What's the best type of training?

[Jbrow327]

Other than fake it until you make it.
You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

[Conor]

Other than fake it until you make it.
You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

This conversation always takes the same turn. good, better, best.

good - something is better than nothing. These people tend to be crossfitters.

better - more specified, weekend warriors in the high country, a quick jog/hike a couple times during the week before/after work. Probably the sweet spot if you're just looking to hike 14ers/cents/bicents.

best - TFTNA. controversial, for sure. but, highly specific training for specific objectives. cardio will be lots of long duration, low effort.

[Jbrow327]

Other than fake it until you make it.
You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

This conversation always takes the same turn. good, better, best.

good - something is better than nothing. These people tend to be crossfitters.

better - more specified, weekend warriors in the high country, a quick jog/hike a couple times during the week before/after work. Probably the sweet spot if you're just looking to hike 14ers/cents/bicents.

best - TFTNA. controversial, for sure. but, highly specific training for specific objectives. cardio will be lots of long duration, low effort.

TFTNA?
Training for the....

[dpage]

Consistent

[Scott P]

You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

You live in Salt Lake. You can climb a peak every day if you want.

[Jbrow327]

You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

You live in Salt Lake. You can climb a peak every day if you want.

True. But I don't have any winter ascent experience.
I'm looking for a good peakbagging "list" if you will. Something for a beginner like myself. 7ers, 8ers, etc.
I'm sure the Wasatch has plenty.

[Bean]

TFTNA?
Training for the....

New Alpinism. Very heavily focused on long slow super-low-intensity training. Also falls in to the "don't gain muscle because it's just extra weight" trap.

I'm not a fan of it for people without 15 hours/week to spend on training.

[nyker]

Other than fake it until you make it.
You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

We could write tomes on this but in short, while it will be different for everyone depending on where you are starting from, but there will be some commonalities.

Assuming no actual mountain/hiking:

1. A lot of base training / cardio work at aerobic levels - this could be any activity where you can get your HR up to your aerobic level and keep it there (which will differ for everyone), Google how to determine your HR training zones - there are many formulas some better than others)
then depending on the time of year and your health, aerobic work could way to anaerobic work (i.e. same exercise but higher heart rates) or interval training on occasion.
2. strength training to build your legs especially, but really total body - in COVID times, this might mean mainly body weight exercises or home gym.
3. stretching and rehab when needed

If you ask ten people you'll get ten different routines, but personally I do 3-4 days of cardio work and 2-3 days weight training, and usually build in a day off or more time off if I've had a tiring week or have done other physical work (i.e. Over Christmas three large trees came down and took me all day to cut them up, so I didn't "work out" that day...

[timewarp01]

Bear Peak twice a week. When the snow melts the 14ers are downright easy

[nmjameswilson]

I live in Kansas City so actual climbing if nearly impossible here. I have always said that running or other cardio in heat prepares you for climbing. When it is hot out and you breath deeply in it expands the lungs which helps when you have less oxygen at elevation. I do this for a couple months before I leave for a climb and have been able to immediately climb with no acclimation. I do not think this would work for all and I suggest you do acclimate but it works for me and might for you.

I run, bike, do yoga and strength training. We have a up and down bridle trail that is 10 miles long that I will hike in the heat with a full camping pack. It is a loop and it prepares you for the length part of hikes in Colorado. The stair climber at a gym is also a great tool to help. If more technical climbs are coming in a year I will go to a climbing wall and train.

[Scott P]

You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

You live in Salt Lake. You can climb a peak every day if you want.

True. But I don't have any winter ascent experience.
I'm looking for a good peakbagging "list" if you will. Something for a beginner like myself. 7ers, 8ers, etc.
I'm sure the Wasatch has plenty.

You have already been given a list of peaks several times that are next to SLC that require no winter experience. Why don't you go read the threads you already started and stop asking the same s
questions over and over again?

[Jorts]

Other than fake it until you make it.
You can't climb peaks every day so how do you guys train for the mountains?

Strength training will make you relatively injury proof (I do it once or twice a week). Long slow distance will improve your cardio/engine whatever you want to call it. HIIT (short bouts of high intensity... like a series of 4 min fast 2 min recovery; or 30 seconds fast/one minute rest; etc.) will increase speed and efficiency. The ratio of long slow distance to HIIT should be around 80 to 20 of your total training volume or whatever works for the individual. Some people can absorb more intensity and/or volume than others.

It's all about consistency and building and not just jumping in to a 10+ hour week.

Weekend warrior types, often crunched on time, try to go hard for every workout to squeeze in as much as possible. That's a big pitfall. It leads to plateauing. These people are never fresh enough to go truly hard and they never absorb the gains of the work they put in. You want to keep your easy workouts truly easy and hard workouts hard.

Climb stairs, do hilly runs and hill repeats, throw on a heavy pack and slog up some hill. Work with what you have to emulate going uphill in the mountains.

There are no shortcuts. Top cyclists put in 25+ hours in the saddle per week. Besides the unemployed and professionals and psychos who don't sleep, I don't know anyone with that kind of time. Those of us with less time can still get pretty fit if we're consistent day to day.