Abs and Arms exercise routine to get into shape for a hiking trip

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/zdTF3PGSA24

In the video of today I am going to share with you one of my personal favorite abs and arms toning exercises that I am not only doing regularly throughout the year but also incorporate this routine when I am hiking too. Because I find that if you do a lot of hiking especially in the mountains the legs do not necessarily need much extra toning while in the abs and arms area I feel the lack of activity. So this workout is going to be a compilation of mostly Pilates exercises and also some stretching in between too. I find it very effective and intense as it uses all of your abs muscles as well as the arms. You won’t need any equipment for this - just your mat, some water and the right mood to crush it.

What exercise routine do you incorporate when preparing to your hiking trips?

Abs and Arms workout... for backpacking?

Good grief...

:rolleyes: , maybe next week will be chest and back...

Toes... its all in the toes

Bo Jackson says.....

Pushups and situps. Thousands of them a day.

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Originally Posted by BlackCloud

Bo Jackson says.....

Pushups and situps. Thousands of them a day.

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Situps are certainly one of the best simple exercises to get lower body ready for the trail and of course a lot of hiking before.

For off-season core work I used to simply do the hoola hoop 15 minutes a day. Works great. I have gotten away from it in recent years and instead just do planks. As an aging male, I have also started an upper-body weight-lifting regimen. Not necessarily to help backpacking but to maintain muscle mass. But, I would say that because of this I feel that I've become a much stronger hiker.

I too am a firm believer in staying fit for life, so much so I started a thread a couple months ago titled "hiker shape " .
The arm exercises pushups and such strengthen the triceps which are actually bigger than the biceps , but strong triceps are good for utilizing trekking poles (ie,pushing off).
And good arm strength for the straight ups ,bouldering.

Good strong abs = a strong torso there by making carrying a load on your back easier.

All this absolutely makes for a strong hiker and hopefully help us age better.

This thread is about fitness for backpacking... the least useful workout for a backpacker is “abs and arms.”

Having been at this sine 1975, I can emphatically say that legs/cardio is where the emphasis needs to be. A stair-stepper/stair climber is foremost, and coupled with push-up’s and pull-up’s is all most of us will ever need (provided a clean diet). REMEMBER, “exercise is queen, but diet is king.”

Strong core is also good for keeping a stumble from turning into a fall.

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Originally Posted by BradMT

This thread is about fitness for backpacking... the least useful workout for a backpacker is “abs and arms.”

Having been at this sine 1975, I can emphatically say that legs/cardio is where the emphasis needs to be. A stair-stepper/stair climber is foremost, and coupled with push-up’s and pull-up’s is all most of us will ever need (provided a clean diet). REMEMBER, “exercise is queen, but diet is king.”

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I've always, and still, get a chuckle out of those that emphatically think their way is best.

I (Angelina) love doing squats too, they are a good exercise overall. The set of favorite exercises and what works for each individual is different and this video is more of a suggestion than a strict routine. Also it is a matter of taste, I personally like doing such type of pilates exercises for all the body parts and Dima,my husband, doesn't enjoy it as much and prefers to stick to his bar exercises.

This looks like Influencer Bull Crap!! The lengths these idiots go thru to gain notoriety :-?

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Originally Posted by lonehiker

I've always, and still, get a chuckle out of those that emphatically think their way is best.

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Where did I say "emphatically" my way is "best?"

Unlike most, if not all, of the people who responded, I read the message from Walking Nature World and skimmed the video. The message, which is repeated in the video, is that legs don't need any exercise while hiking, but the arms and abs could benefit from some exercise. As a woman backpacker, my arms got stronger simply by putting my pack on and taking it off multiple times a day, but many men told me that they lost upper body strength on a backpacking trip. While some people routinely stretch while backpacking, I also saw a few men doing upper body strength exercises.

I do not know if the person who posted knows the woman on the video. No matter, the exercise and stretching routine in the video is top notch. I am currently training for the nordic ski season in a dryland ski training class, where we do exercises for the legs, core, and upper body. Many of the exercises on the video are the same or similar to our routines. I don't care if anyone scoffs at me!

I failed to mention, a good yoga (stretching) routine is also a HUGE part of any workout. I didn't include that because I assumed it's a given... but I'm pretty sure that's a bad assumption on my part. :)

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Originally Posted by rubyvermonter

Unlike most, if not all, of the people who responded, I read the message from Walking Nature World and skimmed the video. The message, which is repeated in the video, is that legs don't need any exercise while hiking, but the arms and abs could benefit from some exercise. As a woman backpacker, my arms got stronger simply by putting my pack on and taking it off multiple times a day, but many men told me that they lost upper body strength on a backpacking trip. While some people routinely stretch while backpacking, I also saw a few men doing upper body strength exercises.

I do not know if the person who posted knows the woman on the video. No matter, the exercise and stretching routine in the video is top notch. I am currently training for the nordic ski season in a dryland ski training class, where we do exercises for the legs, core, and upper body. Many of the exercises on the video are the same or similar to our routines. I don't care if anyone scoffs at me!

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But *why* would you read anything beyond the title before completely missing the point and dismissing something??? /sarcasm

One of my goals for my PCT hike is to do a better job with stretching and conditioning than I did on the AT. Although my triceps stayed fairly toned from using trekking poles, I definitely noticed my overall upper body and core strength decline during my thru. A bit of yoga, a few pushups, and a minute or two of planks a few nights a week, or a full workout like the one suggested here, would probably help with that.

There are plenty of places on the trails I hike where upper body strength is very helpful for hoisting yourself up or easing yourself down. For smooth trails, sure, all you need to train is to walk. For life beyond that, it's worth paying attention to the whole body.