052. Mountaineer
Build power, breathe fresh air and enjoy beautiful scenery at the same time.
Hiking and climbing mountains is probably the most pleasant type of training you can think of. However, it doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. You can choose between relaxed hiking and climbing steep hills, depending on your physical condition and goals. So, put on your hiking boots and let’s go:
- Walk: Take a hike through meadows or in the woods on a well beaten path. Go for 5 miles or more and vary the hiking speed to build power. For development of strength component of power, carry additional weight in form of a backpack. To make hiking harder, go up the incline slope. The hardest form of hiking would be conquest of a mountain peak through deep snow. On steep hills, walk on all fours – go uphill in “bear walk” style (facing ground) and downhill in “crab walk” style (facing sky).
- Run: Just like hiking, rather do it on a well beaten path for safety reasons. Increased running speed will build power. Run up the hills to quickly deplete energy and build cardio condition. If you decide to sprint, do only 2-3 very fast sprints over short distance no longer then 100 yards on horizontal trails and no longer then 50 yards on uphill slopes. Avoid running downhill, to avoid ankle injury or falling down on your nose.
- Jump: You can jump over streams or fallen trees, but you can also imagine some obstacle and jump over it several times. Give your best effort to build power.
- Olympic Lift: Use your backpack or any other heavy object you find around (a stone on the trail or wooden log in the forest). Lift it in Olympic style several times.
- Sit-Up: Lay down on the grass and do sit ups. You may anchor your feet or ask someone to hold them. Fast sit ups will build explosiveness.
Alternatives to hiking and mountaineering include rock climbing and vertical stair climber machine. Climbing up the artificial cliff with safety gear and under expert supervision is relatively safe, but real rock climbing in wilderness is quite dangerous and certainly not for everyone. On the other side, rock climbing can not make athletes powerful, because there is not much speed involved. Heavier athletes will experience grip failure way too early, much before larger muscles get even warmed up. Therefore, you can forget rock climbing all together, if power is your goal, regardless of type of rock (natural or artificial). Machines that simulate climbing, like stair climber, are totally safe and practical for indoor training. The only risk for men is probability of being named as “sissy” and other degrading names by regular gym rats.
