Home Hiking Workout

Training for a bush hike, or climbing mountains, is not as simple as going for walks. The fitness involved requires big muscle movements, usually with a pack (and a higher centre of gravity), balance, agility, and power (as much for downwards as up!).

The next four weeks of our Walking Group, up until we leave for Peru, entails 1x long walk with a pack, 1x short hard (like a 30min run), 1x Altitude session, and 1x Home Hiking Workout, per week.

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The Home Hiking Workout is a variation on our Hiking Workout from Hell, posted in March.

You are aiming for 100 accumulative reps of each exercise on each side (not all at once, do as many as you can and move on to the next exercise, keep coming back until you have hit 100 reps). Our initial goal is only 70ish reps, and we will build to 100 before July 10th!

Packs should have around 15kg in them. The most you should have on you at any time is 20kg (so if the pack weighs 15, only lift less than 5kg in your exercises).

1) Knee Repeater: performed on a double-step (about 20-25cm high), touch the ground then bring your knee up and repeat as many times as possible. Before doing the other leg, perform the Thuster (below).

2) Thruster: from your chest, use your body to “chuck” the weight in the air. Remember that the weight in your hands, plus the weight on your back, should not exceed 20kg.

An alternative to the Thruster above! Also a very cheap weight (free) to have in your home-gym.

4) Walking lunges: Even though we alternate legs, we are still aiming for 100 on EACH SIDE!!

5) Step ups: marching style, same leg leads up and down. Step should be about 4 standard steps (40-45cm) high. Alternate each leg with the wood-chop (below).
6) Wood Chop: this picture is performed using a high-cable, however we used a 2L bottle of water in our session. The important training points are that your hips and knees stay reasonably lined-up (you squat straight) and it is your back and spine that bend and twist (keep your arms straight).

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With any fitness goal, strength training is a great complement. You can manage injury, enhance performance, and train your weaknesses. A specific, strength training program is a must for any person exercising regularly (and even those who aren’t!)

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