Mountain Fitness for older hunters
Elk
The thread about aging out reminded me of an article I wrote a few years ago for Bowhunter about senior fitness, starring our own Paul Navarre. Figured it would be a good time to resurrect it, being about 10 weeks out. Never too late to crank it up a little
I’m going to sit in the recliner and eat chips and ice cream until elk season. This should get me in top shape for the season.
Seriously I work out almost everyday year around. I have no real serious medical problems joint wise. I do use a CPAP when I’m home due to sleep apnea. It’s hard for me to sit idle.
Nice piece, Lou!
I’m resting up a little today after about 6.5 miles and something like 1400-1500 feet yesterday; bought myself a fresh bag of kitty litter and padded my total load with 5 liters of water, which — on a 90° day with haze almost thick enough to count as cloud cover —just barely lasted all the way back to the trailhead…..
Fortunately, we left most of the steepest sections for the far end of the loop, so by then the pack was closer to upper #30s than the #45 I started off with…
LOL….
One of the guys I hike with was a semi-pro football player, back when that paid about $25/game…. He’s got a real advantage for stride length and on those bigger steps up and down the climbs, but anatomically we are opposites — he’s very strong in the upper body, but longer and slimmer in the legs.
It’s definitely worth maintaining whatever you can as you get older, but JMO, a mountain bowhunter needs to have enough upper body strength to shoot his bow, enough Core to stabilize a heavy pack, and you can just never be too strong from the belly-button on down…. Beach Muscles look great at Sea-Level, but I’m kinda glad I don’t have a whole lot of Awesomeness on top that I have to drag all over the high country ;)
Not that there’s anything wrong with a little Awesomeness, but at my age I’m leaving that to my boys….
Great article. For me flexibility exercises are key. As long as i'm flexible i can hike, walk, swim and hunt. Treadmill, stairmaster and light weights all have there place. If i can just get some meat in my freezer.. Maybe Bowboy will share :)
Good article. It hits the nail on the head. I'm 68. I've been a gym rat all of my adult life. My workouts are divided between cardio and strength training 6 days a week. I have a stretching routine I do 5 days a week. For me it's all about maintaining a level of physical fitness that allows me to continue to do the things I enjoy.
didn't used to be but i noticed i have a much harder time above 8000 ft. it is not being winded or weak so much as it is a headache and feeling sick.
i live at 4100 ft. and not that it's high by any means, it's not sea level. i walk many miles every day, workout on a fairly regular basis, drink lots and lots of water, and take time before a hunt to get acclimated. i don't drink or smoke and eat somewhat healthy. it is not that i am not fit, but i think my blood oxygen is too low for higher elevations. i do not have any sherpa dna.
decades ago, in my 20's and 30's i would hunt 9-11K feet without issue. i did notice even then though that i rested much better when i camped and slept at about 8000 feet.
this past year i hunted as high as about 9800 feet. camp was about 8600 feet and i did OK for the most part but the first night i arrived was brutal, and had a headache most of the time.
i have deer points to burn in wyoming next year or the following year, and will be looking for an area lower in elevation.
as for the preferred ways of working out, i carry a weighted back, jump rope, free weights, and stretch. can't believe how much benefit there is to stretching.
woulda, coulda, shoulda.......sigh
Empty Freezer there not talking about Mr. twister :)
Great article Lou and thanks for sharing it!
I'm 52 and I get at it everyday. Guys like yourself and Paul are inspiring. I may never get to mountain hunt but this PA boy wants to hunt hard and be as healthy as I can be.
I am 75.... I am a waterman. So I hit the Y , 200 minutes a week, in the pool. All work outs are in the water. Combat swims, weight work etc. Easy on the joints.
Keeps me in shape for trout fishing
Just read the article, simple & down to earth truths there! At 69 I see the need to stay active year around as well. It's a life style few will get, it's easier to make excuses. (grin) Congrats to all who recognize the need & do something about it, it's a challenge to say the least but well worth our efforts! Great article Lou!
ElkNut
Great article Lou. Must have missed it the first time you posted it. Just turned 61. I exercise 6 days a week, a mixture of HIIT and lifting. You brought up a lot of great points in the article but one of the most important things to me is stamina. Your body has to be able to recover and get up and do it all over again day after day.
Spot on article Lou.
I'm not whining or complaining, but, I don't work out as much as I used too. Yeah, I walk about 2 miles "almost" every day - which is enough to "get me by". Now it's time to add some weights.
Shoulder surgery, back surgery, and now knee surgery (knee surgery did NOT work out very well for me - lots of pain and stiff joint). Yeah, I'm using that as an excuse so it's nice to read such an article to get me motivated and be better prepared for the first week of September.
Thanks Lou, I needed that.
Great article , I’m 66 and just had surgery for a torn meniscus , Reading this while I sit here icing my knee motivates me more to do my physical therapy and get back to where I can run and work out again, Thanks for the inspiration
Ridge Runner I had a slightly torn meniscus in my left knee last. Got operated in June of last year and hunted the whole month of September I was 62. Been back to running and it feels awesome. Listen to the doctor and do your exercises.
Thanks guys. Paul is the inspiration. But he's a freak of nature. The rest of us can do what we can do, and everyone is different. But it's never too late.
Great article Lou.
I thought I was in pretty good shape until I tried to keep up with Bowboy last year. He walks the talk.
Now I am living at 7500 feet and hike the hills several times a week, go to the gym when I can and work on my property in between. My biggest challenge is eating the right foods consistently.
I have hunted solo most of my 27 years as a bow hunter and that is a concern as I round the corner looking at 65 with 3 knee surgeries, a torn labrum in my shoulder, and now dealing with sacroiliac hip issues. Not giving up by a long shot.
Paul is an inspiration for sure! We will soon see pictures of him humping out his Colorado bull moose!
That was/is a good article Lou.
Hang in their Ridge Runner,
Robb
Great article. Good motivation for sure. I'm in my 50's and take a much slower pace packing into elk camp. Tried truck camping last year and decided I'm not ready for that yet.
Very good article!
While I didn't read it originally, I've been practicing it's tenants for the last 10 years or so.
Diet perhaps is the most important aspect...you can't outrun your fork!!!
Well Lou, hard to believe that was 9 years ago and here I am doing the exact same stuff and you know we are both going Colorado moose hunting this season. Full stuff. Paul
Great article, Lou. I'm now actually a little older than you were when you wrote this...still keeping my year-round regimen (as I have for the last 20 years), so I can haul that nasty old bull off the mountain.
Several years back, I ran into a couple of brothers in Colorado, about a mile and a half and 1500 feet down in the bottom of a roadless drainage. There were both in their 80s, and had been chasing elk in that area for over 40 years. Both were fit and lean, and mentally sharp as a tack. They had been there over a week, and had several elk encounters, during one of the toughest Seasons I'd seen in that unit (rain, snow, silent bulls, etc).
It gave me hope, that I had a chance to be like Paul Navarre, when I reach the "Sunset Years".
I noticed there was a photo of Larry D Jones. All I do is a lot of walking and during the summer I climb a 3000 foot mountan trail 3 or 4 times a week. If I can stay with 80 plus year old Larry, I figure I'm good.
“ Diet perhaps is the most important aspect...you can't outrun your fork!!”
Agree 100%!
I agree that good exercise must be part of a lifestyle. You do not need to beat yourself up staying in good shape. Just maintain a solid plan you are comfortable with. I have a friend that got cancer. He was treated for it and is still free of the disease, but he became sedentary and even retired. He soon put on a lot of extra weight and now has A-Fib and is diabetic. He has problems with his cyanic nerve, and I could go on. I think all he can now ever hope to do is not lose any more, but that too requires some effort. Now in my mid to upper 70s I know I am not as agile as I once was. I can still get out and hunt, but I must be more careful. Stumbling over things risks injury. And, BTW, let's not look down our noses at hunters that leave camp only to go to sit in a tree stand. I have discovered that tree stands can be a very effective way to get elk, and that is my main purpose for hunting. I didn't start tree stand hunting because it was the easiest way to hunt elk. It was because due to a disease in in my cornea, I have poor eyesight. I just could not see what my hunting companions were trying to show me. It just so happens that after trying a tree stand, I soon found myself getting a lot more elk than they were getting while running around. From my tree stand I learned you do not need to be an ultra-marathoner fueled on pinion seeds to be an effective hunter. You just need to be in good physical condition and stay in the game.
That was one of the best hunting articles I've ever read....very well written Lou.
I fell prey to the lifting heavy crowd...and the extreme crowd to where I had myself training in the mountains near my home with an 80# pack. All that got me was sore hip sockets and a broken leg in 2010- rolled on a rock on a steep downhill and shattered that sucker.
Now I do much the same as Lou recommends with a little added core stuff tailored for my bad lower back.
Thanks for sharing Lou...fantastic job.
Thanks guys. It started out as a profile of Paul, but then the fitness theme jumped in and it took its own direction as I worked around it by combining the two. Hopefully it will have some value to others, as it has to me.
Good read Lou, thanks for sharing! All still great information and even more relevant 8 years later for all us.
I noticed at the end you mentioned ”…the “extreme hunting” fad” ; it seems as if that fad stuck around longer than expected and might’ve gotten even stronger.
Yes, that article and hearing from other senior hunters helps a lot to motivate or keep me motivated. I've always worked out and stayed in decent shape but as you get older it does take hearing from others to keep it going. Rehabbing the two new knees i got this winter became a drag but i'm turing the corner. Will spend a couple weeks in Colorado in July getting "tuned up" for September. keep it up guys. The alternative not so good.
Scott, yes, it has definitely become a thang. I'm OK with it as a hunting style because it doesn't interfere with how and where I hunt. So more power to 'em.
I do get a kick out of guys who post, "Going on our first elk hunt. We're planning to pack in seven miles. Is that far enough?"
Lou, that was an incredible article. I wish it had been written 40 years ago, although I doubt I’d have been smart enough to listen to your words of wisdom. Like Beendare, I also fell victim to the heavy lifting insanity. The bigger I got, the more addicted I became. I wish I had adhered to the one suggestion you mentioned…listen to your body. Truer words have never been spoken. There’s a huge difference between soreness and injury. I was too macho to back off when something was actually injured. To give in to that would have meant I was a puss. Instead of backing off for a bit, I fought through it. How stupid. At 70, my elbows are shot, and my shoulders aren’t far behind. I’ve had surgery on my left elbow that cost me 1/2”” in draw length because I can no longer straighten my arm. Now I have a major surgery scheduled in November on my right elbow, and it’s a crap shoot whether I’ll ever be able to draw a bow again. I’m not posting this for sympathy. It was a choice I made, one of those “seemed like the thing to do at the time” decisions. What I am hoping is that there’s some young whippersnapper that reads this and learns from my mistakes.
Rob, you are so correct. "No Pain no gain" NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will be 77 by this next hunting season. I am blessed of the Lord to be 148# and in good enough health and physical condition to still get out and hunt. I won't let myself get out of condition because it is hard to get back. At this age it is tough to rebuild, but it is not that painful to stay in good shape. Most of this is just good old common sense. I try to tell a couple of my friends to get out and exercise and do some serious hiking, but they are just not interested. They already know what is required but apparently it is just not worth the effort. But that is not the worst part of the problem. The truth is that they will die early. That is what breaks my heart. I hope everyone that reads this thread is motivated to have a good exercise program and will stick with it. I am not contradicting anyone here, but I have found a good exercise program is rather enjoyable. I am not beating myself up to go hunting. I am ready.
Great insight, Swede. I have a very good friend who drew a primo archery elk tag this season. He's in his late 60's and enjoys smoking and drinking vices, and never exercises. I don't care about his elk hunt as much as my concern about his life.
Maintaining, even moderately, during the off-season is way more important than really drilling it for two months before the season. We aren't 25 anymore.
I do excercise a lot so I can keep climbing trees come fall. I bike, walk and do strength training. Do something almost everyday. As far as mountain hunting, well, I don't do it much. And my training probably wouldn't help that much because where I live is flatter than a pancake. To be in mountain shape, I would think you need to train some at altitude.
I'm soon to be 63 yo . I run regularly....lift weights regularly....I'm in decent shape...I sure as heck need to dump thirty pounds...we are all older .....I can easily tell....my 20 minute runs are not as easy as they were when I was in my fortys.
I think I'm going to try the Keith Richards method. :-)
You're an inspiration Paul, and I just try to keep moving to be able to do what I love for many years to come!
Great thread and I agree that Paul is a freak of nature I need to get my butt more motivated and make better decisions Good luck Lewis
The mountains definitely seem to get steeper every year. For me, like many of you “old” geezers, hunt preparation is a lifestyle. If I waited until a couple weeks out from a hunt to start prepping, I could not do it.
Greg, "need to dump 30#s" Place a BIG sign on the refrigerator showing your current weight so you can see this message and goal EVERY DAY. Under it your weight goal at the end of the next 6 month, ie, if you now weight 200#, and your "dump 30#" is 170# as your goal,. put that down.
Under that in big letters, NO EATING AFTER DINNER
UNDER THAT Make a list of foods not to eat, like cookies, ice cream, cheese, bread, dairy products. candy, etc.--- you know the drill.
Next, food that are good for you, like salads, eggs, meats not processed, fish, etc.
Under that, DRINK A GALLON OF WATER A DAY AT LEAST. ONLY DRINK WATER and place that gallon of water on the counter so you can see it, no beer, wine, sugar pop drinks etc.
Walk/run a mile a day or more. Every few days check your weight and write it down next to your goal. I bet in 6 months you will be light as a feather. :)
Keep that sign where you can see it, follow your goal, write down your weight loss as a reminder you are doing good. DO NOT CHEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dammit! No beer!!? Not even one!!? A really cold one!!?
He didn't say "No Scotch"...
Great article Lou! Yes Paul is a machine!
Or No Bourbon ?? lol ?? Lewis
Hey Beav. even a machine needs oiling once in a while. When I am standing over my dead moose this season, I will be popping the cork for sure. Maybe two!
Enjoyed the article Jaq. Well done - and great to see the focus on health and fitness overall for so many here. Nice!
Fantastic article Lou! And yes, Paul is a legend!
I suggest to senior hunters to use weighted packs and do our local high school stadium stairs. I also suggest yoga. The most noticeable thing with older hunters is their loss of balance. Being as flexible as possible and doing balancing exercises daily will prolong your ability to hunt the mountains.
I do a 3 mile hike most everyday at daybreak. Sometimes with my pack, sometimes without. Sometimes I carry a set of dumbbells on my hikes, doing curls, overhead presses, and flys. So many ways to exercise.
Sometimes I see wildlife on my early morning hikes.
I was totally slackin’ today… LOL.
Knees were grouchy all day yesterday, so I limited the pack “weighting” to 5 L of water and a spare pair of boots in case my hotspot flared up… like having WINGS….
I was thinking that more people should do some significant miles with an extra #10-#20 in the pack, and then take on some similar routes without the excess…. Made me realize that part of the equation toward the end of my Elk trip LY was just the up-side of having dropped about #10 over the course of the trip….
This week was "drop back" week for me, from 3 miles with 25 lbs every other day to 1.5 miles three times with 15. Felt weird. I'm going back to 25 pounds, since I think I'm ahead of the wave as far as physical fitness.
Lungs are still an issue at 9K feet, but nothing I can do about that. I only have 68% lung capacity due to a lifetime of asthma, and a mysterious Pulmonary Hypertension-like affliction that even the top pulmonology team in the country can't figure out. So I'm soldiering on and have to stop for a half a minute now and then. Which is not a bad thing.
I'm doing things a little different in regard extra weight in a pack while hiking. I don't carry extra weight anymore. Save that for when actually hunting and seems to work fine. I hike a ski hill a lot for conditioning and just longer hikes in the woods. Used to wear a 45 # weight vest doing the hill or weighted pack. As I got older(77 now) decided just having legs and lungs in shape with extra weight wearing my legs out was better for me. I have no problem with a 20-25# day pack or packing elk quarters. Shouldn't say no problem with the quarters as I can certainly feel but can do it ok. And since I had 2 new knees installed in Dec and March I don't need extra weight this summer. I am doing the ski hill regularly. I do upper bb body work with weights so that's important too. Ah, the golden years.
Great article. Paul and some of the rest of you are real studs. I’m 73 yo. In 1984 I had a Wyoming elk hunt planned and started running to get in shape. And like Forrest Gump, I’ve just kept running. However about five years ago, my doc said running is too hard on your ankles, knees and hips, walk instead. So five days a week I walk on a treadmill at a pace just slower than jogging, and at an incline of 8-10%. Also a work on a weight machine twice a week. I hunt the mountains at least one week per year, climb trees and put in tree stands, pack meat, walk miles pheasant hunting, etc. Lots of you guys would kick my ass, but I’ll hold my own with most anyone my age. I wish some of my hunting buddies had stayed in shape. They can’t walk far at all or pull a bow anymore. I hope to bow hunt many more years. Good luck this coming season.
If I don't do some weighted pack training prior to actually hauling a heavy load, I'll be terribly sore in the hips so I always make sure to get some good rucks in starting at least a month before season.
Dale, were you having trouble with your ankles, knees, and hips when you were running?
Dale, sounds like you're on it. Chuck too. Great to hear older bowhunters staying in shape. Midwest doesn't count! ;-)
GF, yes, Jewish, then was sent to Anschutz because they supposedly have the top PH team in the country. Tests damn near killed me. The team leader, a seriously renowned PH doc, called me on a Friday night - who does that? - and said they couldn't figure it out after all the tests, so go live my life.
I am a firm believer that the best fitness program is to actually spend time in the mts regularly. I realize not everyone can or has the place to hike close by, so you need other forms of a fitness program.
But if its available, the best way to stay in shape for the mts......is spend lots of time in the mts.
I have seen a number of people who after regular time in the gym.....get whooped by the mts especially with a pack on their back.
there is nothing that will prepare you physically for mt hunting.....better than the mts themselves.
Midwest, no I was not having problems with my ankles, knees or hips while running, except occasionally I’ll have some pain in my left knee. I presume that’s from two high school football injuries, long ago.
Thanks Brad. Good video. All I can say is that I worked out a LOT differently at 45 than at 70.
It unfortunate your doctor gave you that advise, Dale. Especially, if you enjoy running. He should do some more research. But I'm sure your current routine will serve you well, too.
I will warn aging hunters, the knees might be the first thing to go so be very careful concerning "knee exercises" and deep squats. I do not do those at all any more.
I just came back from a 15 mile bike ride. Easy on the knees and Fun stuff. Will hit the garage and do some light weights. More fun.
Yikes! I saw that guy going well past 90° at the knees, and then locking them out when he stood up again, and that’s all I could stand to watch…..
I had been hiking at sea level in the hills….just spent a few days packing many miles in my upcoming elk unit at 8’000 feet plus carrying a pack- wow, what a butt kicker. Took me 3 days to start acclimatizing.
Going straight up and down some of those steep slopes off trail shows me I need to step up my training.
And if you want to kick it up a notch or two... LOL
Bruce, wear a pair of knee sleeves especially when going up and down hills. They will help keep the knees warm and they will add support to the knee joints and connective tissues.
I feel it's what we are Personally wanting to accomplish with our workouts. At 69 I workout (at home) with the same intensity I did at 20 years old. It's just with less weight. I'm am a no pain no gain guy, I need serious resistance or I feel I'm just going through the motions. I've been doing this over 50 years. -- It requires dedication & a true love & enjoyment to do it this long.
I know it's not for everyone but for those of you that know what I'm talking about you know your workouts are something you look forward to. I did watch the video, for me that's something I would do as a warmup prior to my workouts. Elk hunting is what has kept me motivated, I haven't hunted the last 2 years but workout like I'm going every year! Lol!
ElkNut
I still run and do weighted pack 6-7 times a week. I run about 4 miles with up and down terrain at 6000ft. I use a 45lb pack and have a hill I can climb. This method has always worked for me through the years. I had my knees MRI last year and the doctor said I have 30yr old knees and I’m going on 64. When the weather is bad I use my Bowflex Max Trainer.
I love those ladder type workouts, Bow Bullet! Total ass kickers!
"Yikes! I saw that guy going well past 90° at the knees, and then locking them out when he stood up again, and that’s all I could stand to watch….."
Why's that?
Dislocative forces going past 90 and hyperextension on the locked knees…
When I was studying weight training and kinesiology, both practices were considered to be damaging, and I have trouble imagining that the laws of Physics have changed enough to make either a Good Idea…
I just purchased a 1/2 gallon of ice cream and a dozen of oatmeal cookies. Tons of sugar and carbs but it sure tastes good. :) Back to training tomorrow.
I do my training starting on the first day of elk season. Sure, it hurts a little the first week but by the second week, I'm feeling pretty good. The third week I'm in the groove and the fourth week I done (WORE OUT) and ready to go home. The fifth week I'm already missing my tent camp and can't wait until next year. I have been hunting elk for 35 years and have found that once what took me a week now takes a month, so I have been doing just that for the past 10 years or so. The last 3 years I have hunted 2 states, archery and solo. Sleeping in a tent for a month really brings the comfort of your own bed into perspective but I would not trade the time in that tent for anything. Elk hunting gets in your blood, you either love it or hate it, there is no in between. I realize that you only have so many elk hunts in you and have often thought of hanging my boots up and then I run into an 80-year-old man carrying a bow and it inspires me to keep going. Elk hunting for me now is not what I put into it but its what I get out of it. Every aspect of the experience is something special and you realize that its more than just taking an animal that makes the experience worth it. Good luck to all you old farts and may you enjoy the experience where ever you go.
Corax, old rule of running thumb - 2 seconds faster per mile per pound lost. There has been some study of it, it's not perfect, but as an approximation, reasonable. That's on level ground.
If you are in the mountains/hills, then while the actual speed change may be a lot harder to figure, the impact on your fatigue and performance is big. Less weight to manage going down hill (which creates a lot of fatigue) and less weight to have to propel up hill. That's a big boost when you are in the woods for days.
So yeah, definitely helps to be leaner.
"When I was studying weight training and kinesiology, both practices were considered to be damaging..."
That must have been in the 60's. Squat depth is individual to the person but for most, going past 90º is not an issue. IMO, the bigger issue is the male ego trying to squat more weight than they can handle with proper form.
Nice article. I don't recall reading it before but I bailed on Bowhunter mag years ago and likely didn't see the link on here. I'm 54 now, and it's a good reminder that it takes some effort (for most folks) to continue doing this instead of just surviving on the couch.
I figure I need this guy to pack me in. If he can pack a refrigerator uphill at 14,000’ he can pack me.
At 63 in 97 degree heat, I made it up to the Parthenon today in under 20 minutes. No pack though.
I bet the refridge guy is looking for his sunglasses that he misplaced.
Like most other endeavors that require a lot of willpower the determining factor is decided in that important distance between the ears just saying Lewis
I love that you brought up senior fitness – it’s never too late to get after it! I’ve found that keeping a solid routine is key, especially as we get older. A while ago, I started taking a more focused approach to my workouts and nutrition, and it’s made a huge difference. I’m about 10 weeks into a program myself, and while I don’t go overboard, consistency has been my best friend. I also occasionally use supplements to keep my energy up, and I’ve had a great experience with
Canadian Steroids Shop for that. They’ve been super reliable with high-quality products, which definitely helps keep me on track without overdoing it.
Unless there’s an elk in that refrigerator… not impressed.
Thanks for bringing this to light Lou! Our quest is worth the effort. This past season I entered September in arguably the best shape of my life. Started working out for this hunt In January after my hunts were over for the previous year. Unfortunately injuries during my hunt took me off my game. But that's another thread for another day.
