In the past, I've worked on mostly running a few miles every other day and long hikes with a small pack 2-3 days per week. I was wondering: is longer hikes (4+ miles) with less weight (50 lbs) vs. shorter hikes (1-2 miles) with 70-100 lbs more likely to be better training? We typically day hunt, ave. 3-7 miles from the camp. The heavier weight might help with hauling a successful hunt, but I may have to rest more between workouts or maybe wear out my shoulders early. I live out east with small hills, but larger hills are difficult to have time to get to. So, basically--farther with less, or shorter with more?
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Packing work-out recommendations
- Thread starter macrulz
- Start date
I'm a fan of mixing it up. I think cardio helps me with recovery and better coping with altitude. I'll train with a heavy pack a couple days a week, but also don't have 'real mountains' close by.
tighten your waist belt and adjust the shoulder straps to carry more weight on your hips.macrulz said:maybe wear out my shoulders early.
Yeah, I like mixing it up too, but I've really only got about 3 days a week for a "long" hike, if even that. I'm going to try and work my weight up, but I'm not as young as I used to be. While I'm still only around 40, the thoughts of injury by overdoing it is always on my mind. I'm just curious if the heavier weights are really all that useful. Since most people recommend just doing some kind of weight and find as many hills as possible, that's what I'm working on figuring out. It's so stinking hot in the summer here...
My hip belt is adjusted well, but still, long-distance weights take their toll on the whole body. The last elk I carried hit me hard in the knees because it was a mile down the side of a hill that took multiple trips and the hill was 1.5 miles from camp. I guess what I mean with this is--I'm wanting to maximize my time with the most useful prep work. If getting a heavier load is what I need to focus on, that will take work and I'll never get 5+ miles with >70lbs by my hunt in September without risking something in my body giving out (knees, back, etc.). I can do increasingly longer hikes with less weight and work up to maybe 70 lbs. Or I can try to alternate increasing very heavy weights for short hikes and try to do longer hikes with smaller weights. Unfortunately, I don't really have time to do both aggressively plus cardio and weights due to work and family.
My hip belt is adjusted well, but still, long-distance weights take their toll on the whole body. The last elk I carried hit me hard in the knees because it was a mile down the side of a hill that took multiple trips and the hill was 1.5 miles from camp. I guess what I mean with this is--I'm wanting to maximize my time with the most useful prep work. If getting a heavier load is what I need to focus on, that will take work and I'll never get 5+ miles with >70lbs by my hunt in September without risking something in my body giving out (knees, back, etc.). I can do increasingly longer hikes with less weight and work up to maybe 70 lbs. Or I can try to alternate increasing very heavy weights for short hikes and try to do longer hikes with smaller weights. Unfortunately, I don't really have time to do both aggressively plus cardio and weights due to work and family.
Well I run 3 times a week ish. And I am fortunate enough to live within 1 mile of where I work. So I walk to work year round. Right about now I put about 30 lbs of weights into a back pack and walk to work with it on. Last year was the first time I did that and it helped tremendously! When I shot my bull it took me 4 trips packing 1.5 miles one way and yeah I was sore the next day but having packed weight for 3 months prior was huge! I didn't over fill my pack when I was packing him out either. I'm sure if I had trained with more weight or if I was a bigger guy (5'9" 150 lbs) I could have packed more and done it in 3 loads. But I filled my pack till it felt good and then just started walking. I also have bad knees so over packing doesn't make sense to me. I would rather have a lighter pack out and make one more trip than to load to heavy and ruin my body. Your brain might forget injuries, but your body never does. If I were back in my teens or 20s I would say push yourself as hard as possible. Now that I'm older and wiser haha I would say push yourself as much as you're comfortable with. No elk is worth getting hurt or injuring yourself over......unless its the new world record! Haha
E
Elk101 Admin
Guest
Great topic of discussion and all are great responses. For day hunting 3-7 miles from camp I recommend longer hauls with less weight for training. Incorporate heavier lifting days for gym workouts a couple days a week won't hurt. 70-80% of your 2 rep max on major muscle groups (bench(chest/arms), squats(legs/glutes), lat pull downs (back), rows, powercleans.. you getthe idea. Do not forget trunk balance (abdominal workouts). If you want to have a strong back and great stability you must develop a strong core.
Why develop for endurance? If you develop muscles for endurance your muscles have a harder time breaking down in a cellular level, which in results produces less lactic acid build-up and ultimately you are less sore. Train anaerobically and your lungs won't give up before your muscles do, especially when packing out an elk. A lot of these big guys fail short of their workouts or hunting capabilities because they cant get enough oxygen to their muscles. Muscles need oxygen to create ATP for energy.
This will also help guy like yourself who live out east and come out west to hunt elk at higher elevations.
Why develop for endurance? If you develop muscles for endurance your muscles have a harder time breaking down in a cellular level, which in results produces less lactic acid build-up and ultimately you are less sore. Train anaerobically and your lungs won't give up before your muscles do, especially when packing out an elk. A lot of these big guys fail short of their workouts or hunting capabilities because they cant get enough oxygen to their muscles. Muscles need oxygen to create ATP for energy.
This will also help guy like yourself who live out east and come out west to hunt elk at higher elevations.
SarcasmPhD
New member
- Jun 14, 2015
- 55
macrulz said:In the past, I've worked on mostly running a few miles every other day and long hikes with a small pack 2-3 days per week. I was wondering: is longer hikes (4+ miles) with less weight (50 lbs) vs. shorter hikes (1-2 miles) with 70-100 lbs more likely to be better training? We typically day hunt, ave. 3-7 miles from the camp. The heavier weight might help with hauling a successful hunt, but I may have to rest more between workouts or maybe wear out my shoulders early. I live out east with small hills, but larger hills are difficult to have time to get to. So, basically--farther with less, or shorter with more?
Ever try Farmer's Walks? I get extremely bored using indoor cardio machines. I'm here in south Texas. It gets hot as f&ck. But, I love being outdoors. Don't feel like carrying my pack when it is 100 + degrees outside. So, I carry dumbbells, one each hand. Sometimes I carry 35lb dumbbells around the mile track at the gym. If that is what I am doing, I put towels attached by rubber bands on one end of each dumbbell. That way, rather than resting when i am doing distance, I will just keep moving by carrying the DBs, one on each shoulder, and they don't slip because of the towels. Lately since the season is coming up, I carry 50-60 or 70 lb DBs, depending on what I decide to do that day. The heavier weights I carry about 100 yds, rest one minute, then carry them back.
Just an idea. Something to break up the monotony of doing the same training over and over.
