What is your fitness regimen??

[FlyFishNut]

Staying fit for hikes or just being fit in general: I'm going to add some hiking specific exercise to my existing regimen. If anyone has some good workouts that are hiking specific, please share.

A typical week for me is:
2x - 3x per week - personal trainer at our small gym. 1hr of stations for 3 rounds. Weights, core and cardio (with an emphasis on specific body parts), ie tonight might be legs, or Bi/back or Chest/tri. We do tons of weighted lunges, box jumps and squats on leg day that help with hike readiness.

2x - trail running minimum of 5mi, max of 8mi and sometimes if I feel froggy 10mi on wooded trails (nothing paved). If it isn't wet, I will go to the USNWC and Mt bike 9mi-13mi in lieu of a trail run. Lots of great climbs that leave you feeling like you might puke.

Sporadically thrown in every couple weeks: Hike at Crowder's Mt with a weighted pack, or just 6-7mi easy hike at the ASC Greenway with the dog.

WHAT I WANT TO ADD: My gym has a stair machine. I think I will start either wearing my jihad looking weight vest or a weighted pack and doing long stints on this machine. I am also going to start doing more weighed "step ups" on a bench or high riser to simulate hiking up hill. Maybe add dead lifts?

Any ideas of some more exercises to add??

[Shutterbug]

Staying fit for hikes or just being fit in general: I'm going to add some hiking specific exercise to my existing regimen. If anyone has some good workouts that are hiking specific, please share.

A typical week for me is:
2x - 3x per week - personal trainer at our small gym. 1hr of stations for 3 rounds. Weights, core and cardio (with an emphasis on specific body parts), ie tonight might be legs, or Bi/back or Chest/tri. We do tons of weighted lunges, box jumps and squats on leg day that help with hike readiness.

2x - trail running minimum of 5mi, max of 8mi and sometimes if I feel froggy 10mi on wooded trails (nothing paved). If it isn't wet, I will go to the USNWC and Mt bike 9mi-13mi in lieu of a trail run. Lots of great climbs that leave you feeling like you might puke.

Sporadically thrown in every couple weeks: Hike at Crowder's Mt with a weighted pack, or just 6-7mi easy hike at the ASC Greenway with the dog.

WHAT I WANT TO ADD: My gym has a stair machine. I think I will start either wearing my jihad looking weight vest or a weighted pack and doing long stints on this machine. I am also going to start doing more weighed "step ups" on a bench or high riser to simulate hiking up hill. Maybe add dead lifts?

Any ideas of some more exercises to add??

I am on a fitness program prescribed by my cardiologist (I had bypass surgery 13 years ago).

1. I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.
2. Three times a week I do FIIT -- 8 intervals. Each interval is 30 seconds of maximum exercise followed by 90 seconds of less intense exercise.
3. Following the FIIT, I do 30 minutes of weight training.

[map man]

You are already doing more than 98% of hikers. I think running (or walking with a load) downhill is even more important that uphill. It's the downhills that really put a strain on the muscles and joints in your legs while you are hiking -- the uphills really get your heart and lungs working but you are already doing plenty for that.

Myself, the thing I have found most helpful for hiking-prep over the years is running on hilly terrain.

[FlyFishNut]

I think running (or walking with a load) downhill is even more important that uphill. It's the downhills that really put a strain on the muscles and joints in your legs while you are hiking --

Good point. On that note, I registered for a Down Hill half marathon called "The Scream" held in Wilson Creek (Mortimer, NC). Did it a few years ago and it will make you sore.

[MuddyWaters]

I lift weights and run
Runnings boring, and my goal isnt to run marathons, so i only run a few miles at a time, at a faster pace which is taxing
I find thats all thats necessary

I personally think running, which imposes higher repetive stress loads on tendons and joints around knee, helps condition these to avoid common repetitive stress injury problems ....as long as you dont overdo it....

[Slo-go'en]

Shovel my driveway couple times a week!

[Christoph]

To get ready for my thru I'm using the treadmill 6 days a week, full incline at 3mph, running outside 3-5 miles a few times a week, and some gym time. Mostly legs and core work. This is more than I usually do due to my thru. Usually I just run on the treadmill when its cold out or run around the block for 3 miles maybe a few times a week.

[Connie]

I think running doesn't serve a backpacker well.

One time, in college, I was "out-of-shape" to the extent I experienced having to get "second wind" on the approach from the end of the dirt road to Mt. Ruth, in the North Cascades, WA.

I decided to run-walk for endurance. First, the measured cinder track at the college: alternating 1/4 track run, 1/4 track walk. I felt better, so I did the run-walk the cross-country route. Then, it was more convenient for me to run-walk to South Bellingham for Sunday brunch. Then, I thought I am getting lazy, so I extended my run-walk from South Bellingham to the airport North of Bellingham and back. That seemed better: the track, cross-country track team route, to Brunch, then to the airport and back. I felt almost "fit".

I need mountains to feel really healthy.

It is much easier to get into the mountains often. I do that.

I haven't been getting out much, lately.

I was driving past the Civic Center "fitness center" and I thought maybe I should get a membership. Instead, I will walk more in town, parking as far away from my destination as possible, and, I will gas up the car and get out into the mountains more.

More walking. More mountain air.

[jimmyjam]

I walk for 30 minutes everyday during lunch, every other day when I get home I do 30 minutes on a bowflex and then 20 to 30 minutes on an eliptical or treadmill, 35 situps, 25 push ups. On the other days I do 30 on the eliptical, and 30-45 minutes on the treadmill, and then a series of leg excercises with and without rubber bands to strengthen my knees. Weekends I either ride my bike 10 to 15 miles a day or I do a day hike. And I still can't lose a pound. All the exercise just makes my appetite bigger.

[CarlZ993]

Two times a week, weight training at the gym. Total body workout. One set to failure. Add in some situps (50 normally; 30 if I'm feeling lazy) & some back extensions. With a 10 minute warmup on the treadmill, I'm usually done in 30 min or so.

Five times a week, I run (Tu, We, Th, Sa, & Su). Tue = running drills w/ run group. Sun = long run (now 10M). The other days = 3 M or so. Occasional race from time to time.

I try to backpack some on a regular basis - sometimes w/ my Boy Scout Venture Crew, sometimes w/ some buddies; sometimes solo. If I'm planning a very strenuous hike (AT, JMT, CT, etc), I'll add some practice hikes (usually once a week) with a pack to help w/ conditioning & some valuable pack time.

For sports related specificity, nothing conditions you better for backpacking than backpacking. But, have a good cardio & strength base goes a long way.

[Nodust]

2-4 miles per day walking. More than half with my backpack loaded to maybe 15-20#.

[Just Bill]

These days- chase kids and 12 ounce curls mainly

[tiptoe]

Every other day, more or less, I walk 5 miles with my dog at a local state park. About twice a week, I swim 1/4 mile and use the weight machines. And shovel snow about twice a week, too. It's all fairly moderate, and it keeps me functioning.

[Carbo]

With all this snow about all I do outside is shovel off a log, sit down and eat my pop tarts and oat meal.

Seriously, inside it's an hour on the treadmill at 5, 10, then 15% incline 3x per week, light weights in between. Recently had a stress test where they got my hr up to the max (for my age) of 150 bpm and I survived, so I guess this regimen is good to get me started for a thru in May. Planning on leaving Harpers Ferry heading north. Good luck to all! The pre-training should help.

[AO2134]

I just bought a 40 lb vest. On day hikes, I will take the 40 lb vest with me and see how I do. Eventually, I'd like to see how I'd do with the pack and the vest (hopefully the vest won't damage the pack).

I've been stuck at 18-20 mpd for a while. I am tired of being there. Time to change that. I think a 65 lb vest and pack combo may just do it.

I also work out every day in the week with weightlifting and cardio, but no workout can prepare you for hiking. I have learned that much.

[Pedaling Fool]

Staying fit for hikes or just being fit in general: I'm going to add some hiking specific exercise to my existing regimen. If anyone has some good workouts that are hiking specific, please share.

A typical week for me is:
2x - 3x per week - personal trainer at our small gym. 1hr of stations for 3 rounds. Weights, core and cardio (with an emphasis on specific body parts), ie tonight might be legs, or Bi/back or Chest/tri. We do tons of weighted lunges, box jumps and squats on leg day that help with hike readiness.

2x - trail running minimum of 5mi, max of 8mi and sometimes if I feel froggy 10mi on wooded trails (nothing paved). If it isn't wet, I will go to the USNWC and Mt bike 9mi-13mi in lieu of a trail run. Lots of great climbs that leave you feeling like you might puke.

Sporadically thrown in every couple weeks: Hike at Crowder's Mt with a weighted pack, or just 6-7mi easy hike at the ASC Greenway with the dog.

WHAT I WANT TO ADD: My gym has a stair machine. I think I will start either wearing my jihad looking weight vest or a weighted pack and doing long stints on this machine. I am also going to start doing more weighed "step ups" on a bench or high riser to simulate hiking up hill. Maybe add dead lifts?

Any ideas of some more exercises to add??

Your plan sounds pretty good, it includes a lot of weights which is a good thing; too many people have a faulty misconception of working out with weights. I think the other thing is to always be setting goals, to keep it interesting. Things like the iron cross (in gymnastics) and going beyond a pullup by lifting the body all the way up over the bar... or the rings, like here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKcnpJSAsbo

And then you got your foundation, like in here http://www.mensfitness.com/training/...ing-strategies

Also when cardio training it's good to mix it up, not get in a fixed set of exercises. Things like speed work, not just easy running and other things to go beyond simple cardio work. The AT is great for building an aerobic cardio base, but you are not truly in shape until you can extend both your aerobic and anaerobic threshold. The more you work it the harder it is to go from aerobic to anaerobic.

[Tipi Walter]

I used to do training hikes up hills with a "training pack" filled with books and fire logs to 70 lbs, but stopped due to What's The Pointitis??

Now sometimes I do minimal jogging around the house---hate road jogging, bad on the body and don't want to be seen by fat American rolling couch potatoes.

98% of my current exercise comes from actually going out on backpacking trips. I typically lose 5 or 6 lbs on each long trip, and as some AT thruhiker once said, "At this rate I'll weigh 25 lbs by the time I get to Maine." I think it was the guy who wrote "Then The Hail Came" etc.

When I get back from being out for 15 or 20 days, I clean all my gear and sit at home thumbing the remote, my most arduous exercise, and plan intricate meals. My chewing muscles are highly developed. In tandem and related, my field squatting-to-defecate muscles are also highly toned. Sometimes to avoid at-home henpecking I can sprint very fast for very short distances---far enough to save myself---and these bursts seem to help.

Often Little Mitten's henpecking beak is worn to a nub after I'm home for 2 weeks but then I go out for 3 weeks and the beak has grown back so I get a fresh new dose of open sores from fast pecking.

[Feral Bill]

I bike to and from work (hilly), and walk a lot as part of my job.

[Walkintom]

I walk a bit. I eat healthy foods. Lots of fresh veggies, as little processing as I can easily get in foods, and take a couple of pills daily - garlic, ginger and a multivitamin.

It's more what I don't do that keeps me in decent shape - no binge eating, not much drinking, and no shirking from physical work.

"You ever see a lion stretch before it takes down a gazelle?" ~ Tallahassee

[brancher]

Weights and walking - not real heavy weights, just to make sure I can still lift. My big thing is my cycling - I do about 125-150 miles per week on my bike weather permitting, including fitness runs and cycling club runs. I just got back from a FL bicycle tour, quads are made of iron now.......