SIMPLE WAY TO TRAIN FOR YOUR UPCOMING TREKS - "Fit To Trek@50 Series".
This blog is for those who go for treks once or at the most twice a year, or are not regular trekkers. If you are one of those who are not regular trekkers, then this blog is for you.
Considering you not a regular trekker, who do not train throughout the year. Now, you have planned with your friends to go for a Himalayan trek or a mountain trek having a mix of easy & moderately difficult terrain. For this, you need to prepare yourself physically & mentally for you to enjoy the trail and motivate you for planning your other future treks.
In my today's blog you will learn a very simple way to train for your upcoming trek within a short period of time.
We all mostly know how we should prepare for our upcoming hikes / treks - going to the gym 3-4 times a week, doing cardio, jogging, walking between those sessions. But let's be realistic, most of you may not be hard core trekkers or fitness freaks and are mostly busy in your daily professional life and social obligations, with less time to spare for trek preparation.
But when you have planned for any trek, then you should be at least be prepared, for you to enjoy the upcoming trek, with a backpack on, see more of nature. So, that's why you need to do some preparation before the trek.
This preparation routine will not only help you to be trek-fit , but also improve your general fitness level.
THE PREPARATION :
Myself would suggest a very simple routine that you should start at least 2-3 months before your trek, depending upon the level of difficulty of your trekking destination. If it is an easy trail, then 2 months of training is good, or else 3 months of preparation is enough for you for a moderately difficult trek.
1. Twice a week do full body strength training, during your training months. No separate upper body & lower body training days. The goal is to strengthen the overall body muscle groups, not any specific group. Each of these workout sessions should not be more than 45 minutes, that is just 90 minutes per week. Most of these exercises should be compound exercises involving multiple muscle groups per exercise, like - squats, push-ups, basic dead lifts, etc. This routine you can do at your home, only need a pair of dumbbells.
Exercises - Resistance / weight training :
For the mentioned exercises details, refer to my blogs titled :
1) "Upper Body Strength Training Exercises For Trekkers" - Dated : 11th. June,2021.
2) "How To Build Lower Body Strength For Trekking" - Dated : 31st. May, 2021.
Or, watch on my YOUTUBE channel : " fitnessfun50 " .
A) Shoulders -
a) Lateral & Front raise : 2 sets of 10 reps per set, with light weight dumbbells.
b) Arnold Press - 1 sets of 10 reps per set, with light weight dumbbells.
c) Pike Push-ups - 1 set of 10 reps. In case you find Pike push-ups difficult, you can also do shoulder shrugs with medium weight dumbbells - 2 sets of 15 reps per set.
B) Back -
a) Spider Man - 1 set of 30-40 seconds.
b) Bend Over Twin Arm Row - 2 sets of 8 reps per set, with light weight dumbbells.
C) Arms -
a) Tricep Dips - 2 sets of 6-7 reps per set.
b) Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps per set, with light to medium weight dumbbells.
c) Wrist Curls - 1 set of 30 reps with very light weight dumbbells.
D) Chest -
a) Inclined or Floor Push-ups - 3 sets of 8-10 reps per set.
E) Core Area -
a) Regular Plank - 1 set of 30-60 seconds.
b) Bicycle Cross Crunches - 1 set of 10 reps.
c) Mountain Climbers - 2 sets of 10 reps per set.
D) Legs -
a) Normal Squat - 2 sets of 10-15 reps per set.
b) Goblet Squat - 1 set of 8-10 reps with one medium weight dumbbell.
c) Step-Ups - 2 sets of 15-20 reps per set with medium weight dumbbells.
d) Bulgarian Split Squat - 2 sets of 6-8 reps per set.
e) Basic Dead Lift - 1 set of 8-10 reps per set, with medium weight dumbbells.
f) Calf Raise - 3 sets of 15-20 reps per set, with or without dumbbells.
g) Glute Bridge - 1 sets of 8-10 reps per set.
Rest Period : Between each set take about 15 seconds of rest , and between each exercise take 20-25 seconds rest. Always do warm-up exercises before starting the routine , and do cool-down stretching exercises after completing your day's routine.
2. On the first month, twice a week walk for 25 to 35 minutes at variable speeds to keep your heart rate fluctuating (can also walk on a Treadmill) , in addition do 10-15 minutes of stair climbing. In this routine - out these 2 days, once you can do walking and stair climbing with some weight (dumbbells or filled water bottles) in your backpack, it is better to start with 25% of the weight that you intend to actually carry in your backpack during your main trek, then as you progress train with 75% or even 100% of the weight in your backpack.
On the 2nd. & 3rd. months, instead of walking go for running or jogging, target to cover 5 kilometres in 40-45 minutes, this you can attain gradually.
3. Once a week do 3 minutes of full body cardio workout - on 1st month only.
For cardio workout details refer to my blog titled - "Best Cardio Exercises For Mountain Trekkers" - Dated : 18th. June, 2021.
Or watch on my YOUTUBE channel - " fitnessfun50 ".
4. Once a week go for 5 minutes muscle strength workout routine for endurance - only on 2nd & 3rd months.
For endurance routine, refer to my blog titled - "Trekkers Strength Workout For Endurance" - Dated : 4th. August, 2021.
Or , watch on my YOUTUBE channel - " fitnessfun50 " .
5. I would personally suggest that, on the last week of 1st. and the 2nd month of your training you should go for a 2-3 days of short mountain trek (of altitude 500-800 meters) with ascending and descending trail for your legs to get used to, not much far from the place where you live. This is just to check your physical condition that you are in. This is how I prepare myself before my upcoming treks.
6. Daily do Deep Breathing Exercises at least once in a day (preferably in the morning), just remember that your stomach should be some what empty. This you should do during all the 2/3 months of preparation.
For deep breathing exercises, refer to my blog titled - "How To Improve Your Lung Capacity For High Altitude Treks" - Dated : 4th. July, 2021.
Or , watch on my YOUTUBE channel - " fitnessfun50 " .
a) Belly Breathing (Vasistha Pranayam) - for 5 to 10 minutes.
b) The Pressure Breath - for 5 to 10 minutes.
c) Breath Holding Technique - for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. One important recommendation is to stop any kind of training at least one week prior to departure (except deep breathing exercises) for the upcoming trek, as during this period you are most likely to get stressed out with planning the last minute things, so you do not want to stretch your body too much.
SUGGESTIVE TRAINING CHART -
1. Resistance / Weight Training : Mondays & Thursdays.
2. Walking / Jogging : Tuesdays & Fridays.
3. Cardio / Endurance Training : Saturdays.
4. Deep Breathing Exercises : Daily, even on the rest days.
5. Full Rest Days for recovery : Wednesdays & Sundays.
IMPORTANT :
💪 It is always advisable to consult your doctor / a qualified instructor before starting any new exercise routine.
💪Take minimum 20 seconds of rest between each exercise. Can sip water in between exercises.
Your valued comments, questions & suggestions in the comment section below, about this blog will be highly appreciated.
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