Exercises for hiking uphill and endurance training

Hands down, the hardest part of a hike is the ascent so in this article I detail exercises for hiking uphill. I also provide an endurance training plan for hikers along with an alternative approach. I start by getting right to the point – listing the best exercises for hiking uphill.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best hiking programs to build muscle to master uphill hiking
Endurance Training

Training & practice are keys to becoming a confident hiker in all terrain

Best hiking programs to build muscle to master hiking uphill

You love hiking and you want to find the best hiking programs out there to master your next hike. The truth is that the best programs for building leg muscle are found in bodybuilding or crossfit workouts. You still need to hike to build endurance but here are my recommendations for building leg muscle from APPS or the GYM

Muscle Building apps that deliver the best exercises for hiking uphill

BodyFit app by bodybuilding.com

• $120/year for unlimited access
• Watch for sale prices on a year membership on their website
• Range of programs from beginner to advanced
• Programs focused specifically on building leg muscle
• Range of programs from gym to home based
• Demonstration videos
• Open forum on the bodybuilding.com website

Naked Training app by Brooke Ence (Naked Training App)

• $150/year for access to all programs
• Options for quarterly or monthly memberships
• Range of programs from beginner to advanced
• Range of programs from gym to home based including crossfit style workouts, olympic training as options and workouts of the day (10+ minute high intensity routines)
• All programs address full body strength building, event the “peaches” leg, glute and hamstring bulking program
• Demonstration videos
• Created and operated by crossfitter Brooke Ence
• Incredibly supportive private Facebook Group where Brooke herself engages on a regular basis

Gym Options that deliver the best exercises for hiking uphill

Hire a personal trainer

• Costs range from $30 to $100+ per session
• Almost every gym offers personal training sessions
• Some personal trainers offer home based training but you need a minimum amount of equipment
• Benefit of learning weightlifting techniques with a coach

Join a crossfit gym

• $120+ per month membership
• Intense training that includes weightlifting, olympic lifting and workouts of the day (10+ minute high intensity routines)
• Exercises are scalable
• Benefit of learning weightlifting technique with a coach
• Most crossfit gyms have developed an incredible community among members

Endurance training for hiking

Is hiking at home the best endurance training for hiking? Maybe but it does not have to be.

Option 1 – Hiking at home is the best endurance training for hiking

One common approach to endurance training for hiking states that if you plan on a big hike with the following statistics…

• 7 hours total
• 3000 foot elevation gain
• 300 foot elevation loss
• 45 degree steep climb for 45 minutes
• 85 fahrenheit (29 celcius)

…then you should come close to mimicking these conditions in your training.

Heads up that you do NOT have to hike for seven hours at home to be able to hike for 7 hours on your trip. Aim for around 75% of your total time on hike day for your longest hike in training at home (75% of 7 hours is just over 5 hours, as an example). In fact, the best endurance training programs use a step up, step down, step up program.

Here is an example of what training might look like for a hard 7 hour hike:

5 week training plan for a 7 hour hard hike

Note that you should train under similar weather conditions expected for your hike. You should also practice your nutrition in training. You can read more about this in my article Best energy food for hiking.

Looking for ideas for. your next WILD adventure? Try action-adventure movies!

Option 2 – Alternative training plan for a hard 7 hour hike

When I was training for a hiking trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the summer of 2022 that included a 6 hour, triple peak hike and two fastest known times in my age group on Strava on the technical Tuckerman’s Ravine trail of Mount Washington, I used an alternative training plan to the traditional step up, step down, step up approach.

My alternative training plan was a decision I made to minimize further damage in my osteoarthritic knee. My alternative approach worked for two reasons:

• My plan with my knee surgeon is to continue to build muscles in both legs to minimize the impact on my knee every time it strikes the ground
• The type of exercise I replaced hiking training with was still building endurance and I was doing workouts in the hot weather to mimic the weather in the White Mountains in the sum

Best alternative training for hiking?

In this article I have shared exercises for hiking uphill and most importantly, the key for better ascents – building leg muscle. I have also shared an example of a typical hiking training plan using a step up, step down, step up cycle as well as an alternative approach to building endurance for a hike. I hope you find my tested resources including apps and live training for building muscle useful. I leave you with this inspirational photo of “muscle on the mountain” from my White Mountain hikes:

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these QUOTES THAT INSPIRE

Read more to help master your next hike…