Ok, guys, I don't have a sheep hunt planned, but I do plan on going in the future. I work out everyday as it is, but I was wondering if you guys do something all year long to keep you in sheep hunting shape? Kind of a broad question as it is, but I just want to get an idea of what some of you experienced sheep hunters do to work out.

As goofy as this may sound you might consider joining one of the area boot camps. I did for my mntn goat hunt and it made a huge difference. The boot camps are typically all about cardio, situps and pushups. The thing is you never really rest for that hour of workout. Again it was great for me.
I'll be going on my first goat hunt in AK and I'm definitely signing up again.
Oh, and lifting weights will do you almost no good with the mountains. It's ALL about the cardio!

Two areas to focus on. 1 - legs; you're going to be going up and down steep country. 2 - lungs; most likely you'll be at high altitude and unless you already live at altitude it takes some acclimation even if you're already in shape. Aerobic conditioning is more important than raw strength.

One of the better exercises Ive done are squats,a great overall body toner and strengthener, a good bit of toned muscle mass dont hurt, lower the weight and do higher reps for endurance rather than mass,then include something on a rowing machine(the cord with inertia wheel type)
For a bit of variation from squats,maybe some high rep lunges with dumbells/barbell.
most important, stretch,maintain flexibilty and warm up maybe with mild stationary cycling.
Throw some other movements/variety into your regime from time to time,like ab exercises,push ups,some chins, go for a mountain cycle on some long steady hills if you can, pick a gear ratios that prolongs the climb for endurance training(its not a race)but still put good pressure on the legs, better still put on a weighted pack and hike those inclinations.
I also combine my own self made hybrid mix of body conditioning movements that resemble pilates/yoga/taichi/martial arts techniques ,that use the bodies own weight to train with, I thought it was strange till I tried it, and it sure feels better having well controlled strength with endurance&flexibilty, rather than what ones gets when just trying to pump muscles up in the gym for ego sake.
Hand in Hand with physical conditioning is a good clean diet, try and minimise heavy saturated fats and simple sugars...unpasturised(enzyme intact) apple cider vinegar is very simple to include in your diet, and great for disolving saturated fats in the system. Blood viscosity is an important factor in cardio health and thermal efficiency of the body.

added to post, you may want to check out training regimes of elite forces like Foreign Legion,SAS,SEALS as a guide to Xfitness.

I try to hike with a pack as much as I can in the steepest places available near home.

Even when I run religously I find that if I dont hike in a similar environment as the hunt I dont perform as well.

You can also work out any problems with pack weight, pack fit, prior to your hunt.

Any hill will do. Stairs work. School stadium bleachers etc.

Well that seems to be pretty good news to me! Haha, I may be a little younger than most on this forum (21), but I do a lot of ab exercises, ride the stationary bike everyday (always try to add more to the resistance factor, too), push ups, and a few weight lifting exercises. I used to do the elyptical (SP?) machine every day, too, but got a little lazy, I guess I'll have to get back to that. I used to try to kill myself before hunting season came in to get in shape (I was a fat when I was started hunting), but my dad taught me it's actually easier to just stay in shape and work out year round. Thanks for the advice, guys, keep it coming!

As an out of shape fat boy I'd suggest....put on a back pack, walk up a hill, turn around then walk down the hill. Repeat often

have fun

the chef

quote:

Originally posted by Sagebrush Burns:
Two areas to focus on. 1 - legs; you're going to be going up and down steep country. 2 - lungs; most likely you'll be at high altitude and unless you already live at altitude it takes some acclimation even if you're already in shape. Aerobic conditioning is more important than raw strength.

As someone else from Pennsylvania I can agree with this.

My brother moved to Casper Wyoming last spring and I can tell you after three visits out there it takes several days to acclimate to the 5000ft altitude of Casper, but even after four or five days you can get out of breath jogging to your car to retrieve your cell phone.

And if you drive to higher elevation, like up over the top of the mountain on Hogodon Road
(which tops out at well over 9000ft) will leave you worse off than when arriving in Wyoming.

Even if you are in excellent shape high altitude
will make you feel like you aren't.

Remember at 5250ft (most of downtown Casper or Denver) you have 83% as much oxygen as at sea level.
at 8000ft (up where the sheep live) there is 75% as much oxygen as at sea level.
And it drops further as altitude increases
at 10,000ft you are down to 70%...

http://www.altitude.org/

I already know that I take more time than it takes to drive from Omaha to Casper to adjust to the elevation of Casper and MUST plan on sleeping-in for the following two days, before I consider ascending to any higher elevation.

I already know that I'm never going hunting sheep.

that all being said it isn't the entire story...
Hemoglobin is amazing stuff and through the faster rate of respiration and it's "Storage" capability the Pulse-Ox of most people won't fall as fast as the air/oxygen would suggest...

at 5000ft you can expect it to fall to 95%
and at 10,000 feet to 90%, however at some variable altitude (different for every individual and depending on how acclimated
one is) pulse-ox will fall to 80% or below
and serious hypoxia symptoms appear.

In any case plan on heading out a week before your hunt if possible and take the time to acclimate to the altitude.

and though technically speaking healthy people shouldn't have effects at only 5000-6000 feet if you are less than perfectly healthy, or are just a smoker. the effects will be experienced at lower elevations.

AD

Stay in good cardiovascular fitness year round by low impact aerobic exercise, like biking. Starting at lease 12 weeks prior to your hunt, start packing heavy weight regularly. Combine it with hill/mountain climbing if you can. If you can't you must strengthen you legs and gain endurance. 4 sets of 20 squats with the most weight you can do is the best way to get this done. You should barely be able to complete the last set if at all. At least 1 hour of aerobic exercise 5-6 days/week. Rest one day/week. You need to work up to being able to pack 120+ pounds for a couple of hours at a good pace on flat to rolling terrain because you may have to climb 3000 feet with it!! The most effective of all is to be able to regularly climb 2000-3000 feet with 60+ lb pack.

Find a hill or stairwell, put on your pack and have at it. I snowshoe up hills in the winter, hike hills in the summer. Maybe its too simple, but seems to me the best way to prepare to climb hills, is to climb hills.

JD

Lots of good advice here.

I am not sure what the terrain is like where you live, but if you have hills you can train on I highly recommend it. Not just climbing up and down either....sidehilling with a pack on is great training for sheep hunting.

A couple times I have hunted in the mountains with people that were in decent shape (every bit as good as me) but were not accustomed to side-hilling....wore them right out. I guess if you spend a lot of time in the hills you don't really notice it, but there are definitely some lateral support muscles there that can become a limiting factor if they aren't in as good a shape as the rest!

Also, I highly recommend actually going on some long hikes before your trip. Regular training will do most of the work getting you ready, but there is no subsititute for having a pack on your back for long periods of time.

Cheers,
Canuck