round trips to gauge equipment and tighten up my hiking style and routines.

[MelNino]

Since the wx has decided I should not hike today, I wen to the gym. Ugh....after some hikes the gym is so dull!! Well, better than nothing!

[Bear Cables]

I liked the comment about "not thinking training but fitness". That is my approach. I find that Refomer Pilates at least 2 times a week along with cycling and the elicpical work outs keep me trail ready. Sprinkle that with some weekend hikes during the year.

[Bear Cables]

Hiking is the best training.
Following that, a step machine is great.

Right now, I am not training for a hike but for a marathon in June.
It gets so hot here that running for 2-3 hours straight is really tough.

So, I have been playing golf.
Carrying my own bag and playing 27 holes some days.

It is also a lot more fun than either running or a step machine (as long as i don't keep score)

I was going to try for 36 today but the wife needs the motorcycle.

Ditto on the golf! I find walking the course excellent training!

[10-K]

The best way to train for anything is to do that activity.... The best training for running is to run, the best training for swimming is to swim --- and the best training for hiking is to hike.

Having said that, most of us aren't fortunate enough to throw on a backpack and hit the trail everyday.

I've been a runner for years and go to the gym 4 days a week for 30 minutes or so and I keep an eye on what I eat - I'll eat anything but I (usually) don't overindulge.

I lost 60 lbs several years ago and have kept it off doing this. I can run 15 miles without stopping and I can hike 20+ mile days, day in and day out without injury.

(toot-toot... that's the sound of me blowing my own horn.... I still can't believe I used to be an overweight, 2 pack a day smoker- sometimes I just have to brag a little, forgive me) :)

[Roland]

~
(toot-toot... that's the sound of me blowing my own horn.... I still can't believe I used to be an overweight, 2 pack a day smoker- sometimes I just have to brag a little, forgive me) :)

Good health is no accident. It takes a lot of hard work and constant attention. Keep it up!

[Panchito]

I hike as much as I can with an overfilled day pack on the weekends. During the week it is hit the gym, jack the treadmill up to the steepest degree and walk at 3.5 mph.