Moving On

Today is Sunday, and that means Fun Day… We got our day started with a 1.5 hour endurance spin class… What a great way to get your heartrate up and keep it up for a sustained period of time. That takes care of one cardio session this week. Awesome!

This phase is a continuation of the Hypertrophy Phase but being more leg specific:

Again, we need to establish what your one rep max is. Start with a 70 to 80 percent load, or one that allows you to perform six preps. As you adapt to the load, you will progressively be able to perform more reps. When you can perform 12 reps, the load is then increased again at which, again, you can only perform six reps.

So your weekly training schedule will look something like this:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Warm-up	Warm-up	Warm-up	Warm-up	Warm-up	Rest	Rest
Target Training	Strength	Target Training	Strength	Target Training	Rest	Fun-day
Stretch	Stretch	Stretch	Stretch	Stretch	Stretch	Rest

GAINING TARGET STRENGTH:

EXERCISE	GROUP	SETS	REPS	TEMPO	REST	COMMENTS
Leg Press	Quads	2 or 4	6 to 12	2-2-2-2 two counts up, hold & two counts down	3 - 5 minutes	Sit with back firmly against the padded seat. Extend legs, keeping a micro bend at the furthest point. Slowly return to starting point
Machine Leg Extension	Quads	2 or 4	6 to 12	2-2-2-2 two counts up, hold & two counts down	3 - 5 minutes	Sit so that the knee joints are aligned with the axis of the machine. Lower back should be firm against the seat with feet pressing against lower shins. Sit upright with a natural arch in lower back. Raise the pad up until the legs are almost fully extended while maintaining good posture throughout the movement. Lower the legs to the starting position.
Machine Leg Curl	Hamstrings	2 or 4	6 to 12	2-2-2-2 two counts up, hold & two counts down	3 - 5 minutes	Lie on your belly on the bench so that the knee joints are in line with the axis of machine and pad is below the calf muscle but above the Achilles tendon (above the heel). Press the pelvis against the bench and raise the weight until the knees form approximately a 90 degrees angle. Lower the weight to the starting position.
Standing Cable Hip adductors – As the name indicates - you’ll need a cable machine for this one. This works the muscles along the inside of your leg.	Hip adductors	2 or 4	12 to 15	2-2-2-2 two counts up, hold & two counts down	60 – 90 seconds	Strap one cable to the inside ankle and stand with the opposite foot straight ahead, aligned directly under the hip with the knee slightly bent. Begin with the moving leg about 45 degrees out from the inside hand resting lightly on the bar for balance. Maintain good posture and keep your pelvis level throughout the movement. Pull the leg across the body. Return weight to starting position.
Cable Hip Abduction (standing) – Muscles along the outside of your leg	Hip adductors	2 or 4	12 to 15	2-2-2-2 two counts up, hold & two counts down	60 – 90 seconds	Strap one cable to the outside ankle and stand with the opposite foot straight ahead, knee slightly bent. Position the outside leg slightly across the body and in front of the stationary leg, while placing the hand closest to the machine on the machine for stability. Pull the leg across and out from the body as far as possible, while maintaining good posture and pelvic
Plank	core	2 or 3	90 seconds	hold	90 seconds	Try to keep body one long plank and don't allow belly to sag.
Bridges	core	2 or 3	90 seconds	Hold	90 seconds	Lying on mat with feet on floor close to butt. Raise bum off floor with thighs as high as possible.

The training parameters will look like this:

Training Parameters	Work
Duration of this phase	4-6 weeks
Load	70-80% of 1RM (1 rep maximum)
Number of exercises	6-9 – your choice of ones provided in earlier workouts
Number of sets per session	4-6
Rest intervals	3-5 minutes between sets (higher weights = more rest)
Speed of execution	Slow to medium – increase seconds up as well as down
Frequency per week	2-4

Don’t forget to stretch your muscles in between your sets and after your training session. Because of the many repetitions of contractions, the muscles shorten, which in turn produces pre-mature inhibition of contraction of the antagonist muscles. Basically speaking, it results in reduced muscle range of motion and decreased quickness of contraction, which affects the overall performance ability of the muscles involved. While stretching counteracts this effect, we should constantly stretch your muscles to artificially lengthen them to their “normal” length.

Moving on…When choosing your cardio activities, progress your workout duration, even if it’s only one of your training sessions per week. Everyone is pressed for time these days so make your workouts count. If you are only doing cardio for an hour each time, you’ll only end up with about an hour’s worth of gas in the tank when you attempt your climb. Hopefully by training longer, it will simulate your actual summit day and there will still be energy enough to get back to camp safely.

Until next time, play safe and stay on track… Don’t be afraid to take time off if you’re injured and always ease back into your training sessions. The hills aren’t going anywhere. By thoughtfully increasing your duration we should endeavor not over-train, which may lead to injuries.

Don’t forget to sturdy your core and breathe. Good posture allows better circulation and oxygen flow.

Finally, be good to yourself. Take a yoga class to stretch your muscles and find balance. Use a foam roller on your IT bands, hamstrings and quads. Remember not to roll over your joints. Take a hot soak and always reward yourself for a job well done.