Hey lads,

new here, long time browser, first time poster!

Figured here would be a good spot to post.

Myself and a few mates are climbing Kilimanjaro and Elbrus back to back at the end of July/beginning of August. I'm looking for a bit of advice for training, not just for it but in general. I've been climbing on and off the last four years, mostly in the Alps and Scotland on holidays (for the winter stuff) and I do plenty of scrambling and hiking at the weekends back home in Ireland so I'm not a complete beginner.

Around 5'10, 135lbs, reasonably fit. Currently in my last semester of college so life is impacting a bit on training but I run 2-3 times a week (usually around 6k) as well as do some light weights and hike at the weekends (usually around 12-14k). Its hard to get the time for it but on the plus side I live around 2k from the college so at the very least I get to stroll 4-5k daily (not a complete slug yet!) I'll be getting more free time in the next couple of weeks so really hoping to step it up a notch.

Basically if anyone has any pointers on building for overall fitness and strength, I'd welcome it.

Sounds like you're doing well. Some weighted step ups, hill repeats, general leg and core conditioning is your best approach. You're as thin as you're going to want to be.....5-10 135 translates to little body fat. Your hill hikes and long runs are your best bet....carry a heavy pack on your hikes and do long strenuous uphills. You're well on your way. I'll do interval training on hills by doing 3 repeats at normal pace and then doing one as high intensity.....that's gives your lungs more of a workout. Push your longer once a week hikes to 5-7 hours in duration at 3mph minimum pace. Try to do as much as possible with a 30-40lb pack but work up to that load....I've seen so many people fail to train with a load similar to what they'll be carrying and they end up regretting it.

i have to say hands down my most useful exercise is swimming. it's non-impact, a total body workout, especially focusing on the core, and is great for cardio fitness (my resting heart rate is somewhere around 50). the other vital benefit of swimming is that it forces you to regulate your breathing. this makes your body more oxygen efficient, which in turns helps at altitude.

i also do interval workouts, and spend a lot of time on the step mill, but even doing an apples to apples comparison (same number of workouts, same length, same number of caloric burn, etc) i notice a huge difference in my altitude performance in step mill only training vs step mill and swimming.

this obviously does not take into account hill training, nor does it take into account weight training, both of which are important.

a sample week's workouts for me might look like:

mon - long step mill workout (45 - 75 minutes)
tue - light weights (45 - 60 minutes)
wed - interval step mill workout
thu - light swim (1600 - 2400 meters)
fri - off
sat - hiking (usually 12 - 15+ miles with 4k - 5k+ gain, always to above 10k' elevation) or long swim (3200 - 5600m)
sun - light recovery swim if hiked sat (1600 - 2400m), or off if swam sat

Cheers Wyoming.

Had a rough 'aul day today. Five of us were out on the Galtys. 40-50MPH wind, we were buffeted the entire way. Did around 9 miles in 5 hours, elevation gain about 3700ft (its fun converting back from metric ). This being Ireland, lots of driving sleet, hail and rain the whole way! Fun times.

Good stuff, I'll try and get out each weekend then and increase my run length. I guess I'm worried abit but I suppose better to be worried and prepare than not do anything at all!

Weight in the back is what I'll start moving up a notch, I'll break into it slowly so I dont do myself any damage.

I've been recommended swimming alright Brichardsson. You seem to do a fairly decent distance. Is this your standard workout or are you training for something in particular?

5'10 135?

Put on some size IMO. EAT and hit the weights.

Rapparee wrote:I've been recommended swimming alright Brichardsson. You seem to do a fairly decent distance. Is this your standard workout or are you training for something in particular?

just the hills, man, just the hills. i just really like that i can work out for 2 hours plus and not feel like i'm melting on the inside 20 minutes into it. i run REALLY warm, so ten minutes into a stepmill workout i'm hotter than hell and sweating profusely. but with swimming, i can get out of the pool, change my trunks, and just get in the car and drive home.

i also find it extremely relaxing. on long swims, i just get in a zone so to speak. i can blow through 3200m easy enough, and if i don't hike on a weekend, i'll go all out and it's not unsual for me to do 4800m or more (4800m takes me about 2 hours).

What I did for Orizaba.

5 days on. 2 days off.

Mon - 10 min row warm up. 3 - 4 sets chest and tri workout 20-30 reps for endurance (superset). 1 mile run at high intensity + stairmaster for 30 min at low, med, high, med, high intensity.

Mon alternate - 5 mile trail run w 1200 ft of gain. Weights above after.

Tues - 10 min row warm up. 3-4 sets back / bi workout 20-30 reps for endurance (superset). 1 mile run at high intensity + stairmaster for 30 min at low, med, high, med, high intensity.

Tues alternate - same as as Mon alternate.

Wed - Off. But I usually hike anyway

Thurs - 10 min row warm up. Kettle bells, deadlift, squats, high reps for endurance. Core - back extensions, weighted ab exercises. Same cardio routine as above.

Fri - repeat Mon.

Sat - Hike - 10 - 20 miles min. I try to run what I can. 5-10 K gain min.

Sun - Off

Multi Day Climbing trips - Whitney MR, Baldy, full 80L pack.

Takes me about 2hrs:10 min - 2hrs:20 min to do 6k in 6 miles.

drManhattan wrote:5'10 135?

Put on some size IMO. EAT and hit the weights.

^^^ This ^^^
Check out www.mtnathlete.com
Read this http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/eve ... 504?page=3

IMO you have a huge opportunity to learn and build amazing fitness for life that will also serve you well in the mountains.

FWIW, I don't doubt that swimming works for brichardson, but I've never heard of an elite mountaineer or climber or even any of the dozens of people I've met and climbed with that base their training on swimming. That is an outlier method for sure.

bird wrote:FWIW, I don't doubt that swimming works for brichardson, but I've never heard of an elite mountaineer or climber or even any of the dozens of people I've met and climbed with that base their training on swimming. That is an outlier method for sure.

who said base?

it's part of an overall package that includes intense cardio (using the stepmill), interval training (again using the stepmill), weights, and hiking.

so i guess if you define "having a varied workout routine that covers many different aspects of training and activities so that both you and your muscles don't get bored" as being an "outlier method", then i can't argue with you. otherwise your comment was nonsensical because no one suggested what you were responding to.

IMO.. swimming is a great add into the regiment. Swimming is def not the base. Looks like he swims 2 times a week.

brichardsson wrote:i have to say hands down my most useful exercise is swimming.

You did.

benefit of swimming is to help strengthen respiratory muscles to help keep blood oxygen as saturated as possible. A useful secondary (but not primary) exercise.

bird wrote:

brichardsson wrote:i have to say hands down my most useful exercise is swimming.

You did.

useful. not base. not primary. not only. not anything else. useful. for exactly the reasons stated.

brichardsson wrote:

bird wrote:

brichardsson wrote:i have to say hands down my most useful exercise is swimming.

You did.

useful. not base. not primary. not only. not anything else. useful. for exactly the reasons stated.

C'mon "Hands down my most useful exercise is swimming"
I agree with you that it is a supplementary exercise, no argument there. But you have to admit, that in training, I think one would base their plan on their most useful exercise.
Saying in effect, the base of my training is my second or third most useful exercise is nonsensical. So either you were mistaken in your first post and swimming is not your most useful exercise, or your base training is nonsensical and focused on a less useful exercise. Your choice.

bird wrote:I agree with you that it is a supplementary exercise, no argument there. But you have to admit, that in training, I think one would base their plan on their most useful exercise.
Saying in effect, the base of my training is my second or third most useful exercise is nonsensical. So either you were mistaken in your first post and swimming is not your most useful exercise, or your base training is nonsensical and focused on a less useful exercise. Your choice.

i would suggest that you look up "useful" in a dictionary. then i would suggest that you close the dictionary, turn off your computer, and go find something more meaningful to fill your life than arguing minutiae when it appears that reading comprehension might not be your strongest subject.