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PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:34 am
by Ze
bird wrote:#1 I disagree 100%, if the OP adds some (try not to read carefully...some) weight training and adds strength, I believe it will help her get to the top of Whitney (as do many other people, Twight, Shaul, etc)
#2 Again, I disagree, what makes a machine less intimidating? A good trainer can certainly make a broomstick, body bar, or empty barbell pretty non-intimidating.
#3 An advertisement? I have nothing to gain by recommending CF...I just find it very beneficial. Are you advertising bodyrecomposition.com? Which by the way has some great stuff in it. I see they are proponents of 5x5 for weightlifting, which is used by CF, and the site refers to Greg Everett, who has a long history with CF.
Anyways, CF is more than high intensity interval training, and HIIT is pertinent (as one part of a program), especially when training time is limited http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 123639.htm or http://www.naturalnews.com/028851_inter ... rcise.html as just a few examples. I am not saying this is the only way to train...but a great addition to an all around program.


#1: WHY? There actually needs to be a solid explanation. Can any of those names you mentioned provide real reasons why weight training will help? (I'm saying this assuming the person is already doing hiking or something similar for cardio training).

#2: That's just how people are. I think we'll just agree to disagree.

#3: Nope, just promoting education :) (for me too). No doubt HIIT has benefits, but they are basically being compared to "jogging" intensity. Doing sustained training and 80-95% heartrate can illicit better improvements in cardiovascular endurance (but not strength) than intervals.

If you want to tell the OP to do interval training up steep hills, then I'm all for it. 5 min of face pace hiking, 3 min rest, do over and over. That will improve cardiovascular fitness and glycogen storage. But when I initially read about weights and crossfit I'm not getting that sort of training idea...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 5:02 am
by MoapaPk
Nancy -- I just wanted to let you know that this point-counterpoint is perfectly normal on SP. Any time that someone asks for exercise advice, arguments spin off, involving lots of complicated exercise routines that most of us don't do or even understand.

While hiking the Whitney Trail is a tough endeavor, it's not the same as competing in the Tour de France or the UFC.

Re: Getting in Shape to climb Mt. Whitney

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:47 pm
by MoapaPk
Dingus Milktoast wrote:Eat often, drink more often, rest 10 minutes out of every hour, and WALK YOUR OWN PACE.


Good advice. Often the fittest person takes off like a deer, and person behind feels obligated to keep the same pace.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:22 pm
by DANNYC
I slept at the Portal the first night. Hiked to Trail Camp the next day and camped. Hiked to the summit and back to Trail camp the 3rd day. Hiked back to the portal the 4th morning. I got sick of the altitude but that is the easiest way to get to the top of Whitney.
Like they said above, keep the pace slow on the way up & rest often. That really helps.

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=54786

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:37 pm
by SoCalHiker
What works best for me to avoid altitude sickness is drinking. I usually start drinking more the day before the hike/climb and then of course during the hike/climb. I use as an indicator of sufficient water intake whether I need to pee or not. If you don't need to pee regulalrly you don't drink enough. That at least works for me.

Acclimatization of course is imporant, too, but the right schedule varies a lot from one individual to the other. You have to find what works best for you.

As others have said, good physical shape helps in general, but you don't need to pack muscles to climb Whitney (or any mountain for that matter). There are people in excellent physical shape running marathons but can't adjust to altitude.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:02 pm
by mconnell
SoCalHiker wrote:What works best for me to avoid altitude sickness is drinking. I usually start drinking more the day before the hike/climb


Me, too. If I have enough of a hangover, I don't give a shit about the altitude.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:12 pm
by kevin trieu
it should also be noted that if you go as fast as you can up and down, altitude doesn't have a chance to get you. there's a delay.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:15 pm
by SoCalHiker
kevin trieu wrote:it should also be noted that if you go as fast as you can up and down, altitude doesn't have a chance to get you. there's a delay.


that may be true for some (most?) people, but others can get symptoms very rapidly, certainly within hours.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:02 pm
by bird
Ze wrote:
bird wrote:#1 I disagree 100%, if the OP adds some (try not to read carefully...some) weight training and adds strength, I believe it will help her get to the top of Whitney (as do many other people, Twight, Shaul, etc)
#2 Again, I disagree, what makes a machine less intimidating? A good trainer can certainly make a broomstick, body bar, or empty barbell pretty non-intimidating.
#3 An advertisement? I have nothing to gain by recommending CF...I just find it very beneficial. Are you advertising bodyrecomposition.com? Which by the way has some great stuff in it. I see they are proponents of 5x5 for weightlifting, which is used by CF, and the site refers to Greg Everett, who has a long history with CF.
Anyways, CF is more than high intensity interval training, and HIIT is pertinent (as one part of a program), especially when training time is limited http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 123639.htm or http://www.naturalnews.com/028851_inter ... rcise.html as just a few examples. I am not saying this is the only way to train...but a great addition to an all around program.


#1: WHY? There actually needs to be a solid explanation. Can any of those names you mentioned provide real reasons why weight training will help? (I'm saying this assuming the person is already doing hiking or something similar for cardio training).

#2: That's just how people are. I think we'll just agree to disagree.

#3: Nope, just promoting education :) (for me too). No doubt HIIT has benefits, but they are basically being compared to "jogging" intensity. Doing sustained training and 80-95% heartrate can illicit better improvements in cardiovascular endurance (but not strength) than intervals.

If you want to tell the OP to do interval training up steep hills, then I'm all for it. 5 min of face pace hiking, 3 min rest, do over and over. That will improve cardiovascular fitness and glycogen storage. But when I initially read about weights and crossfit I'm not getting that sort of training idea...

It works for these guys and gals. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08x/wfea ... e-training
And I've had great long hard days in the mountains without any LSD training. In my experience this stuff works and I hope the OP is open minded enough to look past the Biggest loser into some more effective methods to compliment her running and hiking.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:04 pm
by mstender
bird wrote:It works for these guys and gals. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08x/wfea ... e-training
And I've had great long hard days in the mountains without any LSD training. In my experience this stuff works and I hope the OP is open minded enough to look past the Biggest loser into some more effective methods to compliment her running and hiking.


Yes, in order to day hike Whitney you definetely have to haul large rocks like the dude on the picture in your link!

Re: Getting in Shape to climb Mt. Whitney

PostPosted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:36 pm
by Zzyzx
Dingus Milktoast wrote:
nancybloomfield wrote:Last year I made it to 14,000 feet and then had to turn back and let my spouse summit alone.
I got altitude sickness along with feeling weak.
Does anyone have suggestions for a 59 year old women to get in shape to summit Mt. Whitney? Right now I am doing the Biggest Loser Boot Camp workout and running 4 miles 2 times a week. Whenever I get a chance I carry 20 lbs. in my back pack and hike hilly terrain.


Stop and rest 10 minutes out of every hour on the trail.

Drink water frequently. If bladder, well, sip frequently. If more of a canteen type of person, drink as much as you can at each 10 minute rest stop. Don't like force it and over drink though.

EAT some food, whatever you like (don't worry about space age bullshit, if you like, for example, peanut butter sandwiches and glazed donuts... take em. Its important to eat. What's not important is having the latest fad in outdoor crap food). Eat at every rest stop, even if its only 2 or 3 bites.

Walk at YOUR pace, not your partner's. Breathe through the nose most of the time. If you find yourself huffing and puffing, particularly on the lower part of the mountain, SLOW DOWN.

Lastly, at some point you have to 'push through' whatever it is that ails you, on a given hike/climb if you are going to top out. Its your decision - turn back or keep going. Stubbornness alone may get you to the top but be careful you don't spend your last internal resources (nothing left for the descent).

Eat often, drink more often, rest 10 minutes out of every hour, and WALK YOUR OWN PACE.

The exercise you're doing sounds fine to me.

DMT


Nancy, that's pretty much all you need to get to the summit of Whitney. If you have time the day before you can also drive to a higher elevation and do some easy hiking. That may help a little with acclimatization. White Mountain is one of the places where you can drive to over 10,000 feet.
Good luck with your next attempt!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 4:13 am
by chrismarks
I tired Whitney myself this year, I was pretty out of shape and had done no real climbing or hiking in almost two years. So I decided I was going to devote myself to training. Three days a week I went out running, at least once a weekend I did some hiking, and since I live in california, backpacking a legitimate option near the coast, so I threw that in as well.

I wish I did more acclimation but I do feel like I did a lot right.

I work up well before dawn and got going on the trail and that allowed me to take my sweet sweet time. I drank plenty of water along the way, probably 5 or 6 full nalgenes. I rested often, including a full hour for lunch at Outpost Camp.

I actually turned around due to my poor campon technique, but I seemed to have made the most of my poor physical condition by just going super slow and fueling myself often.

My attempt: http://www.backcountrybliss.net/2010/06/mt-whitney-main-trail-inyo-national.html

Re: Getting in Shape to climb Mt. Whitney

PostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 8:09 pm
by sierrasavages
This website has a comprehensive guide on training and nutrition specifically for Mt. Whitney.

http://sierrasavages.blogspot.com/

Re: Getting in Shape to climb Mt. Whitney

PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 5:11 am
by ChristopherFranklin
I just did the mountaineers route about a month ago I did far more training. I did two a day workouts for months, but as far as what to do on the mountain to improve your chances this is what I did.

1) Water at least 3 liters a day while climbing, then more at camp.
2) Eat! Lots of food. Not hungry? Eat anyways.
3) Start a good multi pack of vitamins, not that one a day crap. Your body is trying to produce red blood cells give it all it needs.
4) Get at least 24hrs at the base of the mountain prior to your hike and be active during that time.
5) Don't go too high too fast.

Hope that helps -Cheers