Hunting fitness and strength

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#5175

There are about 90 days until archery season in the Western states opens. I know equipment chat is important and I enjoy the details and craft involved. However, in Oregon and Colorado where I will hunt this year the canyons are easy to get into but difficult get out. I have been pumping iron, bike riding, and swimming what are you all doing to get physically ready? My goal is to increase my aerobic endurance

[gfredasbell]

#38031

I go to the gym regularly when I’m home. I do a combination of machine muscle stuff and cardio. I used to mostly just do a lot of cardio but I’ve come to believe that is not the best approach. I think that we lose muscle at a fairly continuous rate unless we do something specifically to build/work on muscle. The other thing I think I see is that it seems that if I do a small amount of cardio/aerobic regularly, my system catches up pretty quick when I get in the high country…obviously you don’t want to get completely out of shape. But if I am weak…lack of muscle…I can’t catch up when I start hunting. That may just be me, or just my age. But staying after the strength stuff as much as the aerobic is working best for me. Heading to Wyoming this year for mulies. We’ll know then if it’s still working. Went to Idaho hunting elk last year and did okay (but didn’t need to pack anything out either. gfa)

[paleoman]

#38437

I do a lot of walking in the countryside in my work, shoot the bow a fair amount, a little light weight now and then and re-discovered push ups a while ago. It keeps me from being limited in any way. In my 50’s now and it sure would be easy to just sit on my butt so I try to keep moving!

[George McCloskey]

#39378

Ninety-three to be exact. Can’t wait till Fall!

[SDMFer]

#43039

I was going to weigh in on this earlier, but just got around to it.

Anyway, it’s about this time of year that I shift to really start focusing on getting ready for elk season. From the end of hunting season until now I pretty much neglect cardio and work on getting stronger via weight training.

Starting a couple weeks ago I made the shift and started running in the morning before work. Right now it’s about 5 miles but by Sept 1 I will increase distance and decrease average mile times. After my run it’s home for breakfast before a 3 mile bike ride to work.

My work schedule gets hectic in the summer so my total gym time decreases. But, as far as resistance training I focus on 5 key lifts that I begin each daily weight session with one of. Those are lunges (walking or standing), power cleans, squats, dead lifts, or pull ups. I use a weight that lets me get a minimum 50 total reps in 5 or more sets, often doing “pyramid sets” with increasing then decreasing weight. On office days I can get my gym session in over a lunch hour, otherwise it has to wait until evening. After key lifts I will work all other major muscle groups (chest, back, core, legs) with a single exercise and get at least 50 reps. Rest between all sets is kept at around 30 seconds. I can get a gym session that leaves me pretty much fried in 45 minutes or so.

Weekends are for active recovery which generally entails hiking or biking.

I like to think it helps come September, both mentally and physically. 77 days until Archery antelope opener.

[David Petersen]

#43059

Cigars and tequila shooters!

[woodchuck]

#43201

One advantage to being overweight and out-of-shape….it forces you to move slower through the woods 😆

[Author]

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