Post by: Madpigslayer on February 19, 2008, 02:06:00 PM
The price of some of these hunts deserves an honest attempt at physical fitness I think...and gives a cardio-challenged desk jockey a decent reason to get out there and do the work.
Your Thoughts?
Post by: Steve O on February 19, 2008, 02:22:00 PM
1. Walked the dog 5 miles every morning
2. Went to the gym every chance I could and did at least 40 minutes on the elipical machine. For a previous sheep hunt I did the stair climber, and noticed when I got back and tried the eliptical machine, the same muscles were sore that were sore after backpacking out heavy loads.
3. Lift weights for the whold body, not just legs.
4. Climb any hill you have at home with a 80# pack as often as you can for an hour. Start with 20# (or 10 Kilos ;) ) and build up.
This allowed me to do everthing I wanted in the mountains at 11-14000 feet. I'm 39 if that matters.
Post by: John Nail on February 19, 2008, 02:35:00 PM
do all that while breathing through a small straw....
Post by: Firstarrow on February 19, 2008, 02:48:00 PM
I need to do that again!!! Cause as a desk jockey I'm gettin' way too portly.
Post by: Leef on February 19, 2008, 03:09:00 PM
Post by: Jack Shanks on February 19, 2008, 03:46:00 PM
I'm 55 and retired so I have time to do this though.
Post by: Madpigslayer on February 19, 2008, 04:05:00 PM
Jack, are you saying that every other day you do both? How fast on the elliptical? (I havent used one yet, thought that the treadmill might have been better...have to try it now)
Are these kinds of excersises in the full time rotation, or are they just a couple months before the trip? the last month before the trip, do you amp up a bit?
what about that altitude? I live at 1,049m (3441), how does that compare with you guys? Can we prepare for the altitude as well?
Post by: John Scifres on February 19, 2008, 04:29:00 PM
Hi. Hope all is well with you and Hailey.
Sheep hunting huh? Cardio and pack work are the most important. Get accustomed to the altitude before you go hunting. A couple easy days at 8000 feet will do wonders.
I am going to Idaho in Septmber again. Here's my workout schedule:
Morning calasthenics: stretches, jumping jacks, situps, pushups and light upper body. 5x per week
Lunch/Evening: Either stairmaster, eliptical, treadmill for 20-30 minutes, then alternate upper and lower body workouts including abs and back. When weather permits I prefer trail running/hiking with pack. I started with 25 pounds and add 5 pounds per month. My end goal is 50 pounds, 4 miles, one hour. I'm way off so far.
Have fun. If you don't enjoy it, you won't do it. Don't overtrain. Mix it up.
John
Post by: selfbowyer on February 19, 2008, 05:21:00 PM
If you use only the treadmill for your training, for a sheep hunt, you are going to have problems.
Living in the city there are a lot of building with stairs. Do all the stair work you can, along with the treadmill, and with some type of pack. Nothing is worse then spending all that money and not be in good enough shape to enjoy the hunt. Also you mentioned, or somebody did, if this training was just a couple of months before the hunt. To do a high alt. sheep hunt you need to be training all year. Good Luck Glenn
Post by: bowfiend on February 19, 2008, 05:22:00 PM
Say that you've identified a ram and a route to put you in a position for a stalk or an ambush. Where you want to be is 2000 vertical feet and a 1/2 mile west in the drainage. Unless the rams are bedded you're not going to be able to take 2 hours to get there. SO... Set out to gain 2000 vertical feet while carrying a hunting weight pack in "X" minutes.
I'm not gym bound, but I always time myself and set goals for specific map locales while scouting and hiking.
Post by: Duckbutt on February 19, 2008, 05:39:00 PM
Post by: Jack Shanks on February 19, 2008, 06:33:00 PM
I have gone on a mountain hunt the last three years and have another one scheduled for this September. Although I have promised myself I would start daily work outs earlier each year, truth is I have waited until late February or early March to begin training each time. Once I get started I'm pretty committed though.
Three years ago when I was still working I had access to the company gym so I was able to use the weight equipment there. I tried to do 30 minutes on the eliptical daily and a half hour weight training every other day. Once I retired I lost the use of the gym equipment but increased the time on the home eliptical until I was doing one hour daily at the highest resistance. I started out at a half hour every other day at a moderate resistance and worked my way up to one hour a day at the higest resistance. I try to average 45 revolutions a minute once I'm at the highest setting.
Steve O and I trained together a few times last year for our sheep hunts. He had a hill by his house and I had the school bleachers by mine we did with weighted backpacks. Actually I think the bleachers were the biggest help to me. All I had to do was throw on my pack and head across the street every other evening. I'm not saying it was fun but just like the eliptical it got to be a routine. I won't start the backpack workouts until April or May. Right now the bleachers are covered in a foot of snow.
I also plan on adding a piece of weight training equipment in the basement once my daughter moves all her stuff from there in a couple weeks. Right now there is no room for it. I'm not one for going to the gym much.
Post by: Killdeer on February 19, 2008, 08:06:00 PM
:scared: :eek: :scared: :eek: :scared:
Killdeer :smileystooges:
Post by: AkDan on February 19, 2008, 08:08:00 PM
Once you are about done with this I would continue the program and add in more biking.
I stay away from ground pounding as much as possible for more then a few reasons. The biggest is your knees are going to take it on the hunt in a bad bad way. You do need to work on them but the reality of it is, they are not a muscle, you need to work the muscles around it.
After biking or maybe rotating with biking I'd add some good natured backpacking up and down hill. If you plan on carrying 50lbs I'd go to 75 and the last month or so train once every now and then with a heavy heavy pack.
The biggest thing is to be stubborn enough to dream of that big ram and have the motivation to go after him. This is the first step!
Post by: Jeff Holchin on February 19, 2008, 08:47:00 PM
Post by: jrchambers on February 19, 2008, 08:54:00 PM
Post by: Terry Green on February 19, 2008, 08:56:00 PM
Post by: Steve O on February 19, 2008, 09:06:00 PM
If you have stairs in your office building USE THEM...stairs are great.
I think the eliptical is MUCH better than the treadmill. Nothing beats the hills, bleachers, or stairs.
Post by: Brian Krebs on February 19, 2008, 09:16:00 PM
:D
I Live in bighorn sheep country; and I had a neighbor that retired early from his job; bought a house up here; where he could go to several sheep areas everyday if he wanted.
He jogged; he went on hikes several times a week; he attended classes on judging trohpy sheep; he put in year after year after year for a coveted bighorn tag.
He went to the grand canyon; and with a heavy load on his back; walked up and down to the canyons top and bottom; and did it for weeks; just to get in shape.
He found sheep in remote spots; found ways in to where he could hunt them; all the while with a heavy pack to get himself ready for his sheep hunt.
He finally got his tag!
He put his house up for sale and sold it.
He spent all his time in the back country following huge rams everyday.
He scouted and scouted somemore; and opening day--- he didn't see any sheep.
He hunted the next day the next day; only coming out of the wilderness to get more food; and then back in for more hunting; and he failed to see a single ram.
On the last day of his hunt; he walked out to the trailhead; and unloaded his pack into his truck.
Next to the truck was a bighorn ram feeding.
He shot it.
Good luck on your getting into sheep shape !!
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :banghead:
Post by: bayoulongbowman on February 19, 2008, 09:23:00 PM
Post by: Labs4me on February 19, 2008, 09:28:00 PM
If I read your post correctly, you were inquiring as to what kind of shape one should aspire to be in for a hypothetical sheep hunt? Is this correct?
As a reluctant marathoner and a seasoned backpacker, I can tell you that there is a big difference between being in good cardio-vascular shape and being in backpacking (sheep hunting) shape. I can also say with absolute certainty that I could throw a 50 pound backpack on the back of most marathoners who are in race day shape, and they would still have an absolutely miserable time on the first 3-4 days of a ten day backpacking trip in the mountains. Being a good swimmer does not mean you are in good biking shape. And being in good biking shape does not prepare one to run a marathon. And similarly, being a tri-athlete does not necessarily prepare one for hours and days hiking up and down and up again in mountain country. Being a flat-lander I learned this the hard way over 28 years ago.
The only way to really prepare yourself for backpacking - or sheep hunting - is to throw a backpack on your shoulders (and hips) and hit the road - better yet, a local trail - beginning several months before your trip. If you want to enjoy all ten days of a ten day backpacking (sheep hunting) trip and not just the last six days, it's imperative to log lots of miles with a backpack on your back beforehand. Carrying a backpack - enjoyably - requires using "stabilizing" muscles that we typically do not have to rely on in our day to day lives. For sure, using Micro-Soft Word, Power Point, Excel, ect. will not work these muscles.
As important or perhaps more important than training your heart, lungs and legs, I would strongly recommend working your mid-section. Yuppies now refer to this area as your "core"- but really, it's o.k to call these muscles your mid-section (Hip flexors, abs, obliques, serratus and lower back). Sit-ups, crunches, knees-to chest, side-bends and bent-over, broom stick twists will still work these muscles. So don't fall for the infomercials you see on t.v. the first couple months of each year. You do not need to purchase a "buns-of-steel", pretty pink, "core" power ball to work this area of your body. Maybe start with seven reps of each, just seven reps of each and increase by one rep each week per exercise. In this manner, you'll be performing 50 reps of each exercise by the end of the year. By then, without struggling through or dreading your "core" work, you'll have developed a very strong mid section (sorry yuppies) and this, as much as having a strong heart, lungs and legs will help ensure that you are ready to chase sheep or anything else you desire up the mountain of your choice.
Post by: Steve O on February 19, 2008, 09:38:00 PM
Post by: R.W. on February 19, 2008, 09:45:00 PM
Hay, you is in ALberta. Go to the Crowsnest Pass, or Nordegg, etc, every weekend you can.
Take your hunting pack, when you get to the bottom of the mountain, walk west, till you are heading back downhill.
Couple of weekends of that, and you will know what shape you need to be in, and, if you have the energy to look around, as you haul yourself up the mountain, you may even find some good spots to actually HUNT sheep! :bigsmyl:
A wise old native hunter once told me "It is hard to sneak up on sheep, when they can hear your *ss dragging from 5 miles down the mountain!" :thumbsup:
Are you going after sheep in Alberta, or elsewhere?
Anyway, you will see some beautiful country up there. All the best on your upcoming sheep hunt.
Post by: AkDan on February 20, 2008, 04:13:00 AM
I enjoy being there much much more then I enjoy getting ready on the workout side of the house. But then the thought of a big ram just over the next ridge....well I keep telling myself that way, now when I get ride of this pony keg.................cough cough ;)
Post by: Labs4me on February 20, 2008, 10:22:00 AM
I know what you're saying. For sure, hunting/backpacking adventures and misadventures are almost always more enjoyable in retrospect. I speculate that old age would be much less enjoyable if this was not the case. But really, if someone has taken the time to train for a special hunt/trip in the same manner that an athlete would train for any important event, it is entirely possible to enjoy an arduous hunt in the moment. But we're sort of drifting away from the original intent of this post.
Madpigslayer- first of all, if you've been getting after it since November give yourself some much deserved credit. :notworthy: A successful, lasting exercise program is at least 60 percent mental discipline. Most people who quit, quit out of boredom or as the result of setting an unrealistic goal that by design, leaves them feeling disappointed with their results at about the three month point.
Think back to your level of conditioning when you started and compare that to where you are today. Certainly you've made noticeable improvement and measurable gains (or losses) over the past few months. Now think about Spring being just around the corner. Consider just how much more fit you'll be when Spring does arrive for having began your training back in November! Use the coming of Spring as an opportunity to motivate yourself. Set a very short term, realistic fitness goal that you can achieve by March 20th- the first day of Spring. By then, you'll have navigated past the dreaded three month point in your program in which many tend to throw in the towel. Once the first day of Spring arrives, establish another achievable fitness goal for, say, June 1st. And so on.
A half hour of cardio anything (your choice) six days a week, plus another 10-15 minutes of what I refer to as a "floor exercises" to keep your mid-section strong (push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, knees-to-chest, side-bends and broom-stick twists) will keep virtually anyone in excellent overall shape. Work into a program like this gradually over the course of about a year and it will become something that you actually look forward to doing.
Post by: Steve O on February 20, 2008, 11:10:00 AM
I think we understand each other...
Having a hunt to go on is a key motivator for me...I do not put 100% effort into it without a hunt to look forward to, so I've been slipping since Thnaksgiving
!["[dntthnk]"]("graemlins/dntthnk.gif" "\"\"")
. I've got no stenuous hunts coming up this year (unless I draw a sheep tag...cross your fingers) but I am definitely going to try to keep fit (not sheep shape; that is a rediculous level of fitness) so it is not as hard to jump to the next level.SO
Post by: centaur on February 20, 2008, 11:13:00 AM
Post by: Lytic on February 20, 2008, 12:12:00 PM
Post by: Mark Baker on February 20, 2008, 12:40:00 PM
Post by: jrchambers on February 20, 2008, 01:21:00 PM
Post by: Deadbolt on February 20, 2008, 01:41:00 PM
You need to be physically strong to be able to sustaint he work load btu at the same time your bodyies aerobic state needs to withstand the demand with that much anerobic workload. I could easily run 1 mile in 10 minutes and barely be winded at the end...now if you were to throw a 80 pack on me right now I sure wouldn't get 8 minutes and I'm sure I'd be huffing and puffing.
For my training I did alot of weight baring circuit work...builds your aerobic and anerobic resistance up. Little rest between exercises and just kept pushing myself. Thats one routine though that I did for months prior to the exam. The month or two directly prior to my exam I didn't even workout i trained specific movements. I would hold my buddy on my back and run the stadium steps at the high school 3x week. My training on the treadmill was at the highests elevation.
If you can get outside though I would recomend it running on the treadmill and running outside are twototally different things.
Also try and find a way to prep for the O2 deficiency...that straw idea is a good one.
Post by: Labs4me on February 20, 2008, 02:13:00 PM
:confused: :eek: :confused: :scared: :confused: :bigsmyl: :biglaugh:
I've always found the comment comparing a treadmill workout to an outside workout interesting. As with most things, I imagine it is just a matter of personal perspective. I personally have always found outside work to be much easier and enjoyable from both a mental and physical standpoint compared to the monotony of training on a treadmill.
Post by: Bowshot on February 20, 2008, 03:35:00 PM
The stair climber/elliptical/ treadmill stuff creates a base to improve from, you still need to hike with a pack to prep the rest of your body. These guys are omitting the best part. After hiking and climbing all day, practice sleeping on a rock or under a tree on a root and rock combo. Do that for a few days while eating nothing but smokies, granola bars and chocolate bars, you should be able to judge for yourself if you are in "Sheep Shape"
Terry
Post by: Labs4me on February 20, 2008, 04:27:00 PM
So you've been out and about once or twice. Best point so far! :thumbsup: :clapper:
Post by: Dingus on February 20, 2008, 08:03:00 PM
Getting the muscles ready is great. Lots of good ideas posted already. The thing that is hard to prep for is the lack of “air”. If you are use to lower altitudes, your blood, initially, doesn’t have the capacity it needs to carry the oxygen, once you arrive at altitude. It takes a while to build up the red blood cells. While training, breath through your nose as much as possible. Fool your body a bit and it’ll start building up the red blood cells. Allow as much time on the front end of your trip as you can, to acclimate. And drink a bunch of water!
G'luck!
Dingus
Post by: Bowshot on February 20, 2008, 08:33:00 PM
Terry
Post by: Steve O on February 20, 2008, 09:19:00 PM
http://www.wildsheep.org/pdf/high_altitude.pdf
Post by: Jack Shanks on February 20, 2008, 10:00:00 PM
You at least have the advantage of living in a province that has mountains to climb for training. Us guys with all the advice from Michigan are a little short on those.
I beleive there are many sheep areas in Alberta where the elevation won't be as much of a factor. The only experience I have in sheep country in Alberta was west of Nordegg and I'm not certain of the altitude we were at. I know I've elk hunted at over ten thousand feet in Colorado where breathing was much more difficult.
Good luck on your training and better luck on your sheep hunt.
Post by: Madpigslayer on February 21, 2008, 12:11:00 PM
As mentioned I live in Alberta
http://www.apos.ab.ca/pages/bighorn.htm
and as such dont need to worry about the draw...
http://www.albertaregulations.ca/huntingregs/ (goto Gig Game, then Mountain Seasons-400's)
I just need Leo and Doug to get up here and help me out! (smile) I have until September it looks like to get this thing going, I was also tossed up with maybe a BC goat, or a Yukon Dall Ram, but think I will settle on 410 (archery only) zone for Bighorn this fall.
God, I got a lot of work to do! I am going shopping for a pack right after lunch, good info here...feel free to post your pictures if you would like! (more motivation!)
cheers, calvin
Post by: John Scifres on February 21, 2008, 12:25:00 PM
Post by: Madpigslayer on February 21, 2008, 12:34:00 PM
Post by: Madpigslayer on February 22, 2008, 11:40:00 AM
there is the backpack I bought...seemed the best compromise. I stopped at the fitness depot on the way by, bought 4 25lb. plates...plan being to start with 25 pounds, then add another plate every month or two. Maybe hike a few miles a week. (In addition to the other training) I read that goat thread...
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=050579
...and now find myself with no problem going to the gym! DANG that looks cool! And to think...that is only a few hours from my house!
Gotta run to the gym now, cheers! :)
Post by: Lost Arra on February 22, 2008, 12:55:00 PM
I use 25# bags of feed or dog food. I'm able to distribute weight like I would my gear.
Post by: John Scifres on February 22, 2008, 01:37:00 PM
On edownside, I used wet sand a couple months back and it froze in the back of my car in bewtween workouts. Made for a pretty uncomfortable ride until it defrosted a bit :)