So…what’s your plan? What are you looking forward to? Do you have vacation planned? A little adventure maybe? Camping and floating, travel or a roadtrip? How about a race? Is there a 5K or a Tough Mudder in your future? Mountains or the beach? Woods in the Midwest or a tropical jungle? How about a little fishing or mountain biking? Maybe just work around the house and relax? Whatever you’re thinking, make sure you take advantage of the time and…
The final installment of the Hiking Strength Series is here! This post will layout a 10 week program that will target your training to crush your upcoming hiking adventure! The previous Hiking Strength posts detailed different movements and exercises that are the basis of this program. Descriptions, photos, graphics and videos help provide explanations and movement standards to help get you on your way. Introduction Squats! Bulletproof Your Legs Build a Durable Core Stronger Upper Body The Program The Hiking…
Rounding out the Hiking Strength Series will be upper body work. If you have followed the series so far, we have discussed various exercises and routines to help you train and prepare for your upcoming hiking adventure (links for previous posts below). Training your upper body is no different. For example…hauling heavy packs? Strengthen shoulders and back. Scrambling up a rocky face? Develop capable arms and chest. Slip, and end up dangling off the side of a cliff clutching a protruding…
The next step in building a strong, trail ready physique will be to focus on core work. On the trail, having a strong and solid core will help you maneuver obstacles, haul packs for miles and will reinforce your overall strength training. During winter backpacking, in particular, pack poundage can tend to add up with the addition of cold weather gear. The pack here was around 50-60 lbs! Fortunately core training is not just beneficial on the trail, but also…
“Oh, Wow”, I exclaimed as we rounded a bend and were presented with a fantastic view of a glistening, rocky cliff face towering over a small pool of water formed from Pickle Creek. Rows of icicles, formed from recent rain and groundwater runoff, adorned the cliffs and lit up the small alcove. This was the pinnacle of the scenic loop at the farthest point of the Whispering Pines Trail in Missouri’s Hawn State Park. It was a crisp, early December…
A few years back I was on a 3-day Outward Bound (OB) backpacking adventure in the mountains near Leadville, Colorado. It was late October and snow was already knee deep in some areas and just plain slick and wet in others. The goal was a summit attempt on a local 13’er. We were off trail and learning map and compass skills. We had just started day two and were a little over 11,000 feet when a member of our team…
This Veterans Day I wanted to do a short post on the Outward Bound Veterans program. This has been an incredible experience in my life and I wanted to give them the appropriate credit. Outward Bound is a non-profit that specializes in outdoor education and experiences for youths and adults. They also have specialized programs for at-risk teens and veterans, it was the veterans program that I came to know them. Through charitable donations Outward Bound is able to provide…
Hiking Strength Series – How to improve strength, stability, and endurance on the trail to be ready for your dream hike “You are wise to climb Mt Fuji, but a fool to do it twice.” -Proverb In July 2010, I was in Tokyo for a short conference on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. While there I had the amazing opportunity to climb Mt Fuji and despite my lack of training, I couldn’t miss the chance to see the iconic…
