Elk fitness, HIIT, and "12 minute athlet
Elk
There are a lot of threads about fitness for elk hunting. Some mention HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
I found this website. http://www.12minuteathlete.com/
Yesterday's workout seemed well suited for elk hunting (I can only assume based on what I've read). It seems that the focus should be legs and lungs. This workout works those areas.
The workout uses 10 seconds of rest and 30 seconds of work. The idea is to work as hard as possible for the 30 seconds. Those periods are repeated 24 times. The exercises were:
- Long jump - Walking lunges - Burpee tuck jumps - Air squats - Burpee side jumps - Punching sit up
Go through those 6 exercises 4 times.
The total time was 16 minutes.
I'm sure that there are better programs. But when you only have 15-30 minutes, this seems like a great program.
What do experienced elk hunters think? Do other folks use similar routines on days when they don't have a lot of time?
I am not a seasoned elk hunter. I just started elk hunting 3 years ago. To me that workout won't really cut it but if thats all the time you have I suppose it's better than nothing. One thing I have heard and read is our body can get used to a schedule. If you only workout for 1 hour, thats what your body gets used to and after that you go down hill in a hurry. So to me this workout does not give you that stamina that you will need to do a long hike in the mountains. And if you are a flatlander like me your legs will never be in shape without walking, and not on flat ground or a treadmill either. My 2 cents for what it's worth. Can't find time to work out??? Get up earlier or stay up later, fit it in somehow. You won't regret it. If you don't you will regret in the mountains.
I enjoy the T25 workouts. Skip the first couple months if you are in any shape at all and get the gamma and delta dvd's. I also run 2-3 miles a day.
Interval training is highly effective. Sounds like a good start!
Anything and everything! Run, bike, swim, intervals, lift, hike. Just make it a habit to do something every day. Working out with a group is much more fun and will push you farther.
A group workout at a local outdoor gym yesterday.
My last three elk hunts I had only run leading up to it. Usually 3-4 miles about 4-5 times a week. My legs were always the weak link. I live at sea level and just don't have an opportunity to hike any hills.
This year I have started doing the following about 4 days a week followed up by a 2-3 mile run:
75 pushups 75 body weight squats 75 sit-ups 75 body weight lunges 75 wall pushups 80 high box steps
That takes me about 25 minutes. I follow it up with 25-30 minute run. I hope to be in better shape this year!
I also would like to go in about 15 lbs lighter than I usually do.
If you are a flatlander, I highly suggest working on your leg strength.
Check out the Spartan Race website, you can get daily workouts that will help get you in shape and not get burned out on doing the same thing day in and day out.
It will most definitely take more than 12 minutes a day to get in shape for the mountains...there ain't no shortcuts in my experience...
Better yet, check out the Train to Hunt website for its daily workouts. Gonna give a race a go in idaho this weekend, sounds like a pretty good program.
Im trying to get my legs into the best shape I can for sheep season this year. I hit the incline locally 2-3 times a week...details of incline are: The base of the Incline sits at 6,600 feet (2,000 m) and the trail climbs 2,000 feet (610 m) in just over 3?4 mile (1.2 km). Parts of the trail are extremely broken and steep and will require even the fittest of hikers or trail runners to scramble over the broken rocks and steep trail. Sections of the trail have exposed pipe from the days when the Incline was a hydroelectric utility system. Hiking the trail should not be undertaken by the physically unfit, as there is no vehicle access to the trail and anyone injured or suffering a medical emergency will have to walk or be carried down by other hikers...the DOW guy I asked advice for my sheep tag said "Do the incline with a 45lb pack in 45 minutes" lol...would have to be in GREAT shape...some of the ultra elite athelets are doing the hill 25 minutes with no extra weight.
Pike...
That is the problem. I don;t know of a single climb in Wisconsin that is 2,000 feet. Our "ski hills" only have 700 feet of vertical drop...
Mad Angler, Got any office buildings near by? They all have stairs!
I would give a body part to have any sort of hill to train on. (The biggest hill we have is the flood dike). It happens to be right across from the YMCA. I will throw on my backpack and hike up and down, side hill it, you name it for 30 minutes. Any time with weighted pack is good.
If I want to change it up, I will go across the street to the parking ramp and hike the stairwell over lunch break with my pack.
This is the typical elevation profile within 15 miles, any direction, from my home. I have to go about an hour to get any hills, and even those pale in comparison to the Rockies! (BTW. Most of those bumps in the profile are buildings!)
You do what you can!
Like someone above said...Stairs...I actually use the basement stairs in my house. 50+ laps a day a lap being one trip up and down...takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how I am feeling that day...then I have a steep hill in the backyard weather and bugs permitting...stadium stairs would work real well if you have a high school football field you can get access to...The height doesn't really matter. Its the endurance/stamina you are working for. Running up one flight and then running down over and over actually gives your muscles more of a HIIT type work out anyway since you are switching muscle groups going up and down...height only matters when you get above 5000 feet or so, but unless you live at altitude you will have to acclimate anyway...
Something is better than nothing. Like midwest said "Anything and everything!"
I've found that when you couple any sort of intense physical activity (consistently) with good nutrition, you'll improve. I utilize a gym most of the time but also have "homemade" work outs that are made up of body weight exercises, cardio, and shooting my bow with a weighted pack.
