Weights for elk training

Sorry, late to the thread. I'd like to add a couple things to these work outs, these are just my opinion along with the usual squats, dead lifts, lunges etc. I'd add in farmers carries, sled pulls, tire flips. There's a Gold's Gym in town that has a tread mill in a chamber where it simulates you working out at 10,000 ft elevation (I'm sure most gyms don't have one).

Havoc said:

Sorry, late to the thread. I'd like to add a couple things to these work outs, these are just my opinion along with the usual squats, dead lifts, lunges etc. I'd add in farmers carries, sled pulls, tire flips. There's a Gold's Gym in town that has a tread mill in a chamber where it simulates you working out at 10,000 ft elevation (I'm sure most gyms don't have one).

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I've never heard of a gym with a hypobaric chamber, that's awesome!

Your 3 choices are certainly solid to develop elk strength.

I am in the middle of a move and living up in the mountains at about 8500 ft elevation until I find a new house closer to my job. Going to be awesome to be acclimated for hunting season this year.

My three choices
1. heat
2. humidity
3. climb hills or stairs with your weighted pack

I live in Elk country. I like to lift, but for getting around in the mountains I dont think you can beat the stair climber, with a pack if you can do it. I do squats and all the other lifts too, but 10 reps of squats is not gonna help you do 10,000 reps up a mountain. Train for what your gonna do. And do cardio like crazy, I live at 5200 ft, and even going up to 7000-8000 is a big difference. Trust me, your squat numbers are not gonna do anything for you up here when your gasping for air. Lean, good lungs, and cardio. I know guys that will smoke up a mountain that have never been to a gym, its all in the lungs.

Alex Wheeler said:

I live in Elk country. I like to lift, but for getting around in the mountains I dont think you can beat the stair climber, with a pack if you can do it. I do squats and all the other lifts too, but 10 reps of squats is not gonna help you do 10,000 reps up a mountain. Train for what your gonna do. And do cardio like crazy, I live at 5200 ft, and even going up to 7000-8000 is a big difference. Trust me, your squat numbers are not gonna do anything for you up here when your gasping for air. Lean, good lungs, and cardio. I know guys that will smoke up a mountain that have never been to a gym, its all in the lungs.

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A lot of great advice here.

In my training I try to replicate what the hunt will require which is usually putting on a backpack (weighted) and climbing. As AW said CARDIO is everything but I still do weight training on days I can't get out.

Alex Wheeler said:

I live in Elk country. I like to lift, but for getting around in the mountains I dont think you can beat the stair climber, with a pack if you can do it. I do squats and all the other lifts too, but 10 reps of squats is not gonna help you do 10,000 reps up a mountain. Train for what your gonna do. And do cardio like crazy, I live at 5200 ft, and even going up to 7000-8000 is a big difference. Trust me, your squat numbers are not gonna do anything for you up here when your gasping for air. Lean, good lungs, and cardio. I know guys that will smoke up a mountain that have never been to a gym, its all in the lungs.

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I agree with this up to a point. I personally do cardio like crazy, but have learned the hard way that strength is also extremely important. If you're hunting with a guide and/or horses and just need to be able to cover a lot of distance, then cardio is really all you need. As soon as you start carrying a lot of weight, cardio alone won't cut it. Load a half an elk or an entire deer in your pack and have to carry it 6 miles uphill to your truck and you better have some strength training under your belt.

And even if all you're doing is hiking around and not packing weight, the strength training in addition to the cardio is going to make you a more durable hunter. Slip on some wet snow, twist around funny stepping over a deadfall... so many scenarios will test your body, and if you've done strength training you will be all around better for it and be less likely to get injured. Those sets of 10 reps of squats will make a big difference.

nice thread and i have learned a few things but i personally don't know about weight for hunting etc. i stay in a shape that makes me feel comfortable, while hunting BG like bear, i would like to fun of things goes south.

I rock climb and spend as much time as I can in the Sierras to stay in shape for all activities including hunting season. I'm only at 800' so I really have to train for altitude or I perform poorly. A friend came out from Maine to climb a route on the East Face of Mt Whitney(5.7) 14,505' but after doing the approach with gears for 3 days we got stormed out by rain, lightening, and hail. We sat in the tent for two days then descended.
I came back 3 weeks later to solo hike it and got a narrow window in the weather from 3am to about noon the top was free of lightening storms. It's about 23 miles round trip from where I parked, carried about 10lbs of food, water, rain gear, and water shoes as the stream crossings are 1.5' deep. I arrived at Whitney Portal at 11pm and it rained for 3 hours so I thought my hike was a no go but saw a few stars at 3am so I set off at 3:30am, from about 13K' on I was really sucking wind and had a headache, summited at 8:30 and was back at the car at 2:30pm. I was mostly sore from beating my knees on the way down, I actually prefer going up.
I think cardio is your best asset, then weights. To weight train with a pack I put 6 gallons in my Eberlestock and hike up my 1500' gain hill then dump it out and hike down, 5.5 miles total. It's still nothing like trying to stand up with a pack full of elk...LOL I had to roll on my stomach, do a push up then crawl to my feet and hike 3 miles in the dark. Stay active year round so you don't suffer when the time comes !

You gotta love just being out in the mountains, rain, shine, wind, hail....the elk do it !

Wedgy, you are either a glutton for punishment or Superman. Your preparation is admirable. The pictures tell the story and are of some beautiful country. I use one sack of Quickrete and that wears me out, after a couple of miles in what you would call little hills.

I have to cheat just a little. My 3 lifts are swings, getups and snatches with kettlebells, and then I head to the woods with my loaded pack and hike hills. Sorry, but I just have to go outside for some of my training...

Who needs 3 when you can do Turkish getups with some added overhead lunges at the top.

7magcreedmoor said:

I have to cheat just a little. My 3 lifts are swings, getups and snatches with kettlebells, and then I head to the woods with my loaded pack and hike hills. Sorry, but I just have to go outside for some of my training...

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Kettlebell snatches are great.

Also just want to point it that I have been spending 90-95% of my time outdoors hiking at 8500 ft where I'm living, with a back of concrete in my frame pack. It's maybe only 5-10% of the time that I'm in the gym. But like to make the time count. I probably have less fitness this year than I have had in the past 20, so this year could be challenging. Life gets too **** busy!

I hope the rest of you have been more disciplined with staying in shape than I have.