Are you looking for a new thrill to pursue? Why not consider mountaineering?
Many became inspired by the activity because of Mount Everest’s recent summit success rate boost. Aspiring climbers want to leave a mark on the tallest summit, but they don’t consider the potential dangers. While the success rates may have doubled, fatality rates remain consistent over the years.
This is why it’s important to take part in mountain climbing training. Not only will this improve your chances of reaching the summit, but also improves the odds of survival.
What would make a great mountaineering training regimen, though? Read what we’ve prepared below to have a rough idea of what your schedule should look like. We’ll also help you know what to include in your training plan.
Building Your Training Schedule
Your training for mountain climbing should start well before your trip. The bare minimum to give yourself is two months to prepare. If you’re planning to scale a difficult peak, four months is ideal.
Doing so allows you to train your body for what’s coming. Also, break your training schedule down into three phases.
Phase One
Phase one should focus on your general fitness. Those with athletic experience will find their bodies easily adjusting to the new exercises. If you exercise little, your body may have trouble adjusting to the new regimes.
Falling under the latter would mean you need to make drastic changes to your body. Lose some weight and assess your current strength from then on. Also, use this phase to identify any weak points in your body and correct them.
Once workouts get easier, you’ll know you’re ready for phase two of your timeline.
Phase Two
The second phase of training will cover uphill training. You’ve established your body’s base level of physical fitness at this point. So, push yourself by tackling uphill paths during your regimen.
Find an area with gentle inclines to start. Don’t rush into it as your legs and cardio might not handle the sudden increase in strain and energy demand. Walk around for now until your leg muscles adapt to the challenge you’ve presented.
If you live in a flat area, consider using the incline function of a treadmill. These provide the same effect as walking outside on a similar slope.
Phase Three
You will undergo mountain climbing practice under similar conditions in this phase. It often means you will bring what you expect to carry during the actual climb to the summit. When possible, experience climbing under the same weather conditions, too.
Plan a couple of mock climbs with some friends at least a month before the event. Doing all these helps you acclimate your body to the climb. It’s also a great way to avoid anything unexpected while you’re mountaineering.
What to Include In Mountain Climbing Training
Now that you have your timeline, it’s time to fill it up with different physical training workouts. Here’s what to cover before the climb.
Strength
You’ll need all the strength your muscles can provide when going mountaineering. Focus on general strength training on your legs, arms, and your core. Doing so allows you to climb up slight hills without straining your body immediately.
Focus on specific strength training, too. Finger strength, for example, is more important than most realize. It allows you to hang on to the smallest of purchases as you scale the mountain’s surface.
Put some training on your back muscles, too. These will help you pull yourself up with relative ease.
Strength also helps with your balance. Stretch your muscles before every workout to improve flexibility and core control.
Cardio
Oxygen efficiency is essential as you go higher into the atmosphere. A healthier heart and set of lungs are more effective in pumping what little oxygen you get throughout your body.
There are tons of ways for you to improve your cardio. Aerobic exercises such as swimming, cycling, and running help with breath control. Crossfit also helps through high-intensity anaerobic exercise.
Slow progress is key with cardio. Start with short workouts that progress towards longer ones throughout your schedule. It’s also among the workouts that you always include in all training phases.
Endurance
The sooner you finish the climb, the sooner you can put yourself in safer conditions. It makes it important to maintain progress every day of the trip. It’s because of this that it’s vital to improve your endurance.
A good way to improve this is by carrying heavy loads while working out. Increase the weight whenever you can to continue building up your endurance to its peak. At peak physical fitness, you’re able to carry about half your weight with ease.
Interval Training
Interval training improves your anaerobic threshold by strengthening your heart. These workouts are advantageous as they help you keep up the pace with every quick breath of air.
To improve your interval workouts, do short, high-intensity workouts with a relief period. As you rest, you regain energy while maintaining an elevated heart rate. It improves your heart’s capacity to pump blood throughout your body, providing you with more strength.
Mental Strength
Many underestimate the power of your mental wellbeing when going mountaineering. All the strength in the world won’t be of help if you feel you can’t make it to the summit.
One way to train your mental strength is to set goals while training. Meeting these goals will give you a big confidence boost for each new goal you set. It helps you maintain your momentum even when you experience minor setbacks during your climb.
By having a strong mind, your body won’t break against any obstacle. Climbing Kilimanjaro and other summits will be easy with this mindset.
Go Through Mountain Climbing Training Today
Never take mountain climbing training lightly. It can be the difference between conquering a summit and failing halfway. Take your time with mountain climbing practice and become an expert mountaineer soon!
Are you looking for more articles to fuel your thirst for travel, fitness, and sports? Check out more of our posts and guides to learn all you can today. Keep yourself updated on what’s hot and trending in these industries now!
