Interval Training For Mountaineers

High-intensity interval training can be a fantastic method of training for mountaineers. Unfortunately, 90% of mountaineers out there absolutely butcher it...

High Intensity Interval Training
For Mountaineering

The big reason why so many mountaineers fail with interval training is most people don't understand the intention behind WHY they are doing certain types of intervals.  

Most peoples approach to interval training is simply choosing something which they can 'go hard' or 'get tired' and assuming it will do the job.

Sure, this approach can work. But only for a very limited amount of time. At some stage, if you don't have the right structure, you will end up continually working hard, but not actually improving anything.

But there is a better way.

I firmly believe in understanding the why behind choosing certain types of intervals (i.e. why you choose certain work/rest periods). Knowing this, allows you to approach your workouts with much more focus and greatly helps structure training over the long term.

One of my favourite types of interval training for mountaineers is something called aerobic power intervals.

These are designed to challenge the upper limit of your aerobic energy system, forcing your body to adapt in a way for you to work at higher intensities, while still using oxygen as a fuel source. Which is pretty relevant for mountaineers.

So how do you do them?

Well, it is pretty straight forward.

Choose one of the following types of exercise:

• Flat sprinting (if you are an advanced runner)
• Hill running (if you are an intermediate runner)
• Stationary bike
• Sled pushing 
• Rower
• Stepper/Jacobs ladder/Versaclimber
  
  

*The reason I only recommend sprinting on the flat for advanced runners, is this type of exercise has a relatively high risk of hamstring sprain for the unprepared. However, if you add a slight incline to the mix, this greatly reduces this risk.

Whatever you choose, make sure you select an incline/resistance in which your lungs are the limiting factor (and your legs aren't burning out halfway).

Once you have chosen your exercise type, this is the prescription you want to follow:

1. Go through a thorough warm-up
   
   
2. Go FAST for 3 minutes (This doesn't have to be at a level where you absolutely smash yourself and make yourself sick. But it should get you huffing and puffing
   
   
3. Go super slow for 1.5 minutes
   
   
4. Perform 5-8 repetitions 
   
   
5. Repeat 1-3 sets
   
   

Each week you repeat this, either add another repetition of intervals (per set) or go a bit faster in each interval.

Simple but VERY effective for a mountaineer.

Hopefully, you can already see how understanding WHY you are doing a specific type of interval, and knowing how to progress them over time properly, can be MUCH more powerful than just doing random training to get tired.

Now aerobic power intervals are just one of many methods of using specific high-intensity interval training for the trail. If the idea of training with a clear purpose in your workouts (and not just random sessions) appeals to you, the Online Summit Program is exactly what you need:

https://www.summitstrength.com.au/online-mountaineer.html

Yours in adventure,

Rowan