Fitness and Preparations

I also like to load up my pack when I go for workouts. Last summer I got some pretty weird looks while busting my hump on the inclined treadmill with my Eberlestock bag with a sac of salt in it (55lbs). I start wearing that bag for all my walks and other workouts that I can fit it into. Every night I go out for a 3 or 4 mile walk with my bag on. Towards the start of the season I ramp it up every week. The week before I went goat hunting last summer I was doing 17 miles a week with 70lbs on me after dinner.

I'm at about 2500ft where I am and I don't find a noticeable difference when I go to the big mountains. Being high for my training has really been great for me.

P90x again also training for some trail runs

Been doing some P90X and crossfit workouts and running. I live at about 7200 feet and couldn't avoid running hills even if I wanted to so that really helps. I will keep this up until May, then I will start my summer job of tracking radio collared elk in the mountains of western WY. Last summer an average day was about 10 miles with a 20-60lb pack, depending on the length of the trip, 10 days on with 4 off so you can't really get ready for a back country hunt any better than that. This job has the added benefit of putting me in the areas I hunt and a big part of the job is glassing for elk so its also kind of like getting paid to scout.

sitting on my ass with 3 torn ligaments in my ankle
ought to be the luckiest way to finally draw my goat tag
hope to start running again in late april

Last season I drew a great elk tag and that got me stoked to start working out. I'd run 3/4 of a mile to the nearest high school, run 12 sets of stadium stairs, run back home. Then do the P90X before work. I'd leave the house at 4:30 to be at work at 7 which got pretty old after I took my elk. I felt like a monster when September came around though.

I usually take a month off around Christmas but pick it back up after the new year. I weight train 2-3x a week and spin 60 miles a week. When the weather is nice I will be preparing for some rides and put a lot of miles on my bike (around 800-900). I will still hit the gym for weight training too. I shoot as much as I can. For daily shots when I can't get to the range I shoot 10 yards in the house. I try to make it to a walking course a few times before the season and fine tune my gear before the first week of the season.

I play basketball 2 nights a week running up and down the court, and shoot bow 2 nights a week at 3D and 300. and in the summer I bike 4 miles every 3 days

For a full body cardio workout, very similar to high country hunting, try the "Insanity" workout from Beachbody. Beachbody is the company that brought us P-90x(also great for backcountry conditioning). "Insanity" is a 60 day killer cardio routine that utilizes only your body for weighted resistance and is only for the fit and athletic person, no beginners. This workout has really helped me push hard through the off season blues.

I'm running this workout a couple times through and will start with my normal weight training, hill runs, and packing exercises come 1June.

Wow, you guys are intense!

All of these posts have me wondering if I can pull off my first backpack bow hunt this year. I am entered in the get fit challenge Ryan started in the tailgate section. Ive been losing weight and have started to get back into exercising daily, but I'm just starting out and weight around 330. The hunt I'm thinking of doing is in the Sierra Nevada range Sequoia National Forest and the hike in would be 12 miles and then hunt (more miles) with that same hike out. I'm starting to wonder if its too much too quick.

BADbuckfever
Have you decided on the area you are going to hunt yet? What does the elevation look like? I run 2-3 miles, then hit the gym and do stair stepper, weight lift. Running 3-5 days a week and hitting the gym 2-3 days a week. I will start including weekend hiking trips with 20-30lb pack on in April. The longest I have hiked is 10 miles in, hunted for 3 days (1-3 miles a day) and then hiked out. The elevation change from the trail head to my hunting area was around 3,500'. I hunted in 9,800-11,000' in elevation and it was tough getting your breath at the higher elevations.

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Originally Posted by BADbuckfever

Wow, you guys are intense!

All of these posts have me wondering if I can pull off my first backpack bow hunt this year. I am entered in the get fit challenge Ryan started in the tailgate section. Ive been losing weight and have started to get back into exercising daily, but I'm just starting out and weight around 330. The hunt I'm thinking of doing is in the Sierra Nevada range Sequoia National Forest and the hike in would be 12 miles and then hunt (more miles) with that same hike out. I'm starting to wonder if its too much too quick.

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