I've just come back from a hike in the Lake District - 7 miles or so onto the very top of Grasmoor, an overnight stay, and 7 miles or so back down. Five of us each with ~14kg packs each. This was by way of an equipment / fitness test for a longer trip up in Scotland.
So in the course of the trip, it's become apparent that on the way up, I'm not fit enough to do much more than 7 miles on that terrain, with that weight. This is a problem I cab solve relatively easily.
On the way *down* I have a different problem; both knees are a bit buggered, so my progress was slow and awkward. Some of this is a fitness issue again, but some of it is strength - I felt a bit off balance and tense most of the way.
Does anyone have recommendations for specific exercises to target the muscles involved and get me up to speed? I suspect some of it's psychological, and I just need to get a few tumbles out of the road, but I *do* have knee problems. If it makes any difference, I'm 6' 4" and 16st 5lbs (or so).
Second question is that although my brother fair scampers down, he's slow on the ascent. He's also 6'4, and more like 18st, but that's mostly muscle and he's *very* strong and much fitter than I am. He does a *lot* of cycling, running, training etc. but he seemingly can't get enough breath on the way up and can't work out why.
Any suggestions there? Are those breathing trainers any good?
> On the way *down* I have a different problem; both knees are a bit > buggered, > so my progress was slow and awkward. Some of this is a fitness issue > again, > but some of it is strength - I felt a bit off balance and tense most of > the > way.
> Does anyone have recommendations for specific exercises to target the > muscles involved and get me up to speed? I suspect some of it's > psychological, and I just need to get a few tumbles out of the road, but I > *do* have knee problems. If it makes any difference, I'm 6' 4" and 16st > 5lbs (or so).
Are you using hiking poles? If not, you should use them to help your knees.
> > On the way *down* I have a different problem; both knees are a bit > > buggered, > > so my progress was slow and awkward. Some of this is a fitness issue > > again, > > but some of it is strength - I felt a bit off balance and tense most of > > the > > way.
> > Does anyone have recommendations for specific exercises to target the > > muscles involved and get me up to speed? I suspect some of it's > > psychological, and I just need to get a few tumbles out of the road, but I > > *do* have knee problems. If it makes any difference, I'm 6' 4" and 16st > > 5lbs (or so).
> Are you using hiking poles? If not, you should use them to help your knees.
Thanks, someone else made that suggestion, and I think I may give them a spin.
> I've just come back from a hike in the Lake District - 7 miles or so onto > the very top of Grasmoor, an overnight stay, and 7 miles or so back down. > Five of us each with ~14kg packs each. This was by way of an equipment / > fitness test for a longer trip up in Scotland.
> So in the course of the trip, it's become apparent that on the way up, I'm > not fit enough to do much more than 7 miles on that terrain, with that > weight. This is a problem I cab solve relatively easily.
> On the way *down* I have a different problem; both knees are a bit buggered, > so my progress was slow and awkward. Some of this is a fitness issue again, > but some of it is strength - I felt a bit off balance and tense most of the > way.
> Does anyone have recommendations for specific exercises to target the > muscles involved and get me up to speed? I suspect some of it's > psychological, and I just need to get a few tumbles out of the road, but I > *do* have knee problems. If it makes any difference, I'm 6' 4" and 16st > 5lbs (or so).
Sean.
I found that asymmetric squats as well as general leg strength work was the answer for me.
My physio gave me the squat exercises which build up lateral strength.These consisted of turning a leg at 30 degress and doing single leg squats,starting at 10 or so on each leg, several times a day. To this I added a fair bit of work with leg extensions, curls and a lot of solid work on a bike & stair climber.
Like I said, it worked for me and I'm 190cm, 110kg and 55 years of age.
> Second question is that although my brother fair scampers down, he's slow on > the ascent. He's also 6'4, and more like 18st, but that's mostly muscle and > he's *very* strong and much fitter than I am. He does a *lot* of cycling, > running, training etc. but he seemingly can't get enough breath on the way > up and can't work out why.
> Any suggestions there? Are those breathing trainers any good?
On Apr 27, 11:32 am, Sean Inglis <inva...@invalid.invalid> wrote: [snip]
> Any suggestions there? Are those breathing trainers any good?
For going up hill, the best exercise I've found is, no surprise, going up hill.
I used to live near a 200 foot hill. I'd hike up and down it. When I'm doing well I can do five round trips in an hour, and do three hours straight of that, with a 5 minute rest each hour. The idea is to get your heart rate into the zone for the hike, and keep it there for at least an hour. Try to practice in temperatures similar to your intended hiking place.
Pat suggested a hiking pole. I second that. There are many levels of expense for such things. I bought a pair of "Atlas" snowshoe poles and took the flanges off. (Well, actually, I snowshoed with them till I accidentally ripped off one flange, then demoted them to summer hiking and bought a new pair.) They were about $70 the pair. My current pole is closing in on 2000 km.
For going down hill I find that swinging your hips is essential. You swing your bum around to get the downhill leg farther down hill. This lengthens your stride and decreases impact. But the expense is that it puts you off balance a bit. Thus the pole is important. You should practice this a while before you get to the top of a monster hill. Socks
Sean Inglis <inva...@invalid.invalid> writes: > I've just come back from a hike in the Lake District - 7 miles or so onto > the very top of Grasmoor, an overnight stay, and 7 miles or so back down. > Five of us each with ~14kg packs each. This was by way of an equipment / > fitness test for a longer trip up in Scotland.
> So in the course of the trip, it's become apparent that on the way up, I'm > not fit enough to do much more than 7 miles on that terrain, with that > weight. This is a problem I cab solve relatively easily.
> On the way *down* I have a different problem; both knees are a bit buggered, > so my progress was slow and awkward. Some of this is a fitness issue again, > but some of it is strength - I felt a bit off balance and tense most of the > way.
> Does anyone have recommendations for specific exercises to target the > muscles involved and get me up to speed? I suspect some of it's > psychological, and I just need to get a few tumbles out of the road, but I > *do* have knee problems. If it makes any difference, I'm 6' 4" and 16st > 5lbs (or so).
If your knees will allow it, Hindu squats are very good. See
for a description. Hindu pushups, described on the same site, are easier on the knees and are (surprisingly) a good leg exercise: the pull back to the starting position works the leg adductors and the glutes.
If you have access to a kettlebell, I like kettlebell swings even better, and they can be done with bad knees. See
or just search on "kettlebell swing". As an alternative to a kettlebell, you can get or make a T-strap and swing ordinary weight plates, or get a gallon plastic jug and fill it with sand or water.
> Second question is that although my brother fair scampers down, he's slow on > the ascent. He's also 6'4, and more like 18st, but that's mostly muscle and > he's *very* strong and much fitter than I am. He does a *lot* of cycling, > running, training etc. but he seemingly can't get enough breath on the way > up and can't work out why.
> Any suggestions there? Are those breathing trainers any good?
If he cycles and runs his wind should be good. If you were hiking at a higher altitude he may have trouble adjusting to that.
Jim Janney wrote: > Sean Inglis <inva...@invalid.invalid> writes:
>> I've just come back from a hike in the Lake District - 7 miles or so onto >> the very top of Grasmoor, an overnight stay, and 7 miles or so back down. >> Five of us each with ~14kg packs each. This was by way of an equipment / >> fitness test for a longer trip up in Scotland.
>> So in the course of the trip, it's become apparent that on the way up, >> I'm not fit enough to do much more than 7 miles on that terrain, with >> that weight. This is a problem I cab solve relatively easily.
>> On the way *down* I have a different problem; both knees are a bit >> buggered, so my progress was slow and awkward. Some of this is a fitness >> issue again, but some of it is strength - I felt a bit off balance and >> tense most of the way.
>> Does anyone have recommendations for specific exercises to target the >> muscles involved and get me up to speed? I suspect some of it's >> psychological, and I just need to get a few tumbles out of the road, but >> I *do* have knee problems. If it makes any difference, I'm 6' 4" and 16st >> 5lbs (or so).
> If your knees will allow it, Hindu squats are very good. See
> for a description. Hindu pushups, described on the same site, are > easier on the knees and are (surprisingly) a good leg exercise: the > pull back to the starting position works the leg adductors and the > glutes.
> If you have access to a kettlebell, I like kettlebell swings even > better, and they can be done with bad knees. See
> or just search on "kettlebell swing". As an alternative to a > kettlebell, you can get or make a T-strap and swing ordinary weight > plates, or get a gallon plastic jug and fill it with sand or water.
Thanks for the pointer. As long as I keep them relatively shallow, these seem pretty effective, but beyond a certain point, I can still feel and hear the symphony of gristly squeaks and pops I usually get from my knees.
Useful even if I need to clear a fair bit of space first :-)
>> Second question is that although my brother fair scampers down, he's slow >> on the ascent. He's also 6'4, and more like 18st, but that's mostly >> muscle and he's *very* strong and much fitter than I am. He does a *lot* >> of cycling, running, training etc. but he seemingly can't get enough >> breath on the way up and can't work out why.
>> Any suggestions there? Are those breathing trainers any good?
> If he cycles and runs his wind should be good. If you were hiking at > a higher altitude he may have trouble adjusting to that.
Not especially - UK Lake District. He used to smoke and it may be that's having an effect, but it's odd that it doesn't seem to in other CV exercise he blasts through.
Puppet_Sock wrote: > On Apr 27, 11:32 am, Sean Inglis <inva...@invalid.invalid> wrote: > [snip] >> Any suggestions there? Are those breathing trainers any good?
> For going up hill, the best exercise I've found is, no surprise, > going up hill.
LOL, I'll pass that on and see how long it is before I'm hurled across the room.
> I used to live near a 200 foot hill. I'd hike up and down it. When I'm > doing well I can do five round trips in an hour, and do three hours > straight of that, with a 5 minute rest each hour. The idea is to get > your heart rate into the zone for the hike, and keep it there for at > least an hour. Try to practice in temperatures similar to your > intended hiking place.
> Pat suggested a hiking pole. I second that. There are many levels > of expense for such things. I bought a pair of "Atlas" snowshoe > poles and took the flanges off. (Well, actually, I snowshoed with > them till I accidentally ripped off one flange, then demoted them > to summer hiking and bought a new pair.) They were about $70 > the pair. My current pole is closing in on 2000 km.
> For going down hill I find that swinging your hips is essential. > You swing your bum around to get the downhill leg farther > down hill. This lengthens your stride and decreases impact. > But the expense is that it puts you off balance a bit. Thus > the pole is important. You should practice this a while before > you get to the top of a monster hill.
Ok, I'll give it a spin. One of the elderly hikers on the last one commented that I needed to widen my stance anyway, so good practice.
>> For going down hill I find that swinging your hips is essential. >> You swing your bum around to get the downhill leg farther >> down hill. This lengthens your stride and decreases impact. >> But the expense is that it puts you off balance a bit. Thus >> the pole is important. You should practice this a while before >> you get to the top of a monster hill.
> Ok, I'll give it a spin. One of the elderly hikers on the last one > commented > that I needed to widen my stance anyway, so good practice.
M.U.S.T. R.E.S.I.S.T Must not give in to cheap opening. Must maintain stability in face of overwhelming desire to post the obvious retort.....
"Pat" <in...@tmail.com> writes: >>> For going down hill I find that swinging your hips is essential. >>> You swing your bum around to get the downhill leg farther >>> down hill. This lengthens your stride and decreases impact. >>> But the expense is that it puts you off balance a bit. Thus >>> the pole is important. You should practice this a while before >>> you get to the top of a monster hill.
>> Ok, I'll give it a spin. One of the elderly hikers on the last one >> commented >> that I needed to widen my stance anyway, so good practice.
> M.U.S.T. R.E.S.I.S.T Must not give in to cheap opening. Must maintain > stability in face of overwhelming desire to post the obvious retort.....
> Whew! This self-control stuff is difficult.
I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot, erm, hiking pole?
