hiking, i suck at it. what exercises to get better?

[knawlejj]

you are on starting strength, that means ur squatting like a mad man. i know the program well, and wouldnt recommend you do as much cardio as youre saying.

once u start to get into the heavier weights for your standards, you wont want to hike at all because your legs should be exhausted. buuuuut if you really want, do HIIT (google it), weighted lunges and weighted calf raises. just a forewarning; doing these things will hinder your starting strength regimen.

pardon the terrible grammar, typing with one hand and lazy

 

[torpid]

Sounds like your quads need some work to me.

 

[Zolty]

Originally posted by: Young Grasshopper
i went hiking today with a few people at griffith park here in LA last night. we went up a trail which was considered a '3'(level of difficulty) and about halfway up the trail i was pretty exhausted(but could keep going). once we reached the halfway point i was almost dying. THANK GOD i made it that far to rest because the second i did i started getting lightheaded. looking back at it now im VERY lucky i didnt fall off the trail. i also wore anti-hiking shoes(asics onitsukas) and tight jeans which probably made it worse.


i am pretty overweight for someone my size(6'0, 200lbs) and while i exercise, i do not do any cardio at all(only weights as im on the starting strength program). this is making rethink my plans. my friend is trying to lose weight and im thinking i should as well and maybe lose 25 pounds and get back to 175. good idea? im thinking my legs were getting stressed yesterday as they're not used to pulling that much of my body weight up the hike so shedding 25lbs might help.

You aren't really overweight. I am 5'9" and 200lbs with no real exercise program and I do hiking in AZ with out problems (read a lot of large rocks, climbing, and dangling). so that isn't the problem. Just make sure you stretch a lot and drink water and you should be fine.

 

[waffleironhead]

climb stairs and ladders.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

 

[MovingTarget]

walk/run more. Try using ankle weights too.

 

[zerocool84]

Have a lot more sex. It's great cardio and you lose a lot of juice weight also.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: Titan

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: Babbles
I can't get into trekking poles and I think maybe you should avoid using them so you don't end up using them as a crutch as you get your stamina up. With that being said I suppose other people have had good luck with them - just not my bag.

i agree. i just completed san jacinto a couple weeks back and one person brought trekking poles and it was great for his knee's but it slowed him down considerably and me and another hiker had to wait for him to catch up a lot of the times (he had the car keys). but to each his own.

edit: op - im currently training to do a day-hike of whitney. what i do is go running on the beach and when i come to a set of stairs that lead down to the beach, i go up the stairs, come down, and then run some more down the beach and do the same at the next set of stairs. its only been a couple months and can already see better results on the usual trails i hike on. your profile says l.a., may want to give that a shot.

I was daydreaming about doing the Appalachian trail - I can't take that time off and I got more than a touch of arthritis in my hip so I just don't I can make it - but I was surfing around on the internet and forums to get some information. It seems that the majority consensus is that when doing the Appalachian trail, trekking poles are just dead weight. I could maybe see their benefit if you were doing some steep incline/decline but I would get annoyed having to carry them around all day; I want my hands free.

Sorry I completely disagree. Maybe it's because I have good technique from my martial arts training but I move quick and the poles support that, people can't keep up with me as I take long strides and really put each pole far ahead of me.

Dead weight? each weighs like 1 pound and be collapsed into your pack. Anyone hiking back down a rocky summit should have them for bad spots. Last thing you need is to slip on a wet rock and bust your skull because you're tired and the terrain was too rugged.

Oddly enough I spent years doing jujutsu (as noted above, my hips joints are bad so that practice has basically been retired from my life) and I think that is why I don't like to have my hands full of stuff. You know for all of the times that I need to do ukemi with the ground. . .

As a side comment to what you said, it sounds like you almost take a sort of racing attitude with other people when hiking. If that is what you like, then that's obviously your choice and more power to you. I, however, do like to sort of stroll when I am hiking - I still walk with a decent clip, but I choose not to race around and maximize each stride.

Also I did note that I could see the benefit of using them on a inclination.

Fundamentally my entire point in my semi-rant in using poles, is that I think the OP should avoid them for now as he practices on level (or moderate grade) surfaces.

 

[Chronoshock]

You should do the same training the competitors do for ninja warrior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk1mVeRxyQQ

The second part is insane upper body strength (3min onwards)

 

[Xcrown]

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: Titan

Originally posted by: Babbles

Originally posted by: anxi80

Originally posted by: Babbles
I can't get into trekking poles and I think maybe you should avoid using them so you don't end up using them as a crutch as you get your stamina up. With that being said I suppose other people have had good luck with them - just not my bag.

i agree. i just completed san jacinto a couple weeks back and one person brought trekking poles and it was great for his knee's but it slowed him down considerably and me and another hiker had to wait for him to catch up a lot of the times (he had the car keys). but to each his own.

edit: op - im currently training to do a day-hike of whitney. what i do is go running on the beach and when i come to a set of stairs that lead down to the beach, i go up the stairs, come down, and then run some more down the beach and do the same at the next set of stairs. its only been a couple months and can already see better results on the usual trails i hike on. your profile says l.a., may want to give that a shot.

I was daydreaming about doing the Appalachian trail - I can't take that time off and I got more than a touch of arthritis in my hip so I just don't I can make it - but I was surfing around on the internet and forums to get some information. It seems that the majority consensus is that when doing the Appalachian trail, trekking poles are just dead weight. I could maybe see their benefit if you were doing some steep incline/decline but I would get annoyed having to carry them around all day; I want my hands free.

Sorry I completely disagree. Maybe it's because I have good technique from my martial arts training but I move quick and the poles support that, people can't keep up with me as I take long strides and really put each pole far ahead of me.

Dead weight? each weighs like 1 pound and be collapsed into your pack. Anyone hiking back down a rocky summit should have them for bad spots. Last thing you need is to slip on a wet rock and bust your skull because you're tired and the terrain was too rugged.

Oddly enough I spent years doing jujutsu (as noted above, my hips joints are bad so that practice has basically been retired from my life) and I think that is why I don't like to have my hands full of stuff. You know for all of the times that I need to do ukemi with the ground. . .

As a side comment to what you said, it sounds like you almost take a sort of racing attitude with other people when hiking. If that is what you like, then that's obviously your choice and more power to you. I, however, do like to sort of stroll when I am hiking - I still walk with a decent clip, but I choose not to race around and maximize each stride.

Also I did note that I could see the benefit of using them on a inclination.

Fundamentally my entire point in my semi-rant in using poles, is that I think the OP should avoid them for now as he practices on level (or moderate grade) surfaces.

Im a total pole die hard user...but I agree with you. If hes just on plain flat ground, no need to use them until he starts getting serious on inclines and declines again.

 

[Amused]

Simple answer:

If you want to be good at hiking, hike often. Same for biking, swimming, running, etc.

Find some nearby hills and walk them at least 3 nights a week. Progress to at least an hour a walk. Then, on the weekends, take 3-4 hour training hikes on some nearby mountain trails. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and you have endless choices around you. I used to train on Mission Peak in the north valley. I grew up in the North Valley very near it. There is also a trail that leads to an old Nike Missile base near the valley. Used to hike that and party with friends when I was young.

Also, train in your hiking boots. Break them in. Good broken in boots make all the difference.

Finally: Hydration hydration hydration. Water is most important. Second is fuel Take some high carb energy bars with you.

 

[0roo0roo]

not enough trail mix

i don't think hiking is cardio, its slow burn muscle workout. i only get winded if its a rather extreme incline, like climbing stairs kind of angle. course if you werer drained and didn't eat right before it might screw with your stamina.

anyways the real tiring hiking is if you got a pack on your back...full on frame camping style load out.

as for a dude wearing real tight jeans...dude why... thats a 140lb emo thin dude kinda thing. at 200lb u cannot wear tight jeans! anyways as said, ur weight and probably lack of prep/clothing didn't help.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
not enough trail mix

i don't think hiking is cardio, its slow burn muscle workout. i only get winded if its a rather extreme incline, like climbing stairs kind of angle. course if you werer drained and didn't eat right before it might screw with your stamina.

anyways the real tiring hiking is if you got a pack on your back...full on frame camping style load out.

That's what we trained for when I was young. Yearly 60 milers through Yosemite.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: Amused
Simple answer:

If you want to be good at hiking, hike often. Same for biking, swimming, running, etc.

Find some nearby hills and walk them at least 3 nights a week. Progress to at least an hour a walk. Then, on the weekends, take 3-4 hour training hikes on some nearby mountain trails. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and you have endless choices around you. I used to train on Mission Peak in the north valley. I grew up in the North Valley very near it. There is also a trail that leads to an old Nike Missile base near the valley. Used to hike that and party with friends when I was young.

Also, train in your hiking boots. Break them in. Good broken in boots make all the difference.

Sort of mind-boggling that footwear really hasn't been touched on.

Especially since you are starting out, go to a reputable outdoors store that can fit you properly (just like what you would do with running shoes). Some people need more ankle sport, others not so much. I like mid-rise light boots; the wife needs full-rise leather uppers for her ankles. Some people really dig trail runners. I don't know you personally, but I would probably recommend that you steer clear of trail runners, or anything with a low tennis-shoe style rise.

And good socks! Socks really can make a significant difference.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

 

[Sukhoi]

Likely way more water. 1 L/hr if you're working real hard.

 

[Gothgar]

stairmaster?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: edro
More hiking.

You are using different muscle groups than you are used to. A person that hikes frequently can climb a mountain faster than a top notch marathon runner.

Do more hiking and loose weight. 180 pounds for hte OP means a 10% loss in weight which means a 10% reaction in energy required.

The most interesting thing i ever saw was in college. I went up a hill with friends and on the way down the one guy was hopping down the hill. Literally hopped all the way down and did it faster than hell. I was astounded. That is the only word.