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Other/Mixed Mountain Strong

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
offwidth said:
Yes. Box steps are the real deal. Very effective when you can’t get to the real thing. And that’s pretty much the only time I have used them.
And even then I would do them with a serious climbing goal in mind. So for starters I would use the weight I was planning to climb with (or perhaps just a bit more). Next I would try to mimic elevation gain. Either of the whole climb (rarely) or significant portions thereof. Then after a suitable warm-up I would crank up the Reverend Horton Heat and just go for it (the only time I ever use music in training). I would normally do this only once a week in the 8-10 weeks leading up to the climb if I had that much time to prepare. I would use running, and cycling as other ‘cardio’ prep work.

The odd time I would do some ‘maintenance’ box steps; this consisted of 2 x wk of 300m and once a week of 1000m. I would also use an HRM to keep in targeted zones

Bear in mind although very effective, it’s also very soul stealing...

Hint: get a palm clicker-counter to keep track of your steps

Fortunately i once again live near real mountains and don’t often need to rely on such shenanigans....

I trust this helps answer your question a bit, if not please feel free to ask for more detail

cheers
-b
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as a skimo "racer" living in coastal Maine, I do a LOT of combo box steps + skierg + some level of high eccentric load circuits.

Something like :
-200 step ups w/20lbs pack
-500m strong skierg
-then a series of lunge, jump lung, jump squat and iso holds to finish.

Its far from perfect, but its good.
 
Hello,

@LoneRider
+1 to what @offwidth said.

I used it to prep for trekking in Jordan. It worked very well. Using a heavier backpack than the one you will use on the field. This will compensate the fact that box step is a fairly even terrain. In real life, you may evolve on rugged terrain.

I used the same boots I was about to wear. This is to "break" them, which may prevent blisters.

As far as pace goes, I am more "old school": nasal breathing. An HR monitor, as @offwidth mentioned is excellent. In case you do not have one, a metronome may also be used.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Yes. Box steps are the real deal. Very effective when you can’t get to the real thing. And that’s pretty much the only time I have used them.
And even then I would do them with a serious climbing goal in mind. So for starters I would use the weight I was planning to climb with (or perhaps just a bit more). Next I would try to mimic elevation gain. Either of the whole climb (rarely) or significant portions thereof. Then after a suitable warm-up I would crank up the Reverend Horton Heat and just go for it (the only time I ever use music in training). I would normally do this only once a week in the 8-10 weeks leading up to the climb if I had that much time to prepare. I would use running, and cycling as other ‘cardio’ prep work.
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@offwidth, thanks. In my case it's because I'm gonna be stuck indoors for fourteen days after I get back from my Holiday vacation in Florida. My fourteen day quarantine training plan is built around kettlebells, calisthenics and step-ups, the last is in lieu of rucking and running in a Long Slow Distance fashion for that two week plan.

I might do something like train stepups for an hour straight (about what my usual roadwork sessions tend to be) as a way to build some base fitness.
 
Thanks. Maybe every five minutes or so do some swings with one of my heavier (32KG or 40KG) bells or single leg squats?
 
LoneRider said:
Thanks. Maybe every five minutes or so do some swings with one of my heavier (32KG or 40KG) bells or single leg squats?
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Right. I e done this with shorter, maybe 20 min sessions on the rowing erg. Every few minutes do a set of swings and a loaded carry, out and back. Sometimes add in a push up and goblet. Then I would ruck Uphill for awhile.

What I’ll probably try next is to weave the DMPM aka The Humane Burpee:

10-15 swings
Push ups, goblets, rows, 5-4-3-2-1

So as many steps as needed in between to the total session between 45-60 min.

You could also sets of single or double KB clean, press, and FSQ. Or some planks. Or crawling in place. Lots of ways to add some variety so you keep your sanity.
 
I'm pretty much planning using stepups and S&S for that fourteen days cooped up at home routine, so maybe an Easy Strength kinda grind to break up the monotony of the step up intervals.

My plan is basically this:

Day 1: S&S
Day 2: The Stepup Plan

Rinse and repeat, resting on day 7 and then repeat from days 8-13 and rest on day 14.
 
Curious what everyone here thinks of sandbag work for mountain strength. Having followed Mountain Athlete and its cousin Military Athlete for a couple of years I still consider them a great influence on programming, hence my thought of using step ups (originally from more than a few Mountain Athlete sessions I’d done).

mtntactical.com

5 Great Sandbag Exercises

We think the sandbag is an excellent training tool. These are 5 of our favorite sandbag exercises: 1. Sandbag Get Up Technique Tips: Start with the bag on your shoulder. Lie down on your back. Get up however you want. Switch shoulders to keep reps balanced. Why We Love It: Few movements are...
mtntactical.com mtntactical.com
 
LoneRider said:
Curious what everyone here thinks of sandbag work for mountain strength. Having followed Mountain Athlete and its cousin Military Athlete for a couple of years I still consider them a great influence on programming, hence my thought of using step ups (originally from more than a few Mountain Athlete sessions I’d done).

mtntactical.com

5 Great Sandbag Exercises

We think the sandbag is an excellent training tool. These are 5 of our favorite sandbag exercises: 1. Sandbag Get Up Technique Tips: Start with the bag on your shoulder. Lie down on your back. Get up however you want. Switch shoulders to keep reps balanced. Why We Love It: Few movements are...
mtntactical.com mtntactical.com
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At one point in time I used sandbags for get-ups quite a bit. These being a part of my ‘GPP’ for climbing trips. I found them to be very effective.
 
I’ve yet to try sandbag training, but I really want to. I have a feeling that the awkward shifting load would carry over brilliantly to the outdoor sports I love. It seems to me a good way to prepare for the shifting g forces from the mountain or ocean. And since I’ve found regular loaded carries so beneficial, I think sand bags and slosh tubes could be awesome.
 
ShawnM said:
I used them quite a bit when getting ready for deployments. Mountain/Military Athlete plugged them into their programs often.
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Having used Mountain and Military Athlete's programming in previous years I can certainly say it's some solid thinking. It was through them that I found sandbag exercises.

I'm curious how people program sandbag exercises into their programming for 'mountain strength' beyond what's on Mountain and Military Athlete.
 
kurt perham said:
i have 5-6 sandbags of various sizes and sizes. along with an 8 foot slosh tube. You can really bring the pain with those implements.
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Well, pain and suffering aren’t necessarily the same thing as getting better. What sort of programming did you find worked well?
 
vegpedlr said:
Well, pain and suffering aren’t necessarily the same thing as getting better. What sort of programming did you find worked well?
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i just sub them in for other implements on the usually moves. Squats, lunges, walks, throws, etc. i use the SBs MUCH more than the slosh tube. that i built for fun and really only use for heavy front rack carry.

for my genpop ive used them as part of a solo or partner cardio circuit too.
 
LoneRider said:
I'm curious how people program sandbag exercises into their programming for 'mountain strength' beyond what's on Mountain and Military Athlete.
Click to expand...
I’ve used MTI’s programs in the past and borrow from their exercises and programming. I mostly integrate them into circuits to build work capacity (get-ups, crawl and drag, step-ups, loading, carries) at the end of my sessions. I have a 45lb bag with straps that fits nicely into a backpack and an 85 without straps that’s great for grip work.
 
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