Tips for Physical Training

FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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jaymz
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by jaymz »

Conor wrote:I would suggest you get ahold of a copy of training for the new alpinism. You can also check out their website, uphillathlete.com.
+1
That book transformed me from a horribly slow flatlander taking breaks every 100' to a decent hiker making good time and going hours without stopping.
Incorporate actual hiking into the training (which they encourage) and it'll pay big dividends. But note also that their training program is more geared toward big mountain expeditions, so you can lighten it up a tad for the 14ers.
"But in every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks."
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highpilgrim
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by highpilgrim »

Cicatrix wrote: I did fine until the last mile, but when I got to the false summits I slowed down a bunch.
There's also the psychology of climbing; your mindset. There's a part of hiking/climbing uphill for long periods of time that is just masochistic. You have to accept it, and revel in it.

But even if you do, when you SEE the summit, and then find that it is not, and that the summit beyond is also not the summit, that just messes with your head. False summits, unanticipated, just suck.

Learn the route fully so you know the bumps along the way are there and it will get better.

Mind training counts along with the physical.
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Cruiser
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by Cruiser »

Build a strong base of fitness by doing lots of long, low intensity cardio workouts. Add some strength training if you feel like having some variety in your exercise regimen, but focus on straight up cardio fitness if you want the 14ers to feel easy.
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two lunches
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by two lunches »

the stairmaster is your friend! when i'm in mountain training-mode all of my gym visits involve 100 flights. other things that help me get in peak condition (pun intended) include running/jogging 3 or 4 days a week and doing 100+ daily squats or lunges. there is also no substitute for hitting trails regularly, like Mt. Falcon, Mt. Galbraith, White Ranch, Apex...

i neglected to focus on these during my off-season this year (worked on some other goals) and was unable to focus on them following an injury, which made this one by FAR my most difficult 14er season.
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
Jaggers
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by Jaggers »

CrossFit has worked wonders for me. I don't have a lot of time to spend in the gym, and with this program I get great results only training an average of 4 hours per week. I most recently did the Needle, Humboldt, Challenger and Kit Carson in a three day period (about 15,000 ft worth of elevation gain with technical sections), and I never hit a wall with my strength/endurance. There are a lot of different reasons why CrossFit works so well for 14ers, but I will leave that for you to look into if you're interested. You can generally start at any fitness level unless you have underlying medical issues which would likely prevent you from climbing 14ers anyway.
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Conor
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by Conor »

Jaggers wrote:There are a lot of different reasons why CrossFit works so well for 14ers, but I will leave that for you to look into if you're interested.


Please educate us. Many people would argue crossfit is awful for 14er training. Mark Twight would be one of them, and his TINSTAFL segment in Training for the New Alpinism shows his exploration into crossfit for mountain training.
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LURE
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by LURE »

Not trying to be sarcastic. Also I didn't read through this so it may have been said:

There is literally no better training for hiking than hiking. Therefore you have to go on hikes, 14ers included, where you're not in shape to get in shape. If you can't get out and hike I'll second stephakett and say hit the stair climber, every day for at least 20 minutes or more, also second squats - although I like weighted squats. But squats are not crucial to getting into hiking shape. Hiking is crucial to getting into hiking shape.

I'll also question crossfit as a good method of training for alpine hiking and scrambling.
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719BR
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by 719BR »

the only thing i would add to the mix is swimming. i have a very varied workout routine, including hiking, steps, and light weights, and i swim because it's a) non-impact so my recovery time is minimal, b) great cardio, c) great core training, and (most importantly) d) great at training the body to be more oxygen efficient. a great weekend workout for me is a saturday hike (at altitude) in the 10-15 mile range with 4,000' - 6,000' gain followed up by a two mile swim on sunday (takes just over an hour).

when you do steps or hiking you can always pant to get as much oxygen as you need. with swimming, you don't have that option. it's helped my overall fitness tremendously. i'm..., let's jut call it mid 40's, and my resting heart rate is significantly lower than my age.
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justiner
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by justiner »

I'll defend Jaggers preference on Crossfit for beginners, to get in better shape for hiking 14ers. If you are just starting out in getting a higher level of fitness - something like Crossfit four hours a week would be much better than doing nothing at all. But then again, perhaps anything for four hours would be better than nothing at all. If Crossfit motivates and entertains you, that's perfect.

(deleted rant on Crossfit and bad form, blah blah blah)


After achieving a somewhat higher level of general fitness, I would still def. suggest integrating some sort of aerobic-heavy activity: more walking/jogging/hiking/running. If all you have is a stairmaster machine, OK - but do remember that what goes up, must come down, and a stairmaster doesn't work well for conditioning your legs for that very, very different workload.

A stairmaster, actually, still wouldn't be my preference over running on a flat road, as it's very easy to go over your aerobic threshold while hiking UP stairs then jogging something flat. At high elevations, if you can't breath enough, you can't go anywhere.
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derekesq
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by derekesq »

I just finished my week in CO, completed 8 14ers, but 4 were DeCaLBro, and weather prevented summiting pyramid. I kept thinking what it would take for summitting to get easy coming from sea-level. Not sure it ever can. Still, my training of running 20 miles/week and biking 25 one day/week provided a good base and I was rarely passed (people trail running LaPlata and Missouri Mtn wow :shock: ). May have to up the biking next summer.
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LURE
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by LURE »

derekesq wrote: I kept thinking what it would take for summitting to get easy coming from sea-level.
It gets easier, in a sense, with better fitness; certainly faster. But it never stops hurting.
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Re: Tips for Physical Training

Post by jmanner »

LURE wrote:
derekesq wrote: I kept thinking what it would take for summitting to get easy coming from sea-level.
It gets easier, in a sense, with better fitness; certainly faster. But it never stops hurting.
What would Doggler say? 'Pain is weakness leaving the body.'
A man has got to know his limitations.-Dr. Jonathan Hemlock or Harry Callahan or something F' it: http://youtu.be/lpzqQst-Sg8

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"That man's only desire was to stand, once only, on the summit of that glorious wedge of rock...I think anyone who loves the mountains as much as that can claim to be a mountaineer, too."-Hermann Buhl, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage
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