Where are my elk hunters?

[eloise]

Hey guys, need y’all’s input on strength and endurance for legs.

Been to Colorado twice and both times hunted at 10k and higher with 45lb packs.

So far I’ve dropped from beer belly 230 to a fitter 205. 10 mile bike rides for warm up and 550lb leg press.

Besides rucking and stair master, what’s part of y’all’s workout routine?

 

[follower212]

@eloise Walking with a pack on and increasing the weight in the pack as you progress . I live on a lake with 45 steps down to the lake . When getting in shape for the mountains I will do the same thing with the stairs. Up and down with pack on and increase reps and weight as I progress

 

[anniereborn]

@eloise Not a great elk hunter but I used to live in Idaho and Utah. Olympic lifting has been my main hobby for years so that with a little CrossFit (when I trained at a CF gym) or some simple couplet or triplet conditioning workouts a couple times a week. Weighted pack hiking/scouting a few times a month. I’m in Texas now and not sure when I’ll get back out west but I miss it a lot. If I were just focused on getting into shape for hunting I’d run something like 5/3/1 and get a little more specific with the conditioning so the legs and back don’t die on a pack out.

 

[sonofmatthew]

@eloise Ruck walking, weighted carries, and focusing on your V02. I've heard that for V02 a good exercise is doing a round of kettlebell swings where you do one swing, take a breath, two swings, take two breaths, three swings, three breaths, etc. all the way to twenty swings is good, but I haven't researched it much and I'm between kettlebells at the moment. Obviously you also breathe while doing the swings, the between-sets breathing is more like a rest timer, with the goal being to eventually just power through without stopping.

 

[ashvinne]

@eloise For weight training, I liked 5/31 Krypteia. Keeps you moving and hits the legs hard as written in 531 Forever. Squat and DL days, and then goblet squats for Bench/OHP days. Pair with rucking/running, and you'll be good.

 

[michaeleric]

@eloise Squats and deadlifts and stair master and walking with a heavy pack

Edit: source - elk hunt in Idaho mountains

 

[hristos]

@eloise You need to spend lots of time of varied terrain with a weighted pack. To strengthen all the balancing, side hilling, and core muscles. And endurance.

 

[473174]

@eloise Weight vest, sandbags, kettle bells, assault bike, squat. Ditch the leg press.

 

[estherrising]

@eloise Not an elk hunter but climb CO 14ers for fun. Have summited 25 unique peaks over the past 19 months.

If you are trying to get in shape for this coming season then know this: with that leg press it’s very unlikely it’s leg strength that will hold you back. It’s having some decent cardio capacity before you arrive, acclimating and then hydrating regularly.

Want to not be sucking wind on your next hunting trip here over 10k?

1) Don’t drink alcohol. It will mess with your ability to acclimate.

2) When you get here drink lots of water and keep drinking lots of water.

3) Get good sleep.

4) Go up high the first day you are here. Hike 4-6 miles at altitude over 10k. Hang out up high if you can bust that mileage out in just a couple hours. Enjoy the view. Come down lower to sleep. Like a real night’s sleep. Hydrate. No alcohol. Next day you should be good to go back up and stay up.

If you don’t nurture the conditions that facilitate your body acclimating to altitude it won’t matter if your legs are tree trunks. It won’t matter that you can run a half marathon at sea level. You will suck wind.