Prior to embarking on any training programme you should seek clearance from a trusted and qualified medical professional to see if you are healthy and fit enough to partake in it. You should also seek professional coaching in order to safely learn the movements. Immediately stop all exercise if you feel dizzy or weak. It is your responsibility to safeguard against risk.
Episode 2
Phase One
This is a preparation phase, and it lasts about eight weeks. Some people call it ‘training for training’. I have been a bit out of shape for a while so that is in part why this phase exists and is as long as it is. Were I fitter this step could be shorter or probably even eliminated. The purpose is to develop some foundational elements that will support the next phases. The training is very all-purpose in nature; however it focuses on two specific areas: General Strength and Basic Cardiorespiratory fitness. We will not be doing any high end rock climbing on this trip, so training for things like grip strength are not so critical. Likewise so called ‘core’ strength only needs to be developed as it pertains to holistically keeping all of the other parts harmonized.
Strength
I do this workout twice a week. It comprises of a series of roughly 8 exercises done in a modified circuit format. Each exercise alternates between lower body and upper body and is done for mostly 8 to 10 reps each with several exceptions. I go from each exercise to the next with zero or minimal rest. The 8 are: Step-ups with weight, Pull-ups on rock rings, Bulgarian Split Squats, Push-up variations, Bodyweight Squat variations, Dip variations, Wall Squats, Aussie Pull-ups on rock rings. After this circuit I do 5 Turkish get-ups per side and 100 kettlebell swings (50 per side). Approximately every two weeks I add one set of the circuit, resting about 2-3 minutes between sets. Currently I have just added my second set. The Turkish get-ups, and kettlebell swings are only done once and at the end of the last set. These strength days are done with one or two days between them as conditions dictate. As far as the actual effort goes, this is what I do… I pick a weight or a bodyweight variation that leaves me with 2 or 3 reps in the tank. It’s not about pure strength and it’s certainly not about training to failure.
Aerobic
Mountaineering and Alpine Climbing require a big and reliable motor and gas tank. You need to intake and process oxygen as efficiently as possible. Your heart, lungs, circulatory system, and muscles all play an important role in that process. It’s simple really. In the end you need to be able to go uphill all day long as fast as possible; punctuated with bursts of even greater effort. So to do this you must intelligently blend how you train. Recall that this is preparation and foundational so there is no need to bust a gut here. The real key is consistency. During this phase I am doing 2 sessions of about 30 minutes each where I am working at no more than 75% of my maximum heart rate. I do 1 long session of just over an hour at the same heart rate. And I do 1 session of about 35 minutes where I am looking to clock in at 85%. Any remaining work is at less than 75%. Right about now this all adds up to about 4 hours per week not including any climbing I can fit in. (it’s supposed to be about climbing after all) By spring this needs to increase to be around 6 hours per week. Depending upon conditions I run, cycle or do box steps. The other night for instance… it was -12C and snowing so it was perfect for running.
Flexibility
You just gotta be flexible. And I don’t mean yoga or touching your toes (although for overall health and fitness that is pretty important too). What I mean is that just as those who ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’; those who live by the schedule die by the schedule. Things come up all of the time. Work, travel, sickness, injury, family commitments, late night booze-up’s, etc. You need to be sublimely adaptive and flexible in order to not lose too much ground in your training. Plus you need to be exceptionally wary about overcompensating if you do face a setback, because often times you run the risk of going even further astray. You need a variety of options that you can pull from when things aren’t all going the way you had planned.
I will keep you posted as the plan unfolds.
To be continued…..