Hitting the Weights>

[kgmolson]

For those who weight train... what type of work out do you do?

I have been weight training for a few years now, but feel my work out could be geared more towards hiking/climbing.

Currently my workout includes:

Hike Camelback in the morning: 3 to 4 times a week
Weight train: day 1: Bis and chest
day 2: shoulders and back
day 3: tris

I will usually run about 2 to 3 miles post weights.

On weekends I will take on longer day hikes or overnight backpacking trips

As you can see i dont really see an opening where I can do my legs... I think squats are really important for hiking and such... but would hate to have sore legs while climbing or hiking... So would it be a good move to take off a Camelback day and throw in a legs day at the gym? and What type of weight training program are some you guys on?

[Jeffshadows]

Google "Shape of Your Life" from Outside magazine. I've taken all kinds of classes and used different systems over the years, this is the first one that's geared toward all-around outdoor performance rather than a specific sport. It's worked well for me, but it probably isn't for everyone. The nice thing is that it can grow with you and you don't hit "plateaus"...

Jeff

[DarthStiller]

I lift 4 days a week and rotate thru 3 different workouts, so I don’t have a set workout routine for a set weekday. My 3 routines are

1. Chest/Triceps
2. Back/Biceps
3. Shoulders/Legs

I usually try to avoid legs the day before a hike. I do cardio everyday, either stationary bike or jog 7-8 miles. If I lift legs the day before a jog, I just run thru the soreness. This will help in the long run for steep hikes. After a quarter to half mile you barely feel it anyway.

For my leg routine, I only do leg presses, not squats. I always hurt my back with squats. If they work for you , do them, but I always end up pulling a back muscle when I do them. I generally try to do lower weight and higher reps. I usually do 6 sets of the following:

40 reps
30 reps
20 reps
10 reps
30 reps
40 reps

I start out at 225 lbs on the machine/sled and work up from there. The second sets of 30 and 40 reps are done at the same weight I did them originally. I think this helps me a lot in steep uphill sections. I’m not a fast hiker by any means, but I never get the “spaghetti leg syndrome” no matter how long or strenuous the hike.