How To Train If You Are Always Out Of Breath When Hiking Up Hills

Are you constantly huffing and puffing at the top of long hills? Do you struggle to hold a conversation whenever you are climbing a set of stairs? Do you constantly find yourself dropping behind the pack every time you hit some elevation?

Well if this is you, I have some bad news for you... no matter how much you hike, this probably isn't going to change.

But that doesn't mean you have to accept it!

If you dedicate some time to training off the trail, you can turn those ascents from a heart pumping, gasping affair into your strongest section on the trail!

This is how you do it:

Aerobic Training

Simply put, aerobic means in the presence of oxygen. And the aerobic energy system is the system in the body which creates energy, while using oxygen as a fuel source.

This is important to know because the aerobic energy system is the single most important thing to develop for hiking success. And if you are not training this enough (and mainly sticking to short, sharp interval training) - it is no wonder you struggle on the hills!

To train this, you want to be including two things in your weekly training plan:

Aerobic Capacity Training

Aerobic capacity training is simply designed to make the body more efficient at exercise in the 'aerobic' zone. Meaning you can go for longer, at higher intensities, without moving into your other energy systems (and getting out of breath).

While this is predominantly what people are already doing when hiking on the trail, it is often neglected throughout the week.

Choose one of the following (in order of effectiveness):

• Loaded pack walking
• Jogging (if you are already a regular runner)
• Step machine
• Incline treadmill walking
• Stationary cycle
• Elliptical

The Workout:

• Perform 60 minutes of continuous exercise
• Intensity should be at a pace where you can breathe through your nose

Perform this once a week. Each week, add an extra 10 minutes to the duration.

Aerobic Power Interval Training

Aerobic power refers to the maximum energy output your body can create while using oxygen as a fuel source.

So by training and developing aerobic power, you can train your body to better be able to produce energy at a higher work rate (i.e when walking up hills) while using oxygen as a fuel source (i.e. not out of breath!)

This is the type of interval training which will show the most benefits to help you up your hills.

Choose one of the following (ranked in order of effectiveness):

• Very steep hill
• Very steep set of stairs
• Running (if you are already a regular runner)
• Stepper machine
• High incline treadmill
• Sled push
• Elliptical

The Workout

• Climb for 3 minutes
• The intensity here should be relatively tough
  (but you don't need to be lying on the floor, gasping for air after each interval!)
• Rest for 90 seconds
• Repeat 5 times
  
  

Perform this once a week. Each week add an extra repetition.

Strength Training

Strength training has so many amazing benefits for trekkers and hikers.

In particular for hiking uphill, strength training is beneficial for developing something called the 'strength reserve'.

Strength reserve is the difference between your maximal strength and the strength required for a given task.

An easy example of this is if are climbing up a steep hill and every step you take up requires 30% of your maximal strength to complete, you are going to get tired FAST....

However, if you complete 8 weeks of strength training, and then next time you do the hill every step required 15% of your maximal strength to complete, it is going to be much, much easier!

*These are completely random numbers - but you get the idea.

Example Workout:

1a) Goblet squat x 8 repetition
1b) Romanian deadlift x 8 repetitions
1b) Deadbug x 45 seconds
1d) Static frog stretch x 45 seconds

Complete 4 sets, 1 minute rest between squat and deadlift.

2a) Split squat x 10 repetitions (each side)
2b) Hip thrust x 10 repetitions
2c) Side plank x 20 seconds (each side)
2d) Single leg calf raises x 10 (each side)

Complete 4 sets, no rest

Complete this workout twice a week. Each week try to increase the weights slightly.

Sprint Intervals

While it definitely should not make up the majority of your training, small amounts of higher intensity intervals can still be quite beneficial for helping you on the hills.

However, I wouldn't recommend a trekker or hiker use a whole training session on this...

Instead, it is a good option to use this type of training as a 'finisher' at the end of another workout.

Choose one of these options (in order of effectiveness):

• Sled push
  
• Sprinting (not on treadmill)
• Stationary Cycle
• Assault bike
  
• Elliptical

Example Workout:

• Perform 15 second sprint (very quick)
• Rest for 45 seconds
• Repeat 5 times

Perform this once a week at the end of a strength session. Each week add another interval.

Put these workouts together and you have a simple, effective training program to help you conquer any hill the trail throws at you (without getting out of breath!) Follow this for 6 weeks and you will be amazed at the difference while hiking!

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