Specificity of Training for Hikers

To be the best hiker you can be demands that the majority of your "training" involves hiking. This is known as the Specificity Principle. The Specificity Principle, a universal training law, states that the body adapts to EXACTLY how you train it, all the way down to a cellular level.

Similar is not the same. A treadmill or stair climber might appear to mimic hiking movements, but they just aren't the same. And your body knows it, too!

Spend most of your time training on a trail. Even better, spend time training on trails you plan on hiking. It doesn't get any more specific than that! The rest of your available training time should be spent training at home, at a park, or in a fitness center, specifically targeting the muscles and joints important to a hiker through a properly design cardiorespiratory, resistance, and flexibility program.

Let me give you an example from my own training. Climbing all 58 of Colorado's mountains over 14,000 feet has been my goal for seven years now. I have five mountains to go. Five extremely challenging, potentially dangerous peaks. Any knowledgeable hiker will tell you that the descent is the most dangerous part of a hike. To prepare for the rigors of descending steep trails, I specifically find steep, challenging sections of trail (or off trail) to prepare me physically and mentally for descending other trails and mountains. Check out my "Specificity of Training" video below. It's worth it just to see what happened to my Nalgene bottle : )



To learn more about the Garden of the Gods, click HERE.

Happy Hiking!

Heath

On the Blood Trail (2-12-2010)

The Seven Bridges Trail is one of my favorite hiking destinations. In the winter, ice is common on the trail. On this particular day (1-2-2010), the trail was snow packed with patches of ice. Here is an example of the terrain near the start of the trail:

(Click on any picture for a larger, clearer view)
























A few pictures of the bridges:







































After bridge #5, my hiking partner and I ran into a group of hikers. A lady was holding her nose. She advised us that the trail ahead was very icy and treacherous. PERFECT!

The Notorious ICY SPOT...















































This was the aftermath of the woman's fall on the above icy section...






















The moral of the story? Be careful when you hike on icy trails.

The Hiking Nerd

Aoraki/Mt Cook Climber Falls 300 Feet & Lives! (2-12-2010)

Incredible. My last "news post" was about an ice climber that survived a 100 foot fall. I thought that was impressive.

But now, we have a 63-year old man surviving a 300-foot fall! WOW. Read the entire amazing story HERE.

The man fell 100 meters. The video below shows what an 18-meter fall would be like. Just imagine falling 5 times that distance!



The Hiking Nerd

Ice Climber Falls 100 Feet & Survives! (2-12-2010)

A 34-year old man fell 100 feet while ice climbing "The Fang" near Vail, Colorado. After an hour and a half rescue, he was airlifted to a hospital in Denver. He has since been released from the hospital...injuries unknown.

AMAZING!!! A very fortunate man.

Check out this short video of ice climbers falling:



The Hiking Nerd

The TOUGHEST Peaks in New Hampshire to Hike in the Winter (1-25-2010)

Looking for a challenge? Live near New Hamshire OR are willing to travel?


Check out this LIST of the toughest mountains, over 4,000 feet, to climb in the winter.

Man Sets Out to Hike the Entire Perimeter of Texas (1-25-2010)

Looking for a unique hike? How about hiking the entire perimeter of the state you live in? That's exactly what S. Matt Reed is doing...right now.

Reed is currently 900 miles into his goal of hiking all the way around Texas (~2,850 miles). Check out WHY he is doing it - HERE.

What's in YOUR Bathroom? (1-27-2010)

"They" say you can learn a lot about a person by what books are in their bathroom. So...what do you read when you're taking care of business?

If you were to infiltrate my downstairs bathroom, here is what you would find:



The Hiking Nerd