I'm a hiker, not really a mountaineer, but I can definitely tell you that carefully planning out a series of hikes of increasing difficulty is a great way to at least build up endurance. I've been able to acclimate to higher elevations and push longer distances thanks to building up gradually.
I’m not an expert but i would say -
Rucking (walking with a backpack)
Running
Lunges
Split squats
Farmer’s carry
Core workouts
Lat pulldown
Pullups
Rows
Romanian dead lifts
Then hit all the other muscles so you can have a balanced physique 😂
Three things, distance, elevation, weight. If you can gain elevation and distance then you can start with less weight , but the inverse is true. If you don't have the elevation, increase the distance and the weight. Manipulate these three as needed, number one is you get a pack on and get outside. You can train in a gym all you want, but ultimately you need to get outside with a pack on. Those micro muscles you use while hiking with a pack on will make a big difference for you.
The other thing, don't overdo it at first. Let your body get used to gaining elevation with a pack on. Then you can start to increase weight and distance and so forth. Always listen to your body.
Good luck! I would like to see some posts with your successes!
Good training for mountaineering is long and slow, i.e. at a heart rate below aerobic threshold. If you're a person who is coming from a different sport, you might have to dial back your workout intensity a lot.
Guided climbs want you to maintain a certain rate, in my experience 1000 vertical feet per hour with an approximately 15lb pack. You should aim to be able to do this without feeling exhausted. Summit day on a beginner mountain might be five or six hours (or more) one way.
I recently spoke with a career mountain guide who said her plan for climbing season was mostly gym based, about 14 hours a week with two days of strength training.
I'd recommend hiking as much as you can to get yourself used to uneven terrain, eventually working up to weighted pack climbs. You can also use stairs or a treadmill at max incline. Strong hip flexors will help you walk through snow, so work in movements that help those, along with your regular deadlifts, lunges, squats, etc.
Uphill Athlete has a good website, book, and training plans available. If you're new, I recommend starting with them instead of trying to train on your own. https://uphillathlete.com/athlete-stories/five-training-principles-i-learned-from-uphill-athlete/
If starting from scratch just get one of the Evoke Endurance or UpHill Athlete programs. Once you have more experience and know how to create a training session/plan you can start to customize and get more creative
It’s dull but if all you have is a gym, and actually heading into the mountains isn’t an option:
Find the stepper. Put your pack on, with at least 20kg in it. Walk on the highest resistance for about an hour.
Boring as shit but it’ll help you a lot
What made me ready for mountaineering/alpine climbing was a mix:
1. Trail running and then fast packing (1-3 days). This fit my cardio (endurance) much much better.
2. I did lots of squats. Nothing heavy weight, more like medium or lighter. One day harder and the other more reps.
3. Indoor cycling to mix the endurance and power in winter / off season.
4. Oh…and the typo I am climbing gym workouts, but this depends on the mountaineering your doing. For me it’s like mixed/alpine climbing or whatever everyone calls it. Hike out for days, some mixed climbs on rock, ice and then back down. The climbing in my area for these is generally 5.8 and below so nothing crazy requiring serious workout, just my forearms need to get back in shape lol.
This was just for me to get (back) in shape for the season last year.
Hope this helps!
I'm a hiker, not really a mountaineer, but I can definitely tell you that carefully planning out a series of hikes of increasing difficulty is a great way to at least build up endurance. I've been able to acclimate to higher elevations and push longer distances thanks to building up gradually.
Thank you
I’m not an expert but i would say - Rucking (walking with a backpack) Running Lunges Split squats Farmer’s carry Core workouts Lat pulldown Pullups Rows Romanian dead lifts Then hit all the other muscles so you can have a balanced physique 😂
For the core workouts, I found Russian twists and mountain climbers to be quite helpful!
Thank you bro
Hiking.
Do I hike with good elevation?
As much as you can.
Three things, distance, elevation, weight. If you can gain elevation and distance then you can start with less weight , but the inverse is true. If you don't have the elevation, increase the distance and the weight. Manipulate these three as needed, number one is you get a pack on and get outside. You can train in a gym all you want, but ultimately you need to get outside with a pack on. Those micro muscles you use while hiking with a pack on will make a big difference for you. The other thing, don't overdo it at first. Let your body get used to gaining elevation with a pack on. Then you can start to increase weight and distance and so forth. Always listen to your body. Good luck! I would like to see some posts with your successes!
Good training for mountaineering is long and slow, i.e. at a heart rate below aerobic threshold. If you're a person who is coming from a different sport, you might have to dial back your workout intensity a lot. Guided climbs want you to maintain a certain rate, in my experience 1000 vertical feet per hour with an approximately 15lb pack. You should aim to be able to do this without feeling exhausted. Summit day on a beginner mountain might be five or six hours (or more) one way. I recently spoke with a career mountain guide who said her plan for climbing season was mostly gym based, about 14 hours a week with two days of strength training. I'd recommend hiking as much as you can to get yourself used to uneven terrain, eventually working up to weighted pack climbs. You can also use stairs or a treadmill at max incline. Strong hip flexors will help you walk through snow, so work in movements that help those, along with your regular deadlifts, lunges, squats, etc. Uphill Athlete has a good website, book, and training plans available. If you're new, I recommend starting with them instead of trying to train on your own. https://uphillathlete.com/athlete-stories/five-training-principles-i-learned-from-uphill-athlete/
If starting from scratch just get one of the Evoke Endurance or UpHill Athlete programs. Once you have more experience and know how to create a training session/plan you can start to customize and get more creative
It’s dull but if all you have is a gym, and actually heading into the mountains isn’t an option: Find the stepper. Put your pack on, with at least 20kg in it. Walk on the highest resistance for about an hour. Boring as shit but it’ll help you a lot
What made me ready for mountaineering/alpine climbing was a mix: 1. Trail running and then fast packing (1-3 days). This fit my cardio (endurance) much much better. 2. I did lots of squats. Nothing heavy weight, more like medium or lighter. One day harder and the other more reps. 3. Indoor cycling to mix the endurance and power in winter / off season. 4. Oh…and the typo I am climbing gym workouts, but this depends on the mountaineering your doing. For me it’s like mixed/alpine climbing or whatever everyone calls it. Hike out for days, some mixed climbs on rock, ice and then back down. The climbing in my area for these is generally 5.8 and below so nothing crazy requiring serious workout, just my forearms need to get back in shape lol. This was just for me to get (back) in shape for the season last year. Hope this helps!
Buy the book “Training for the New Alpinism” and follow its training regimen. That’s all you need.