Exercises Mountaineers Probably Don't Need To Be Doing

​In this episode, I dive into a few exercises that I often see recommended for mountaineers, which, in all honesty, you probably don't need to be spending your time on. 

When looking at training for mountaineering content online, there are typically three 'categories' of advice I often see:

1) Great Training Advice

This is written by coaches and professionals who clearly know what they are talking about. Who clearly have a good understanding of things.

The bulk of this has come from the guys from Uphill Athlete or Evoke Endurance (or people who are regurgitating their info and putting their own spin on it).

This stuff is good, solid training advice. There is a lot out there that looks really good.

#2 Average Training Advice

This sort of stuff comes from coaches who have a bit of a background in training.

Some of it is good. Some of it is a little bit weird and a little bit funny. But it is kind of good enough.

It is not the way I like to go about things. I feel like some things miss the mark. But it is pretty good.

#3 Bad Training Advice

There is a lot of bad training advice in the world of training for mountaineering.

Stuff that is written by people who may be active or may have a background in training themselves or playing sports. Or they may be experienced mountaineers. They have been climbing for years and years. Maybe even guides.

But looking at this content, it becomes very, very clear that they have zero or very little experience in actually training people (other than themselves). In coaching people. In creating programs.

They are just talking about what they like to do themselves and assuming it is good for everyone else. Or they are regurgitating ideas they do not really understand.

Identifying Bad Content

There is SO much bad content out there. And for the everyday mountaineer, I can fully understand that it is hard to tell the good from the bad.

As a coach, there are a few simple indicators that someone doesn't really know what they are talking about:

A common one is people misusing basic training terminology. For example, people commonly misuse the word 'power' in the training context (and it can be a pretty important distinction in certain contexts!).

Or someone confidently making statements that sound really good but do not make much sense.

(For example, I saw someone the other day absolutely blasting lat pulldowns. Saying they were too stable and not relevant for sporting movements. Which is just plain wrong.)

Or you see people using fitness buzzwords that should have died twenty years ago (such as 'glute amnesia).

Or misquoting science. They quote a research article. You go read it. And it says the opposite of what they said.

I see these all the time.

But I fully understand these may be hard to identify for the everyday mountaineer.

So to help, I have a really easy thing you can look at, to get a gauge on the quality of information.

What strength exercises do they recommend to mountaineers?

Because while very few exercises are inherently bad for every situation, there are definitely exercises that are not relevant for ninety per cent of mountaineers.

And when you see coaches recommending them as a general recommendation (to everyone), it is a red flag.

So today I want to go through a few common exercises that make me scratch my head. Just so you can be aware when you see them.

Note: I am talking in the context of most mountaineers. There are edge cases. There are special circumstances. And if you enjoy an exercise simply because it feels good, that is fine. I am not here to take that away.
But outside of that context, let us talk through it.

Not So Great Strength Exercises For Mountaineers

#1: Abdominal Crunches

Why are these still talked about in mountaineering training, I have no idea.

You will often see programs where the core training is doing 30, 40, 50 crunches. And just doing more each week.

Crunches are such a low-benefit exercise for sports performance. They feel good. They burn. They make you feel like you are working hard. And for some specific sports, they may be beneficial (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for example).

For a mountaineer, they are not great. There are dozens and dozens of better core exercises.

If you see crunches as one of the major exercises of your core training, it is probably not a great sign.

#2 Dumbell Shrugs 

​Shrugs train the upper traps. This is not usually a priority for mountaineers. 

Yes, some people argue that if your traps get tired from carrying a heavy pack, this might help. Logically, that makes sense... 

But here is the thing. To get proper benefit from shrugs, you need to use real, heavy weight. Five or ten kilos will never do much. The traps are strong. And if you have access to proper weights and you are confident enough to use them at heavy loads, you would get better benefits from other lifts.

A heavier deadlift or trap bar deadlift. Loaded carries. Or even high pulls. 

All of these will hit the traps enough. And they will give you a lot more benefits in other areas for your mountaineering.

3) Chest Flys

These are great for isolating the chest. Bodybuilders love them. They are fantastic if your goal is building muscle. But for a mountaineer, they are unnecessary.

If you want to train the chest, just do a press. Dumbbell press. Bench press. Or do push-up or dip variations. All of these are going to be a better use of your time.

If you are being recommended flies, you are probably looking at a bodybuilding program disguised as mountaineering training.

4) Bicep Curls

There are a couple of legitimate reasons a mountaineer might do curls (I will get to that in a moment). But for 99% of mountaineers, they are unnecessary.

Vertical pulling movements like chin-ups and pull-downs already train the biceps. Horizontal pulling movements like rows train them too. And those lifts work many other muscles at the same time (which is a much better use of time for an endurance athlete who does not want to live in the gym).

The valid exceptions are these:

1. If you climb a lot and your biceps are a limiting factor, you might add some high-rep curls.
2. Vanity. If you want better-looking arms (which there is nothing wrong with), then go for it. As long as you are aware that you are doing it for that reason. Not because it improves mountaineering.​

This goes the same for tricep isolation work. Tricep pushdowns or extensions. Not terrible exercises, just not necessary for most mountaineers.

5) Mountain Climbers

I think people recommend this exercise because they are called mountain climbers. And mountaineers climb mountains...

These can be an ok cardio movement if you have no space or equipment (e.g. if you are training in a hotel room or apartment).

They can be a good hip flexor exercise when loaded up with bands.

But they are not on the same level as a squat, a lunge, or a proper strength movement.

So if someone is saying these are an 'essential' part of a strength program, it does not make sense.

6) Burpees

Burpees are the most overused exercise in the fitness industry.

They are not relevant for mountaineers. And when people say "Hey go do fifty burpees to prepare for a climb". It is a clear sign (not a good one).

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If you see these exercises in a general mountaineering program, it might be worth looking elsewhere.

As a mountaineer, when you are looking at strength training advice, you want to keep two things in mind.

1) Is this exercise relevant for my mountaineering?

It does not have to be one hundred per cent 'sport specific'. But does it make sense?

Going back to the crunches example, I do not see how you justify that for mountaineering.

2) If you took the same time and effort you invest in that exercise and invested it somewhere else, could you get better results?

If you look at curls, pushdowns, or mountain climbers, the answer is usually yes.

==

Hopefully, that gives you a few things to watch out for when you look at strength training programs for mountaineering.

There are always edge cases where these can be justified and a bit more relevant. And if you particularly enjoy these and they are fun for you, that is fine too.

But for most mountaineers, there are many better places to spend their time and energy.

Yours in adventure,

Rowan ​

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