MantisFit

I rounded off 2009′s training with something I’ve never done before, and that doesn’t involve either combative or strength sports. I spent three days hiking across mountains in South Africa, culminating in a final ascent to the top of Table Mountain. Okay, I have to admit this wasn’t planned training – it was scheduled by my girlfriend’s family as part of our Christmas holiday. But, planned or otherwise, this was a physical test that hurt like hell!

I shudder to think how many fast-twitch fibres I just sacrificed, but I learned many lessons. I’m not going to go over the basics (wear sunscreen, cover up, drink lots of water etc) but rather gear this guide towards the strength athlete who’s open minded to new challenges. Fellow urban ironheads, consider venturing into the wild once in a while. There’s a whole world of pain outside the gym walls…

Why you should take on a mountain hike, at least once

Get back to nature. It goes without saying that the scenery made the journey.

It’s challenging. You think you do endurance work? You think you’re “well-conditioned”? You must be joking. Look, here’s your training program for the next three days.

Bodyweight step ups x 6 hours, minimum rest

The only way is forwards, and the only way out is by rescue chopper.

You’ll get some cardiovascular work. And let’s be honest, you need it.

You’ll lose some fat. Food is rationed. You will eat less than you are used to, and work for longer. In general, we westerners eat WAY too much for such a sedentary lifestyle. It’s possible to get by on less, and get results from it. I know this flies in the face of mass building, but the reason you had so much fat around the gills is because you weren’t working hard enough to justify your diet.

8 top tips to get the most out of your hike

1. Bulletproof your joints – Devote most of your mobility work to your hips. Check out Diesel Crew’s excellent – and free – hip mobility program. Looking after your hips will help protect your most vulnerable area: your knees.

Don’t neglect your other joints either. Get as close to pain-free as you can. Consider a whole body program such as Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow or Eric Cobb’s Z-Health. Mike Robertson’s Bulletproof Knees is another excellent choice. Make sure you can do the drills with minimal to no equipment, and continue to do them every morning. Do them on hiking days too, before setting off.

2. Do your conditioning – Sure, you love to squat. You begrudgingly knock out a couple of hill sprints when the mood takes you. Sometimes you’ll even do some pushups when your shoulder is hurting from all that benching.

It’s not enough. Do more.

Think boxer. Hill sprints, bodyweight exercise, ab work, skipping, climbing ropes, dragging sleds, hitting tyres, med ball, heavy bags, focus mitts. Do lots of it and don’t worry about your big lifts for a couple of weeks. Please stop throwing tomatoes at me. You’ll thank me afterwards.

3. Do single leg work – I mean it. Lunges, single leg squats, rear foot elevated split squats and in particular step-ups (weighted and unweighted) are your best friends. Any loading will work but for added authenticity I’d go with a heavy rucksack for the step-ups. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest this is the focus of your training for the 3 weeks leading up to your hike. Suck it up and stop with the tomatoes already.

4. Do single leg work - You weren’t listening hard enough first time round. I’m deadly serious, don’t skip this.

5. Get the right footwear - Chuck Taylor can’t help you here. Invest in a good pair of hiking shoes. I got myself a pair of Karrimors and suffered only the tiniest of blisters on the final day. Use the right tools for the job, and don’t worry about your ankle mobility being affected – you won’t have any if you set foot on those rocks with your Vibrams Five Fingers.

A little too hardcore.

6. Walk more prior to the hike – You can’t get more specific preparation than this. Don’t overdo it; pick a nice hilly park, use a moderate pace and enjoy.

7. Expect pain – Thanks to martial arts and strength training, I had no DOMS whatsoever from hiking. While others were lagging, I was powering up the final ascent (despite a knee ligament screaming at me to quit). At times keeping the pace was agony. This pain quickly subsides once it’s all over. Power through it and be sensible with rest breaks, even overly cautious.

8. Enjoy – Don’t worry about how much strength or muscle your losing over your hike. Worrying itself (and the accompanying cortisol spikes) will do more harm for your training than anything else. Relax, enjoy the breathtaking scenery, and try not to get bitten by a snake or fall off the mountain.

Following these tips and you should help you to crush any mountain that stands in your way. Remember:

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all” – Vince Lombardi

Don’t get caught out. You’re only as strong as your weakest link when performing any given task. In my case it was my knee joint, and this hampered my enjoyment of the final two days. Some things can’t be avoided, but you can never be too prepared for a physical challenge.