Hill workouts

Wairau

Come on everybody, let's make this section busier-it's interesting to see lots of people updating their fitness journals. Go Bart! 
 
Here's what I'll be doing over the next 6 weeks-I'm aiming for an 8km trail race so want to be fitter, retain muscle, reduce 2-3kg fat to be +85kg: 
 
Week 6- 220 steps routine 3 times plus other upper body exercises. I climb 220 (I lengthened the normal workout a bit) steps 2by2, at the top I do some simple and quick deep squats till failure, jog down, repeat for 75 minutes or more-about 15-20 times. Afterwards, I do bench press, stretches, power clean lifts, finish with 5 sets of 10 pull up knee lifts (1 pull up, hold, 10 knee lifts, down) 
 
Week 5- same 2 times, and a longer run/hike workout (3-4 hours). 1 more short workout of hill sprints 
 
Week 4- same 2 times, and a longer run/hike workout (3-4 hours). 1 more short workout of hill sprints. Will also begin a month of gym many evenings, mainly to help a friend lose weight, and I can also focus on retaining upper body muscle. 
 
Week 3- 1* 220 steps75 minutes, 1 60 minutes hill sprints, 1a longer run/hike workout (4-6 hours), 1 day of 10 minutes tabatha sprints (following DavidAV's advice above), then stretch-then 5km full speed run-this will be the day after the hill sprints... 
Week 2- 1 220 steps75 minutes, 1 60 minutes hill sprints, 1*a longer run/hike workout (4-6 hours), 1 day of 10 minutes tabatha sprints (following DavidAV's advice above), -then 5km full speed run-then stretch-this will be the day after the hill sprints... 
Week 1- Tuesday, hill sprints for 90 minutes. Wednesday -then 5km full speed run-Stretch every day, small jog on Friday. 
Race 
 
After that I want to begin burpees, maybe design a better workout schedule for more power/strength. 
 
I'll update it every few days, hope I stick to it. Want to see how fit I can get. Any suggestions would be appreciated, if they can fit in/improve the above. Cheers.

BartMan

Walking lunges - ten minutes - that will pack some stamina into your thighs! I have been pounding a set of concrete stairs over the last couple of days trying to get rid of some fluid on thighs. I forgot how much I love stair climbing! 108 to the top, takes about 54 seconds, with each step the heal touching the ground again. I used to sprint them around 30 times in my rugby days, and walk (stumble down). 
 
I think I would not mind this hill / trail running thing, sounds intense, good luck.

Wairau

Bart, I've learnt a fair bit from all your posts on these different threads, cheers. Hope others are getting motivation from them. I've cut my carbs this weekend to almost zero (trying to cut a few kgs of fat off) and had more lean chicken (as well as vege juices and fruit and protein drinks and eggs). I used to go for beef as main protein source but it's too fatty I think. 
 
Anyway, point is my hiking today-I kinda hit the wall after an hour, so didn't do 75 minutes, and then did the regular strength stuff after a rest. Guess that's the muscles having insufficient glycogen. 
 
How do you work out intensley with so few carbs? 
 
Extra note: I'll do those walking lunges in June, thanks. Hopefully by June I'll be able to handle the overhead squats too. Aim then is to reduce the cardio stuff, and increase the strength/muscle building stuff. I will try to retain a good mountain run every two weeks though, nothing better. At the moment the 240 step intervals build stamina especially in the heart/lungs-I recover very quickly after exertion. Soon I'll add hill sprints to lift the leg fitness to a higher level. 
 
Good luck on your next month of training and competing.

BartMan

don't cut the carbs! We only do that for a few weeks out of competition - otherwise we are getting ample to meet our workout needs! Not good!! 
 
My mate Deano was doing all sorts of weird stuff like that before he got onto our trainer too - and he was looking dead. one of the things he was doing was exactly that too - cutting carbs out onve rthe weekends. 
 
He came and saw us, and looked gray, we booked him in with Teresa , and he is now alive again, looking good, and lining up Waikato NABBA this July! 
 
We eat LOTS of steak - lean, fat cut off etc normally, me up to 4 times a week, Mrs x2. 
 
Track down a traditionalist if you can I reckon. Take in your training programme, and they can work from there what you should be eating!

Wairau

Thanks for the advice. I've got about 2-3kg to lose before I will include carbs. Just trying to drop off a little surplus weight. I eat beef about 5 days a week normally, lean-usually slices of it boiled. Tonights dinner is a slab of tuna, sliced, fried on olive oil and salt, served on top of lightly bolied (water and soy sauce) veges and onion and raw tomato, with a little butter for taste. Yum 
 
I'll try to get a real programme sorted out eventually.

BartMan

I think bottom line is everything in moderation! 
 
as someone said - you can't out-train your diet!!

Wairau

I'm still regularly doing these workouts, and the occasional longer (4-5 hour) run.hike. But I got tired of doing repetitive stairs, and I got several minor injuries over the summer months (June-August) -cuts on feet, blisters, sunburn at the beach, tight hamstrings, sore lower back which limited the frequency of my workouts. I now do no dead lifts or cleans, and back feels much better. Here's my latest workout, done with no real rest, only moving between exercises: 
 
 
[B]2 sets bench press as heavy as I can do 6 or more reps, rest is 1 minute stretching 
5 times up 240 stairs walking 2by2, and jog down 
 
3 sets of: 
--6 reps heavy bench, 
--15 lunges (for each leg) using a 25kg barbell, 
--2 hill sprints up 150 steps 
 
2 sets of: 
-- 1 dip down, then hold up position and run in place, then a few knee lifts, repeat as many as possible 
--maximum number of lower weight bench press 
 
3 sets of pullups with running (for abs), as many as possible-I posted that exercise as a new thread.[/B] 
 
 
 
I'll join the gym in November for 3 months, and will post more then. I might increase the workout intensity/level for October as well. I feel great, feel like running everywhere and feel like running into things and abs are tight.

Wairau

Bumping this thread since it's coming onto Summer in NZ (Winter where I am though) and maybe this can motivate some people to try these workouts. 
 
Here's what I did in the drizzle today: 
 
1 hour of hiking: 
-240 steps 2by2, jog down, sprint up 150 steps, jog down....repeat the cycle for an hour 
 
-other stuff: 
-6 sets of bench (75kg*6-8 reps) 
-6 sets of about 20 lunges for each leg, holding a 20kg barbell in bicep curl position. I try to mix these up to improve balance, not just in front of me but changing lunge direction. 
-extra stretching 
 
then to another workout area for 
-3 sets of dips *10, and then 
-3 sets of pull ups and an ab workout. 
 
So....get into it and enjoy the fantastic NZ environment and early summer weather!

davidav

Burpees are the most evil thing created by man. You kind of need to develop a perverse love for them; otherwise you will stop doing them after a few workouts. I think there are few, if any, other exercises that compare in terms of providing a full body workout in one exercise. 
 
If you are traveling or really short on time and you want to exercise and get a decent workout in the least amount of time possible, then burpees are where it's at.

Allstar

[quote name='davidav']Burpees are the most evil thing created by man. You kind of need to develop a perverse love for them; otherwise you will stop doing them after a few workouts. I think there are few, if any, other exercises that compare in terms of providing a full body workout in one exercise. 
 
If you are traveling or really short on time and you want to exercise and get a decent workout in the least amount of time possible, then burpees are where it's at.[/QUOTE] 
 
Completely agree. They're one thing on my fitness program I hate. Especially as they're right at the end of my workout. Three sets of eight is my max right now. Working my way up though

BartMan

burpees, I had a workout once that was solely burpees. Can't remember it rightly, but something like doing 20, then 19, then 18, then 17 etc down to maybe 10, with a minutes rest in between. 
 
Might try that on me next cardio day. 
 
Now burpee as I remember it is same as a squat- thrust sort of thing. Stand, down onto hands both feet back, then both feet back under you, and jump into the eat is one...??

davidav

Bart: 
 
There are different variations of Burpees, but I like to do them with a push-up at the bottom. So squat, kick out, push-up, return to squat position, then jump. That's one. 
 
I've been doing sets of 10. Most recently I did 5 sets of 10. My goal is to work up to 5 sets of 20. I mix these in with sprint training, which makes for a very nice interval-type workout.

BartMan

YEAH, THAT PRESS UP RINGS A BELL WITH THE training programme I had briefly. 
 
I might give that a crack this week sometime. I remember it hurts, and the explosiveness will have to be good for the legs.

ACT Crusader

[quote name='davidav']Bart: 
 
There are different variations of Burpees, but I like to do them with a push-up at the bottom. So squat, kick out, push-up, return to squat position, then jump. That's one. 
 
I've been doing sets of 10. Most recently I did 5 sets of 10. My goal is to work up to 5 sets of 20. I mix these in with sprint training, which makes for a very nice interval-type workout.[/QUOTE] 
 
Dav - if you want a slight variation, instead of just doing a straightforward pushup, let your chest touch the ground and then pushup from the ground. Just adds that little bit extra resistance to your triceps. 
 
Burpees are evil, but I love them in my circuit training. A workout that absolutely knocks me out that takes only about 12-15mins all up is 
 
Kettlebell swings (24kg) - 30 secs 
Burpees - 30 secs 
Treadmill sprint (lvl 18) - 1 min 
 
Repeat 5 times with as little rest as possible in between

mariner4life

If someone could find a study that said burpees were actually really bad for you i would be eternally grateful. They have been a staple for rugby coaches and fitness trainers for ever, and i for one have had enough.

BartMan

lol. I reckon...

davidav

[quote name='mariner4life']If someone could find a study that said burpees were actually really bad for you i would be eternally grateful. They have been a staple for rugby coaches and fitness trainers for ever, and i for one have had enough.[/QUOTE] 
 
And the church said AMEN. 
 
Unfortunately, in my experience, nothing but good can come from doing burpees regularly. In fact, if you stopped doing everything else but kept doing burpees 3 or more times a week you would remain pretty fit.

Voltron

Another one along the same lines as burpees (ie a bit cardio, a bit strength, hard as fark) is The Bear from the crossfit website. 
 
[video=youtube;0WOP9J7QPwI]

The last time i did it i went from starting at 20kg, up to 40kg for the final set (5kg increase per set). I thought i might die. Only takes about 15mins. Burpees are for pussies.

Wairau

[quote name='Voltron']Another one along the same lines as burpees (ie a bit cardio, a bit strength, hard as fark) is The Bear from the crossfit website. 
 
The last time i did it i went from starting at 20kg, up to 40kg for the final set (5kg increase per set). I thought i might die. Only takes about 15mins. Burpees are for pussies.[/QUOTE] 
 
Thanks Voltron, I will try that-looks tough. There's a 40kg (?) barbell up at the hill workout area where I go. I'll do my typical 30-60 minute leg session, then BP sets, then this, then some final pull up-ab sets. Also thanks to Davidav for the comments about the burpees, I should do some. 
 
Bartman-I've been doing more hill sprints lately, and find my running is faster and stronger than when I was just doing the atair climbing. I still do mostly 2by2 steps when running, as long as I can manage it, but do 200 steps each time-did 10 times in a row yesteray. My last 1 hour run/hike was very easy, and fast. I will try to do a 2.5-4 hour hike every 3-4 weeks. I did one 2 weeks ago on a sunny Autumn day. Nice. 
 
Ideally would be: 
1250 steps striding 2 by 2 max speed 
1250 steps sprint as quick as possible 
Repeat for total 8 times. Then bench press, the above barbells, and finish with pull-ups and pull up abs. 
 
My knee-the front anyway-gets some tightness sometimes at the moment after I did some walking lunges, so I'm hoping it goes away with time. And my shoulder tendon is sore if I do too many dips.

Wairau

[quote name='BartMan']I think that might be a little extreme!! Takes more than a run after a bus!! 
 
it is a mad science though, and my mad scientists seem to know what they are doing![/QUOTE] 
 
So if I want to gain overall muscle with the following schedule -which I'm trying to set up for March-June-should I be really careful to eat a lot, and a lot of protein before and after long workouts? Any comments you have would be great, cheers! 
 
Sun 3-4 hour hike/run AM (maybe every 2nd week?), then gym PM upperbody-general 
Monday gym PM upperbody-specific 
Tuesday gym PM upperbody-specific 
Wednesday rest 
Thursday 75minutes hill climbing repeats AM, gym PM upperbody-specific 
Friday gym PM upperbody-specific 
Saturday rest 
 
 
on another note, I recently did 100 pull ups-split over 8 sets, however. And yesterday 50 pull ups in 3 sets. Not bad, considering I was struggling to do 5 in mid-last year.

The Silver Fern

Hill workouts