Moving Forward

Hi – so, how’s the training going?The past two phases have been focused on “General Strength” or the overall strength of the core and limbs. In these phases we were also developing a good base of aerobic endurance along with muscle balance and injury prevention… the things we need to move to the next level.

Moving into our third phase or “Athletic Hypertrophy”, we begin to target the training towards our specific area of interest… mountaineering. We can now shift gears a bit into replicating the primary movements we need while hiking and climbing.

The goals for this phase are two-fold:

• Maintain what we’ve built up, and
• Re-focus on targeted exercises that will let us succeed in the mountains

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

For MAINTAINING Your STRENGTH:

EXERCISE	GROUP	SETS	REPS	TEMPO	REST	COMMENTS
Bench Press	Chest, front of shoulders , back of arms	2 or 3	8 to 12	2-1-2-1 two counts up, hold & two counts down	60 seconds	Keep shoulders back and down and press through nipple line. Don't lock elbows..
Seated Cable row	Upper & mid back, back of shoulders and front of arms	2 or 3	8 to 12	2-1-2-1	60 seconds	Shoulders are back and down - retract shoulder blades. Pull elbows back as far as possible.
Lat Pull-downs	Back and shoulders	2 or 3	8 to 11	2-1-2-1	60 seconds	Shoulders are back and down – try not to engage your trapezius muscles
Lateral Shoulder Raises	Shoulders	2 or 3	8 to 12	2-1-2-1	60 seconds	Raise arms laterally up to shoulder-height
Plank	core	2 or 3	60 seconds	hold	60 seconds	Try to keep body one long plank and don't allow belly to sag.
Bridges	core	2 or 3	60 seconds	Hold	60 seconds	Lying on mat with feet on floor close to butt. Raise bum off floor with thighs as high as possible.

TARGETING the HILLS

For each Target Training day, pick one from each group, and perform each exercise for AT LEAST 30 minutes each (1 hour total). Your goal is – by the end of this phase – to extend your target training period to 1.5 – 2 hours per session.

LOAD-BEARING GROUP

• Treadmill
• Elliptical
• Stairmaster
• Jogging
• Stairs

NON-LOAD BEARING GROUP

• Stationary Bike
• Bike (outside
• Rowing

If your training experience is in the gym, start adding resistance to each group e.g.

• Carry your weighted backpack while increasing the incline on the treadmill. START LIGHT, but gradually add weight as you gain strength
• Increase resistance on the stationary bike or elliptical.
• Take a spin class… they’re great!

If you have the luxury of training outside, head to the nearest hills with your favorite hiking boots and pack. Mix it up: do plunge-steps, find a picnic table and do step-ups. This will REALLY load your quads and help build that hill-climbing strength.

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.