Strength
Hamstring curls
Strengthening your hamstrings is a no brainer for going up and down mountains. The beauty of this exercise is that you can do it from anywhere! If you have access to a swiss ball like in the video attached, that is GREAT! If not, you can get the same benefits from laying on the ground face up, legs long and butt off the ground. Walk your flexed feet on your heels all the way to your booty and back out. They will be burning!
VMO lunges, ATG split squats, and Cyclist Squats
With all good knee over toe exercises, the same things pops into most people’s heads “well i thought your knees should never go over your toes?” If you often experience pain and struggle going downhill, the knee over toe remedy is a MUST! Please watch the videos attached carefully, so that your form is correct— a lunge and squat with your knees over your toes (in a safe position with your body) can be what allows a pain free approach to hiking downhill.
Step downs
Training muscles ECCENTRICALLY (meaning when the muscle lengthens), is so important for alignment, and strengthening the muscle over time. Step downs ensure that the muscle is controlling your movement, and gives you feedback to what is in, or out of alignment when you work on the “down step” instead of stepping up. Watch that your knee tracks over your toe, your hips lead the movement, and that your knee stays inline with your ankle. This exercise is great for the glutes, the quads, and unilateral movements are always important to incorporate so you can notice imbalances and train them accordingly. — we are never on two feet at the same time while hiking!
Cardio
You don’t necessarily need mountains in your backyard in order to train for hiking up them.
Gym Ideas
If you have access to a gym, try a steady state stair climb for 25-30 minutes. If you have access only to a treadmill, increase the gradient to represent a steep hike.
The rower is another really good way to build endurance in your legs with lactic acid build up. Start or finish your workout with 3x 500m sprints on the rower (aim for the 2 minute mark) take 90s rest between the sprints. Those legs will be feeling the burn!
Outdoor Ideas
Get outside and find a hill to walk up and down, maybe mixing in some sprints or power hiking efforts. You can also try training with a backpack filled with moderate weight, to replicate hiking with a pack all day.
If you have access only to flat lands, adding some sprints into the mix will allow you to test out how to regulate your increased heart rate after those hard, steep pushes on the hiking trail. Ensure that you bring your heart rate back down after these harder efforts.
