Strength Training Tip For Hikers

Strength training is a fantastic tool to help a hiker's comfort, performance and resilience on the trail. 
 
And it is something I recommend to every single hiker out there!
 
However, there is one mistake with strength training that I see again and again in the hiking community.
 
Which severely inhibits the potential benefits hikers get from this type of training.
 
Let me tell you more:

Squats, lunges, step-ups - what do they have in common?

For one, they are the three most popular exercises in the hiking community (and are recommended everywhere you look!)

The other thing they all have in common is that they work pretty much the same muscle groups (predominantly work the quadriceps and a little bit of the glutes).

And the big mistake I see from hikers with their strength training is solely focusing on these exercises.

The issue here is while the quadriceps are likely getting really strong, other areas of the legs are getting neglected.

(And when we are hiking, all the muscles in the legs will be doing their part, not just the quadriceps).

So, if you are only focusing on these exercises, you are leaving a huge amount of potential benefits on the table! 

I can't tell you the amount of hikers I speak to each month who fall into this trap.

If you are training squats, lunges and step ups, that is totally fine.

But to get the best out of your strength training, you want to balance these out with exercises that work other areas of the legs.

A really simple way to look at this is for every exercise that works the front of the legs (e.g. the quads), you can also do an exercise that works the back of the legs (e.g. hamstrings and glutes).

A few example exercises that work here include: 

  - Single-leg deadlift variations
  - Glute bridge/hip thrust variations
  - Leg curl variations

This one simple tip can dramatically increase the effectiveness of your strength training and can pay massive dividends to your comfort, performance and resilience for the trail.

So, if you have been focusing on the typical hiker's favourite exercises, try giving this a go! And I promise you, it will serve you well. 

Now, if this all seems a bit confusing or new to you..

And if you are unsure how to best utilise strength training to help your hiking, I have something for you...

I have a free 'Strength Training For Hiker's Mini-Course, which will teach you the basics of strength training and how to put together some simple (but effective) workouts to help you with your hiking.

If you want to check it out, you can download it free here:

https://summitstrength.com.au/strength-mini-course

Yours in trekking,

Rowan