Training for elk hunt

[Poser]

What program are you running for in-season strength maintenance? I did the 5/3/1 2x a week template during hunting season this year, but even that started to feel like a lot of gym time for in-season once you throw in accessory work, etc.

I use the Starting Strength HLM (Heavy Light Medium) template for “in season.”

For me, I have 3 “in season” cycles throughout the year:

Snowboarding: Nov/Dec through May (sometimes June)

mountain Biking: June/July through Aug/sept
(I’m really into alpine trails so the season is short)

hunting: October/November

In between each of these, I’ll run starting strength Linear Progression for 3-6 weeks to get my strength back up and then switch to HLM. I’ll also run a mini cycle
Of LP for a week or whatever if there is a lull.
If I hit a stage where I’m only getting random workouts, I default to LP programming as it gives the most bang for the buck in terms of stress.

5-3-1 probably isn’t a bad way to go so long as you can tolerate the heavy week In Conjunction with whatever else you’re doing. Heavy/Light is useful template if you can only do 2 workouts a week, however, templates (as opposed to actual programs) require a good bit of experience since they aren’t actual instructions on what to do.

For in season, it’s always a balancing act and it’s frustrating to watch all of that hard earned strength slip away, but I suppose it’s better to start strong and be weak then be weak and then weaker. Mentally, though, it’s grueling to keep grinding through the same numbers over and over again. For me, That stretch between squatting 305# and ~350# for 3x5, for example: I’ve done that probably 10x in the last 3 years and it’s never gotten any easier mentally or physically. It’s the same sense of dread and it’s just as heavy every time. It would be nice to see some bigger numbers for all the work I’ve put in, but that’s all I’m going to ever see so long as I’m playing hard in the mountains. I had to reset my squat 100# after my elk hunt in October.

 

[Coach Chris]

Something that you may want to consider is balancing maximum recoverable volume (MRV) across training variables/activities
Hiking, hunting, rucking etc.... are high volume activities.
In order to not exceed MRV you may want to keep strength training volume to a minimum.
The most important part of training for strength in season is maintaining strength. In order to accomplish this you have to prioritize intensity (load) over intensification/volume. The more volume your activities outside the weight room have the more you have to prioritize load and sacrifice volume inside the weight room.

 

[ScottinPA]

Just my take: like Poser, I like the strength training (Starting Strength program) coupled with hiking, biking, running, and dedicated off days. I'm 50 and have had some serious health issues and this has worked for me. YMMV. Mental fortitude will trump physical "limitations".

 

[Poser]

Something that you may want to consider is balancing maximum recoverable volume (MRV) across training variables/activities
Hiking, hunting, rucking etc.... are high volume activities.
In order to not exceed MRV you may want to keep strength training volume to a minimum.
The most important part of training for strength in season is maintaining strength. In order to accomplish this you have to prioritize intensity (load) over intensification/volume. The more volume your activities outside the weight room have the more you have to prioritize load and sacrifice volume inside the weight room.

Since I’m using a template for in season and not a program, I’ll usually offset the intensity/volume relationship depending on my fatigue. For example, on squats, I’ll do a single “heavy” set of 5 + two backoff sets of 5 that are of a more liberal weight reduction than I’d normally do. I think the original template Bill Starr used for his in season football players was a 8-10% backoff, but I’ll do something more like 12-15%. -just enough blend of intensity/volume to maintain that week since there are often so many unknown variables. It’s a little easier to plan my week around hunting, but for snowboarding, it’s more often than not going to be dependent upon conditions on a day to day basis. On really grueling weeks, I’ll sometimes do a single “heavy” set of 5 for the whole week. I’ve experimented with that vs. a deload of, say, 185# for 3x5 and, you’re right, the intensity seems to preserve more strength over time.

On the flip side, I have experimented with doing 5 heavy singles as the intensity for “heavy” day in an effort to maintain maximum strength and fizzed out after 2-3 weeks. I think that when you drop into heavy singles, doubles and possibly triples, you are in a realm that consists more of an “expression” of strength more so than any kind of stimulus. It tends to work for peaking of some type, but not so sustainable over time. 5-3-1 cycles that type of intensity mixed with volume and deload, but I think you’d still have to plan fairly well around the harder weeks.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Thanks guys, this gives me a better idea of how to manage my lifts in season

 

[Coach Chris]

Thanks guys, this gives me a better idea of how to manage my lifts in season

FWIW - A lot of my in season programs are in the vein of Wendler’s I Ain’t Doing Jack Shit template. At the height of season to the end of their season I have them doing 3’s on all working sets. They have no problem maintaining their lifts. My younger athletes (20’s early 30’s) still gain strength.

 

[Poser]

FWIW - A lot of my in season programs are in the vein of Wendler’s I Ain’t Doing Jack Shit template. At the height of season to the end of their season I have them doing 3’s on all working sets. They have no problem maintaining their lifts. My younger athletes (20’s early 30’s) still gain strength.

Out of curiosity, approximately how many weeks is the cycle of Triples?

I wasted my 20s away doing bro splits and hypertrophy. By the time I got serious about actual strength training, I never found that I got more than 3 weeks out of triples and, combined with athletic activity, would even regress. I have seen guys in their 20s get as much as 6+ weeks of progress out of the 2 sets of 3 intensity day phase of Texas Method, however (but that’s far from an “in season” program and mostly reliant on the 5x5 volume day to drive weekly progress). Though, it’s probably a little easier to perceive intensity on 3s since just a little too much intensity on 5s can often point to those extra two reps as being the culprit for beating an in season trainee into a recovery hole.

 

[9Line]

Following along....

 

[Coach Chris]

Out of curiosity, approximately how many weeks is the cycle of Triples?

It depends on the athlete, length of "in season" and the amount of volume they're putting in outside the gym.
Last winter I had a pro-snowboarder on triples from mid November until mid June.
I have a pro mountaineer/ski mountaineer who is on triples for her back squat all year round. I run her deadlift on a standard 5/3/1 cycle for most of the year.
I have a mtn bike racer who's on the Enduro World Series. I program triples for him from March until November.

I also program dynamic effort loading with static loading for athletes who have very high volumes of sports specific training, i.e. ultrarunners, Randonee racers, etc.... Generally I program triples for those athletes also.

I program deloads every 4th or 7th week depending on the demands of sports specific training, travel schedule and athletes age.

I find programming for hypertrophy for part of the year to be very important, at least for the upper body.

I never program linear loading. I gave up on linear loading decades ago. It's too limited for even strength sports athletes.

 

[LSGundlach]

I am new to Rokslide and this is my first post. I am an average 50 year old who lives at sea level and have been on four Elk hunts in the last eight years. I am going again next fall. I notice many of the posts are from people who are fortunate enough to live and train in the Mountains. The disadvantage trying to prepare for a mountain hunt from a flat, sea level location cannot be over stated. That first hike up a hill at or above 7,000 feet for a guy who just flew in from sea level where your heart is beating out of your chest and you are sucking in every pine needle on the mountain is a real eye opener. Preparing for that is tough and in my opinion very different then for someone who lives and trains in the mountains.
In preparing for my four hunts, I went from no specialized training (that sucked!) to a pretty good training routine that had me well prepared for my last hunt. These are what worked for me.
Just hiking with a weighted pack on the stair climber, treadmill, or stadium was not enough to prepare my lungs for hunting at altitude. I added intervals to all of this training. Going fast for a minute or two where my heart rate would go up and breathing was heavy and then move at a normal pace for a while helped simulate hiking in the mountains. I ran hills, stadiums, and wind sprints with and without a weighted back pack. I always added intervals to my endurance training. Getting my heart and breathing rate up and recovering was important preparation.
I used a training mask. I know lots of people say they are a waste of money and you cannot duplicate mountain air. It worked for me. I found I was able to control my breathing better and recover quicker in the mountains after training with a training mask. I think the training mask might provide a mental edge for the person training at sea level. I got used to the feeling of not getting enough air and recovering from it. Once again, I felt it helped me to prepare.
Train to go downhill. Preparing for my second Elk hunt I did lots of climbing (Stairmaster, treadmill) but I did not train for the backside of a hill. My thighs and shins were really sore after a couple days of hunting. You use different muscles going downhill. If you have a hill or stadium that you train on, going down will help prepare you. I also did weighted step ups on an 18 inch block where I stepped down forward, turned around and repeated. I would do this for 45 minutes to an hour. It is really monotonous so I would put on something I wanted to watch and wear the training mask, backpack, and carry my bow while stepping.
Practice shooting your weapon when you are out of breath and your heart rate is up. The excitement of seeing and deciding to harvest an animal gets almost anyone’s heart rate and breathing up. Often we just reached the spot where we see the animal. Chances are pretty good as a flatlander that your breathing and heart rate will be up when you take a shot. I would do burpees, mountain climbers, or run stairs (we have an elevated platform at our archery range) and then take a practice shot. For rifle I do a lot of dry firing with my heart and breathing up.
One thing I am going to add to my training regime before my next elk hunt is some sort of exercise where I step over something at least thigh high and duck under something maybe slightly higher. I am thinking a bungee cord and PVC pipe setup. The last elk hunt I went on it seemed like we were in deadfall every day, climbing over and under countless logs.
On my last hunt I had my doctor prescribe altitude sickness medication. I had ran into a guy who lived in South Carolina who missed two days of a five day guided hunt because of altitude sickness. If you are going above 8K from sea level it is a cheap piece of mind.
That is what I did to prepare for my last hunt and plan on doing for next fall’s hunt. Goal is three days of strength/ interval training in the gym with two more days of endurance training hiking/running our man made 60 ft hill or hiking / running stadiums. I hope this helps

 

[teulkerj09]

Get some weight in the pack and walk as much as you can with it. I start every year with 35lbs then workup to 60lbs.

Thanks

 

[Coach Chris]

You use different muscles going downhill.

You're not using "different muscles". That's not how the body works. Descending places different loading parameters and neuromuscular motor patterns on the exact same muscles.

 

[bozeman]

LSGundlach- I include barbell step-ups and work up my weight every 3 weeks. Box height is 24”......

 

[Beanyray]

Last year I learned the hard way that cardio alone is not enough. I did fine on the hunt but when I had to carry out an elk quarter on my back I realized I want prepared. This year I Incorporated weighted hikes (30,40, or 50 lb bags of corn on my KUIU pack). It was a game changer for me, it strengthened my hip flexors tremendously.

Also, CrossFit helps me, It Incorporates so many forms of squats and lunges that it definitely makes me stronger for climbing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LSGundlach]

Scientifically you are probably right. I just know if you do not train going downhill, especially carrying weight, your muscles are going to be really sore when go hunting.

 

[Coach Chris]

Scientifically you are probably right. I just know if you do not train going downhill, especially carrying weight, your muscles are going to be really sore when go hunting.

That's an expression of the SAID Principle and it's a fact of physiology.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

FWIW - A lot of my in season programs are in the vein of Wendler’s I Ain’t Doing Jack Shit template. At the height of season to the end of their season I have them doing 3’s on all working sets. They have no problem maintaining their lifts. My younger athletes (20’s early 30’s) still gain strength.

What do your heavy 3's look like as far as # of sets and % of training max? I'm picturing Week 2 of 5/3/1, which would be 3 reps at 70%, 80%, and 90% of training 1RM. Are you saying you are running heavy 3's from peak to late in-season, every week?

 

[Coach Chris]

What do your heavy 3's look like as far as # of sets and % of training max? I'm picturing Week 2 of 5/3/1, which would be 3 reps at 70%, 80%, and 90% of training 1RM. Are you saying you are running heavy 3's from peak to late in-season, every week?

They do 3’s on all working sets from Week 1-3 at all of the prescribed percentages of their Training Max. I still program based off the 90% TM. They do no PR reps at 85, 90 or 95%.

 

[Btward]

A lot of good ideas to get ready for this years hunt

 

[Zoomfish]

12 Weeks to BUD/S with ole Stewie. Can water it down a bit and throw in something for humping weight.

Doing a version for my 12 Weeks to 40...it’s gonna suck!!!

Good luck!