Getting that hiker's body - wanting to get from weakish to ready for the wilderness

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insomnical
insomnical Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm in a forestry program and hike fairly regularly as part of my program. It's a two year program & I've kept up, in pouring rain and 90+ degree heat, usually only falling behind because I get distracted by a neat looking mushroom or a species of plant we don't encounter very often. This term however, the landscapes that we're working in are vastly more vertical than my body is used to, and we're hiking through some back country that is a lot denser than my short legs can really handle. I'll be spending the summer working in a fish shop in Alaska, and want to feel comfortable hiking in the mountains of the area I'll be living in.

My winter wasn't completely empty - I worked stock at a store with some pretty hardcore hours and it was fairly strenuous for the 6 months I worked there, but it was all on flat ground. I can keep up if it's flat, or if the timber slash is light, but as of last week I got utterly winded heading up 35% slopes. I'm embarrassed and feel it's unacceptable, because I know I'm missing out on pieces of my class.

What the heck do I do? I don't have access to gym equipment and I don't have a car to drive somewhere. Are there body weight exercises I can do to bump my slope-climbing abilities? What muscle groups should I be concentrating on? Are there some videos on youtube of some good types of workouts/stretches I could do? (I would have searched myself, but I don't even know what the heck to call it)

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  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    First, a 35 % grade is STEEP. I'd be winded too. The steepest road we have in Seattle is 26 %, according to our DOT, which says a lot. I've done it on a bike exactly once, thought I might die, and had to limp home. You're taking something pretty ambitious on, keep that in mind. :)

    What do you carry with you? I enjoy hiking and know what goes in my pack, but if you're in a forestry program, I'm guessing you're carrying work gear along with whatever you'd hike with? I'm also guessing that extra weight is slowing you down...

    Try walking up stairs with your pack, to get a workout near home? Also make sure you get enough rest after hard workouts. The exercise stresses your muscles, prompting them to get stronger, but it's when you rest that the getting stronger actually takes place.
  • vegangela_
    vegangela_ Posts: 154 Member
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    You could try Pilate's at home, this will help you build general strength and combine that with cardio. But 35% slopes are crazy, especially with a pack on.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    weighted squats &lunges using whatever you can find foe weight? Have you discussed with the instructor? 35% is a step grade, so not sure why you feel embarrassed about it.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
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    Good on you for being willing to work to be prepared. I didn't do any preparation at all before my field camp in the Rocky Mountains. That was a really stupid move on my part.

    Find a hill and walk up it. When that gets easy, find a steeper hill. :) Going up and down stairs is also helpful. As for bodyweight exercises, I'd say squats and lunges would be the most helpful. There are multiple varieties of each, so you can google them to see how to make them harder as you advance. You'll also want to work out your core for stability and upper body if you're carrying stuff.

    And I agree with everyone above, a 35% slope is steep, so don't feel too bad.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    Glutes glutes glutes. We tend to overuse our quads and underuse our glutes, leading to early fatigue. Learning to use your glutes and making them strong is going to massively help with moving you up those hills. Do glute bridges, hip thrusts, bird dogs, squats, lunges, etc., and really focus on activating and using your glutes through every motion. Every time you walk up stairs or a hill, concentrate on starting that movement with your glutes.
  • insomnical
    insomnical Posts: 24 Member
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    Thank you everyone :blush: I'll go by order as of about 1:11 -

    As for the slope, that's about par for the course. We average 12-25%, which are *okay*. Now granted, I'm about 50lbs overweight. That makes this really tough. Some of the terrain we're covering in the next month might be higher than 35%....

    I carry either a logger jacket (nominal) with a half gallon of water, snacks, some measuring equipment, a clipboard, and cell phone/camera. About 12lbs is a high estimate for a jacket day.

    If we're going deeper in terrain, my pack is probably another 10lbs, because I'll carry more water, some safety things, and my hammock (because you gotta have lunch in style :D ) and lunch. Might be a bit more than 10lbs. So it's safe to say that what I'm carrying averages 10-22lbs.

    Sadly, the hills where I live are a little bit too easy! Though there is one that might fit the bill. I'll just be a bit weirded out walking up & down it for an hour.

    I'm a bit embarrassed because 80% of my class are active seasonal firefighters. I get a lot of *kitten* from my peers about being slow, which is why it makes me feel bad. To but it bluntly, they're ripped and I'm chunky. I lag behind by 10 minutes sometimes because of how hard it is to catch up. :(

    As for the workouts - I'll have to look into those (because I'm not versed in those at all).

    Thanks for the feedback everyone, I appreciate it.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    I don't know how feasible this is, but maybe you could get a water filter and carry less water? Amazing how heavy the stuff is. A Sawyer Mini costs about $20, weighs 2 oz, and lets you drink from a creek. If water is abundant and you have time, that could take some pounds off your back.

    On that note, what do you have on your feet? People say a pound on your feet is like five in your pack. I almost never hike in boots and when I do I fatigue more quickly.

    Don't worry about walking up and down the hills at home with your pack on. Every Tuesday I do hill repeats on my bike, just up and down the same hill for an hour. People at the bus stop look at me the first few times and then ignore me. I'm sure it's obvious I'm doing it for exercise. What matters is it's making the hills easier to climb on the rides that are important to me.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Congrats on your summer job! It sounds like so much fun.

    I don't know where you live now but there's a good chance you won't be used to the mountain altitude as well. As a Colorado girl, I can tell you that when you aren't used to a higher altitude, it can really make the hike much more exhausting. So the more training you can get in now, the better.

    I totally recommend the idea of walking stairs very often. And many sports/music arenas allow people inside when there are no events, to exercise in the stadium. That's a great place to train.

    I also second the idea of not hiking in actual hiking boots. They are heavy and very often unnecessary.
  • chiptease
    chiptease Posts: 70 Member
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    Try incorporating sprint training 2-3x a week to your regular workouts. Helps with endurance, lung capacity, and works various leg muscles.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    Treadmill on incline is what I do to get ready when there is still snow on the hills. You said you don't have access to gym equipment so if you don't have hills or a treadmill, your only other option is to find a building or stadium with a lot of stairs.
  • insomnical
    insomnical Posts: 24 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    I don't know how feasible this is, but maybe you could get a water filter and carry less water? Amazing how heavy the stuff is. A Sawyer Mini costs about $20, weighs 2 oz, and lets you drink from a creek. If water is abundant and you have time, that could take some pounds off your back.

    On that note, what do you have on your feet? People say a pound on your feet is like five in your pack. I almost never hike in boots and when I do I fatigue more quickly.

    I have a sawyer mini which I carry with me every day! :D Sadly.... we just don't hike in areas where creeks are running. We're doing survey work in an area that has a dried creek bed and we're trying to figure out what happened upstream to stop the seasonal creek from running. :lol: I have sturdy ankle boots from Cabela's which are rather hefty; I might be able to get away with my 'for-funsies' boots this and next week, since they're vastly lighter. The boots are required for the class, so I don't have too much wiggle-room in that. :(

    kelly_e_montana wrote: »
    Treadmill on incline is what I do to get ready when there is still snow on the hills. You said you don't have access to gym equipment so if you don't have hills or a treadmill, your only other option is to find a building or stadium with a lot of stairs.

    Oh my goodness. I didn't even think of using our stadium for stairs. Thank you a million times!
    lulalacroix wrote: »
    Congrats on your summer job! It sounds like so much fun.

    I don't know where you live now but there's a good chance you won't be used to the mountain altitude as well. As a Colorado girl, I can tell you that when you aren't used to a higher altitude, it can really make the hike much more exhausting. So the more training you can get in now, the better.

    I totally recommend the idea of walking stairs very often. And many sports/music arenas allow people inside when there are no events, to exercise in the stadium. That's a great place to train.

    I also second the idea of not hiking in actual hiking boots. They are heavy and very often unnecessary.
    I live in the PNW in Oregon, and we get a small raise of elevation during class field labs. I went with my friend & boyfriend to do Ape Caves in WA a few weeks ago, and that elevation was definitely noticeable (we hiked up to the 'exit' and then went through, easier climb through the lava tubes) compared to what I'm used to.

    I'm not sure about sprints. The hiking is fine, but sprints are a bit too hardcore for me. Maybe I just need to bite the bullet on that but I'd prefer not to. I'm not a runner by any means. :weary:
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    Re: glute exercises:

    Here's a simple routine to get you started: http://greatist.com/fitness/bodyweight-glute-workout

    And if you want something more comprehensive and progressive, try Strong Curves. Scroll through the PDF until you get to Best Butt Bodyweight, it's a ways down. http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates.pdf
    And here's a link with a series of YouTube videos demonstrating most of the moves in weeks 1-4:
    If you're willing to spend $25 or so on the book, it explains why the glutes are so important, and it breaks down the exercises for you with pictures and detailed descriptions.

    I had a hip injury last year. As part of physical therapy, I started doing single-leg glute bridges 2-3 times a day. 6 weeks later I ran a 5K, and there was a sizable hill I would have struggled with once upon a time. I powered up it and kept going without slowing my pace or needing to catch my breath. My body had finally learned to use ALL my leg muscles to their full capacity. Even if you just do one or two exercises, it can make a big difference.
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 178 Member
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    Running. I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but running in your off time will help you when the trail gets steep and the pack gets heavy. When the trail gets steep, do you get winded first or do your legs start burning first? Running will help with getting winded. Here are some exercises that will help your legs:
    -People have already mentioned lunges and squats. I would add the weight of your pack to these movements. Start with 3 sets of 10 (20 lunges total) work up to 3 sets of 20 (40 lunges total)
    -Chair or stair step ups. Start with body weight. Same 3x10 rep scheme. Eventually add your pack then increase reps.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    kelly_e_montana wrote: »
    Treadmill on incline is what I do to get ready when there is still snow on the hills. You said you don't have access to gym equipment so if you don't have hills or a treadmill, your only other option is to find a building or stadium with a lot of stairs.

    I was going to say stairs, but stadium is even better - good suggestion.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    edited April 2016
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    You say you are 50lbs overweight. Calorie deficit starting now. Losing the weight will be the best thing for you.

    IMO no body weight exercises will condition you for climbing. You've gotta hit the hikes. Do you have a park/monument/building that has stairs in your area? Run there, and then run the stairs over and over again.

    Edited to add I live in Oregon as well. I've been running recently, have been lifting heavy for years, and none of that helped me climb Hamilton Mountain in the Gorge on Saturday. Where do you live, exactly? I could help suggest more places with elevation/stairs :)

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