Thread for physical conditioning for elk season?

[mossytrigger]

Elk season's a few months away, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is not quite in shape for it yet. How about a thread for strength/endurance training and diet? It's easier to get in shape when you have the encouragement of the like-minded. If the forum moderators are cool with it, this could be a great way for us hunters to post our fitness goals and our plans to meet them, as well as offer encouragement so we can all have a safer, more successful, and more enjoyable hunting season.

 

[exbiologist]

Do you want a competition? Maybe where we pick up sponsors from the forum who will donate x dollars per pound lost to a charity like RMEF?

 

[Rail Driver]

Do you want a competition? Maybe where we pick up sponsors from the forum who will donate x dollars per pound lost to a charity like RMEF?

I can see it now... "The Biggest Loser: THR Edition" Charities include: RMEF, NRAILA, Childrens Hospital, and so on...

I don't hunt elk (yet?) but I have noticed over the past couple weeks that I'm not in very good shape... My 1 yr old is able to tire me out, where a few years ago when my daughter was that age I could keep up with her no problem.

I need to do something about it!

 

[ArmedBear]

Run 3x week. Alternate speed vs. endurance. Every other run I do 2 miles as fast as I can sustain. In between I run 40 minutes and see how far I can get. I had to work up to this; I will work forward from it. Due to my finally finding a fix for a chronic leg muscle problem, I'm getting in better running shape than I have ever been in.

Hike in hills or do elliptical machine at gym on other 3 days. One day, rest.

Once a week - leg strength/endurance/flexibility workout:

In a basketball gym, 3 complete rounds of the following.

Reverse axe chops with medicine ball, 8-10 reps per side.

Walking lunges holding arms outstretched, with medicine ball, 10 reps per side.
Perpendicular walking lunges, rear foot at 90 degrees, front foot forward, arms same as above, 5 reps, switch sides, for total of 10 per side.
Walking side squats, feet parallel, arms in front of torso, torso over forward leg, 5 reps, switch sides, for total of 10 per side.

Step up to knee raises, 10 per side, as fast as possible, alternating sides, on plyo box. Go to a higher box when it gets "easy."

Rest, drink water, repeat.

Do that for a while, and you will find yourself able to hike and climb for a lot longer.

 

[joshk-k]

In the last year, I quit drinking soda, basically quit drinking alcohol, and regularly (at least several days a week) walk the 3 mile round trip to and from work. With essentially no other changes to my lifestyle, I've lost 20 pounds and feel excellent. I do hard physical work, and no other exercise, per se. I really recommend dropping soda from your life.

Josh

 

[xmanpike]

I am going on my first elk trip this october. Spent very little time in the mountains and have been triaing for about 2 months now. I have filled my pack with heavy clothes and some small weights gradually making it heavier and heavier. Try to hike hills and go about 4-6 miles with 20-50 lbs depending on how im feeling. Getting better all the time. Use the stairmaster at the gym to build climbing muscles. Have dropped 15 lbs this year so far and plan on losing another 10 before the hunt. I figure hauling an extra 25 lbs up the mountain didnt sound fun. I plan on covering a lot of ground trying to find these elk. The success rate seems to hover around 20-30% but I have to believe the more country I cover the better off Im going to be. Was planning on hauling the elk out myslef, but am leaning more towards getting a pack animal. I'm going with a friend possibly two. If we only get one, we may just haul it out ourselves. Good Training everyone!

 

[Boxhead]

Keep in mind that the difference in altitude will kick your @$$ even if you are in good shape. With my exercise regiment I always get to my elk hunting area (@ 10,000 - 12000ft) a couple of days early to let my body adjust. Trust me, if you plan these altitudes get there early and take some walks, A good time to scout and aclimate.

 

[Asherdan]

I've got an elliptical machine and a pool, hit the machine for half an hour then swim for the same thirty minutes 5x a week. I'm active otherwise so it seems to do it.

Question though...I live at basically sea level and go to ~5000' for my hunt area. So far I've gone with just being in shape and doing hard work heading up to the season. Anybody got any input on preparing to go significantly up in altitude?

[Edit] Thanks, Boxhead, that's what I was talking about.

 

[ArmedBear]

BTW the regimen above is only for hiking and climbing. Upper body strength is necessary, also.

 

[CoRoMo]

I've heard that your blood thickens when you ascend in elevation. You'll need to drink plenty of water, and an aspirin a day would be good too, to keep your blood close to normal. It is a good idea to keep aspirin on you anyway, if you are unfortunate enough to experience a heart attack, chewing aspirin has been said to be life saving, during the heart attack.

Last year, I decided to get a treadmill and jump on it every morning before work. I found a commercial-gym grade treadmill for $50 on Craigslist and snatched it up. Well, it weighs like 400lbs, so "snatched it up" is not as easy as it sounds. Anyway, it is in the basement now and I've been hitting it every morning before work for almost a year now. I stretch leg and back muscles daily while at work. I used to not be able to bend over and touch my knees, now I can touch the ground.

I set the treadmill on the highest incline (15% grade), walk then run on it that way. This will go on year round for the rest of my life, rather than for just a couple months before the season opener. That's what my dad does. He uses a StairMaster for a few months before the hunt, and that's about it.
Now, if only I could get the wife motivated to exercise, hunt, or both!!

I've been working out for about a year now, I dropped beer from the diet, but sadly, I have yet to lose a single solitary pound.:banghead:

 

[waffentomas]

I hunt elk in the 6k-7500ft level, and even at this elevation need a day to adjust. Even though I stay in excellent shape, I still find my heart tries to bounce out of my chest the first day.

The toughest part is that you get up at "oh dark thirty" drive up hill for 30 min or so from camp (public land hunt) and then get to walk up-hill for another hour to get to where we hunt. So you have to be in shape to go up-hill in the Idaho freezing cold, first thing in the morning - yuk!

There is so much you can do...putting on a weighted pack is a great way to get started, walk around with three pound weight bracelets on your ankles and arms, and then run in place for a few minutes. Just keep pushing yourself. We used to run and hike in gas masks when I was in the Marines as a way to really increase lung capacity and circulatory efficiency, but don't try this at first.

Your whole body needs to be fit to effectively hunt these creatures. You'll get the most out of cardio, but I do weights as well. I'm 45 with a resting heart rate of around 50 beats/minute, and run 20 miles a week, or bike 45-50 miles or mix it up. Take care of your knees; and you MUST work on your core. I HATE doing core, but it's the foundation of your whole body's musculature. When going up hills, down them, or carrying out a hind quarter, you'll be using your core muscles up quickly. Thighs and arms have big, burly, tough muscles, but your core has a bunch of little ones that require more maintenance, and fatigue quickly. If you have a "bad back" you can really help it by strengthening your core.

I basically use elk hunting as my raison d`etre for working out. If you love elk hunting, it's your best excuse to do it.

Doing something is better than nothing at all. When my son first went hunting with us he was worthless. He'd been living with his mom the last 15 years (he was 19 at that time) and she never pushed him to do anything. The next year I made him, hike up a hill in front of my house with a weighted pack, a few times each day for the summer, and he kept up a basic regimen when he went home. It helped A LOT, and he bagged a cow that year as well. Remember that old saying "the harder I work the luckier I get"?

Only 5 months left...I can't wait.

 

[mossytrigger]

Sweet- looks like there's definitely a few people interested in getting in better shape, or just staying in good shape! Here's what I'm doing now to get back in shape, after almost a year of not adhering to my normal program due to some knee injuries and messing around with migraines.
Every other morning- Kettlebells workout, 20-45 minutes, keep changing it up to avoid getting used to anything
Mornings in between- 30-90 minutes of cardio, combination running, hiking fast, jumping rope, and plyometrics
Every night I do a good long yoga session to stretch everything out, and do a little extra core strengthening
Right now I'm weaker and slower than I was a year ago, and about 25 pounds overweight- 2 autumns back I hiked 18 miles into the Scapegoat with my gear on my back, carrying my bow, took an hour nap, and hunted hard for 4 days, then hiked out. The hike out took me the same amount of time as the hike in, about 4 1/2 hours. That would destroy me right now. I want to be able to do the same thing come september.

Competition might be fun and provide some extra motivation, but for me it's mainly about the extra accountability that comes from putting your goals out there for everybody to see.

I agree with Waffenthomas- cardio and core are the most important. If altitude conditioning is a concern, there's always the fighter trick of training with a snorkel on. Getting your mind and body used to using less air to achieve the same output.

 

[ArmedBear]

I will get back to kettlebells when I get rid of this damned rotator cuff tendinitis... Grrr...

Should be good pretty soon, though, with some work.

BTW elk, schmelk. Around here, the same workout is also good for hunting wild birds, deer, and just about anything else.

 

[seldomseensmith]

My only advice would be this -

- Interval training. Can be done on the treadmill or outside. If you want to take a class check out QuickFit.

- South Beach Diet - Really. Not so much a diet, but a way of making you choose better foods. It proves you don't have to suffer or starve yourself.

- Insoles - Get some solid ones like SOLE or Superfeet. It makes hiking far more enjoyable.

Also, don't forget to load up that pack and hike a few miles!

 

[ArmedBear]

Having 3 wives doesn't keep you in shape?

 

[bobelk99]

If you are going above 8,000 figure on 48 hours minimum for climate adaptation, and longer if over 40. You will not be able to breath normally regardless of condition.

Think sore feet. The term tenderfoot was not just a nickname. If you are not a runner, then you will experience very sore feet if you hunt hard in steep ground (as if there is any other kind). Aspercreme works to allow some relief from this malady.

The get in shape thing goes on and on, as shown in the earlier posts. If you can run two miles in 13 minutes you are ready to climb. If you can't, then you will be winded a lot. I know guys who have killed elk only because they were out of shape, and were standing quietly in the right place at the right time.

If you go elk hunting, and are totally out of shape, it still may be the most enjoyable event of your like, excluding the ladies of course.

Think a lot about what you are going to wear when it is 40 degrees, cold wind and wet. A marathon runner with hypothermia is not cool.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

I just go out and do stuff. It's hunting, not a race. Things such as not being overweight generally seem to help the most. Packing out sucks the most anyway. If you're extra lucky you can catch things when they're down in the valley.

 

[bobelk99]

If you're extra lucky you can catch things when they're down in the valley.

They are usually near the valley. Just one 'hill' from where you want to be. I prefer to kill high and pack downhill.

The pack out thing is best done with two guys and a ladder. Try it.

The furthest I ever packed a hind quarter is 53 yards.

 

[Idano]

I just go out and do stuff. It's hunting, not a race. Things such as not being overweight generally seem to help the most. Packing out sucks the most anyway.

+! for that. I have hunted from 6000 to 9000 feet and key is not to be in a rush.

 

[CoRoMo]

I just don't want to have to perform chest compressions on any of the hunters that I guide. I also would hate it if any of them had to deal with my corpse, nineteen miles from the nearest paved road.

 

[usmc1371]

another good tip... work on your core! Your abs and lower back and hip flexors all work alot harder when walking uneven ground, you know the kind mostly likely to hide elk. That, and most of us don't walk steep/slippery/show coverd/blow down scaterd land scapes with a pack and rifle on a daily basis.

When I elk hunted in Idaho my guide was making fun of all the hunters he had guided who packed an extremly expensive "ultralight" rifle of one kind or another and showed up for a 5,000$ hunt wearing an extra 30 pounds around the belt line.

 

[brl150]

It's really good to see that so many of you are getting more serious about fitness and nutrition. So many hunters (I read about on other forums) are not and wonder why each season gets more difficult. A lot of you guys are on the right track and have put together a nice program for yourselves.

Fitness and wellness can be very individualistic. What works for one might not for another for many reasons...health, ailment, injury, prescription drugs, etc., etc. If anyone is in a rut or really doesn't know where to begin, I'd be happy to help in some manner. Just PM me with questions or concerns. My fitness training/nutritional counseling experience stems from the elderly to professional athletes. I wouldn't be able to get too lengthy or write a complete personalized program but won't charge anyone on here either.

Best of luck to everyone!

 

[bobelk99]

I don't know brl150, but that is a generous offer.

Are you
http://store.premiumnutrition.net/StoreFront.bok ?

 

[oneounceload]

Start NOW for NEXT year..............if you're from the lowlands, you'll need extreme endurance training to handle high elevations. Start running, uphill with a loaded backpack....or do stadium stairs, or similar. There's quite a difference between hiking in hills at 1000' versus scrambling over peaks with a load at 10,000'...........

 

[nmlongbow]

Elevation affects everyone differently and is the biggest determining factor at high altitude.
2 years ago I hunted CO with a guy who was in exceptional shape and could run bleachers with a 40lb pack for much longer than I could ever do. He really suffered at 10k and it took a good week before he could walk 100 yards without gasping for breath but he lived at sea level. Another guy who wasn't in nearly as good of shape and also lived at sea level had little problem with the altitude. Yet another hunter who was also in excellent shape in addition to being a Green Beret never got to hunt because of altitude sickness.

I live at 7k and altitude has never bothered me too much while hunting. Packing out an elk has always been tough regardless of conditioning.

Lot's of cardio and leg work in the gym can only help but I think you really need to spend some time climbing the most steep and rocky hills you can find with your hunting gear and 40+ lb pack. For me, there's an additional strain on ankles and knee's that can't be matched in a gym.