Pack training

[Teaman1]

I’m starting to take my 50 pound pack “hill training.” Anybody here train just once a week? Do you feel one day would help or would two times a week be better? I also lift weights and do 1 to 2 short cardio sessions each week

 

[*zap*]

Once a week will provide results and if you include posterior chain lifts done with proper form your results should increase.

 

[Teaman1]

Sounds good. Only have 8 weeks so starting late. Didn’t think a trip to the mountains would work with the first year of my new job, but just found out yesterday It’ll work out. Will just be a cow tag, but I’m excited for the hunt

 

[zacattack]

The mtn tough heavy pack workout seems pretty good to me as something to add on

 

[LaHunter]

I would recommend 2-3 days / week with the pack. 8 weeks is not a lot of training time, but you can make some fairly significant gains in that time frame, depending on your age.

 

[Teaman1]

I’m thinking I’ll change my weight routine and train 2x a week with the pack

 

[ChrisS]

I’m thinking I’ll change my weight routine and train 2x a week with the pack

This is what I do, I have a small hill near my house with a decent trail. It's 0.75 miles to the point where it levels off, so I do two ups and downs for about 1200' elevation change over 3 miles in 55 or so minutes. I like that I get some good downhill work, too. I do that twice a week, run 3-4 miles once, and then two days of squats and KB swings as I transition into the season.

 

[Teaman1]

Seems like that would help bunch haha

 

[AkMtnRunner]

I know I am late, but I'd recommend it as frequently as possible with an amount of weight that you can do for a fair amount of time, then increase the weight as you become stronger. That should promote the best adaptation.

 

[Teaman1]

I started with 50 pounds for 30 minutes. Adding 5 pounds and 5 minutes each week

 

[RichP]

Here I am up at 5:30 am on Sunday morning getting ready for my weekly trail hike. I'm packing 50lbs for about 5-7 miles. Also in the gym 3 days a week. Doing heavy weight lifting along with 30-60 min on the stair master.
Been doing this since Febuary.
Hopefully I'm ready for my hunt in 3 weeks. New Foundland moose hunt.

 

[mtwarden]

I just started pack training this past week (Monday). I'm using a 45-ish lb pack and am trying to keep my normal trail mileage (30-35/week) and elevation gain close to the same. Obviously my pace with + 45 lbs has slowed, but will hit the 30+ mile mark today.

I'm going to do this for two weeks and then bump the weight up 10 lbs for two more weeks and call it good.

Still strength training twice a week (Wendler)

With a 30-ish lb backpack I should be able to jog up the mountains, with a 10-ish lb daypack I should be able to fly up the mountains

 

[Teaman1]

Got mine done yesterday. Going to do two days a week until mid October

 

[cvanman]

The weighted pack is going to help get your legs in shape. The hard part is getting your lungs in shape. I live at 600 feet of elevation. Going to 10,500 - 11,000 of elevation... it is hard to prepare for that.

Keep at the weighted pack, you won't be sorry.

 

[Silas5150]

From a lesson hard-learned (and probably obvious to most)....be sure to add weight with things you can easily dispose of (water, sand, etc.). I bit off more than I could chew on a hike at 10,000 ft and had to cut my trip short due to more weight than I was ready for and no way to shed pounds.

 

[Jimss]

I actually do 0 "training" . I'm super lucky and hike fairly rough hills every day for work and spend 1 or 2 days/weekend scouting in country similar to what I hunt. On my scouting trips I carry a lot of the same things I'll be carrying while hunting (spotting scope, tripod, binos, etc). I know it's tough for those that live in the east or Midwest and hunt the west to train....but the closer you can get to mimicking what you are doing in the country you'll be hunting....the better! It's always good to hike sidehills with rock, higher elevation, etc.

 

[bozeman]

Started 16 weeks before hunt 2x/week......25#, then 35#, then 45# and now at 55#...high school bleachers are your friend in Alabama…..Leave Oct 9th......can't wait! This same pattern served me well in 2017...……..slow and steady wins the race! Good luck fellas!

 

[*zap*]

Just started a ruck training program that Coach Chris posted links to. I think it will take close to 12 months for me to finish to the end of the program....

Mike Prevost: Ruck Training Programs - PART 1 - On Target Publications

Interested in the potential offered by ruck training? Because of its history as a means of military conveyance, there’s plenty of information out there on rucking. Mike Prevost sorts through it with you to help get you started.

www.otpbooks.com

Mike Prevost: Ruck Training Programs - PART 2 - On Target Publications

Interested in the potential offered by ruck training? In Part One, Mike Prevost covered the research. Here he puts it all together in two programs to get you rucking.

www.otpbooks.com

I already do the strength training part + more...incorporating the rucks, runs and metcon will take me a while to condition too but it looks like a good complete and steady increase program that will provide long lasting results if I maintain things after. It was time for me to start a serious cardio program anyway and I like the format of incremental and steady gains in endurance and intensity.

 

[Poser]

I do overnight scouting trips 3-5 weekends leading up to rifle season. Besides that, I do no rucking or specific conditioning. I continue to Strength train using primary Barbell lifts 3x a week and do some Mtn biking once or twice a week (that tapers down considerably as I shift my focus from summer Mtn biking to fall hunting). I find that after 3 weekends of scouting, I am in sufficient hunting shape. With a strong body and some kind of baseline conditioning, it’s really a matter of getting the feet and ankles adjusted to the weight and stress of rucking. I don’t weigh my pack, just carry scouting gear + maybe a extra luxury such as a beer or similar to have a pack weight closer to actual hunting season, but not the least bit concerned with my ability to pack out an elk, just more concerned with the ability to do sustained 3-5 hours rucks and adequately recover. On Sunday, I hiked about 10 miles with 3,000 feet of climbing back to my truck. While I was certainly ready to be done, I woke up Monday morning feeling 100% recovered from the weekend and was in the gym squatting heavy Monday morning. With some experimentation over the last several years, I’ve found that’s what I’m looking for in terms of being in “hunting shape”: need to be able to do a typical hunting day and not feel wrecked the next day.

 

[mtwarden]

Just started a ruck training program that Coach Chris posted links to. I think it will take close to 12 months for me to finish to the end of the program....

Mike Prevost: Ruck Training Programs - PART 1 - On Target Publications

Interested in the potential offered by ruck training? Because of its history as a means of military conveyance, there’s plenty of information out there on rucking. Mike Prevost sorts through it with you to help get you started.

www.otpbooks.com

Mike Prevost: Ruck Training Programs - PART 2 - On Target Publications

Interested in the potential offered by ruck training? In Part One, Mike Prevost covered the research. Here he puts it all together in two programs to get you rucking.

www.otpbooks.com

I already do the strength training part + more...incorporating the rucks, runs and metcon will take me a while to condition too but it looks like a good complete and steady increase program that will provide long lasting results if I maintain things after. It was time for me to start a serious cardio program anyway and I like the format of incremental and steady gains in endurance and intensity.

read through those; looks like a really solid training plan- good mix of strength, aerobic and specific ruck training