Exercise programs...

[Jasonst]

I was curious to see how many of you weekend hikers keep up a regular exercise program throughout the week. I do a mixture of weights and aerobic activities at a local gym 4-5 times per week and find this helps out INCREDIBLY with endurance and stamina on a long hike. I had to quit the regimen for a few weeks last year while recovering from surgery and when I hiked after that, I noticed a big difference (negative.)

Any of you out there have any experiences to share?

 

[bruno]

jus' runnin' for the most part (though i did a fair amount of skiin' the past few weeks--downhill, but that doesn't count as it's wussy but fun). religiously run about 40-50 miles a week--about evenly split between flats along the charles river and the trails in the middlesex fells. dabble with weights just to keep everything tight. i love running and don't really like weights though.

oh yeah, and eat tofu everyday ('cept for weekends) for lunch despite the good-natured ridicule heaped upon me by my colleagues. i attribute it all to soy products!!

 

[Mark_151]

I mountain bike for the most part, and I also have North and South Pack, and Watatic, on the Wapack Range, 15 minutes from work, so I do a lot of quick hikes continually until the clocks change in the fall.

 

[sp1936]

Experience has taught this geezer that 3 things keep me going on the trails:

1: Keep the weight down. Nothing facilitates hiking better. I'd rather take pounds off my ass than obsess over shaving ounces from my pack.

2: Run every day. Heart and lungs get me to the top of the mountain. They need to be pushed to increase their capacity. Walking around the parking lot at lunchtime is not enough.

3: Weight training every other day. Favorite exercises: Benches, Rows, Deads.

The more you do, the more you can do.

Steve

PS: Jasonst, I recently shared your experience in recovering from surgery and noticing reduced endurance. Motivated me to work even harder.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Now that I am retired I hike mid-week as well as on weekends, do a bit of fooling around with dumbbells at home.

I hate gyms, but when I was working my employer subsidized my gym subscription to the extent that I was willing to pay my share just to go once a week. And I definitely found that just one hour on the Stairmaster on Wednesdays made a huge difference the next weekend.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I hit the Y three times a week for 40 minutes of aerobic training (treadmill set on 15% grade and elliptical machine). Twice a week I add a half hour of strength training (upper and lower body).

One interesting note: A couple of years ago, I altered the elliptical machine training so that I backpedaled part of it. About the same time, I noticed that I could now descend mountains with much less knee pain. I don't know if there's a causal relationship there or if it was just coincidence, but I've continued to do some backpedaling ever since.

 

[Silverback]

Totally with sp1936 on the workout regimen. Also throw in a couple hours of basketball per week just for fun (or to satisfy some death wish). Even so, nothing like hiking mountains to get in shape for hiking mountains. Different set of muscles used from all the running/weight training I do.

Great comment on losing pounds on the body over shaving ounces in the pack. Sometimes, we forget we have to lug both the body and the pack up the mountain.

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

I used to be a big-time weightlifter. I haven't been in a gym in a couple of years, but just bought a weight bench for the house last weekend. I do stairs at Clark Reservation State Park near Syracuse... or the steep hills between Syracuse and Jamesville. The stairs are about 80' vertical, and typically do 20 sets in about 45 minutes to an hour. The hills are about 700' vertical at a 20-30% grade, and I'll do 3 sets in about 1-1.5 hours. Gets you in shape in a hurry.

This website has some good articles to help mix it up: http://www.bodyresults.com/

 

[Jasonst]

I have found that the stairmaster (the one with the rotating steps) works the best for getting in shape. My heart rate monitor also tells me that this is good for my heart Anyone hike with a heart rate monitor? I find it's great for staying aerobic and mine tracks overall calories. I did a northern presi traverse last year with a 40 lb pack and logged over 9000 calories. I have no idea where they came from...

 

[Tom]

A few years ago I became a bit concerned about constantly popping ibuprofen for my knees. COuldn't come down a mountian without it.

My doctor pointed out that I was over 50, and that I could no longer hike, bike and play racquetball to get in shape. I had to get in shape to do those things.

I've been lifting weights ever since. Hate it, love the results. Have my routine down to under a half hour. I go twice a week. Still take ibuprofen sometimes, but knees are much, much better.

Use treamill and stairmaster sometimes, not religiously.

I think that up until aobut age 30, you can pretty much do whatever you want without worrying about training. Between 30 and say, 50, you have to train to maintain muscle strength. After 50, it becomes a matter of training just to slow teh rate of decline, alas. One thing I have not been able to maintain despite training is grip strength. Not sure why that in particular.

Tom

 

[Head]

High Intensity Weight Training only for me....no aerobics! (seriously)

__________________

BirdHead Studios

 

[rambler]

Wow, I cannot imagine the discipline it takes to get to a gym 4-5 times a week, but I try to get to the Y a couple of times a week to walk the stairmaster for 20-30 minutes and then do some lifting. It only takes an hour of work-out time. Another routine that really help lower back pain is 15 minutes of stretching exercises in the morning. The day after a week-end hike, which usuually ends with a long car ride home, my lower back is stiff and sore (not painful). Stretching or gym work-outs help noticeably. My favorite form of exercise is a brisk 45-60 min. daily walk in the morning around town. I was pleased and surprised how that helps keep me in shape for mountain hikes.

 

[LittleBear]

I go to the gym at least 4 times a week, sometimes more. I do some cardio (although now that we are approaching daylight savings time, I will be getting out on my bike for my cardio. I've been doing weight training for about 2 1/2 years. About a year ago, I felt I wasn't getting much out of my routine so I met with a personal trainer. The first thing he asked is what I do outside the gym, so he has tailored my workouts around my outside activities: hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The leg workouts kick my butt!! (pun intended) but what a difference it has made, especially hiking. My legs are a lot stronger, and I don't get tired as quickly. He also works in a good core routine and some of my leg routine incorporates core work and balancing. It has made a big difference out on the trails. My knees were always cranky when I hiked, now they only complain a little bit.

 

[snowshoe]

I use to do a lot of running to stay in shape until the knees told me to stop. I gues those 90+ miles a week at colledge did me in. Now I like to mix my exercising up, that way I can work all the muscles. During the winter I do a lot of XC skiing. If there is no snow I will use my roller skies. When the weather warms up I like to hit the mt bike as well as roller skiing. I also like to throw in some short but fast paced hikes or a hard paddle on the Kayake. This is easy for me to do after work since I live next to a State Park and State Forest.

As far as gyms go b-----o--------r------i------n-----g------. I hate to be indoors.

 

[JohnL]

I hit the gym at 6:00AM 5 days a week. Lots of aerobic activity followed by weights. Yes it's boring but it's good mental training to be able to transport yourself to another place. Weekends are for running or hiking.

JohnL

 

[spider solo]

I also do a combination of cardio and nautalis (sp?).
For the most part I avoid the free weights as I don't want to "bulk up" so to speak.
Mostly I want the endurance, strength and range of motion.

In November after about 8 months of inactivity I got the ok from the docs to get back at it. By that time I felt I had turned to jello so for the 1st time in my life I found a local club and joined it. I believe I was able to build myself back more quickly.... considering my first time on a tread mill I was good for only about 7 minutes.
I think it made a huge improvement in the time frame that I would otherwise still be trying to regain.
During part of the period inactivity I used the time to drop about 35-40 lbs to help "lighten the load". For when I got the ok to exercise again.
I was greatly inspired by the 'turtle sisters' who have been at it for 3 or four years now......... I believe they do more with the free weights than I do.

 

[Periwinkle]

I'm usually out for short hikes three times a week. When I'm not able to do big hikes, I also go to the gym 3-4 times a week visiting the treadmill, stairmaster and weight machines. I only survive the boredom of this regime by imagining trails. The Carter-Moriah out of Carter Notch comes to mind frequently on the stairmaster. The treadmill always brings to mind the Benton trail up Moosilauke.

Plugging away at the gym has definitely helped lessen knee pain. I'm sure if I ever manage to lose the extra pounds I've packed on in the last few years, that would help a lot too!

 

[donna]

I have the same work out schedule as John L... "I hit the gym at 6:00AM 5 days a week. Lots of aerobic activity followed by weights. "

I think it's very helpful with hiking and other more fun activities on weekends.

 

[daxs]

I work out religiously whether I am hiking or not. I work out 5-6 days a week and try to mix it up - running, cycling on both road and trail, swimming and weight lifting. I run a few races and participate in a few triathlons each summer so I need to train for these events also. Its easy for me to work out since I have free access to a gym AND I get 1 1/2 hours for a "workout" lunch. (One of the benefits for working at a military training center). At 45, I feel that I need to exercise to keep up my strength and endurance for longer hikes. I like to think I recover faster from tougher hikes because of my workouts. I also use it to help keep my weight down and thats really tough after 40

 

[Nonlegit]

i am a trackie in school, and do distance so i am in shape most of the time. I am running year round except for 1 month periods in between seasons. I run 6 days a week, and do different workouts depending on what season it is (cross country is distance, track is more speed oriented). I lift also, and am in very good shape. Doing one hike a weekend with a pack helps also, since it is very different to run compared with hiking.