Working out

I'm tired of being so lazy, I'm in decent shape now but would like to be pretty ripped come season. What are some work outs that you guys are doing?

This will be for an elk hunt in the mountains, by the way

Crossfit

"Getting ripped" is 80% diet. But I guess it also depends on what your definition of "ripped" is. Single digit body fat?

HITT cardio and weights. I wouldn't waste money on crossfit. You can do the same thing on your own without paying the ridiculous prices. If it were me going to CO, Id focus on endurance (long distance running) and leg strength (lunges, squats, etc). Throw in some burpees, box jumps, mountain climbers and six or so one minute ab workouts in every routine.

You wouldn't have much to worry about if you were in the single digit body fat range. The lowest I've ever been was 12% and that was 3 years of extreme low carb intake, cardio, and weight training.

Yeah I didn't mean to get yoked, just in really good shape and also hopefully flip the switch a little faster on my wife. I have been doing lunges and some long walking and bike riding, pelvic thrusts as well to build up strength from an injury.

Easy ...sign up for "train to hunt" work outs online it's like $19 a month(got videos also). Can Do most of them at home.

Best mountain work out is with a pack on in my experience.


I'm alittle extreme but I only work out from March to Sept
I do stability circuit training twice a week, weights/core 5 days a week and 32 stories of stairs with 100lbs three times a week.

Only worksouts I have that take more then 30 mins are my stability circuits (but they are pure hell). These are my joint rehab work outs.

The only real advantage crossfit has is if you cant self motivate and group workouts are better. Its hard to quit in front of a crowd.

Then your diet is all wrong. I used to go from 13.5-14 down to 8 and visa versa in about 3 months. Foods are measured, weighed and eaten at exact times. All workouts and cardio are timed around it. Also I used to work out with several guys that were well within single digits, including myself, that couldn't run two miles if we had to. The type of workout and how you have your macros lined out will determine what your results will be.

I hit the heavy bag in my garage HARD for 15 minutes, pushups until I can do no more, then generally flail weakly at the bag for another 5, twice a day. For roadwork I jog 15 minutes Tuesday and Thursday, 30 minutes Saturday. I'm 48, soon to be 49, with bad knees.

some crossfit gyms are adopting a "crossfit cardio" program, I did it for a week on vacation and the only "weights" we used were wall balls and kettlebells, and it will kick your butt.

you can do a lot of what crossfit gyms do at your own house but not even close to all of it unless you have a pretty bad*** home gym, and like someone said, its really hard to quit in front of a group of your peers.

walk with your backpack with some weight in
it and the boots you intend to wear hunting.
increase the weight as you progress until it
is at least the same weight as the load you
intend to carry hunting. walk as far as you
intend to walk when you're on your hunt.
carry a piece of cut off oak limb in your
hands to simulate the weight of carrying your rifle.
wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt. carry
water. you should be able to walk a long way
without huffing and puffing by the time you're
ready to go. good luck

Walk out your door and run.

Don't we have an exercise forum?

Cardio and basic weight training is what works for me. Eat healthy carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, wheat bread etc.) and high protein intake. In no time you will feel great not only physically but mentally.

RUN RUN RUN RUN AND RUN SOME MORE. And do squats. And if you smoke QUIT now.

I don't work out to get huge. I workout for what I need and thats to be able to carry myself all day and lift myself out of danger.

80% is diet to keep body weight within limits of my strength.

Deadlifts- 1.5-2x body weight
Squats- 1-1.5x body weight (ATG)
Pull ups- (if you cant do a pull up good luck- not being rude)
Cadio- burpies, box jumps, push ups, row, stair master- repeat
Running- NO- Save my knees for squats
Kettle bell swings- golden full body

Hope I am in the orthopedic business when all the cross-fitters are 60yo.

Either running or hiking with a 50lb pack for 3 miles each day. Plus trying to hit an hour on the treadmill desk at work to keep the juices flowing.

Elk hunting is about cardio and leg strength. And being able to carry a pack loaded with 75 pounds of elk meat up and down the mountain 4 or 5 times. Unless you're using a horse...in that case you don't really have to do squat.

I was in that group.

Looking fit and being fit are two different things

Don't do that cross fit crap. Lift some weights, eat right, and maybe a little cardio.

Wait a minute what are pelvic thrusts??

RUM MANN, they are kind of like squats. I was taught to hold onto a table or something sturdy and has a good grip and basically do a squat, when I'm close to the ground I shove myself up and forward (thrust) as fast and hard as possible. Been doing these for a week now, 5 sets for as long as I can (only lasting about a minute per set right now but improving)

Not sure I'm picturing that right? Is it a solo workout?

Absolutely.

Going on my 12th Elk hunt this year. The way I get in shape is limit my calories to 1500 a day, 30 minutes of eliptical wearing a 25lb backpack. Some days I walk 3 miles instead of eliptical.

I walk to the fridge and then back to my recliner. Hopefully I can complete the routine without getting a cramp.

There is no replacement for altitude training. Cardio workouts plus actual hikes with your gear will help. Add about 25% weight to your lowland hikes other than what you will carry in the mountains. Get at least 5 miles hike in a day if you can. If you can, spend a few days prior to your hunt acclimating to altitude. And remember to hydrate very well.

Cardio sucks, you're not going to be running up and down the mountains, so what good is running? Find a local high school stadium, take your weighted pack, and do the bleachers. It's free, and you don't have to join a cult, I mean crossfit.

You need good cardio to even walk up the mountain. Especially carrying a 75lb elk quarter. Running improves cardio. There will be times when you are walking fast up and down the mountain too, cardio is key in my opinion.

I havent ran in over 10 years. But I do pack work out with 50-100lbs three days a week. You don't need running to be able to hunt in the mountains. It will help but it's not the best way to condition your legs and lungs for elevation.

Just reading this thread is making me tired.

I'm so tired I need a nap. When I used to do the Richardson-Plano Corporate Challenge, I would do the bike race challenge and I would ride my bike up and down all the hills in my neighborhood on the east side of White Rock, 10 miles everyday, twice a day. Dropped 40lbs in 3 months and had lots of energy. Also diet, cut out the junk food.

"Maybe a little cardio" for an elk hunt in the mountains....this guy has it nailed.

Imo people tend to way over exaggerate the prep and training you need to do for a elk hunt

If your 40 lbs over weight and get out of breath eating a sandwich, yes, any kind of physical hunt is gonna be a beating on you.

If your a healthy person you will adjust after a day or two and be


If you kill something, that's a different matter. I would get a number to a guy with horses and pay him the $250-$300 they charge to pack it out for you

I've just been cutting a lot of wood and mowing a ton of grass (non-propelled push mower) several times a week. My dad's place is very hilly and it is one heck of a workout.

In all honesty that's probably all the workout you will need.

Isn't cross fit what women do?

Best cardio in the world is swimming, if you can get in a pool then swim until you can't take another stroke. Don't forget to weight train, everyone is different. Find what fits your body and keep at it.. That's the key, staying with it.

I agree, but walk into any grocery store or restaurant and tell me what percentage of people in there are "healthy people." For that matter, as "uncreepy" as possible, drive by a school playground and see how many of the kids out there are "healthy."

It's getting better for sure with the amount and availability of new knowledge out there, but the amount of overweight kids I see everyday is concerning.

Try a class, see for yourself

"I'm a real athlete, not trying to be the best at exercising."

I will say this, no matter how much running and conditioning you do before-hand, the elevation will STILL kick you in the balls when you get there. Expect at-least 1-2 days to get acclimated to the elevation.

Legs and lungs.

Serpentine the bleachers as fast as you can. Once it gets easy, add weight in a backpack. Texas boys still can't breathe at 9000' and above. I went in good shape, and it still taxed me.

I am running with no weight to get some weight off. While running I do push up, sit ups, dips, etc...

I need to get my pack ready and start doing some pack hikes

The other thing I do that helps my core is heated yoga...it may look easy but it's very difficult

Rule number 1 of Zombieland.

Seriously, I am in tune with Bobo's walking stairs with a heavy pack. Get to the point where you can run those same stairs and you will be fine.

I'm kind of laughing at this thread and wondering about 2 things. What the hell are you guy's caring with you and is this an athletic meet your preparing for or a hunt. Here's a few thing's I learned that make elk hunting more enjoyable. Horses are your friend, if you don't have them then find somebody in that area that can provide them, your hunting in 4 legged country!

Slow down! I've seen folks hit the mountains in great shape thinking it's a foot race and get gassed in the first 500 ft of elevation change. Only carry what you absolutely need with the top priority being making a fire if needed, enough food for a day and water. Since water is nearly always available in the mountains I keep that to a minimum, it's heavy and drags you down.

My old Pop probably logged more elk hunting time than anybody I know and his gear bag probably weighed less than 5 lbs with allot of that weight being that WWII bag he had it in. His rifle weighed 9 lbs with a scope and he carried a box of ammo. He carried a knife, small axe, mirror, compass, matches, 1 inch blocks of paraffin wrapped in wax paper and about 20ft of parachute cord, small flashlight with extra batteries. He also carried a small 8 power monocular in his shirt pocket and a 3 bladed knife in his pant's pocket. He fed 5 kid's very well and kept the meat locker full at all times.

Well thats great if you have access to horses. Most people don't. Horses are a pain in the butt too, i remember one year the people camped next to us lost one of theirs and spent the remainder of their elk hunt tramping around the mountain trying to find it. Personally id rather just walk, you couldn't pay me to bring a horse.

And as far as the weight, i was referring to humping your elk meat off the mountain. We carry the quarters in backpacks and hike it out.

I do not know of a place in elk country where you couldn't make arrangements to bring horses into camp for your hunt. Not only did my father in-law outfit for elk he also provided horses for those that didn't have them and even sent guys in just to pack out an elk. The quicker you can get that meat off the mountain the better it will be for both you and the meat. I've had far more headaches from hunters than I ever had from a horse.

Both horses and hunters suck at times


They have guys that will pack your meat out on horseback for a fee

The most important thing you can get is get there two days ahead of the hunt and get acclimated to the higher elevation by taking it easy and drinking lots of water.

Bicycle rides of 15 miles a day pushing for as high a gear as possible work great for me and don't beat up my feet and knees.

I dont either? You can bring horses wherever you want as far as i know. Well in that case id sure like to meet your father in law! In my experience the outfitters don't like us too much because we're not paying them to hunt.

Some Louisiana friends had horses down the road a ways, and they were willing to pack out an elk for us, if we got one. They left in Friday at noon, and I killed my elk at 5. Three men made two trips healing my elk back to camp. Go elk hunting in good physical condition.

Been on quite a few hunting trips in the mountains over the years with fellows across all levels of fitness and learned that you don't have to be in best physical shape to hunt/harvest an animal but if you truly want to enjoy a sunset or sunrise and take in all the wonders the trip has to offer then you need to be in best physical condition possible, there so much more to experience than just the harvest..